Nissan Kicks P15 Problems, Recalls & Lemon Law

backup camera blank; screen goes black in reverse; rearview camera distorted

Recall 19V654000 covers a rear-visibility defect that violates FMVSS 111 — backup camera settings can be inadvertently adjusted to render the rearview image invisible, increasing crash risk during reversing. If your 2018-2019 Kicks received the software update and the backup camera subsequently went dark again — or if the dealer failed to complete the update within a reasonable time — repeated unsuccessful repair attempts support a Song-Beverly claim. Keep all repair orders, and confirm the recall remedy was performed by requesting the vehicle's recall completion history from Nissan.

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.

sticky steering; steering wheel feels stuck; increased steering effort; steering recall

Recall 22V693000 addresses loss of electric power steering assist in the 2021 Kicks due to an intermittent electrical connection in the EPS torque sensor — a direct safety risk, especially at low speeds and during parking maneuvers. Critically, this recall was followed by a second recall (23V496000) because vehicles inspected under 22V693000 that did not receive a column replacement were still defective. If your 2021 Kicks was inspected under 22V693000 but its steering problem persisted, or if you experienced heavy steering effort before or after the recall remedy, multiple unsuccessful repair attempts may qualify under Song-Beverly's two-attempt presumption for a safety defect.

Dealers will inspect the steering column torque sensor lot code, and replace the column, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 9, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PMA10 / P

sticky steering; steering wheel feels stuck; increased steering effort; steering recall

Recall 23V496000 was issued specifically for 2021 Kicks vehicles that were previously inspected under Recall 22V693000 but did not receive a steering column replacement — meaning the first recall attempt was insufficient to fix the defect for a subset of owners. This two-recall sequence for the same power steering fault is exactly the repair-attempt pattern that Song-Beverly was designed to address. A 2021 Kicks owner who experienced continued steering problems between the two recalls — or who needed a second dealer visit after the first recall remedy — has documented evidence of multiple unsuccessful attempts to repair a safety defect.

Dealers will inspect the steering column torque sensor lot code and replace the steering column assembly, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 8, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this rec

airbag warning light; passenger airbag may not deploy; SRS warning; occupant detection fault

Recall 24V154000 covers a manufacturing defect in the 2023 Kicks driver's airbag inflator: absorbed moisture can cause improper deployment, meaning the airbag may not protect the driver as intended in a crash. This is a latent safety defect — the vehicle may appear to function normally until the moment of need. Under Song-Beverly, an open safety recall that has not yet been remedied, or where the replacement airbag assembly has a significant wait time, may count toward out-of-service days. Owners of 2023 Kicks vehicles should confirm the recall has been completed and keep the dealer's repair order as documentation.

Dealers will replace the front driver's air bag assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PD103, PD104, and PMA34.

check engine light with code P0101; car stalls at red lights or stop signs; rough idle and shaking; engine shuts off unexpectedly while driving; loss of power when pressing accelerator; AEB and traction control lights illuminate simultaneously with check engine; MAF sensor replaced but problem returns; car requires restart after stall; forward collision warning activates during stall

An engine that stalls at intersections or loses power unpredictably constitutes a substantial impairment of use and safety under California Civil Code §1793.2. If a Kicks owner has returned the vehicle two or more times for this specific stall/P0101 condition without a lasting fix, or the vehicle has been out of service for 30+ cumulative days, Song-Beverly lemon-law eligibility is worth evaluating. The recurring nature of the fault — MAF replaced multiple times with symptom return — is the exact repair-attempt pattern that California courts have recognized as supporting a substantial-impairment finding.

Dealers have replaced the MAF sensor (multiple times for many owners), cleaned the throttle body, and replaced the air filter — none of which permanently resolve the defect. A software recalibration of the engine control module (ECM) using Nissan CONSULT III Plus has been recommended by some technicians. As of 2026, Nissan has not issued a recall or comprehensive TSB addressing the root-cause software fix for this generation.

CVT transmission shudders or jerks on acceleration; hesitation when pressing gas pedal; transmission slips and revs high without forward movement; loud bang or grinding noise when shifting; car won't move in drive or reverse; stalls on highway at speed; burning rubber smell from transmission; check engine light with transmission-related codes; transmission replaced but fails again; car needs tow after sudden loss of drive

Sudden loss of drive at highway speed and transmission failure requiring replacement are textbook safety impairments under Song-Beverly. A Kicks owner whose CVT has been replaced once and is showing recurring shudder or slip — or who has been in the dealer queue without a repair because replacement parts are unavailable — has strong grounds for a warranty buyback evaluation. California courts have consistently held that a defect that causes a vehicle to be undriveable, even intermittently, can satisfy the 'substantial impairment of use or value' standard. Multiple replacement attempts for the same transmission failure support a lemon-law claim.

