2025 Nissan Kicks
The 2025 Nissan Kicks is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact hatchback with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Kicks Play, is EPA-rated at 33 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 42 complaints, most often about the visibility/wiper. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $21,830 to $27,680 across 6 trims.

| Trim | Powertrain | Drive | MSRP | HP | Torque | Seats | Cargo (2nd row) | Wheels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | Gas | FWD | $21,830 | 141 hp | 140 lb-ft | 5 | 30 cu-ft | 16 in |
| S | Gas | AWD | $23,330 | 141 hp | 140 lb-ft | 5 | 23.9 cu-ft | 16 in |
| SV | Gas | FWD | $23,680 | 141 hp | 140 lb-ft | 5 | 29.2 cu-ft | 17 in |
| SV | Gas | AWD | $25,330 | 141 hp | 140 lb-ft | 5 | 23.9 cu-ft | 17 in |
| SR | Gas | FWD | $26,180 | 141 hp | 140 lb-ft | 5 | 29.2 cu-ft | 17 in |
| SR | Gas | AWD | $27,680 | 141 hp | 140 lb-ft | 5 | 23.9 cu-ft | 17 in |
MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.
Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kicks Play | Gas | FWD | 1.6L 4-cyl | 31 | 36 | 33 | $2,050 |
| Kicks | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 28 | 35 | 31 | $2,150 |
| Kicks AWD | Gas | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 27 | 34 | 30 | $2,250 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 49042, 48259, 48277.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kicks, Kicks Play | 6 / 10 | Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 / California LEV-III SULEV30 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
| Kicks AWD | 6 / 10 | California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.
The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.
The cheapest ownership win
Insurers price the 2025 Kicks very differently, and the gap between the best and worst quote on the same car and driver is usually larger than any option you are weighing on this page.
How to compare cover →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (4)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseBack Over Prevention
PD152, PD153, PMA48Equipment
PD136, PMA47Electrical System
PMA42These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
Whether any of this applies to one specific Kicks
A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2025 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Nissan publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.
Hear about a recall before the letter does
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2025 Nissan Kicks, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2025 Nissan Kicks
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Find parts for this Kicks →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database2 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported
3.7 per 10,000 built · Nissan reported 112,237 Kicks built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2024: 1 · 2025: 16 · 2026: 25
Most-cited components
In owners' own words
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
January 15, 2025 (~1,000 miles): Infotainment system was black at startup. Vehicle was beeping and flashing warning/service lights. System would not shut off. This occurred three times within the first week. I contacted the selling dealer for guidance. No documentation was provided for that initial report.
The contact owns a 2025 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that while entering the vehicle, there was ice on the rear glass. After closing the door, the rear glass shattered. Additionally, while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel.
Nissan of Macomb, ALL of them know us by name Mike & Bev Steering issue- does not drive straight down the highway, Slightest touch and off it goes in whatever direction you touched the steering wheel, and it will Not Recover, it will continue that direction until corrected..
The fuel filler door does not lock as advertised and stated in the owner's manual pg 206 2025 Nissan Kicks. This invites potential to do harm to the vehicle which could lead to a safety concern. ( The fuel filler door is suppose to lock when the car doors are locked) and unlock when the car doors are unlocked.
The contact owns a 2025 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that while reversing at night, the back-over prevention camera displayed a grainy and distorted image. The vehicle was initially taken to the dealer; however, no issue was found with the camera. The contact informed the dealer that failure only occurred at night.
The contact owns a 2025 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated while driving 49 MPH, the rear end of the vehicle was shuddering. The contact stated that the failure progressively worsened while driving, causing the contact to decelerate to 40 MPH. The contact exited the highway and drove to a store.
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Reported by Nissan itself: 2 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 2 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 1.8 per 100,000 built. Every Kicks model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAP| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 18% |
| SUV FWD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 20% |
| SUV FWD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 16% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsMost often about: Structure, Engine, Fuel/Propulsion System.
- NTB26-006A Service bulletin2026-05-01 · Fuel/Propulsion System
- FUEL FILLER TUBE LOWER SEAL IS LEAKING AND DTC P0456 IS STORED IN THE ECM This bulletin is no longer active. Please discard previous versions of NTB26-006.
