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Kia · NHTSA safety record

2017 Kia Niro Hybrid

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 19 safety complaints about the 2017 Kia Niro Hybrid with the US government. Of those, 1 mentions a fire, 1 person was injured and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the steering.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 3 complaints, 16% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 1,820 miles, the median across the 18 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers February 2017 to June 2021 · How this is counted

What is on file

19 complaints on file

19

Complaints

0

Describe a crash

1

Mention fire

1

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 4 · 21%
ENGINE 3 · 16%
POWER TRAIN 3 · 16%
SERVICE BRAKES 3 · 16%
STRUCTURE 3 · 16%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 3 · 16%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 · 5%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 · 5%
HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 · 5%
SEATS 1 · 5%
STEERING 1 · 5%
0 4 8

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 19.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2017 at 7.

8 6 4 2
17 18 19 20 21

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2017 to 2021.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA has not crash tested the 2017 Kia Niro Hybrid. Its New Car Assessment Program tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It is not a low score.

What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke during ordinary use.

Recall campaigns

1 on file

STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

17V159000 · March 10, 2017

The defect
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017 Niro vehicles. The affected vehicles may have a damaged Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) connector resulting in a loss of electric power steering assistance.
The risk
Loss of power steering assist would require higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the MDPS motor, free of charge. The recall began April 3, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC145.

Kia Motors America · up to 135 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

SEATS

1 injured · 21,000 miles

THE STEMS THAT THE HEADREST SETS ON ARE SHARP. MY DAUGHTER CUT HER FINGER WHILE TRYING TO ADJUST THE HEADREST. IT WAS MINOR, BUT STILL UNEXPECTED.

NHTSA complaint 11140413. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

fire

MY 2017 KIA NIRO CAUGHT ON FIRE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. NO COLLUSION WAS INVOLVED. I GOT A WARNING MESSAGE TO STOP THE ENGINE DUE TO A PROBLEM BEING DETECTED IN THE HYBRID SYSTEM. I PULLED OFF OF THE INTERSTATE DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AND NOTICED BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH MY HOOD. I THOUGHT THAT SOMETHING HAD JUST HAPPENED TO THE ENGINE. I STAYED IN THE CAR AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK AS I DID NOT WANT TO STAND ON THE SHOULDER OF THIS BUSY HIGHWAY. A MAN THEN JUMPS OUT OF HIS TRUCK AND STARTS RUNNING TOWARD ME YELLING AT ME TO GET OUT OF THE CAR THAT IT WAS ON FIRE. I GOT OUT, WE RAN DOWN THE SHOULDER AND WE STOOD WATCHING MY CAR BECOME ENGULFED IN

NHTSA complaint 11191530, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

towed · 57,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 KIA NIRO HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, THE CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED. AFTER STOPPING AND TURNING OFF THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER RK KIA OF VINELAND LOCATED AT 612 N. DELSEA DR BUILDING 1, VINELAND, NJ 08360 WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED DUE TO A LACK OF OIL IN THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT, NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA complaint 11383538. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM

towed · 39,000 miles

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Niro. The contact stated while driving at 70 mph, an abnormal sound was heard, and the vehicle lost forwards momentum. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact coasted the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. As the contact exited the vehicle, an abnormal odor appeared under the hood. There were no flames present. The contact stated that oil was seen leaking underneath the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure recurred. The vehicle was unable to drive. The contact mentioned NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V257000

NHTSA complaint 11422579, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

44,427 miles

MY 2017 KIA NIRO HYBRID SEEMS TO NOT BE STORING CODES WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. I HAVE HAD 3 SEPARATE PROBLEMS WITH BY NIRO IN 3 WEEKS WITH NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, WITH THE HEV HYBRID FUSE AND WITH A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND NO POWER AND YET BY THE TIME IT WAS TOWED TO THE SHOP IT RESET ITSELF BUT DIDN'T STORE ANY CODES FROM THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT.. THE TECHNICIANS COULD NOT RECREATE THE PROBLEMS AND HAD NO WERE TO START FROM. I'M NOW DRIVING IT AND JUST WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO GO WRONG WITH IT

NHTSA complaint 11229081. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

44,427 miles

WHILE DRIVING MY 2017 KIA NIRO ON REGULAR ROADS, IT HAD A DRAMATIC DOWN SHIFT IN FIRST GEAR FROM A STOP. CONTINUED FOUR MORE STOPS WHEN APPROACHING A HILL, THE SPORT MODE DID NOT WORK AND BARELY MADE IT UP HILL, NO CHECK ENGINE OR OTHER LIGHTS. SHOP COULDN'T RECREATE PROBLEM. THE RECALIBRATED THE TRANSMISSION. DROVE FINE 1 DAY. 3/4 OF MY WAY ON 200 MILE TRIP ON HIGHWAY USING CRUISE CONTROL THE HEV LIGHT, CHECK ENGINE AND BLINKING GREEN CAR CAME ON. DEALER REPLACED THE HYBRID SYSTEM FUSE. 5 DAYS LATER ON 74 MILE TRIPP'S HIGHWAY ENGINE, (!) AND TRACTION CONTROL CAME ON, LOST POWER AND BARELY MADE IT UP A HILL. OH AND THE HOOD POPPED OPEN, HELD BY LATCH WHILE DOING 65 ON HIGHWAY . NOW IT SITS

NHTSA complaint 11223054, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

1 mile

THE CAR MISFIRES DUE TO THE EGR VALVE AND THE ENGINEER'S OF THE CAR CAN'T COME UP WITH A FIX FOR THE MISFIRE PROBLEM THE CAR HAS NO POWER WHEN THIS HAPPENS AND IS UNSAFE

NHTSA complaint 11208393. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other 2017 Kia models

Sorento 804 Sportage 401 Forte 303 Soul 272 Optima 256 Sedona 134 Niro 82 Cadenza 32

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Kia on this site — 181 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst