POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:CLUTCHES/BANDS:ACTUATORS/SOLENOIDS
2022 Kia Niro PHEV
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 12 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2022 Kia Niro PHEV, most frequently naming the powertrain (other), electrical and visibility categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 35 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.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2022 | 1 | 1 |
| Jul 2022 | 3 | 4 |
| Aug 2023 | 1 | 5 |
| Oct 2023 | 1 | 6 |
| Nov 2023 | 1 | 7 |
| Dec 2023 | 3 | 10 |
| Sep 2025 | 1 | 11 |
| Oct 2025 | 1 | 12 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Powertrain (other)642.9%
- Electrical321.4%
- Visibility321.4%
- Brakes17.1%
- Engine17.1%
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.govSafety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
Pedestrian alert sounds
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.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Transmission overheat due to clutch inactivity
- NHTSA ID
- 11690884
- Incident
- Sep 26, 2025
When I got to work one day I turned off my vehicle and went about my regular day until I went to go home and my car was dead. The entire electrical system wasn’t working. No lights on the dashboard or in the vehicle when I opened the door. We went to jump it with the instructions from the owner’s manual. We finally got it jumped the next day and I drove home everything seemed okay I put gas in it and battery seemed charged from what my dashboard said. I moved my vehicle once again and it was fine but then the next day I went to turn it on and my car system was freaking out saying I needed to check my brakes and wouldn’t let me move or anything. I turned it back off to see if it was just a weird malfunction but it did the same exact thing then the car completely shut off everything dashboard everything. I called AAA. He jumped the car so he could drive it up on his truck to not do any other damage to it. I got them to tow it to my Kia dealership I bought my car from. They ran diagnostics on it and told me the wiring harness needed to be replaced and was internally shorting causing my battery to drain. They still have my vehicle in shop at the dealership. Thankfully both times I had had issues I was either at my work or my home (safe locations), but I couldn’t imagine not being able to get my car started out in an unknown area or having to jump it every time I were to drive it due to this issue. Cronin Kia dealership in Harrison, Ohio has information on the vehicle, the issue, and the fixes they were doing. If you would like to further inspect it you can as well. [xxx] was the first time it died and the [xxx] was the day it had alerted of a problem with the brakes and died then I called AAA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- NHTSA ID
- 11685917
- Incident
- Jul 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V534000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
- NHTSA ID
- 11562264
- Incident
- Dec 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Niro. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V534000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
- NHTSA ID
- 11561195
- Incident
- Dec 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Niro. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there were exhaust fumes inside the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V534000 (Power Train). The VIN was included; however, parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was 10,500.
- NHTSA ID
- 11558408
- Incident
- Nov 22, 2023
- Mileage
- 10,500 mi
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Niro PHEV. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the HEV warning light illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, who informed her to bring the vehicle in for service. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and informed her that the failure was due to the port component. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. While unplugging the vehicle, it failed to disengage from the port. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V534000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 17,500.
- NHTSA ID
- 11553830
- Incident
- Sep 5, 2023
- Mileage
- 17,500 mi
Hi, We made an appointment for lube oil and filter change for Oct. 12 in Redding. We made the call because the dock to recharge the phone was getting very hot and the phone shut down and said it needed to cool down. Two different phones and several times. We do not use it. During the call to two different dealers. Harper Motors and Redding Kia the said there was another issues with no remedy but we should receive a recall by mail. This leading to yesterday morning. Sept. 30, 2023 at 08:30. I put my foot on the brake and pushed the start button. Nothing happened except the dash read Check regenerative braking system and some other things then everything shut down and screen went black. The dash made a winding down sound. Everything shut down and locked. No response with the FOB. Hatch will not open. No lights anywhere. I can not move the gear shift to move the gear shift. It recommends moving the car away from structures and other cars. Because of fire danger. 2022 Kia Niro PHEV. As noted before we made contact with the dealers, They said to have it towed to them. It is a fire safety issue. How do I get it out of my garage with it locked down like this.
- NHTSA ID
- 11547586
- Incident
- Sep 30, 2023
The silver strip on the dash reflects the sun and it blinds you while you're trying to drive
- NHTSA ID
- 11537045
- Incident
- Jun 1, 2022
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
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).
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SOFTWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides information on the process for downloading infotainment software updates and preparing USB for installation on applicable Kia vehicles. The software downloads and USB preparation process is similar across all supported platforms; however, in‑vehicle installation procedures vary by head unit type.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: AEWP INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT (SC325) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to inspect and, if necessary, replace the Auxiliary Electric Water Pump (AEWP), control harness wiring, and/or engine room junction box for coolant intrusion and/or corrosion on certain 2022-2023MY Kia Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid vehicles listed in the table below. The AEWP in the subject vehicles may crack internally and allow coolant to intrude into the AEWP circuitry. If coolant enters the AEWP circuitry, the Check Engine Light (CEL) may be illuminated with one or more DTCs listed on page 2. If the vehicle continues to be driven in this condition, the Active Air Flap (AAF) warning message can also activate, and coolant may eventually migrate through the wiring harness to the engine room junction block. This may result in a reduction of motive power and may cause the vehicle to release air pollutants which exceeds Federal and California standards. These standards were established to protect the public health and welfare from the dangers of air pollution.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the driver while parking, by calculating distance based on the difference in signal transmission and reception times between the vehicle (ultrasonic sensor) and an object. The membrane film of the ultrasonic sensor is used for object detention and can be damaged by stone chips or foreign substances while driving. Damage to the cover of the ultrasonic sensor can also lead to damage to the internal circuit. As a result of this external damage, the PDW system may not receive the proper signal from the ultrasonic sensor. In some cases, the system may cause a false alarm, no alert, or phantom warnings by a “Warning Lamp’ to be displayed on the cluster. The ultrasonic sensor membrane film should be always inspected for external damage and if any part replacement should be treated as a general repair, not as a warranty claim repair for this concern. (Please note that this Pitstop only applies to models/trims that are equipped with the ultrasonic sensors.)
POWER TRAIN
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission is replaced, and the transmission oil cooler is transferred to the new transmission.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: KIA CONNECT MODEM RESET (SA611) - This bulletin outlines the procedure for resetting the modem in certain 2016-2025MY Kia vehicles listed on page 3 that are equipped with Kia Connect Services. The affected vehicles may encounter the following issues: remote Start/Climate Control function not working, vehicle Status on the Kia Access App not updating, connected routing not functioning properly.
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
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.