Last updated: 2026-10-10
Dodge Hornet vs Nissan Kicks: Reliability Compared
Dodge Hornet
Nissan Kicks
Reliability favors the Nissan Kicks over the Dodge Hornet by a large margin. Hornet owners filed far more complaints per car sold: 21.7 per 10,000, against 8.3 for the Kicks. Door latch failures, dead batteries, and glitchy driver-assist systems drive the Hornet's weaker standing.
How Do the Dodge Hornet and Nissan Kicks Generations Compare?
Verdict
The Nissan Kicks is more reliable than the Dodge Hornet, scoring 78/100 vs 59/100.
Reliability favors the Kicks, and the gap is large. Its standing is good, while the Hornet's is mixed. The deciding fact is complaint rate: Hornet owners filed 21.7 complaints per 10,000 sold, against 8.3 for the Kicks. The Hornet also carries more recalls (13, against 10) packed into just three model years. Its door latch, dead battery, and driver-assist problems often had no dealer fix, and some owners waited on back-ordered recall parts.
Key Differences
- 1Nissan Kicks scores 19 points higher in reliability
- 2Nissan Kicks has 13.4 fewer complaints per 10k sold
- 3Nissan Kicks has 3 fewer total recalls
Category Scoreboard
Dodge Hornet vs Nissan Kicks: Which Is More Reliable?
| Metric | Dodge Hornet | Nissan Kicks |
|---|---|---|
| Reliability Score | 59/100 | 78/100 |
| Years Tracked | 3 | 9 |
| Total Recalls | 13 | 10 |
| Complaints per 10k Sold | 21.7 | 8.3 |
| Year Wins | 0 | 3 |
What Are the Common Problems With the Dodge Hornet and Nissan Kicks?
Electrical trouble defines the Hornet. Door latches fail, batteries drain, and a jump start can leave the center screen dark. Power steering loss follows the same electrical faults. Driver-assist faults include hard braking on an open highway and a crash into a sign. Kicks complaints are more mechanical. Power drops suddenly while driving, engines stall, and rear automatic braking stops the car while backing up. The rear glass also shatters on parked cars. Only the Hornet has crash-linked reports in back over prevention and forward collision avoidance. Only the Kicks has crash-linked reports in the power train and service brakes.
| Component | Dodge Hornet | Nissan Kicks |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 6.8Average | 1.8Low |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 2.5Low | 0.7Very Low |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1.8Low | 1.2Low |
| BACK OVER PREVENTION | 2Low | 0.2Very Low |
| STEERING | 1.8Low | 0.3Very Low |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1.5Low | 0.4Very Low |
| ENGINE | 1.3Low | 0.5Very Low |
| POWER TRAIN | 0.5Very Low | 0.8Very Low |
| STRUCTURE | 0.5Very Low | 0.5Very Low |
| AIR BAGS | —None | 0.2Very Low |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | —None | 0.2Very Low |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | —None | 0.1Very Low |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | —None | 0.1Very Low |
| LANE DEPARTURE | —None | 0.1Very Low |
| WHEELS | —None | 0.1Very Low |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | —None | 0.1Very Low |
| SUSPENSION | —None | 0.1Very Low |
| VISIBILITY | —None | —None |
Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.
How Does Dodge Hornet vs Nissan Kicks Reliability Compare by Year?
| Year | Dodge Hornet | Nissan Kicks | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 64/1002R / 1C | 78/1003R / 24C | Nissan Kicks |
| 2024 | 54/1007R / 60C | 81/1001R / 20C | Nissan Kicks |
| 2023 | 59/1004R / 25C | 80/1001R / 23C | Nissan Kicks |
Best years to cross-shop: The 2023 Dodge Hornet scored 59/100 and the 2024 Nissan Kicks scored 81/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.
Who Should Buy the Dodge Hornet vs the Nissan Kicks?
Dodge Hornet vs Nissan Kicks: Common Questions
- Is the Dodge Hornet more reliable than the Nissan Kicks?
- No. The Kicks leads by a large gap, with a good standing against the Hornet's mixed one. Hornet owners filed 21.7 complaints per 10,000 sold, while Kicks owners filed 8.3. The Hornet's main trouble is its electrical system, including door latches and battery drain.
- Which has more recalls, the Hornet or the Kicks?
- The Hornet has more. Federal recall records show 13 across its three model years, while the Kicks has 10 across nine. That means the Hornet carries far more recalls for each year on sale. Some Hornet owners also waited on back-ordered brake and rear camera repair parts.
- What goes wrong with the Dodge Hornet's electrical system?
- Door latches fail, so doors will not open or will not latch. Batteries drain when the car is not driven daily. After a jump start, the center screen can stay dark and take the camera, radio, and heat controls with it. Owners say dealers often could not find a fix.
- Is the Nissan Kicks safe from sudden power loss?
- Not entirely. Kicks owners report power dropping suddenly while driving, with a malfunction message. Letting the car sit for several minutes usually clears it, and dealers often find nothing wrong. Two power train complaints were crash-linked, so test drive any Kicks at highway speed before you buy.
- Which Kicks model years should I avoid?
- Avoid 2018 and 2019, the weakest Kicks years in the data. The 2022 model year ranks among the strongest. The 2026 model year also ranks well, but it is new and has had little time to collect complaints, so do not treat it as proven.
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Decided between Dodge Hornet and Nissan Kicks? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.
How we score the Dodge Hornet and Nissan Kicks
Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.
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