What breaks most · 2019 to 2025 model years
Kia Niro EV problems by year
Owners have filed 89 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Kia Niro EV across model years 2019 to 2025. Three years stand out: 2022 for electrical system complaints, 2020 for electrical system complaints and 2019 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 2021 and 2023.
- Years to check closely: 2022, 2020, 2019
- Fewest complaints: 2021, 2023
- Complaints on file
- 892019 to 2025, all trims
- Worst year
- 202230 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 90 fires · 5 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 11kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 11Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 1 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (8) | |
| 18 | 1 | 2 | Unknown or other (8) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Backup camera and sensors (1) | |
| 30 | 4 | 2 | Unknown or other (13) | |
| 15 | 2 | 3 | Electrical system (8) | |
| 6 | 1 | 2 | Electrical system (3) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (1) |
What fails on the 2022 Kia Niro EV
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown or other | 43% |
13 | 3 | — |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 40% |
12 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 20% |
6 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 13% |
4 | 0 | Shop all engine parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Forward collision systemRadar and camera sensors | 10% |
3 | 0 | Shop forward collision system parts for the 2022 Kia Niro EV |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 7% |
2 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Wipers and visibilityWiper motors and blades | 7% |
2 | 0 | Shop all wipers and visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 7% |
2 | 0 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
The vehicle has failed to start on 3 occasions and needed to be jumped. When towed to the dealership they’ve been unable to find any issues.
-
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.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Kia Niro EV years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2022, 2020, 2019 carry the most filings on the Kia Niro EV. The 2022 alone has 30 complaints, led by unknown or other.
What is the most common Kia Niro EV problem?
On the 2022 model year, the most-reported component is unknown or other with 13 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Kia Niro EV problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Kia Niro EV complaints that include mileage is about 11,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.