YearToAvoid

2020 Nissan Kicks Transmission & Powertrain Problems

NHTSA lists 20 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2020 Nissan Kicks, 21% of all 96 complaints filed for the year. Median mileage at failure is 54,000. No related recalls are on file for this problem area.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints
20
21% of 96
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
54,000 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical transmission symptoms owners report

  • Owners report the transmission juddering or shuddering, with the shaking worsening over time.
  • Some describe the vehicle randomly losing traction and slipping around 40 mph while driving, with no warning lights or error codes.
  • Several report hesitation when accelerating from a stop or while shifting gears, especially entering highway traffic.
  • One owner reported the transmission control module failing, leaving the vehicle unable to move forward in traffic.
  • One owner reported reduced power and jerking when climbing hills in hot weather above 95 degrees, with normal operation in cooler temperatures.
  • Multiple owners report full transmission replacements, in one case before the car reached 15,000 miles.

When 2020 Nissan Kicks transmission complaints were filed

First complaint Dec 7, 2020, latest Sep 16, 2026.

2020 Nissan Kicks transmission & powertrain complaints: complaints filed per month2Dec 2020Mar 2023Jun 2024Dec 2024May 2025Feb 2026
20 complaints filed with NHTSA from Dec 2020 to Sep 2026; peak Aug 2024 (2).

Transmission & Powertrain recalls for the 2020 Nissan Kicks

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints by Kicks model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 20188 (9%)
  2. 201919 (14%)
  3. 202020 (21%)
  4. 20219 (12%)
  5. 20223 (13%)
  6. 20234 (22%)
  7. 20242 (5%)
  8. 20254 (11%)

Frequently asked questions

Is transmission failure common on the 2020 Nissan Kicks?
NHTSA lists 20 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2020 Kicks, making up 21% of the 96 total complaints filed for that model year, the highest share of any year in this problem area from 2018 to 2025.
At what mileage do 2020 Nissan Kicks transmission problems show up?
NHTSA data shows a median mileage at failure of 54,000 miles for this problem area.
Is there a recall for the 2020 Nissan Kicks transmission?
No related recalls are listed in NHTSA data for the Transmission & Powertrain problem area on the 2020 Kicks.
What transmission symptoms do 2020 Kicks owners report?
Owners report juddering, hesitation when accelerating or shifting, loss of traction around 40 mph, and in some cases full transmission replacement.
Were there any crashes or injuries linked to these transmission complaints?
NHTSA data for this problem area on the 2020 Kicks lists 0 crashes, 0 fires, and 0 injuries.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.