Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Kia Niro, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train3
- Electrical system2
- Unknown or other2
- Engine2
- Visibility/wiper1
- Vehicle speed control1
- Visibility1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 3 2021 Niro vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 3 people died inside them, and 2 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2021 Kia Niro failed the safety check 1.55% of the time — 64% more often than the average 2021 passenger car (0.95%). Median odometer at inspection: 28,173 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2021
63,985 new Kia Niro cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2021; the largest markets were the Netherlands (10,740), Sweden (10,310), France (9,657).
- Average mass
- 1,674 kg
- Average CO₂
- 40 g/km (WLTP)
- Average power
- 101 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Electric 53% · Petrol 31% · Petrol/electric 16%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Real-world fuel consumption
3,734 Kia Niro cars first registered in Europe in 2021 report their fuel use through the on-board meter. Petrol hybrid versions use 5.2 l/100 km on the road against 5.0 in the WLTP test (+4%).
| Fuel | Cars | On the road | WLTP | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol hybrid | 2,203 | 5.2 | 5.0 | +4% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 1,531 | 3.7 | 1.4 | +168% |
Litres per 100 km from the cars' own fuel meters (OBFCM), collected in 2024; the year is the year of first registration. All years together · European Environment Agency · CC BY 4.0
In the Netherlands
11,967 first registered in 2021 are on Dutch roads; 17% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €38,705.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde4,189
- Band onvoldoende profiel1,187
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht933
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld931
- Band beschadigd699
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm572
- Bandenspanning op 1 as niet gelijk183
- Mistlicht voor onjuist afgesteld128
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
22,899 cars built in 2021 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 93 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 4,776 of these cars first registered in 2021 took their annual MOT test. 91% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2021 the figure was 91%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 4.7% | 3.3% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3.2% | 2.9% |
| Visibility | 0.7% | 1.6% |
| Brakes | 0.5% | 1.3% |
| Road Wheels | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.1% | 0.1% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
1,443 of these cars first registered in 2021 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 72,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
654 2021 cars are on the New Zealand register; 0% arrived as used imports, 100% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 3 variants: combined 4.6–5.3 L/100 km (about 44–51 mpg US), CO₂ 110–124 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niro · Station wagon: Small · Regular gasoline | 4.4 | 4.9 | 4.6 |
| Niro FE · Station wagon: Small · Regular gasoline | 4.4 | 4.9 | 4.6 |
| Niro Touring · Station wagon: Small · Regular gasoline | 5.0 | 5.6 | 5.3 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 2021 Kia Niro.
| 2025345 20 Jun 2025 | Visual System Issue: On certain vehicles, a problem with the rearview camera could cause the rearview camera image not to display. Canadian regulations require the rearview… |
| 2025003 7 Jan 2025 | Brakes Issue: On certain vehicles, water could enter the integrated electronic brake (IEB) and cause it to corrode. If this happens, the IEB motor could fail and cau… |
| 2024549 15 Aug 2024 | Label Issue: On certain vehicles, the compliance label may be missing information in French. The words listed on the label for "Tires", "Rims", "Front" and "Rear" a… |
| 2023423 1 Aug 2023 | Powertrain Issue: On certain vehicles, fluid could leak onto the printed circuit board for the hydraulic clutch actuator (HCA). If this happens, the circuit board could … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Kia told its dealers about the 2021 Kia Niro: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11010698 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN 5.0 WIDE NON-RESPONSIVE RADIO ICON (AM, FM, SXM) - 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 update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2024MY Kia vehicles (refer to model list on page 8) to remedy a non-responsive or inoperative radio (FM, AM, SXM, etc.) concern. The affected AVN unit on the vehicles may not respond when pressing the RADIO hard key/button on the AVN unit or when selecting the RA |
