- Safety
- 4
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 2
- on record
- MPG
- 33
- combined
Open recalls on record
2 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.
Vehicle Summary
2021 Nissan Kicks
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 2
- Owner complaints
- 72
- Complaints citing a crash
- 6
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
2 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
2 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 22V693000high
Steering issue
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021 Versa and Kicks vehicles. An intermittent electrical connection in the electric power steering (EPS) torque sensor can disable the power steering assist.
Consequence
Loss of power steering assist can increase the steering effort required, especially at low speeds, and increase the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will inspect the steering column torque sensor lot code, and replace the column, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 9, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PMA10 / PMA25.
- 23V496000high
Steering issue
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021 Versa and Kicks vehicles. An intermittent electrical connection in the electric power steering (EPS) torque sensor can disable the power steering assist.
Consequence
Loss of power steering assist can increase the steering effort required, especially at low speeds, and increase the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will inspect the steering column torque sensor lot code and replace the steering column assembly, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 8, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PMA26. This recall involves vehicles that were previously inspected, but did not receive a steering column replacement, under recall number 22V-693. These vehicles will need to be reinspected for this recall.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2021 Nissan Kicks.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 4 / 5
- Passenger
- 3 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 15.5%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Standard
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2021 Nissan Kicks 4 out of 5 stars overall, below the 5-star median for the 16 comparable 2021 vehicles NHTSA rated in this class.
NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 15.5% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
NHTSA crash tests
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2021 Nissan Kicks, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
31
City
36
Hwy
33
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $1,850
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 269 g/mi
How this compares
At 33 MPG combined, the 2021 Nissan Kicks ranks 1st of 18 midsize cars EPA rated for 2021 — 4.5 MPG better than the 28.5 MPG median for that group.
That places it in the upper third of its class. Fuel cost is unlikely to be the deciding factor against its direct rivals.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $1,850, $225 less than the $2,075 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $9,250, a $1,125 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 269 grams per mile — about 4 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
72 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 72
- Total
- 6
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 2
- Injuries
Most reported components
- STRUCTURE23
- OTHER16
- ENGINE12
- ELECTRICAL7
- BRAKES5
Notable Issues
72 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 2 reports involve injuries. 6 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2021 Nissan Kicks, newest first.
- Recall
Loss of power steering assist can increase the steering effort required, especially at low speeds, and increase the risk of a crash.
- Recall
Loss of power steering assist can increase the steering effort required, especially at low speeds, and increase the risk of a crash.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- SUV
- Drive type
- FWD
- Engine
- 2.5L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Regular Gasoline
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Seats
- 5
Fuel economy
31
City
36
Hwy
33
Comb
- Annual cost
- $1,850
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Recall
Loss of power steering assist can increase the steering effort required, especially at low speeds, and increase the risk of a crash.
- Recall
Loss of power steering assist can increase the steering effort required, especially at low speeds, and increase the risk of a crash.