IllustrationVEHICLE 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.
2018 Kia Niro Phev
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Niro Phev years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 6 of 13 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
13 reportsI WENT TO A KIA DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND WAS THEN INFORMED THERE WERE 3 OPEN RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE. I RECEIVED NO NOTIFICATION BY MAIL, EMAIL OR PHONE. THE REPAIRS WERE TO TAKE 5 HOURS. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO DO THE REPAIRS AND LEFT THE CAR THERE THE ENTIRE DAY AND HAD TO BE SHUTTLED 20 MILES BACK AND FORTH TWICE THAT D…
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I WENT TO A KIA DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND WAS THEN INFORMED THERE WERE 3 OPEN RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE. I RECEIVED NO NOTIFICATION BY MAIL, EMAIL OR PHONE. THE REPAIRS WERE TO TAKE 5 HOURS. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO DO THE REPAIRS AND LEFT THE CAR THERE THE ENTIRE DAY AND HAD TO BE SHUTTLED 20 MILES BACK AND FORTH TWICE THAT DAY. THEY WERE NOT COMPETENT ENOUGH TO ORDER THE PARTS BUT WERE CONTENT TO HAVE ME WASTE MY ENTIRE DAY AND TELL ME TO COME BACK AGAIN NEXT WEEK. THE INCOMPETENT DEALER IS KIA ON BATTLEGROUND IN GREENSBORO.
THE TRANSMISSION FAILS TO ENGAGE IMMEDIATELY TO THE GEAR SHIFTED TO. WHEN STATIONARY AND WITH THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE, IF YOU PROCEED TO PRESS THE ACCELERATOR AND THE VEHICLE STARTS TO MOVE BACKWARDS, THE VEHICLE WILL CONTINUE TO ROLL IN THE REVERSE DIRECTION EVEN AFTER SWITCHING THE GEAR SELECTOR TO DRIVE AND PRESSING THE ACCELE…
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THE TRANSMISSION FAILS TO ENGAGE IMMEDIATELY TO THE GEAR SHIFTED TO. WHEN STATIONARY AND WITH THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE, IF YOU PROCEED TO PRESS THE ACCELERATOR AND THE VEHICLE STARTS TO MOVE BACKWARDS, THE VEHICLE WILL CONTINUE TO ROLL IN THE REVERSE DIRECTION EVEN AFTER SWITCHING THE GEAR SELECTOR TO DRIVE AND PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS WHEN SWITCHING FROM EITHER DRIVE TO REVERSE OR REVERSE TO DRIVE.
Official recalls
123V534000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:internal:clutches/bands:actuators/solenoids
Jul 31, 2023
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2022 Niro and 2018-2022 Niro Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. Fluid may leak into the printed circuit board inside the hydraulic clutch actuator, which can result in an engine compartment fire.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the hydraulic clutch actuator as necessary and install a new fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 29, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC276.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion 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.