| 11005368 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: DISPLAY AUDIO 2.0V/AVN5W SOFTWARE UPDATE - This bulletin provides information to update the software on Display Audio 2.0 (D2V) and 5th Generation AVN Wide (AVN5W) head units on certain 2021-2023MY Kia vehicles. The affected vehicles may experience Apple CarPlay/Android Auto phone projection connectivity-related concerns. |
| 11000787 | 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. |
| 10250517 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN 5.0 WIDE NON-RESPONSIVE RADIO ICON (AM, FM, SXM) - 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 update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2024MY Kia vehicles (refer to model list on page 3) to remedy a 'non-responsive' or 'inoperative' radio (FM, AM, SXM, etc. ) concern. The affected AVN unit on the vehicles may not respond when pressing the 'RADIO' hard key/button on the AVN unit or when selecti |
| 10247556 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN 5.0 WIDE SCREEN FREEZING OR MAP DELAY WITH WIRED APPLE CARPLAY - This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2023MY Kia vehicles to remedy an inaccurate map location, freezing AVN screen, or experiencing a delay when using Google Maps or Waze through wired Apple CarPlay. |
| 10242982 | This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2024MY Kia vehicles (refer to model list on page 3) to remedy a 'non-responsive' or 'inoperative' radio (FM, AM, SXM, etc. ) concern. The affected AVN unit on the vehicles may not respond when pressing the 'RADIO' hard key/button on the AVN unit or when selecting the 'RADIO' icon on the AVN menu screen. |
| 10241848 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN 5.0 WIDE NON-RESPONSIVE RADIO ICON (AM, FM, SXM) - This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2023MY Kia vehicles to remedy a 'non-responsive' or 'inoperative' radio (FM, AM, SXM, etc.) concern. The affected AVN unit on the vehicles may not respond when pressing the 'RADIO' hard key/button on the AVN unit or when selecting the 'RADIO' icon on the AVN menu screen. Follow the procedure outlined in this publication to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide units using |
| 10240318 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: DA 2.0V SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR KIA ACCESS APP MISSING ODOMETER READING (SA493) - 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 update the Display Audio 2.0 Value software on some 2021-2022MY Niro EV, HEV and PHEV models listed below, which may not report/display the odometer reading through the Kia Access App (a Connected Car Telematics app). The odometer reading displayed on the vehicle is not affected. |
| 10238225 | 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 partial repair of the Air Conditioning (A/C) compressor assembly on some 2011MY~ Optima Hybrid (TF HEV, JF HEV/PHEV), 2015MY~ Soul EV (PS EV), 2017MY~ Niro (DE HEV/PHEV/EV), 2022MY~ EV6 (CV), 2021MY~ Sorento (MQ4 HEV/PHEV), 2023MY~ Sportage (NQ5 HEV/PHEV), and 2023MY~ Niro (SG2 EV/HEV/PHEV) vehicles. |
| 10237139 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: OVERHEAD CONSOLE SUNGLASS DOOR-LATCH REPAIR - This bulletin provides information to repair the overhead console lamp assembly and sunglass door latch on some 2012-2023MY model vehicles listed in the table below, which may encounter the sunglass case of the overhead console lamp not closing properly. |
| 10235104 | PIT STOP: LOG FILE COLLECTION FOR AVN 5.0/W AND DISPLAY AUDIO 2.0 - 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 Pitstop contains information regarding the log file collection procedure for 2020MY~ models equipped with AVN 5.0/W or Display Audio 2.0 head units. |
| 10226555 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - 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, refer to applicable vehicles in the chart starting on page 2. |
| 10220346 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: MAINTENANCE REMINDER FEATURE - 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 on setting the "Service Interval Reminder" feature available on most 2014-2023MY Kia vehicles (refer to model list on page 2). If the service interval reminder is set, the customer will be informed to have the next maintenance service performed, which can positively affect vehicle longevity and performance. Refer to TSB ENG241 for 2023MY~ vehicles equi |
| 10217892 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE REMINDER SETTING RESET PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides the procedure to turn OFF the service reminder lamp, at the first service interval reminder alert that will display on the instrument cluster. The KDS is required to change the setting from "Workshop" to "Customer Mode." |
