Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Niro EV vehicles. The circuit board for the rearview camera may become damaged and cause the rearview camera image not to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Niro EV, Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), and Hybrid vehicles. The floor wiring assembly beneath the front passenger seat may become damaged, which can prevent the front air bags and seat belts from deploying properly or cause an unintended side curtain air bag deployment.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 Niro EV vehicles. The high voltage battery safety plug may overheat and melt, which can cause a loss of drive power or fire.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Niro EV and 2024 EV9 vehicles. The differential gear bolts in the gear drive unit may not be tightened properly, which can result in a loss of drive power or cause the differential to lock up.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Niro EV and 2023 EV6 vehicles. One of the drive shafts may have been improperly heat-treated, allowing it to break under load and resulting in a loss of drive power.
On XXX, After I attempted to plug my car into my home charging outlet at 240V, less than 20 minutes later I received an alert that my battery was at 0%. After unplugging the car, waiting for 30 minutes and plugging it back into the out, my car was unable to see the charging outlet or the 40A cable plugged into the port. Unplugged car again and after talking to remote mechanic, came to decision to take car to AAA repair shop for troubleshooting. Once at the AAA repair shop in [XXX], was advised to take my car to a Kia dealership, as a module was nonfunctional. Brought car to Beyer Kia in [XXX], who held onto my car for two months before making a diagnosis that my car was struck by lightning via a Field Technical Engineer, though the DTC codes stated otherwise: C180287, C161487, C16b487, C161487, C161487, C182D00. All codes noted are internal Controller Area Network Bus Communication Timeouts between internal modules, not power surge or electrical strike. C161487 - registered three times: Internal network timed out because VCU abruptly went offline or lost power. With it registering 3 times confirms ongoing hardware/power supply struggle inside car's computers, not external bolt of lightning. C16B487 - Another subsystem critical timeout error, unable to communicate with VCU. C180287 - Internal stability/chassis lost data connection over vehicle's internal network. C181D00 - Network fault indicating control module voltage dropped below required operating threshold to maintain communication. Kia is trying to claim an external surge (lightning) caused this. However, if a massive high-voltage lightning surge had entered the vehicle through the charging port, it would have permanently fried the OBC (Onboard Charger) or the ICCU (Integrated Charging Control Unit). This would immediately trigger high-voltage hardware failure "P-codes" (Powertrain). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
No injuries · No fire · No crash
My 2019 Kia Niro EV, with approximately 75,000 miles, continuously displays a “Refill inverter coolant” warning. While driving, the vehicle intermittently displays the turtle-shaped reduced-power warning and experiences a significant loss of acceleration. The vehicle does not respond normally to accelerator input. The condition sometimes clears after a period of driving, but when traveling uphill, the warning and reduced acceleration persist. This creates a serious safety concern because the vehicle may be unable to maintain speed or accelerate sufficiently on hills or when merging into traffic. The vehicle has been at an authorized Kia dealership for approximately seven days. The dealership has not yet identified the cause and has reportedly contacted Kia corporate technical support. The dealer has also indicated that another vehicle has presented with a similar issue. I am requesting an investigation into the potential coolant-circulation or thermal-management defect and its relationship to unexpected propulsion-power reduction.
No injuries · No fire · No crash
I am filing this complaint regarding my 2020 Kia Niro EV because of recurring inverter coolant warnings, a coolant restriction documented by a Kia dealership, and a subsequent repair estimate exceeding $12,000 that includes the Electric Power Control Unit (EPCU). Vehicle information Year/Make/Model: 2020 Kia Niro EV VIN: [XXX] Kia Customer Care Case: XXX Kia Techline Case: XXX After purchasing this used vehicle, I experienced a recurring “Refill Inverter Coolant” warning. On XXX AutoStream Reisterstown performed an inverter coolant fluid exchange. I paid $376.41 for this service. The warning returned, and I subsequently took the vehicle to Buchanan Kia. On XXX the Kia dealership documented the following in its repair order: “Coolant is congealed and is restricting cooling system causing system to think coolant level is low.” The dealership flushed and bled the cooling system, and its documentation stated that no codes were found. However, the warning returned within days. The vehicle then remained at the dealership for further evaluation. Kia subsequently prepared a repair estimate totaling $12,030.52. The estimate includes the EPCU assembly, part number 36601-0E190, as well as the onboard charger and multiple cooling-system components. I am concerned about the cause of the coolant restriction, the recurrence of the warning after service, and whether the EPCU condition in my vehicle is related to Safety Recall SC258. I have not received a definitive written explanation establishing the cause of the failure or confirming the applicable recall coverage. My vehicle has been unavailable to me for an extended period, and despite repeated contacts with Kia Customer Care, I have not received a definitive resolution. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this complaint for a potential vehicle safety defect, including any relationship between the reported coolant condition and the EPCU assembly identified in the repair INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
No injuries · No fire · No crash
I purchased this used 2022 Kia Niro EV on August 19, 2023, with approximately 3,042 miles. On December 22, 2023, at 24,086 miles, a Kia of Valencia service record documented a kicking/knocking sensation when releasing the brake. The cause was not identified. On August 22, 2024, another service record documented a rear seat belt retraction concern. I cannot confirm whether these earlier problems share the same cause as the later motor issue. On March 31, 2026, at approximately 139,071 miles, Kia of Valencia confirmed a rattling noise from the gear driver motor and recommended replacement. The estimated repair cost was approximately $4,800. I paid a $250 diagnostic fee but could not afford the repair. I contacted Kia America to request goodwill assistance, but the motor was not replaced. On September 9, 2026, while driving on a freeway in heavy traffic, the vehicle repeatedly stopped and moved again, accompanied by extremely loud knocking, rattling, and banging. The vehicle shook, and no warning lights or messages appeared beforehand. I carefully exited the freeway and stopped the vehicle. After bringing it home, I noticed liquid underneath, but could not determine whether it was related to the incident or normal air-conditioning condensation. I have video recordings and supporting service records. I am concerned that this unresolved mechanical problem poses a serious crash risk, especially in freeway traffic. I request that NHTSA investigate this potential safety defect and review the documented rear seat belt concern.
No injuries · No fire · No crash
This is a supplemental complaint to NHTSA Complaint #11744598 and #11749340. Multiple 2020 Kia Niro Hybrid and Plug‑In Hybrid vehicles are exhibiting identical Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) failures. I have personally encountered other Niro owners reporting the same intermittent EPB/ABS/ESC warnings. A Kia service coordinator confirmed another 2020 Niro currently in their shop with the same issue. In that case, Kia declined warranty coverage because the owner is the second owner, despite the failure involving safety‑critical brake system components. These repeated occurrences indicate a broader pattern of EPB system malfunction across 2020 Niro Hybrid and PHEV models.
No injuries · No fire · No crash