2019 Kia Niro EV

Closed defect petition · opened January 27, 2023 · closed August 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000

the electrical system

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

crash · towed · 6,000 miles

MY BRAKES FAILED AS I TRIED TO STOP FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT ON A CITY STREET. THERE WAS A CAR ALREADY STOPPED AT THE LIGHT, WHICH I BUMPED INTO. AS I WAS DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, IT 'GAVE', AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD; I WAS UNABLE TO STOP. LUCKILY, I HAD ALREADY SLOWED CONSIDERABLY PRIOR TO THE BRAKES FAILING, SO NO ONE WAS HURT AND THERE WAS MINIMAL DAMAGE. THE OTHER DRIVER LEFT THE SCENE WITHOUT EXCHANGING INFORMATION, AND NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE KIA SERVICE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE: NO CODES SHOWED UP REGARDING ANY PROBLEMS; NOTHING WAS IN THE ONLINE HISTORY REPORT; NO LEAKS OR DAMAGED BRAKE COMPONENTS WERE OBSERVED; TEST DRIVING …

NHTSA complaint 11300024, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

towed · 90,000 miles

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Niro. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine seized. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into gear. The check regenerative braking system message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the transition motor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA complaint 11518843. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Our 2019 Kia Niro EV (approximately 138,000 miles) exhibits an abnormal rumble/growling noise from the front drive unit while driving slowly in "D" range and when accelerating or decelerating between 0–25 mph. This symptom matches exactly the condition described in Kia Technical Service Bulletin ELE234 (Rev. 1, April 2021): "Drive Unit Inspection & Replacement for EV Motor Rumble Noise," which covers all 2019MY Niro EV vehicles produced from December 5, 2018. To our knowledge, TSB ELE234 has never been performed on this vehicle. The repair involves replacement of motor/roll mount brackets and, if necessary, traction motor or reduction gear replacement. Kia has a documented, tiered repair …

NHTSA complaint 11745044, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

This complaint supplements a previously submitted report filed today, June 18, 2026, (Original is Complaint Number: 11845044) regarding the same vehicle and condition (TSB ELE234 drive unit rumble noise). The correct VIN for this vehicle is [XXX] — a 2019 Kia Niro EV EX Premium, 138,457 miles. I am filing on behalf of the vehicle owner, [XXX], who has authorized me to act as his advocate. The owner is a Ukrainian speaker and I am assisting with all documentation and communications. In addition to TSB ELE234 (drive unit motor rumble, April 2021), this vehicle is also subject to Kia Service Action SA512 (April 2023): Inverter Coolant/Debris Flushing for the "Refill Inverter Coolant" cluster …

NHTSA complaint 11745054, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

1. Failed Component/System: EV plastic charging door does not open using the electronic unlock mechanism on the key. Unable to charge EV vehicle due to this fundamental failure. IMPORTANT: There are no manual override mechanisms provided by the manufacturer - KIA to open this charging door. This makes the EV both unsafe and unusable since it cannot be charged. 2. Safety Risk: Unable to charge an EV vehicle is a fundamental EV electrical system component failure that can create an unsafe situation since it occurs without any warning and leave the car owner stranded. The Manufacturer - KIA has not provided any manual fail safe/override mechanism to open the charging door manually. This is …

NHTSA complaint 11687183, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

While I’m driving a turtle light randomly illuminates and the car shuts off. The car shuts off from a few seconds up to a minute so far. I have taken it to Kia McDonough Ga and to no avail nothing: they had my car 2 months and by the time they did the diagnostic “the computer box reset”. Why let it sit for a diagnostic when all they are doing is connecting to a computer. I provided them videos and pictures and nothing. This is a danger any passengers, other drivers, as well as myself. The times are random and once the light comes on it’s off. Battery is new, battery is charged.

NHTSA complaint 11630030. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Car made loud whinning noise for 6 months, due to defective transmission. KIA refused to fix because car was out of warranty- but has TSB: ELE234. My extended warranty did not cover because it was a known defect from KIA.' Car stopped working, transmission was repaired. Please see below attached 16k invoice.

NHTSA complaint 11625464. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

On June 28, 2022, I set my Juicebox Pro 40 charger to charge my car overnight. The car did not charge and I discovered that the breaker had tripped. I tried resetting the breaker and it immediately tripped again. I noticed a burning smell in the garage in the vicinity of the charger after attempting to reset the breaker. There was discoloration on the unit box. I then unplugged the unit at which point I was able to reset the breaker without it tripping. I concluded that the unit was unsafe to use and I returned it to ENEL. I bought a new one while I waited for warranty service on the old unit. I have not tested the old unit since it was repaired by ENEL. It was my judgment at the time, and …

NHTSA complaint 11618747, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.