2019 Kia Niro EV Electrical Problems

My 2019 Kia Niro EV, with approximately 75,000 miles, continuously displays a “Refill inverter coolant” warning. While driving, the vehicle intermittently displays the turtle-shaped reduced-power warning and experiences a significant loss of acceleration. The vehicle does not respond normally to accelerator input. The condition sometimes clears after a period of driving, but when traveling uphill, the warning and reduced acceleration persist. This creates a serious safety concern because the vehicle may be unable to maintain speed or accelerate sufficiently on hills or when merging into traffic. The vehicle has been at an authorized Kia dealership for approximately seven days. The dealership has not yet identified the cause and has reportedly contacted Kia corporate technical support. The dealer has also indicated that another vehicle has presented with a similar issue. I am requesting an investigation into the potential coolant-circulation or thermal-management defect and its relationship to unexpected propulsion-power reduction.

NHTSA ID

11770708

Incident

Sep 15, 2026

I am filing this complaint regarding my 2020 Kia Niro EV because of recurring inverter coolant warnings, a coolant restriction documented by a Kia dealership, and a subsequent repair estimate exceeding $12,000 that includes the Electric Power Control Unit (EPCU). Vehicle information Year/Make/Model: 2020 Kia Niro EV VIN: [XXX] Kia Customer Care Case: XXX Kia Techline Case: XXX After purchasing this used vehicle, I experienced a recurring “Refill Inverter Coolant” warning. On XXX AutoStream Reisterstown performed an inverter coolant fluid exchange. I paid $376.41 for this service. The warning returned, and I subsequently took the vehicle to Buchanan Kia. On XXX the Kia dealership documented the following in its repair order: “Coolant is congealed and is restricting cooling system causing system to think coolant level is low.” The dealership flushed and bled the cooling system, and its documentation stated that no codes were found. However, the warning returned within days. The vehicle then remained at the dealership for further evaluation. Kia subsequently prepared a repair estimate totaling $12,030.52. The estimate includes the EPCU assembly, part number 36601-0E190, as well as the onboard charger and multiple cooling-system components. I am concerned about the cause of the coolant restriction, the recurrence of the warning after service, and whether the EPCU condition in my vehicle is related to Safety Recall SC258. I have not received a definitive written explanation establishing the cause of the failure or confirming the applicable recall coverage. My vehicle has been unavailable to me for an extended period, and despite repeated contacts with Kia Customer Care, I have not received a definitive resolution. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this complaint for a potential vehicle safety defect, including any relationship between the reported coolant condition and the EPCU assembly identified in the repair INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11770398

Incident

Jul 17, 2026

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 also a fundamental safety issue since the failure occurred without any warning lamp/other indication to the owner. IMPORTANT: Other KIA NIRO EV owners have complained about the same issue in online forums. Refer attachment - [XXX] 3. Dealer Problem Reproduction: NO since dealer demands a $299.99 diagnostic fee. Multiple attempts to contact the dealer and manufacturer KIA to waive the diagnostic fee were unsuccessful. 4. Manufacturer/Police/Insurance Inspection: No. KIA refused to deal with this issue under the KIA 10-year/100,000-Electric vehicle (EV) system warranty even though the warranty description mentions all internal parts. Reference: KIA Case No. [XXX]. NOTE: KIA does not allow the case history to be retrieved from their manufacturer portal because they have closed the case. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure? NO 6. When did they first appear? [XXX] (approximately) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11687183

Incident

Aug 15, 2025

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 ID

11630030

Incident

Oct 8, 2024

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 remains so, that the unit presented a fire hazard.

NHTSA ID

11618747

Incident

Jun 28, 2022

EV battery cooling system displayed the warning, "LOW INVERTER COOLANT LEVEL." I checked and it is not low.

NHTSA ID

11599526

Incident

Jul 4, 2024

- While driving, we received a notice on the dashboard to "stop driving and check regenerative brakes". Simultaneously we lose 95% of our braking power and all of the acceleration. Slamming on the brakes all the way to the floor provided some minor braking ability, but it was significantly diminished and frankly terrifying. We turn the car off, turn it back on again, and everything seems totally normal. - We cannot recreate the error, but we call the dealership. They say they can get us in in a week to service us. As this is our only car we keep driving it cautiously. - This happens again once more, before we bring it into the dealership. - The dealership runs a bunch of tests, tells us its the 12V battery, replaces the 12V battery, charges us $500 and tells us its fixed. - one week later (today) the same thing happens. Clearly it's not fixed, but even if it had been fixed, why is so much of the braking tied to the 12V? The dealership cannot get us in for days and is suggesting this may not be covered under our warranty.

NHTSA ID

11588671

Incident

May 14, 2024

SINCE THE BEGINNING OF APRIL 2021, AND JUST AFTER THE ODOMETER TURNED OVER TO 10K MILES, MY E-NIRO HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING A BIZARRE BEHAVIOR THAT POSES A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SAFETY RISK. THIS TAKES THE FORM OF TOTAL LOSS OF ACCELERATION POWER FOR A FEW SECONDS, USUALLY AFTER DEACCELERATING TO A NEAR STOP (USUALLY, BUT NOT ALWAYS, WHEN USING THE PADDLE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL TO REGENERATIVELY BRAKE) THEN PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, OR WHEN MAKING A VERY TIGHT TURN (E.G., INTO A PARKING SPACE). POWER RETURNS A FEW SECONDS AFTER THE PAUSE, AND I CAN CONTINUE. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THIS VEHICLE FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS, AND THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING SIMILAR HAPPEN PRIOR TO THE START OF THIS BEHAVIOR AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN GARAGED AND CHARGED NORMALLY AND NO EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS OR OTHER FACTORS HAD BEEN PRESENT BEFORE THIS WAS FIRST NOTICED. INSTANCES NOW SEEM TO BE INCREASING IN FREQUENCY THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, HOWEVER. ON 2 OR 3 OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE ACTUALLY BACKED UP A COUPLE OF FEET (ON LEVEL GROUND), WHICH WAS FRIGHTENING BOTH FOR ME AND THE AUTO BEHIND ME AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. ON THE OTHER OCCASIONS, BEING MOMENTARILY UNABLE TO ACCELERATE IS ALSO CONCERNING (FOR INSTANCE WHEN IT DIES HALFWAY INTO A TRAFFIC CIRCLE OR IN AN INTERSECTION WHEN STARTING TO MAKE A TURN). ALTHOUGH NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE INITIALLY SEEN, I NOW GET A "CHECK ELECTRICAL SYSTEM" WARNING WHEN THIS POWER LOSS HAPPENS, SOMETIMES EVEN WHEN THERE HAS BEEN NO LOSS OF POWER TO THE MOTOR. THE WARNING LIGHT DISAPPEARS AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TURNED OFF AND ONLY REAPPEARS WHEN ANOTHER INCIDENT OCCURS. I HAVE ASKED THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT ABOUT THIS, WITH NO FIRM RESPONSE YET. I'M REPORTING TO DOCUMENT THIS IN THE EVENT OTHERS EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11415003

Incident

Apr 2, 2021

Mileage

10,100 mi