| 10217891 | PITSTOP: REAR OCCUPANT ALERT (ROA) W/REAR DOOR LOGIC - 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 Pitstop provides information regarding the Rear Occupant Alert (ROA) with Rear Door Logic system on all 21MY~ models equipped with this feature. This system is designed to help prevent a rear passenger from being left inside the vehicle when exiting. The "Check Rear Seats" message will display on the cluster when driver opens the front door, if during vehicle operation the rear doors |
| 10212200 | PITSTOP: RANDOM MISFIRES/OVERHEATING DUE TO LOW COOLANT - This Pitstop provides information to help identify one cause of low coolant, random misfires, and/or possible overheating on some 2017-2022MY Niro HEV (DE HEV) and 2018-2022MY Niro PHEV (DE PHEV) vehicles. The cause may be a small coolant leak in the EGR Cooler. Locating this leak may be difficult. |
| 10210264 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY ORDERING AND RETURN PROCEDURE - 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 outlines the ordering and return procedure for high-voltage Lithium-ion batteries equipped on EV/hybrid vehicles (hereafter referred to as "high-voltage batteries" or HVBs). |
| 10209455 | PITSTOP: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER REPLACEMENT AND MILEAGE SETTING WITH KDS - 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 pitstop provides the KDS service procedure for mileage setting on the models listed below with newly replaced instrument clusters. Certain models allow for mileage setting with the KDS, which prevents the need to send out the instrument cluster to a 3rd party for mileage adjustment (refer to PS264). After a new cluster is installed, cluster (variant) coding may also ne |
| 10209435 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: DA 2.0V SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR KIA ACCESS APP MISSING ODOMETER READING (SA493) - This bulletin provides information to update the Display Audio 2.0 Value software on some 2021-2022MY Niro EV, HEV and PHEV models listed below, which may not report/display the odometer reading through the Kia Access App (a Connected Car Telematics app). The odometer reading displayed on the vehicle is not affected. |
| 10205425 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: FRONT VIEW CAMERA REPLACEMENT FOR DTC C160449 & C160649 - 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 on the inspection and replacement of the front camera on some vehicles. Due to an internal control chip concern inside the camera, the vehicle may exhibit a Forward Collision Avoidance Assist Warning Lamp (A) and/or Master Warning Lamp (B) with C160449 and/or C160649 codes. Certain systems may become temporarily disabled dur |
| 10203456 | PITSTOP: NO START / NO DTC WITH KEY IGNITION - This Pitstop provides information to help troubleshoot a "no start" symptom on some 2017-2022MY Niro LX HEV (DE HEV) vehicles with standard 'key start' ignition. The 'Ready' icon on the instrument cluster will not illuminate 'ON'. The issue happens when the Hybrid Power Control Unit (HPCU) does not unlock the immobilizer when the start signal is sent. |
| 10202227 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: REPLACEMENT OF MOBIS C-MDPS SMALL BEARING - This bulletin provides the procedure to replace the small bearing of the Column Motor Driven Power Steering (C-MDPS) unit on the vehicles listed below, which may exhibit an abnormal noise when steering left and right. This may be caused by foreign substances in the MDPS worm shaft small bearing. On some vehicles when the steering wheel is rotated a scraping noise can be heard originating from the lower bearing on the Worm Gear Small Bearing and does not affect the steering effort. |
| 10202226 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL REPAIR OF C-MDPS MOTOR, ECU, WORM GEAR AND/OR STEERING COLUMN HOUSING - 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 Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) Motor, Electronic Control Unit (ECU), Steering Column Housing, or Worm Gear Assembly. When the steering wheel is rotated a scraping noise can be heard originating from the lower bearing on the Worm Gear Assembly on some 2010MY~ Kia m |
| 10201616 | PITSTOP: ENGINE OVERHEATING IN NIRO HEV/PHEV - This Pitstop provides information to help troubleshoot an overheating symptom on some 2017-2022MY Niro HEV (DE HEV) and 2018-2022MY Niro PHEV (DE PHEV) which may exhibit coolant boiling in the reservoir. Overheating may occur due to a bypass valve in the Exhaust Heat Recovery System (EHRS) stuck in the closed position. |
| 10201529 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFORMATION FOR HEADLAMP CONDENSATION AND MOISTURE - 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 some Kia models that may exhibit fogging, condensation, and/or moisture inside a headlamp assembly. Generally, a fogging condition is considered normal and can be eliminated by turning on the headlamps with the engine running for up to 30 minutes or during normal driving conditions. Headlamp assembly replacement WILL |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation