Owners have filed 19 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the steering, engine, and automatic emergency braking. The 7 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2022Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/7 checked
2022 Nissan Kicks: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2
Engine off, key in hand0/1
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/3
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2022's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2022 checks
Worth adding to your 2022 checks
Worth adding to your 2022 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2022 Nissan Kicks. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1.6L 4-cyl | FWD | 33 mpg |
Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.
Crosswind steering instability
300–4,000 miles
NHTSA complaints for the 2022 Nissan Kicks, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Wind pushes the car around at highway speeds. Complaints describe the steering going loose above 45 mph in light crosswinds of 10 mph or less. The car drifts out of its lane, and small corrections lead to overcorrecting. Passing trucks cause the same problem. Most of these reports come from nearly new cars, and some owners traded theirs in. One crash report says the steering wheel turned on its own at 65 mph. The driver lost control and hit a barrier, and an occupant was injured. Another report describes the car pulling right after transmission work, and loose control arms were later found.
Stalls happen without warning, both at a red light and while driving at about 35 mph. Sometimes the battery and oil lights come on. After a restart the car usually runs normally, but in some cases the stall keeps coming back. Dealers often cannot reproduce the problem, so these cars leave the shop unrepaired. Other reports describe the car slowing down while the accelerator is pressed and a complete engine failure on the freeway before 70k miles. Losing power in traffic leaves drivers stranded and at risk of being hit from behind.
The car brakes hard on its own with nothing in the road. One report describes an abrupt stop at 40 mph with the brake warning light flashing. Another describes the car swerving, slowing, and stopping in the middle of the road until the driver corrected it. In that case the plastic cover over the forward collision sensor was found attached on only one side and bent out of line. One dealer acknowledged knowing about the problem but could not find a cause, and no repairs are reported. Unexpected stops like these raise the risk of a rear-end crash.
Excerpts from complaints Kicks owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
Driving down the highway when the car shut down in the middle of the freeway. I was able to get to the shoulder before the vehicle completely shut down and would not restart. I had it towed to a shop and upon further investigation the motor had blown up. One of the pistons only had 20% pressure. The car doesn't even have 70k miles on it and the motor is completely gone in it.
Filed with NHTSA, June 2024
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2022 ranks eighth for owner complaints among 9 Kicks years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2022 is the fifth model year of the Kicks's first generation (2018–2025).
It includes the 2021 update.
What changed for 2021
Cars shoppers compare with the Nissan Kicks, with their own 2022 checklists.
2022 owner complaints, side by side
