Nissan PH is fixing the Kicks e-Power air conditioning issue

In the last few months, a chink in the ironclad reputation of Nissan for airconditioning that can beat even our worst summer heat.

Some owners of the Kicks e-Power have been reporting a loss of airconditioning in their vehicles as early as January this year. According to insiders familiar with the matter, the A/C compressor fails due to excessive current (or voltage) going to the critical unit. Effectively, there’s a slight overload happening like when you plug in a 50hz appliance into our 50/60hz socket at home. Over time something has to give, and in our summer heat a busted A/C is unacceptable.

The issue was very disconcerting for Kicks e-Power owners, and also caused the suspension of deliveries of the vehicle to new owners pending a fix. But now that is being resolved based on a statement from Nissan Philippines.

Below is the statement in full.

Thank you very much for your confidence in our brand and product. Nissan is committed to the satisfaction of our valued customers. Regarding our follow through measures for KICKS e-POWER Air Conditioning (AC) cooling issue, we would like to share a few important updates, as follows:  

The company has launched a service campaign to invite owners of KICKS e-POWER to take their vehicle to an authorized Nissan dealer for inspection and repair without any cost.  

To expedite the process and reduce any inconvenience, customers are encouraged to contact their preferred authorized Nissan dealership to schedule an appointment before bringing their vehicle in for repair.   

Customers with confirmed appointments will be prioritized for parts allocation. Once customers have confirmed the appointment and parts allocation, inspection and repair may proceed and will only take approximately two (2) hours to complete. Nissan will also contact affected customers informing them about the service campaign details. 

Nissan's statement didn’t specify the parts being replaced, but we estimate that it is the A/C compressor and the electronic control units supplying it with power. Unlike most vehicles, a vehicle with an EV or full hybrid system will have an electrically driven/motor driven compressor, while a standard combustion engine has a mechanically or belt driven compressor. That is how EVs and full hybrids (like the e-Power) get to have continuous A/C cooling without an engine running at idle; the main drive motor doesn’t move when you’re stopped, so they have a motorized compressor.