RoadVitals

2021 Kia Niro EV

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
2
Latest May 28, 2025
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Jun 20, 2025
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2021 Kia Niro EV, most frequently naming the brakes and driver assistance categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 42 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Brakes150.0%
  • Driver assistance150.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
25V426000

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

Jun 20, 2025
11,327 units potentially affected
The defect: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Niro EV vehicles. The circuit board for the rearview camera may become damaged and cause the rearview camera image not to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
The risk: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 7, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC342.
Kia America, Inc.Manufacturer number SC342View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

DP22005ClosedDefect Petition

Pedestrian alert sounds

Opened Jan 27, 2023
Closed Aug 7, 2023

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.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEMLed to recall 22V063000

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Brakes
Filed May 28, 2025

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)

NHTSA ID
11663437
Incident
May 20, 2025
Driver assistance
Filed Jul 30, 2021

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.

NHTSA ID
11427104
Incident
Jul 29, 2021

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

PI2603Y_TSB

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: BSA REPLACEMENT (PI2603Y) - This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published under PI2603, titled “BMS Battery Diagnostic Logic Improvement.” If one or more of the Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) listed in the bulletin are present or stored after the Battery Management System (BMS) software upgrade has been performed per PI2603, follow the procedure outlined in this publication to replace the Battery System Assembly (BSA) on the applicable vehicle.

PI2603_OWNR

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (PI2603) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign to update the battery management system (BMS) software to enhance battery diagnostic performance in certain 2020-2022 MY Niro EV vehicles.

PI2603_QA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: QUESTION AND ANSWER (PI2603) - This document is the Question and Answer Guide containing the most frequently asked questions regarding the Product Improvement Campaign PI2603.

PI2603_DP

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: DEALER PRINCIPAL MEMO (PI2603) - This document is the announcement to the dealer principals advising that Kia is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign to update the battery management system (BMS) software to enhance battery diagnostic performance in certain 2020-2022 MY Niro EV vehicles manufactured from June 2, 2020 through November 8, 2021.

PI2603_DPSM

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: DEALER PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER MEMO (PI2603) - This document is the announcement to the dealer Parts and Service managers advising that Kia is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign to update the battery management system (BMS) software to enhance battery diagnostic performance in certain 2020-2022 MY Niro EV vehicles manufactured from June 2, 2020 through November 8, 2021.

TSB_ELE422

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATE USING UPDATE.KIA.COM - This bulletin provides information and service procedures for updating the infotainment systems on applicable Kia vehicles using the Kia Navigation Updater available at update.kia.com. The software update may improve system performance, enhance existing features, and apply the latest operating software for supported vehicles (2021-2026MY All Models).

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Kia Niro EV by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026000—
2025010—
2024620—
2023153055.9
2022302157.4
2021Viewing211—
2020172155.6
2019170146.4

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.