2019 KIA NIRO Complaints

2019 Kia Niro. While driving normally on the street, the driver attempted to brake & the brakes would not respond. This is a very scary situation and Kia needs to handle immediately!! The message "Stop the Vehicle and Check Regenerative Brakes" was displayed. Thankfully the driver was able to come to a stop without crashing but if this was during heavy traffic time it definitely would've resulted in a crash. Could be even that much worse on the freeway, especially in Los Angeles. The vehicle was towed to the drivers home. After checking again, the vehicle was in limp mode & would not go over 15mph. The driver was able to get it to a Kia shop to be checked & they quoted a $9,000 repair!! This is horrible that Kia is allowing this issue to go on!!!

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as needed. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway and the parking brake was engaged to keep the vehicle from moving. The message "Stop the Vehicle and Check Regenerative Brakes" was displayed. The failure was a recurring failure. The vehicle was towed, and the dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired because the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

My car is a 2019 KIA Niro Hybrid. It's only 7 years old, and my husband and I have been the only owners. It only has 61,000 miles on it, and it is serviced regularly and has to pass a state emissions test each year. As I was driving the other day, the dashboard lit up with critical alerts saying "check regenerative battery" and the braking system went completely soft; I could not stop the car using the brakes. It was terrifying. I had to pull off the road and use the emergency brake to stop the car. This was an awful incident that could have resulted in deaths or serious injuries. Again this is for a car that is well-maintained and well under 100,000 miles.

This complaint supplements a previously submitted report filed today, June 18, 2026, (Original is Complaint Number: 11845044) regarding the same vehicle and condition (TSB ELE234 drive unit rumble noise). The correct VIN for this vehicle is [XXX] — a 2019 Kia Niro EV EX Premium, 138,457 miles. I am filing on behalf of the vehicle owner, [XXX], who has authorized me to act as his advocate. The owner is a Ukrainian speaker and I am assisting with all documentation and communications. In addition to TSB ELE234 (drive unit motor rumble, April 2021), this vehicle is also subject to Kia Service Action SA512 (April 2023): Inverter Coolant/Debris Flushing for the "Refill Inverter Coolant" cluster warning, affecting 2019–2022 Niro EVs produced May 10, 2019 through October 4, 2021. SA512 has also not been confirmed as completed on this VIN. CARFAX records document multiple authorized Kia dealer visits — at Roseville Kia and Folsom Lake Kia — between 2019 and 2022, during the period both ELE234 and SA512 were active and applicable. Neither service action was applied during those visits. This filing requests that NHTSA investigate both the safety implications of the ELE234 drivetrain defect and the broader pattern of authorized Kia dealers failing to notify owners of and apply active service bulletins during routine service visits on affected VINs. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Our 2019 Kia Niro EV (approximately 138,000 miles) exhibits an abnormal rumble/growling noise from the front drive unit while driving slowly in "D" range and when accelerating or decelerating between 0–25 mph. This symptom matches exactly the condition described in Kia Technical Service Bulletin ELE234 (Rev. 1, April 2021): "Drive Unit Inspection & Replacement for EV Motor Rumble Noise," which covers all 2019MY Niro EV vehicles produced from December 5, 2018. To our knowledge, TSB ELE234 has never been performed on this vehicle. The repair involves replacement of motor/roll mount brackets and, if necessary, traction motor or reduction gear replacement. Kia has a documented, tiered repair procedure for this exact issue with assigned labor operation codes. The failure presents a safety concern because drivetrain noise at low speed can precede loss of drive power or sudden drivetrain failure, which creates a hazard in traffic, intersections, and during highway merging. Despite the existence of this TSB since April 2021, NHTSA appears to have few or no formal complaints logged for this specific defect, meaning it has not triggered the regulatory scrutiny it warrants given the documented widespread nature of the issue. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether a formal recall of affected 2019 Kia Niro EV vehicles is warranted for this drivetrain defect.

The Hydraulic Clutch Actuator has caused functional driving issues and caused my vehicle to go into limp mode. I was never informed of the recall issue prior to purchase, and the recall was marked as complete, when it was not. The fix for KIA NIRO Recall SC276 was incomplete in January 2024, and I purchased my vehicle in April 2024. My issues started in November 2025, and the incomplete recall issue has been ongoing. KIA offers only a 1/2-way fix, and this is simply not acceptable.

A major drivetrain service and repair was completed by an authorized manufacturer dealership. After picking up the vehicle, an unusual front-end/steering noise was immediately reported to the staff. Over just 390 miles of driving, the symptom worsened. A subsequent formal inspection by a separate, independent authorized service center confirmed the root cause of the safety failure: the primary axle nut had been left completely unstaked during the initial drivetrain assembly, rendering the vehicle entirely unsafe to operate. The vehicle was grounded to prevent an accident. Because the mandatory safety protocol of staking the axle nut was omitted, the critical fastening hardware was allowed to back off under normal driving conditions. This component failure directly compromised the structural integrity of the front drivetrain, steering knuckle, and wheel hub assembly. Had the vehicle continued to be driven, the omission presented an imminent risk of complete mechanical separation, which could cause a wheel assembly to detach or lock up while in motion at high speeds, putting the safety of the occupants and other motorists at extreme risk. The vehicle remains grounded and is available for inspection. The safety-critical assembly failure has been fully documented by the inspecting service center via technical video (available upon request) and photographic evidence. The manufacturer has been notified of the dealer workmanship defect but has failed to authorize corrective action or safe transport of the vehicle to a certified facility for remediation.

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the road. The vehicle was successfully restarted and moved over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a blown head gasket, a misfire in the engine, and coolant mixing with the engine oil; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 118,000.

While traveling from upstate New York, the vehicle displayed an engine overheating warning shortly after startup while the engine was still cold. Because I was away from home, I stayed overnight and the next morning took the vehicle to a Kia dealership for inspection. The dealership inspected the vehicle and diagnosed a problem with the exhaust heat recovery system pipe. According to the service department, coolant is leaking internally through this component and is being burned in the exhaust system. The cooling system was pressure tested and held pressure externally, indicating the coolant loss is occurring internally through the exhaust heat recovery system rather than from an external leak. This condition can cause coolant loss and overheating while driving. If the engine overheats while the vehicle is in operation, it could create a safety risk due to sudden loss of power or engine damage. The dealership confirmed the diagnosis after inspection and testing and provided a repair estimate to replace the affected exhaust heat recovery system component. The overheating warning message was the first symptom observed prior to diagnosis. The problem was confirmed by the dealership after inspection and testing. This issue may indicate a defect in the exhaust heat recovery or thermal management system used in this hybrid vehicle, as coolant is entering the exhaust stream internally rather than leaking externally. If this type of failure occurs in other vehicles, it could lead to overheating while driving and potential engine damage.

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Niro. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked. The check engine warning light and the hybrid battery warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch actuator was leaking, and the dual clutch and slave cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied assistance in covering the cost of the repair. The contact stated that the engine and dual clutch were replaced two years ago. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V534000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.