2025 Nissan Kicks
Gas Midsize car
The 2025 Nissan Kicks is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize car 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 C. Owners have filed 36 complaints, most often about unknown or other. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kicks Play | Gas | FWD | 1.6L 4-cyl | 31 | 36 | 33 | $1,900 |
| Kicks | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 28 | 35 | 31 | $2,000 |
| Kicks AWD | Gas | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 27 | 34 | 30 | $2,100 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
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Recalls (4)
Electrical System
highProblem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Kicks vehicles. A software error in the combination meter may cause the screen display to go partially or fully blank. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Control and Displays."
Risk: A partial or blank screen display will not show critical safety information such as vehicle speed and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will resume the software reprogramming of the combination meter software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 6, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261. Nissan's number for this recall is PMA66. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 22, 2026.
Back Over Prevention
minorProblem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Frontier and Kicks vehicles. The center information display unit may display a blank screen when shifted into reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A rearview image that does not display can reduce the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the software on the vehicle’s center information display, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 10, 2025. The manufacturer numbers for this recall are PD152 and PMA48.
Equipment
minorProblem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Kicks vehicles. The certification label may have been printed with the incorrect Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) values, which can result in the vehicle being overloaded. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification." Additionally, certain 2025 Nissan Kicks SR trim level vehicles equipped with an optional 19-inch wheel package may have a certification label that states an incorrect wheel size. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: An overloaded vehicle can increase the risk of a crash. Vehicles with incorrect wheel and tire information may lead to tires that are inflated improperly, which can also increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install new labels, free of charge. Additionally, dealers will mail replacement labels to owners. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2025. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PD136 and PMA47.
Electrical System
highProblem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Kicks vehicles. The "Shift-to-Park" warning may not activate as intended when the vehicle is shut off and still in a gear other than "Park." As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Risk: When the vehicle is not in "Park" and the ignition is shut off, the vehicle could move unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a vehicle rollaway and crash.
Fix: Dealers will reconfigure the body control module (BCM) to activate the "Shift-to-Park" warning, free of charge. Some owner notification letters were mailed January 29, 2025. The remaining owner notification letters will be mailed at a future date, anticipated, May 7, 2025. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PMA42.
Owner complaints
36 complaints filed
2 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 1 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2024: 1 · 2025: 16 · 2026: 19
Most-cited components
- Unknown Or Other — 7
- Visibility/Wiper — 6
- Electrical System — 5
- Steering — 5
- Back Over Prevention — 4
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.
Crash ratings
| 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.
Other Kicks model years
2026 Kicks
3 recalls · 7 complaints
A2024 Kicks
1 recalls · 37 complaints
A2023 Kicks
1 recalls · 15 complaints
A2022 Kicks
0 recalls · 22 complaints
B2021 Kicks
2 recalls · 76 complaints
A2020 Kicks
0 recalls · 93 complaints
A2019 Kicks
1 recalls · 134 complaints
A2018 Kicks
1 recalls · 84 complaints
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). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 49042, 48259, 48277). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.