2022 KIA NIRO EV Recalls, Complaints & Safety

I wanted to go to the store and when I pressed the Start button I got the message: Stop car and check regenerative brakes. Soon after the lights dimmed and the message showed up that key fob was not detected even though it was in my hand. It then no longer took a charge and is completely dark. I checked the internet, and it sounds like it is the 12V battery and is a known issue that is not yet at recall level.

I have had this vehicle for 13 months and have taken it to the shop 4 times for the same reason. The 12v dies and my car has to be Jumpstarted in order for me to use the vehicle. Dealer usually blames the 12v at the beginning of the appointments before ultimately telling me there is nothing wrong with the 12v and that they are unable to replicate the problem. They rarely go beyond preforming a drain test, despite me telling them that there is no drain. I've been stranded late at night because of this issue, and now keep a portable jumpstarter in my vehicle at all times.

When vehicle is placed in ‘reverse’ gear, screen goes to green screen that reads “ No Camera Signal Received.Please try again later.” Unable to view rear of vehicle except through mirrors while backing up. Audio warning will still sound for proximity alarm, but no visibility from rear camera. Intermittently camera will function and show live feed of rear of vehicle. Taken to dealership and camera replaced, dealer reports that it worked for approx. 30 minutes but now is malfunctioning again and they are continuing diagnostics.

I was called for battery recall. Brought my car at the kia of stockton dealership last Feb 14, 2025. Mechanic found problem with high voltage battery of my 2022 kia niro ev. Contacted kia manufacturer or customer care regularly for the repair/problem with case number [XXX] but until now june 16th, 2025 no updates yet(4 months). My car is still in the dealership and mechanic told me that no response from kia if they are gonna repair it or what. Pls help..INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I bought my 2022 Kia Niro EV new in 2022, and around 40,000 miles, I had a problem with the reduction motor so I replaced it, shortly after that I had a problem with the wheel so I replaced a part called the axle, and shortly after that, the other wheel had the same problem so I replaced the same part, and the Kia employee said that this part only breaks if there is a strong impact (traffic accident) so it's strange. All of this happened in less than 2 years but I had it covered under warranty so I got it fixed, but now the reduction motor problem that I had originally replaced has happened again and they are demanding $5,800 to repair it since it's out of warranty. I think this is unfair, and this is the first time I've had a car with this many problems in less than 3 years.

Car has broken down, not started, battery dead when fully charged MULTIPLE TIMES. It has been in the Kia service department since March 2024 (9 months) and they can’t figure out where the parasitic drain is from. This is the third time this year getting towed to the Kia dealership with no resolution. No warning lights / labels prior to failure. Danger by leaving me stranded 3+ times this year with need for triple A.

I received a recall notice for my 2022 Kia Niro EV regarding the safety plugs of the high-voltage battery. I have now scheduled three different appointments with Kia of Lincolnwood to perform this recall, and each time I have been turned away with a different excuse (lack of part, lack of tools, performing recall will take too many hours). The last time I asked to speak with the service manager, who assured me he would take care of this and I would be able to come in on Friday 10/11. Given how many times I've been turned away, I called the day before to confirm, and the manager said he would call me back and never did. Repeated attempts to contact him or the dealership that day went unanswered. I would like help getting this dealership to perform the recall. Given the risk of fire or crash, I am not comfortable driving this vehicle or charging it. I am attaching copies of both the recall and the last work order I was given, where it shows once again I was asked to come back another day.

In re: Manufacturer Recall Number SC314, NHTSA Recall Number 24V358 The Kia dealership (Aloha Kia Leeward, Waipahu, Hawai‘i) is imposing an unreasonable delay for this safety recall. Dealer was contacted in mid-July to schedule recall service. Dealer said it had to order the part. After not hearing from the dealer for two weeks, dealer was contacted on August 2 and recall service was scheduled for August 27 (claiming that was the first available appt.) Dealer kept the vehicle for 5 hours that day, then said the service could not be performed. Dealer said it would contact me to reschedule. After leaving messages and not hearing back from dealer, I went in person on 9-4-24. Dealer could not schedule recall service until October 7. Because this is a recall for safety issues, this repeated delay is unacceptable. I wish to put this complaint in the record regarding the disregard for vehicle safety by Aloha Kia Leeward of Waipahu, Hawai‘i. Thank you.

