2023 Kia Niro PHEV

Unknown which component exactly as it does not throw a fault. I believe it to be transmission related as the behavior seems like a clutch to me, but dealership has not been able to confirm. Vehicle rolls freely in directions other than what is selected and does not respond to throttle input. Described the issue to dealer numerous times and they claim to have seen it. I do not believe they actually have. It is currently at the dealer for the fourth time about the issue. Currently claiming engine issues but the engine isnt even on when it experiences the problem. (PHEV) Has been occurring since purchase but very intermittent. Could not reproduce until enough trial and error when it did occur that I could reliably reproduce it. During my own testing and diagnostic is how I found it can roll freely in the wrong directions and is much more dangerous than just shaking was. Description: Within the first few minutes of the vehicle being turned on it can shudder against the brakes when stopped. It can stop responding to throttle inputs and roll freely in directions other than the selected gear while throttle input is ignored. It will start responding again after some time, I dont know what makes it start responding again. Does not show errors or messages. Reproduce: Plug in car, let it charge all the way to 100%. Unplug and immediately start car, move forward or backward a few feet at a time. Shaking against brakes will start, and at that time if you let off brakes and attempt to move car it can shake loose of clutch and roll freely. It does happen outside of this specific scenario and I have recording of such, but most of my recordings are in this scenario as it is difficult to catch such an intermittent issue Some recordings at: [XXX] More detailed here: [XXX] And many more stored locally because they're very large, available if desired. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11685147

Incident

Dec 23, 2023

2023 Kia Niro electronic dash went blank, no speed indication, no adaptive cruise, no lane departure warning, no forward collision warning capabilities.

NHTSA ID

11669859

Incident

Jun 27, 2025

The engine oil levels are dropping rapidly. This percentage number is displayed, making the driver think that an oil change is needed or that there is a leak. There seems to be a miscommunication from a sensor to the computer system. The mechanics at the dealer keep saying that nothing is wrong with the car. Because of the rapid decline of the engine oil levels shown on screen, one cannot know with certainty when and if there is a real oil consumption or not. The vehicle was inspected by a KIA dealer who so far, has not been able to diagnose nor fix the issue.

NHTSA ID

11554157

Incident

Oct 20, 2023

While approaching an intersection light, that was turning red, I suddenly heard the car beeping rapidly and all the red warning lights on the dashboard behind the wheel went off and the vehicle stalled. Luckily the intersection light was red, so everyone was coming to a halt. I do remember the dash board becoming blank, like there was no power. I had to turn the car's power ON button several times before I could shift into Drive. In the meantime, the traffic light turned green and I was still trying to switch the car to Drive mode. Finally it did and we drove the next 4 hours without issues. When the car stalled we were already running in hybrid mode as we had driven 250 miles prior to that and there wasn't much charge in the battery other than what the car maintains when it switches from EV to Hybrid mode. If this would have happened where we were at higher speeds, like on a highway, then we were at very high risk of being in an accident and someone could have gotten hurt for sure. We were very lucky that the car in front of us and behind us were all slowing down, because we were approaching an intersection where the light was turning red. So fortunately the car stalling didn't cause an accident even though it was in the middle of the road. We did take the car in to KIA service and they scanned all systems and found a history code MFC (C183186) which I was told, means the car lost communication with navigation. They recorded the code and cleared it since then. They could not repeat the incident and have no idea why it happened.

NHTSA ID

11527999

Incident

Apr 29, 2023

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while attempting to shift into drive (D), the transmission failed to shift to the intended gear. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,300.

NHTSA ID

11526844

Incident

Jan 15, 2023

Mileage

1,300 mi

Main screen goes blank randomly and also randomly switches between android auto and normal. This disrupts navigation and other functions and is both distracting and disruptive to driving which is dangerous. Dealership said there is no fix from Kia at this point so advised to file a complaint.

NHTSA ID

11522778

Incident

May 18, 2023

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).

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN5.0W DTC P17A000 DAIGNOSTIC PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides information regarding a potential illuminated Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) accompanied by DTC P17A000 on some 2022-2025MY Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV) and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) equipped with AVN5.0Wide head units listed below. This condition occurs when the Global Positioning System (GPS) module within the Audio Video Navigation (AVN) head unit, sends an inaccurate signal to the Hybrid Power Control Unit (HPCU), causing the DTC to set. There are no drivability symptoms associated with this condition.

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.

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.)

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: TIRE MOBILITY KIT INSPECTION & REPLACEMENT/ REPAIR (SA556) - 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 Tire Mobility Kit (TMK) sealant can or sealant can cap on certain 2023-2024MY Kia vehicles listed on page 5. Lower ambient temperatures can create a vacuum effect inside the TMK sealant can, causing the sealant can cap to open, resulting in the tire sealant leaking.

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.