2021 Nissan Kicks: What to check before buying

Paint chips away above the upper crease of the windshield, and some rust shows through. Almost every report here is the same fleet-unit filing repeated word for word, so the count overstates how many separate cars are involved. The other pattern is a driver's door lock that doesn't follow the remote. Once the door is locked with the key, it can stay locked while the others open. It can also stay unlocked while the rest of the car locks, with no warning light, which leaves the car open while parked.

The car brakes or slows sharply on its own. Collision warnings and hazard icons flash on the dash even when the road ahead is empty, and some drivers nearly get rear-ended. Others describe lost power on the highway, or pressing the accelerator and getting braking instead. In one crash, a car put in Park at about 9,000 miles kept rolling and hit a light pole. Smaller faults include heater blend doors stuck at full hot or full cold, batteries needing frequent jumps, key fobs that go undetected, and a driver's window that moves by itself.

False collision alerts are the core complaint. The forward collision warning and VDC system report a crash or obstacle when nothing is there, often while driving into low morning or evening sun. In some cases the car also brakes hard with no traffic nearby, which creates a risk of being rear-ended. Dealers often find nothing wrong after repeated visits. In one report, a false warning was followed by a complete shutdown with every dash light on and no power to accelerate, and the car had to be towed.

The car loses drive power. Symptoms include shaking, refusing to go past about 20 mph, not accelerating when the pedal is pressed, and a transmission that seizes in traffic and won't shift back into Drive. These failures cluster around 54,000 to 90,000 miles, and they often come with no warning light. One injury crash followed a loud boom and several warning lights: the car would not move, then went backward into another vehicle. Owners link the problems to the CVT. A separate complaint describes rust bubbling under the paint and a dispute over warranty coverage.

The airbags did not deploy in rear-end crashes at speeds from about 25 to 55 mph. All three reports involve crashes, and at least one involves an injury. In two of the cases, the car was stopped when it was hit. One crash sandwiched the car between two vehicles, and the passenger seat appears to have come off its tracks. In another, brake, tire pressure, and check engine lights came on after the impact, and the car was later declared destroyed.

Automatic emergency braking engages when nothing is ahead, often at freeway speeds and with a large gap to the next car. A collision warning flashes and stays on until the car is restarted, and the brake warning light can come on. One owner reports it happening 2-3 times a week and getting more frequent. Another had an unintended stop at 38,000 miles. Dealers have not found a cause after several visits, and the risk is a rear-end crash from the sudden stops.

A column that locks without warning, even in the middle of a turn, is the most serious report, and the car may then refuse to start. One owner's diagnostic summary points to the electronic steering column lock, but the report says this is not confirmed. A separate complaint describes the opposite: power assist that feels far too light, with the wheel spinning easily and seeming to turn past its normal stop. This is worse in rain or snow and most noticeable when reversing or parking.