Safety ratings
2021 Kia Niro Electric SUV FWD
- Lane departure warningStandard
- Forward collision warningOptional
- Electronic stability controlStandard
Crash test videos & photos
No public crash-test footage is available for this vehicle.
Recalls (1)
- POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:CLUTCHES/BANDS:ACTUATORS/SOLENOIDSCampaign 23V534000 · 31/07/2023
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.
Risk: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Owner complaints
Most-reported areas
- BACK OVER PREVENTION1
- SERVICE BRAKES1
Read individual complaints (2 most recent)
These are unverified consumer reports filed with NHTSA, shown as submitted.
- 07/30/2021· BACK OVER PREVENTION
I'm a new Niro Ev driver. The VESS noise when reversing the vehicle is very loud. It is too loud, I live in close proximity to neighbors and have to get up early for work and the sound is a major nuisance, I would not want a neighbor that has this car . I understand VESS in place for safety but the reverse backup beeping is just a step down from a garbage truck backing up, especially in the silence of a residential neighborhood in the early AM hours. Furthermore, I and others as seen on web forums will reverse faster than we normally would do to be able to take the car out of reverse as quickly as possible to stop the blaring beeping. This creates its own risk, as if there is less time to react if there is a pedestrian behind the vehicle. The volume of the noise should be greatly reduced. It is also unnecessary noise pollution. Kia, please fix this.
- 05/28/2025· SERVICE BRAKES
The rear brake rotors on the vehicle are pitted, as confirmed by a local repair shop. The "incident" is ongoing. Kia refuses to repair or replace them under warranty (25,500 miles on the car), claiming they are wear item. However, pitting is not wear, in fact quite the opposite. My analysis (30+ yrs in the auto business): As an EV, regenerative braking means the actual brake systems are rarely used. Noise at low speeds prompted the inspection at a local shop. Braking under high speeds does not result in noise, telling me the system relies too heavily on the front brakes. The result is the rear rotors are too often unused leaving them to rust and then pit. Tesla recognizes that regen braking can actually harm brake rotors, suggesting burnishing the brakes at times using the following procedure: 1) Drive the vehicle at approximately 50 mph - 55 mph (80 km/h - 90 km/h) on a straight road. 2) Apply moderate, consistent pressure to the brake pedal to slowly decelerate the vehicle, releasing at 10 mph (15 km/h). 3) Repeat this procedure 6 times, waiting at least 30 seconds between applications. Since the rear brakes do not appear to engage on the Kia Niro, this method is fruitless. Other Niro drivers report this as seen here: [XXX] I my opinion, the vehicles should at minimum be repaired under warranty or recalled to "rebalance" the brake system. Thank you... INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)