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2018 Nissan Kicks
Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age — inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.
83 owner complaints · 1 recalls · data verified July 10, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why buy?
Electrical system problems dominate (27% of complaints, typically reported near 45k miles).
Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.
Complaints are overwhelmingly minor — almost none involve crashes, fires, or injuries.
The math, shown
Full methodology →Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
The road ahead
What breaks on a 2018 Nissan Kicks, plotted where owners report it happening.
Also reported (mileage varies): Driver assistance (18) · Electronic Stability Control (esc) (12) · Transmission & drivetrain (8)
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint — a rough guide, not a schedule.
Electrical system
27%22 complaints · typically near 45k mi · 4 in the last 2 years
“Radio skips songs back and forth randomly, and now radio screen and buttons are block.”
Engine
24%20 complaints · typically near 46k mi · 12 in the last 2 years
“When put in park car started idling rough and then stalled. Engine light, collision warning light, and traction control light came on. Code scanned as a P0101 code.”
Driver assistance
22%18 complaints · 7 in the last 2 years
“When put in park car started idling rough and then stalled. Engine light, collision warning light, and traction control light came on. Code scanned as a P0101 code.”
Brakes
17%14 complaints · typically near 19k mi · 4 in the last 2 years
“All brake failure warning lights remain on while driving and ABS no longer works. It is a very common safety failure that Nissan is making a small fortune on. It is a …”
Recalls (1)
Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.
Back Over Prevention · 19V654000
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200.
Before you hand over money
Check the VIN for open recalls
NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.
Free NHTSA VIN check ↗Get a pre-purchase inspection
A $150–$250 independent inspection of this exact 2018 Nissan KICKS beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2018? See how every Kicks model year scores →
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What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score — if they disagree, that’s worth knowing.