What breaks most · 2018 to 2025 model years
Kia Niro PHEV problems by year
Owners have filed 68 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Kia Niro PHEV across model years 2018 to 2025. Three years stand out: 2019 for powertrain and transmission complaints, 2018 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 2022 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 2021, 2020 and 2023.
- Years to check closely: 2019, 2018, 2022
- Fewest complaints: 2021, 2020, 2023
- Complaints on file
- 682018 to 2025, all trims
- Worst year
- 201926 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 30 fires · 0 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 7kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 9Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 1 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (6) | |
| 26 | 0 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (9) | |
| 5 | 0 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (1) | |
| 12 | 0 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (6) | |
| 6 | 0 | 2 | Unknown or other (4) | |
| 3 | 2 | 1 | Wipers and visibility (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (2) |
What fails on the 2019 Kia Niro PHEV
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 35% |
9 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 23% |
6 | 0 | — |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 15% |
4 | 0 | Shop all engine parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 12% |
3 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 8% |
2 | 0 | Shop all brakes parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 8% |
2 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 8% |
2 | 0 | Shop all exterior lighting parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 8% |
2 | 0 | Shop all steering 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.
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Ongoing issue: randomly from a complete stop, upon acceleration there is a loud clunking noise. As if i am being rear-ended. Possibly the transmission. Happens more often in cold weather when the gas engine is in use more.
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Vehicle randomly flashes message to check hybrid system. Warning message disappear after vehicle reset but the message has repeatedly come up very often now. Message pops up during many different scenarios: after charging, before charging, while charging, and during operation.
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On four separate occasion I shifted it the car into park and a car computer did not register it in the correct mode. Video of lst event upload to Google photos https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ty4AYfnUiF9EX6oE6
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 PHEV years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2019, 2018, 2022 carry the most filings on the Kia Niro PHEV. The 2019 alone has 26 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Kia Niro PHEV problem?
On the 2019 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 9 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Kia Niro PHEV problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Kia Niro PHEV complaints that include mileage is about 7,000 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.