- NTB26-019 Service bulletin2026-04-15 · Engine
- MIL ON WITH DTC P0181 STORED IN THE ECM IF YOU CONFIRM The customer states the MIL is ON but the vehicle does not have any drivability concerns or reduced power message in the combination meter, AND DTC P0181 for “Fuel Tank Temperature” is stored in either “Past” or “Current” in the ECM. ACTION Follow the SERVICE PROCEDURE in this bulletin to: 1. Replace the fuel temperature sensor. 2. Erase all t
- NTB09-131C Service bulletin2026-04-13 · Structure — Body
- CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides
- NTB09-131C Service bulletin2026-04-13 · Structure — Body
- CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides
- NTB26-006 Service bulletin2026-02-02 · Fuel/Propulsion System
- FUEL FILLER TUBE LOWER SEAL IS LEAKING AND DTC P0456 IS STORED IN THE ECM IF YOU CONFIRM The vehicle has a visible leak with a smoke machine test coming from the fuel filler tube lower seal, AND DTC P0456 is stored as “Active”, “Past”, or “Pending” in the ECM. ACTION 1. Remove the supplied funnel from the rear of the vehicle or trunk. 2. Insert the funnel completely in the fuel filler tube and rem
- NTB25-063 Service bulletin2026-01-07 · Engine
- VENT CONTROL VALVE IN ACTIVE TEST INOPERATIVE IN CONSULT 4 SERVICE INFORMATION An issue in CONSULT 4 has been identified in “EVAP system close” in Work support. · After selecting the "EVAP system close" in Work support, the “VENT CONTROL/V” in Active test becomes non-functional temporarily. · When selecting “EVAP system close” operation in Work support, wait 10 minutes before starting “VENT CONTRO
- NPSB 15-460 Service bulletin2025-10-21 · Structure — Body
- CAMPAIGN BULLETIN Monroney Label NCAP Rating Reference: PD171, PMA54 Date: September 26, 2025 Attention: Dealer Principal, Sales, Service & Parts Managers *****Dealer Announcement***** To ensure continued customer satisfaction and confidence, Nissan is conducting a quality action on certain specific model year 2025 Nissan Frontier and Kicks vehicles identified in Service Comm. This action updates
- NPSB 15-460 Service bulletin2025-10-01 · Structure — Body
- ACTION Date: October 2, 2025 To: FOMs, DOMs, RAMs, & RGMs Subject: LAUNCH PD172 PMA55 Multi Model Monroney Bumper Label – QA – Dealer Announcement and Procedure ACTION: FOMs & DOMs are asked to ensure that dealers are aware of this new campaign information. Dealer Announcement: To ensure cont
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
Diagnostic trouble codes on file
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaintsCodes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.
| Code | What it means | Most often filed under | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| P0456 P0456 on Nissan → | A very small leak in the evaporative emissions system. | Fuel/Propulsion System · Gas cap → | 2 bulletins |
Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMVIn New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2025 Nissan Kicks failed the safety inspection on 0.53% of first inspections — higher than the 0.36% for every 2025 model-year vehicle inspected.
failed the safety inspection
3,932 initial inspections of 3,875 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2025 Kicks | Every 2025 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the safety inspection | 0.53% | 0.36% | 3,932 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0.18% | 0.16% | 3,932 |
| Miles driven a year | 7,185 | 8,354 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 10,391 | 12,194 | odometer at inspection |
New York does not emissions-test model years this new, so the safety inspection is the record here. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2025 vehicle” is every 2025 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).
Compare the 2025 Kicks with
Any vehicle, your weights →| Head-to-head | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 BMW i4 · Compact Hatchback · grade B | i4 +35.3 | |
| 2025 Kia EV6 · Compact Hatchback · grade A | EV6 +20.6 | |
| 2025 Fiat 500e · Compact Hatchback · grade A | Toss-up | |
| 2025 MINI Cooper · Compact Hatchback · grade C | Toss-up |
Kicks by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2025 Kicks
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsHow much does the 2025 Nissan Kicks cost?
Manufacturer pricing runs from $21,830 for the S FWD to $27,680 for the SR AWD, across 6 trims. Those are MSRPs from the manufacturer's own press material; they exclude destination, options, taxes and whatever the dealer adds. Every trim and price is listed above.
Does the 2025 Nissan Kicks have any recalls?
NHTSA has posted 4 recall campaigns for the 2025 Nissan Kicks. The most serious on file is 24V969000, covering Electrical System. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.
How safe is the 2025 Nissan Kicks?
NHTSA gave the 2025 Nissan Kicks 4 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 3-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it B (81/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2025 Nissan Kicks?
Across the 3 EPA-rated configurations of the 2025 Nissan Kicks, the best EPA combined figure is 33 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What do owners complain about on the 2025 Nissan Kicks?
Owners have filed 42 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Nissan Kicks, most often about unspecified, visibility/wiper, electrical system. Of those, 2 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 1 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
How clean is the 2025 Nissan Kicks?
The EPA smog rating for the 2025 Nissan Kicks is 6 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III SULEV30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2025 Nissan Kicks?
The manufacturer has filed 15 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2025 Nissan Kicks, most often covering structure, engine, fuel/propulsion system. The most recent is dated 2026-05-01. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
How does the 2025 Nissan Kicks do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2025 Nissan Kicks failed the safety inspection on 0.53% of first inspections — higher than the 0.36% for every 2025 model-year vehicle inspected. The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
Which 2025 Nissan Kicks trim is the best value?
$5,850 separates the cheapest of the 6 trims from the most expensive, so the answer depends on which of the differences you would actually use. Every trim has its own page here with the manufacturer's full specification and equipment list, plus a short summary of exactly what it adds over the base trim — worth reading before a dealer frames the walk-up for you. The trim-by-trim ladder shows what every step up costs and what it makes standard.
Is the 2025 Nissan Kicks better than the 2025 BMW i4?
The BMW i4 wins clearly, 90.3 to 55, on fuel & range, tech & comfort, performance. The Nissan Kicks is ahead on safety. We publish a full side-by-side of the 2025 Nissan Kicks against the 2025 BMW i4 — specifications by family, equipment feature by feature, safety record and ownership costs. You can re-weight what matters to you and the verdict recalculates.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 3 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 3 configurations | EPA emission certificates | Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new. |
| Recalls | 4 | NHTSA recall campaigns | A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags. |
| Owner complaints | 42 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | 3 tested | NHTSA NCAP | Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them. |
| Service bulletins | 15 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | none | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | No defect investigation has been opened. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like. |
| Specifications filed with NHTSA | none | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | We had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | 6 trims | Manufacturer press kit | Transcribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from. |
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.