2022 Kia Niro problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Service Brakes (5) · Power Train (4) · Fuel/Propulsion System (3)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Kia Niro model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (1)
Power Train:automatic Transmission:internal:clutches/Bands:actuators/Solenoids 2023-07-31 · campaign 23V534000 · 121,411 vehicles
Defect: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2022 Niro and 2018-2022 Niro Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. Fluid may leak into the printed circuit board inside the hydraulic clutch actuator, which can result in an engine compartment fire.
Risk: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the hydraulic clutch actuator as necessary and install a new fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 29, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC276.
Service bulletins (38)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Visibility/Wiper 2026-08-28 · TSB_CLI049_R2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: partial repair – electrical a/c compressor - 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 regarding the partial repair of the air
Fuel/Propulsion System 2026-06-15 · PI2603_TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: product improvement campaign: bms battery diagnostic logic improvement (pi2603) - this bulletin provides information regarding a battery management system (bms) software update for certain 2020–2022my niro (de ev) vehicles produced from june 2, 2020, through november 8,
Electrical System 2026-05-28 · TSB_ELE422 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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 impr
Electrical System 2026-04-14 · TSB_ELE417 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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
Engine 2026-02-20 · SC325_TSB_R1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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 i
Back Over Prevention: Warnings 2025-12-09 · PS797 · Other
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
Showing the 6 most recent of 38 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-09-07 · Electrical System“i park the car, lock it and then later on can’t open it. i use the emergency key to enter it but then can’t start it even with a new battery in the key fob. it happened twice. it is an issue that needs to be fixed as soon as possible because in case of emergency you’re stuck outside your car and can’t use it to escape a danger or respond to an em…”
2026-08-25 · Fuel/Propulsion System“2022 kia niro ex premium hybrid was sold as kia certified pre-owned on august 12 2026 with an active check engine light present at time of purchase. dealer calavan kia west in lithia springs ga represented the vehicle as passing a 165-point cpo inspection. dealer attributed the light to a gas cap issue and cleared the code to complete the sale. six…”
2026-07-29 · Parking Brake · 90,000 mi“the contact owns a 2022 kia niro. the contact stated that while his wife was driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormally loud grinding sound. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the brake pads and rotors were replaced. while replacing the brake pads and rotors, the mechanic became aware that the parking brake cable h…”
2026-07-20 · Structure:interior Panels:dashboard · 92,000 mi“the contact owns a 2022 kia niro. the contact stated that a hardwired kill switch was installed in the vehicle, and the switch overheated to the point that the vehicle was unable to operate. an investigation was conducted by the contact, who touched a big box underneath the dashboard. the contact's hand was burned on the fingertips because the box …”
2026-06-10 · Air Bags · 💥 crash“the contact owns a 2022 kia niro. the contact stated that while driving from a complete stop at 5 mph, the vehicle was t-boned on the passenger's side by a jeep grand cherokee driving at high speed. due to the impact, the contact's head struck the dashboard. the other vehicle fled the scene of the crash. the airbag deployed on the passenger side bu…”
2026-05-27 · Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection“problem 1, check engine light: i purchased the used car on jan 9 2025, around 23,400 miles from kia dealership, capitol expy in san jose. today 05/27/2026, the odometer reads 26, 407 miles. my car is used only twice a week - 20 miles on fridays, 12 miles on wednesdays. my car has less than minimum wear and tear and is barely used. i completed m…”
2026-05-06 · Unknown Or Other“am writing to formally request assistance regarding my kia vehicle which i purchased used at approximately 38,000 miles. shortly after purchase, the vehicle became undrivable and has since required repeated repairs without resolution. to date, the vehicle has been presented for repair on six separate occasions for the same issue and has remained ou…”
2026-04-24 · Fuel/Propulsion System“intermittent warning to "refill inverter coolant" displays on the dash screen. this is a known issue pursuant to sa512 (ele 270 rev 3) due to faulty coolant that crystallizes and interferes with the sensor. however, per kia, it is only covered under standard warranty (5 years/60k miles) and while my vehicle is within the year warranty, it is over t…”
2026-03-31 · Engine“the vehicle has a recurring p0420 code (“catalyst system efficiency below threshold bank 1”). a boroscope inspection at ricardo caballero kia santa isabel (invoice #[xxx] dated december 5, 2025) confirmed internal disintegration of the catalytic converter, with physical pieces of the catalyst falling out when the exhaust pipe was removed. this fail…”
2026-01-23 · Electrical System · 45,000 mi“the contact owns a 2022 kia niro. the contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a distorted image while the vehicle was in reverse(r). the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, preventing the driver from safely operating the vehicle. additionally, there was a delay with the image appearing on the screen when the vehicle was in reverse…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.