Complete CVT assembly replacement ($6,000–$8,300 dealer cost per owner complaints); some dealers have replaced the unit only to see the new transmission also fail within months. TCM software updates may reduce shudder in early-stage cases. Nissan has not issued a recall for this defect in the P15 Kicks as of 2026.

ABS warning light illuminated; master warning light on; brake pedal feels normal but ABS non-functional; ABS system warning light turns on intermittently then permanently; code C1110-04 (ABS actuator fault); dealer diagnoses ABS actuator/ECU assembly failure; part on national backorder; brakes not responding properly in hard-stop or wet-road event; slip indicator and forward collision warning activate alongside ABS light; ABS replaced once but fails again within months

Failure of the anti-lock brake system is a direct safety impairment recognized under California Song-Beverly. If a Kicks owner presented the vehicle for an ABS warning and the dealer either could not repair it (part unavailable) or the ABS failed again after replacement, the repair-attempt and out-of-service-day clocks are running. Extended backorder delays count toward the 30-consecutive-day out-of-service standard. The $1,500–$4,000 repair cost for an out-of-warranty vehicle adds a strong implied-warranty angle under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act as well.

Replacement of the ABS actuator & ECU assembly (dealer cost $1,500–$4,000+ per owner reports). Replacement parts have experienced national backorder, leaving owners without functional ABS for extended periods. Nissan has not issued a recall for this component failure pattern in the Kicks as of 2026.

infotainment screen freezes or goes black while driving; audio randomly jumps to maximum volume without input; navigation display becomes unresponsive; radio cuts off and reboots spontaneously; Android Auto / Apple CarPlay disconnects or skips; unexplained notification pings while driving; volume control unresponsive; dealer cannot reproduce fault (no error codes stored at time of inspection); screen stays black after restart

The NissanConnect defect is backed by two manufacturer-issued TSBs, which constitute Nissan's own acknowledgment of a systemic defect. Under Song-Beverly, a TSB-acknowledged defect that a dealer fails to repair at a warranty visit — or that recurs after repair — supports a lemon-law claim. The random volume surge to maximum, which has caused at least one crash, may also constitute a safety impairment. Owners who were denied warranty coverage or offered only partial reimbursement should document every dealership visit related to the infotainment system.

Nissan TSBs NTB22-028 and NTB23-018 recommend replacement of the radio head unit assembly. Nissan Consumer Affairs has offered partial (50%) cost coverage in some cases, which owners dispute as insufficient given the acknowledged defect pattern. Software updates alone have not fully resolved the condition per owner reports.

car brakes hard without warning and no obstacle ahead; 'Front Radar Unavailable Due to Obstruction' message on clear road; automatic emergency braking (AEB) activates at highway speed; AEB warning light stays on; forward collision warning triggers repeatedly in normal traffic; car decelerates and cannot accelerate after AEB event; brakes activate in rain or with radar laser misalignment; must park and restart to resume normal driving; Intelligent Cruise Control disengages without input

A safety system that activates without cause at highway speed — creating rear-end collision risk from following traffic — is a textbook safety impairment under Song-Beverly. Owners who have returned for this condition more than once, or who have been told by the dealer that calibration is the only available remedy, should document each visit carefully. Because the defect is present across all six model years with no recall issued, owners may have difficulty getting dealers to acknowledge the issue, making documentation of repair orders stating 'unable to duplicate' especially important.

Dealer radar sensor recalibration (laser realignment); sensor replacement in some cases. Calibration provides temporary relief but false activations often recur. Nissan has not issued a recall for this defect in the P15 Kicks. The broader Nissan AEB false-activation issue has been the subject of NHTSA complaints across multiple Nissan models of this era.

AC blows very cold at 60-61 degrees then suddenly very hot at 62 degrees; no comfortable middle temperature available; must constantly adjust climate controls while driving; heater blows hot air when AC is off at moderate set temperatures; Nissan dealer states system is 'functioning normally'; no warning light; temperature jumps between extremes with single degree change on dial

A non-functional climate control system that cannot maintain comfortable temperature — and where the dealer refuses to acknowledge a defect — may qualify as a functional impairment under Song-Beverly, particularly if the owner has documented multiple dealer visits. While less severe than powertrain or brake defects, this issue combined with other open defects on the same vehicle can contribute to a cumulative substantial impairment argument. California's lemon law does not require a safety risk — significant impairment of use or value is sufficient.

No acknowledged remedy from Nissan. Owners are advised by dealers that the system operates within specification. Some owners use the manual AC button toggle as a workaround. Blend door actuator replacement has been attempted in rare cases with limited improvement.