2022 NIRO EV PHANTOM BREAKING WARRENTY DENIED WITH NO DAMAGE VISABLE What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? ACC SYSTEMS UNKNOWN KIA CLAIMS MY FRONT RADAR BRACKET IS OFF 1.9 DEGREES. THEY STATE THEIR NO NO PHYSICAL DAMAGE The text stating there was no damage, but Kia wants the bracket replaced, that’s reasonable but why they want you to pay for it I don’t yet understand. I will be looking into this as that’s a key point. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? nope Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? manufacturer PENDING STATE BAR REP How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? cAR STOPPED ON STRAIGHT AWAY WENT TO 63mph TO 50 VERY QUICK NO INCLINE NO DECLINE NO TURN NOONE OR NOTHING IN FRONT OR AROUND ME

Started 2-3 months ago and is progressively getting worse. Battery drop from charged down to 2% randomly. Battery would drop 1% every 3 seconds. During highway drive it would cancel out cruise control and/or limited power down to 30mph. Which almost caused accident for the sudden loss of power. Brought to dealer and found no issues, waiting for next appointment in 2 weeks (next opening) to bring in for second look. Currently renting a vehicle since it is life threatening to just have no power in range and acceleration.

I have now had 8 instances of the Low Power warning coming on while driving, which reduces available power, and when coming to a stop, car cannot go forward. This has happened at highway speeds as well as city street speeds. This happened 4 times on a 50 mile drive today, creating a very dangerous road situation. I now feel the car is unsafe to drive, as an accident is waiting to happen. I have contacted the dealership where car was purchased and am waiting to hear back from them.

2022 Kia Niro EV loses main battery power causing the vehicle to not be able to maintain speed. This has happened at varying speeds including highway speeds. The vehicle showes "limited power" warning on the dash along with "check electrical system" warnings. The OBDii system does not record these warnings and do not show up when taken to service center. The service center can not make repairs as they are not able to replicate the issue.

The contact owned a 2022 Kia Niro EV. The contact stated that while driving at 5 MPH, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration. The contact depressed the brake pedal several times; however, the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The contact drove over a flower pot and then crashed into a support beam. No warning light was illuminated. The air bags failed to deploy upon impact. No injury was sustained, and medical attention was not received. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the front passenger's side quarter panel, tire, and wheel were replaced. The vehicle was then traded to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 9,500.

Crash

The contact owned a 2022 Kia Niro EV. The contact stated that while driving at 5 MPH, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration. The contact depressed the brake pedal several times; however, the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The contact drove over a flower pot and then crashed into a support beam. No warning light was illuminated. The air bags failed to deploy upon impact. No injury was sustained, and medical attention was not received. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the front passenger's side quarter panel, tire, and wheel were replaced. The vehicle was then traded to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 9,500.

Crash

The chrome colored plastic strip that runs along the dash reflects the sun into your eyes and is blinding. Sometimes I have to drive with my hand blocking the beams of light because it’s that blinding. This happens mostly in the summer but has happened in other seasons. I was going to paint it or put stickers on it to block it although my car is a rental and don’t want to void anything so I drive with my hand blocking the reflection.

Vehicle enters power limited (turtle) mode randomly. While driving under normal conditions, with ample battery charge and range, the “turtle mode” warning indicator chimes. Sometimes it is brief and no noticeable power loss is experienced. However, often power will be lost and the vehicle must limp off the road to restart if it doesn’t resume on its own. This problem arises at varying speeds and ambient conditions. Our safety is at risk because you never know when it will happen. Losing power on the highway and making an emergency stop is clearly a safety hazard. The dealership has not been able to replicate this problem.

