2020 KIA NIRO Complaints

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the coolant system warning light illuminated. The contact stated that after entering the vehicle following a charging session, there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle while the coolant system warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the 12-volt battery voltage decreased from 12 volts to 2 volts. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, and TSB: ELE270 was associated with the issue. The contact was informed that the inverter coolant pipes had failed and needed to be replaced, and that the BSC-1 coolant needed to be replaced with BSC-2 coolant. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that the coolant system warning light was illuminated after the vehicle was returned. The contact was concerned that the vehicle posed a fire risk because the vehicle was being charged in the garage at the residence. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while driving 79 MPH, the thermostat displayed that the engine was running hot and there was white smoke coming from the front of the vehicle, with the check engine warning light illuminated. Upon inspection, the contact became aware that a hose underneath the radiator was disconnected, and coolant was leaking from the hose, and the dipstick had dislodged into the engine. The contact stated that while accelerating from a complete stop or while decelerating, the vehicle jolted forward. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 98,000.

I am submitting a complaint regarding a safety issue with the rearview camera on my 2020 Kia Niro EV. VIN # [XXX] The rearview camera display has stopped functioning properly. Based on technical research and driver community reports, this issue appears to stem from an electrical surge that causes the camera circuit to malfunction. Upon checking owner forums, I became aware of an active manufacturer campaign/recall (Kia Recall SC342) related to this fault. However, I have not received any official recall notification or letter from Kia regarding my vehicle. Because a non-functioning rearview camera significantly reduces rear visibility and poses a clear safety hazard, I request that the NHTSA review this defect and ensure affected owners are properly notified and provided with a repair solution. Thank you for your assistance in investigating this safety concern. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

AC not working, recall SA512 is needed, Kia wont cover the cost of replacing electrical components. Thermal Runaway / Fire Risk: The broken compressor prevents the battery thermal management system from cooling the main high-voltage lithium-ion battery package, creating an overheating hazard during driving or DC fast-charging. Sudden Loss of Power (Motive Power): Battery overheating can trigger a sudden "safe mode" or turtle mode, dropping your speed to zero unexpectedly on the highway.Impaired Driver Visibility: The lack of functional cabin heating prevents windshield defrosting, severely impairing the driver's ability to see the road safely.

This submission is supplemental information for my prior NHTSA complaint (Complaint #XXX). After filing the original report, I learned additional details from the Kia dealership that serviced my vehicle. The service department stated that they have seen the same electronic parking brake controller and actuator failure on multiple Kia Niro vehicles from model years 2018–2021. They reported that these failures were not covered under warranty for those years, even when the symptoms began during the warranty period. The dealer also explained that Kia made design improvements to the electronic parking brake system in later model years and expanded warranty coverage for the updated EPB assembly and control components. This suggests that Kia was aware of recurring issues with the earlier design, despite no formal recall or service campaign being issued for the affected 2018–2021 vehicles. I am submitting this supplemental information because it indicates a potential pattern of safety-related failures involving the electronic parking brake system across multiple vehicles and model years. These failures affect the vehicle’s ability to hold position when parked and may interact with braking and stability control systems.”

What's malfunctioning: coolant monitoring system shows low coolant warning when coolant level is observably fine. Problem has been ongoing for over a year. Available for inspection: yes. Safety problem: coolant monitoring is inaccurate, causing alarm when coolant levels are fine and possibly causing no alarm when coolant levels are too low. Problem reproduced: yes, by both dealer and independent service center. Vehicle inspected by manufacturer: yes. They attempted service but their repair only lasted a few months. Symptoms prior to failure: no. The problem is that the warning lights are turning on when they should not be. This matches the symptoms of Kia Technical Service Bulletin SA512, but the manufacturer's fix did not work.

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Niro EV. The contact stated that the rearview camera intermittently failed to display an image when the vehicle was shifted into reverse. The contact stated that reverse engaged normally, and the audible alert was sounded; however, the display screen periodically remained blank. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but had occurred several times. The contact stated that the rearview camera operated properly for a while before the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to a dealer prior to the expiration of the warranty. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure, and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and suggested that the vehicle be taken for additional diagnostic tests, and the dealer would consult with technical assistance from the manufacturer to determine how to repair the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 11,000.

The electronic parking brake controller failed after intermittent warnings that began while the vehicle was still under warranty. The parking brake actuator also failed and had to be replaced. The electronic parking brake system is part of the vehicle’s safety system, and the failure caused the parking brake to malfunction unpredictably. The issue did not store persistent diagnostic codes, making it difficult to diagnose earlier. This is a safety concern because it affects the vehicle’s ability to hold position when parked and can interfere with braking and stability control. Because I am not the original owner, Kia refused to perform this as a warranty repair even though the intermittent failures began while the vehicle was under warranty.

The AC compressor failed due to an isolation resistance failure at the high voltage inverter. Freon leaked from the AC system into the battery chiller coolant loop, causing crystallization and blockages in the inverter coolant circuit. This is a battery thermal management system failure. The failure was confirmed and diagnosed by an authorized Kia dealer. Warning lights appeared on the dashboard including an inverter coolant warning. The vehicle was driven in ambient temperatures exceeding 108 degrees Fahrenheit in Arizona with no cabin cooling and a compromised battery thermal management system, creating a safety risk to the driver. The dealer quoted repair including AC compressor replacement, battery chiller replacement, and inverter coolant flush. Kia Consumer Affairs denied warranty coverage under the federal emissions warranty despite the vehicle being within the 8 year/80,000 mile coverage window at approximately 58,309 miles. No written explanation for the denial was provided. This failure appears to be a known pattern on this platform based on owner reports. The battery chiller and inverter coolant system are integral to battery thermal management and should be covered under the federal emissions warranty. The vehicle is currently unsafe to operate in extreme Arizona heat without functioning thermal management.

10.25" audio head unit. UVO no longer connects so that 911 and roadside assistance can not be reached. This is a known problem with 2019 and early 2020 Kia Niro's part# 96160-Q4210. I spoke to the Kia UVO Call Center and they confirmed that my unit is not communicating and has not since Dec. 2021. As I usually drive just around town I have not used UVO, but now that I'm on the road I need to be able to use this feature. I'm attaching a quote for a replacement unit