10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
777 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2019 Kia Niro electrical problems

electrical problem

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2019 Kia Niro Owner Comments

problem #13

Jul 042024

Niro

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

EV battery cooling system displayed the warning, "LOW INVERTER COOLANT LEVEL." I checked and it is not low.

- Rockville, MD, USA

problem #12

May 182024

Niro

  • miles
Car has warning message and several engine lights on dash come up and asks to stop car and check the regenerative brake system. Car loses all systems that are electrical, car is very hard to drive, even not operative. This has happened many times over the past four years. Each time the car has been taken to a authorized KIA Dealership and they have not been able to fix the problem. It happened almost a week ago and dealership told us that they couldn't find anything wrong and were told to pick it up. Happened again today and it was while driving. Same issue, same warnings on dash.

- Fort Wayne, IN, USA

problem #11

May 142024

Niro

  • miles
- While driving, we received a notice on the dashboard to "stop driving and check regenerative brakes". Simultaneously we lose 95% of our braking power and all of the acceleration. Slamming on the brakes all the way to the floor provided some minor braking ability, but it was significantly diminished and frankly terrifying. We turn the car off, turn it back on again, and everything seems totally normal. - We cannot recreate the error, but we call the dealership. They say they can get us in in a week to service us. As this is our only car we keep driving it cautiously. - This happens again once more, before we bring it into the dealership. - The dealership runs a bunch of tests, tells us its the 12V battery, replaces the 12V battery, charges us $500 and tells us its fixed. - one week later (today) the same thing happens. Clearly it's not fixed, but even if it had been fixed, why is so much of the braking tied to the 12V? The dealership cannot get us in for days and is suggesting this may not be covered under our warranty.

- Burlington, VT, USA

problem #10

Mar 232024

Niro

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My 2019 Kia Niro LX PHEV is or has recently been the subject of multiple including NHTSA Recall Number [XXX] and Service Action [XXX]. Despite coordinating repair of these defects with the University Kia dealership located at 5105 Durham Chapel Hill Blvd, Durham, NC 27707 (hereafter 'University Kia"), and taking my vehicle to University Kia for those repairs twice, University Kia has been unable or unwilling to repair the defects over a 4-month period. This delay has not been due to parts availability, as I have received multiple assurances that parts needed to repair the defects were available. After three separate service appointments, University Kia has been unable to address these defects, and my vehicle remains in an unsafe condition. P.S.: The numbers on the prior page of the form where I can nominally report these issues (888-327-4236 & 800-424-9153) don't seem to be working. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Carrboro, NC, USA

problem #9

Aug 042022

Niro

  • miles
Car caught fire

- Greeley , CO, USA

problem #8

Jan 172024

Niro

  • miles
12 volt battery will suddenly and without warning loose capacity to power the vehicle operating controls and displays including remote key access, start sequence using push button start, and traction battery charging through charging port. While parked and connected to a charging station vehicle -??died-?? in place. This occurred within 10 minutes of last use of remote key to unlock doors, open doors, place shopping bags, close doors, and use driver door push button feature to relock doors. Outside air temperature was mid 20-??s Fahrenheit. Traction battery was fully depleted per dashboard miles available display as vehicle driven 20 plus miles using hybrid vehicle mode just prior to parking at charging station. Vehicle was removed from charging station connection and 1.5 hours later jump started using connection under hood. After start was driven just under 4 miles to home garage where plugged into 110 volt home charger. Multimeter on 12 volt system after recharge of traction battery read over 12 volts. Appears that control system for maintaining charge on 12 volt system using traction battery has a flaw that fails to detect 12 volt battery condition and react correctly. While this occurred this time while vehicle stopped and shutoff there is potential for such to occur while vehicle in a roadway at highway speeds causing vehicle to loose all power as 12 volt system powers all operating logic. As a practicing engineer over 50 years and college instructor of engineering for about 40 years it appears that there is a software error in assuring 12 volt system intact and a failure of the software to identify potential problem, notify operator, provide a manual reboot of operating system before 12 volt system reaches failure level if it ever did. Unlike alternator equipped vehicles that show failure of alternator no such given on hybrid.

- Clifton Park, NY, USA

problem #7

Feb 092024

Niro

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

KIA NIRO 2019 SAFETY RECALL As described in the safety recall (previous page), my KIA Niro 2019 alarm went off with the following error message "Engine Overheating". Kia of America and its dealership refused to fix the problem. The car dealership -said- has no direction as to how or when to fix the problem, and the KIA consumer hotline is out of business.

- San Diego , CA, USA

problem #6

May 052022

Niro

  • miles
On 7-31-2022 while traveling on the freeway the gas engine shut down, HEV triangle came on and the information center on the car displayed "turn off car restart" on this trip it happened three times. I took the car to the dealer and they had it for a month and could not get it to act up. On 5-5-2023 it did it again twice, I called the dealer and they did not have a loaner car, they said they would let me know when they do. On the 6-30-2023 it did it eleven times. I called the dealer and they checked the car into service a mouth later 7-2023. The car has been at the dealer since then, now it is 12-2023. The dealer has not been able to get it to act up. I call KIA customer service and they told me they would not do the recall unless the dealer can repeat the problem. When this happens, I have only a limited amount of room to get the car off the road. This problem has only happened on freeways and the mountain pass with limited pull outs. This exposes me and any passenger's to a rear end collision. I feel the manufacture is playing roullet with me and my passenger's lives. All my dealer paper work is in my car a two hour trip at Sunset KIA 3317 Auburn way N Auburn WA 98002

- Lakewood, WA, USA

problem #5

Oct 232023

Niro

  • miles
I-??ve had this repaired by Kia and immediately failed again, but a component to the alternator and ac unit is attached to the drive train and will cause an alarm that hybrid battery failure and sudden power loss(they told me this with the first -??fix-?? but failed within an hour of leaving Kia. It-??s happened again tonight and nearly caused a crash on the freeway and I-??ve seen many others with this issue and I want to drive my kid home safely so any help would be wonderful with this issue. Thank you!!

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #4

Mar 242021

Niro

  • miles
12 volt starting battery (Lithium Ion Polymer) pn 37507-G2120. battery swollen and will not take charge (2.5 years old) 15,000 miles on vehicle. This battery powers dash and all related safety systems. Dealer refuses to look into problem as batteries are on national back order status and cannot fix due to parts availability. 3 dealerships have been contacted, all have been making excuses for other systems at fault to avoid recognizing battery is defective. I have been without use since Mar2021.

- Vero , FL, USA

problem #3

Dec 062021

Niro 4-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Multiple problems with transmission and electrical. Electrical: 1) While traveling 80mph in the far left lane of the highway, I had to make a hard break when someone changed lanes and moved into my path. When I did that, the car turned off completely. (The key fob was still secured in my cup holder.) I could no longer accelerate and it was slowing down quickly. There was no way for me to turn the car back on using the start button. I could do nothing but try to cross 6 lanes of oncoming traffic to get to the roadside in order to stop, which was extremely dangerous on a busy highway. I was very luck I didn't get slammed from behind and end up in a horrible accident. Once I got to the roadside, I stopped the car and was able to re-start it. Kia mechanics said a diagnostic turned up nothing, and they could not "duplicate" the problem. Of course, they can't guarantee it won't happen again. 2) Another time, I turned off the car after parking, grabbed my key and exited the vehicle. It started loudly beeping at me. It's the sound it make when the key fob is taken from the car while it's on, or you try to lock the car and leave when it's still on. I had to turn the car back on and then back off in order to resolve the issue. Transmission: Transmission was replaced at 19,000 miles because the gears were grinding when I was downshifting and it wasn't shifting from 3rd to 4th well. I'd put my foot on the gas and it just wouldn't go, and then it would finally kick in. I was also having issues with it when parking or coming to a stop. It would get to a point when the car was slowing down and should now coast slowly, and instead, it would come to a sudden stop, then it would jerk forward. When on any kind of an incline, it would stop, roll backward, then catch and roll forward. It seems to suddenly shift into neutral when I'm not in neutral and it should be moving forward. New transmission addressed grinding, but other issues remain. I also multiple issues accelerating now. On May 12, after driving the car to a nearby sto

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #2

Feb 202022

Niro

  • miles
Starting battery (which operates the safety systems) was getting progressively worse until vehicle could not be started. Upon inspection it was determined that the 1.5 year old starting battery was swollen and defective. NOTE: Vehicle did sit for 12 months in estate litigation.

- Deerfield , FL, USA

problem #1

Apr 022021

Niro

  • 10,100 miles
Since the beginning of April 2021, and just after the odometer turned over to 10K miles, my E-Niro has been experiencing a bizarre behavior that poses a potentially serious safety risk. This takes the form of total loss of acceleration power for a few seconds, usually after deaccelerating to a near stop (usually, but not always, when using the paddle on the left side of the steering wheel to regeneratively brake) then pressing the accelerator pedal, or when making a very tight turn (e.g., into a parking space). Power returns a few seconds after the pause, and I can continue. I have been driving this vehicle for almost 2 years, and there has been nothing similar happen prior to the start of this behavior at the beginning of April. The vehicle has been garaged and charged normally and no extreme weather conditions or other factors had been present before this was first noticed. Instances now seem to be increasing in frequency the past couple of weeks, however. On 2 or 3 occasions, the vehicle actually backed up a couple of feet (on level ground), which was frightening both for me and the auto behind me and could have resulted in an accident. On the other occasions, being momentarily unable to accelerate is also concerning (for instance when it dies halfway into a traffic circle or in an intersection when starting to make a turn). Although no warning lights were initially seen, I now get a "check electrical system" warning when this power loss happens, sometimes even when there has been no loss of power to the motor. The warning light disappears after the vehicle has been turned off and only reappears when another incident occurs. I have asked the dealership service department about this, with no firm response yet. I'm reporting to document this in the event others experience this problem.

- Bend, OR, USA

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