The vehicle has failed to start on 3 occasions and needed to be jumped. When towed to the dealership they’ve been unable to find any issues.

The car has chrome trim on the dashboard that can cause blinding reflections and which also reflects in the side windows making it hard to see the side mirrors. This is a design flaw (not strictly a failure or malfunction) and the vehicle is available for inspection. The risk is that it impedes the driver's vision and the ability to use the mirrors and sometimes to read the display. Impeding the driver's vision can result in a crash. This problem has been reported by many owners on various forums, but I have not had it corroborated.

When driving with ACC engaged in traffic at a speed below the target speed the vehicle will sometimes speed up. This seems to happen when the ACC radar loses the return from the vehicle ahead -- for example when when a ahead vehicle changes lanes in stop-and-go traffic, I think this may happen if the side of the vehicle merging into the lane is relatively "clean" and most of the radar energy is reflected away. When this happens the car will start accelerating to the target speed, in rush hour traffic the spacing between vehicles can be quite tight and there is little time to respond to the sudden acceleration. This has also happened at an approach to a roundabout where there is a sharp turn before entering the roundabout. The vehicle is available for inspection. The problem has happened several times and I'm often able to predict when it will happen, but it has not been independently reproduced. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer (the problem was reported to the dealer who sold the car, they brushed it off and could not provide a means of reporting it to the manufacturer). There were no warnings or indication of an equipment failure.

The contact owned a 2022 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while his wife was driving in a parking lot at approximately 5 MPH, she drove over a curb to avoid a vehicle that was reversing. The vehicle crashed into the roadway aggressively after coming down from the curb and the contact's wife inadvertently depressed the accelerator pedal. The vehicle accelerated to approximately 40 MPH in a straight line and then crashed into four parked vehicles in a chain reaction, crashing into the rear end of the first parked vehicle. The contact stated that his wife was not aware of any warning lights being illuminated. The vehicle came to a stop on its own due to the crash's impact. The damage to the contact's vehicle was a crushed grill, hood, and fenders, all the way to the windshield. The contact's wife suffered a fracture to her C2 vertebrae on her neck, a fracture to her right foot, a small laceration to her left knee. The contact suffered bruises to her chest and shoulders from the seat belt. The contact's wife was transported to the ER by ambulance. The driver's side front air and side air bags had been deployed. The contact stated that the police were on the scene and filed a report. The contact said that the vehicle had been towed to an impound lot. The vehicle had not been diagnosed by a dealer or independent mechanic. The contact stated that the insurance provider requested that the vehicle be released to them. The contact stated that the vehicle was equipped with front collision avoidance technology which had apparently failed to stop the vehicle. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,500.

Crash 1 injured

EV was at 50%/130 miles to go, was driving on the expressway at 70 mph and it just quit. No warning, just all the lights started going on and off and i lost power and was able to coast to the side of the expressway. Was unable to restart, or get into gear for the hauler. Vehicle was hauled to dealership and is still there. The car has 1,100 miles on it.

This vehicle was involved in an accident caused by unintended acceleration. The vehicle is not available for inspection as we sold it back to the dealer. I was going very slow with my foot on the brake when the car jumped a curb where I was trying to park, then ran over some shrubbery, and then crashed into a condominium.

Crash

I was driving extremely slowly pulling into a parking spot. I applied my brakes but the car experienced Unintended Acceleration. The vehicle felt like it went into another gear, and It jumped the curb on its own, ran over some shrubbery, and crashed into the porch of a condominium which stopped the car. The air bags did not deploy as I was only going approximately 3 m.p.h. The sensors that should have prevented me from jumping the curb, running over shrubbery, and crashing into a building failed. Kia Consumer Affairs performed a forensic inspection and found nothing, yet I am positive that this vehicle is unsafe to drive. There were no warnings prior to the incident. I could have been killed or hurt or killed others.

Crash

When installing a car seat in the center position of the back seat using the seat belt, we found that the latch for the lower seat belt came undone. (It is the latch for the fixed corner of the lap belt. This is the black latch with the small slot to release the belt that is to remain hooked except to fold the rear seat flat rather than the latch with the red button.) We unbuckled the other side of the seat belt, removed the car seat, and found that the latch itself was defective. When the buckle is placed into the latch it can be pulled free with little effort. Upon further inspection, we found that if you place the buckle into the latch, wiggle it from side to side, and then pull it will remain latched. However, if you push the buckle down into the latch again it will release and can be pulled free without using the slot to release it. We took our vehicle to our local dealership, and they determined that the latch was indeed defective and a new latch was ordered to replace it. The part is not yet in, so it is not fixed yet. We will ask the dealership to track where the part is once replaced if it needs to be inspected. If we had not noticed that the latch was defective, we would have installed a car seat in that position with the possibility of the latch coming loose during an accident. There was no known warning signals that alerted us to this problem other than our own inspection of the problem. We have a video recording available that shows the problem much better than the pictures, but the form will not allow us to upload it here. Feel free to reach out to us to get a copy of it.

Vehicle is equipped with a back up alarm that exceeds 75 decibels and is measured at 90 decibels inside of garage. This Poses a public safety risk and violation of local noise ordinances

After putting the car in park on a moderate slope, I exited the car and about 2 seconds later, as I was connecting the charger, the car rolled backward 4 feet before coming to a stop. I immediately confirmed that the car was in park. The parking brake was *not* on. (Or at least, I did not manually set it- I don't know if this car activates the brake automatically when in park.) The right front wheel was on ice. All other wheels on bare gravel. The temperature was 36 deg F. This is an EV, so it may have some sort of event recorder built in. If so, look at roughly 9:10 EST on 2/10/22. This is a short-term rental from Enterprise, so I'll set the parking brake manually for the remainder of the rental and report it to them on return. Contact them if you want to inspect it. The registration lists the owner as "EAN Holdings LLC"

When the KIA is shifted into "park", it will sometimes roll forward or backwards until the brakes are applied by the driver. This doesn't happen all the time and we have not figured out a way to predictably reproduce the results, but it happens a lot. My wife is the primary driver and I have only driven the car about 10 times. It has happened to just me twice in that time frame. It's such a common problem that we have started trying to routinely activate the emergency brake, as the transmission is not reliable in shifting the vehicle into park. During one incident, my wife forgot to use the emergency brake after shifting the car into park. She got out, the vehicle began rolling in park and her leg almost got ran over in an attempt to stop the vehicle. We have taken the car to Mike Miller KIA in Peoria, IL, but they were unable to reproduce the results, so did not take action to fix the vehicle. We have also reached out to KIA on this issue and are awaiting a response. A quick Google search indicated that KIA is not exactly reliable safety-related issues, so I wanted to be proactive in exposing this potential vehicle hazard.

This complaint is about a vehicle design and implementation issue rather than a malfunction. The implementation of the low speed warning alert for this vehicle is dangerous to pedestrians. Several times, as I was backing out of a parking spot pedestrians have stopped directly behind the moving vehicle and could have been hit. When put into reverse this vehicle emits beeping tone from a speaker mounted in the FRONT bumper of the vehicle. Because the backup alert tone is emitted from the front bumper of the vehicle, the sound is reflected off other cars and structures and is perceived as completely non-directional to anyone standing behind the car. When people hear the beeping, they tend to stop and look around for the source of the sound, which is some cases seems to be coming from 1 or 2 aisles over in the parking lot, or from another direction altogether. The tone that the car emits is also inconsistent with the usual and expected 1000Hz tone that most people associate with backup beepers, causing further confusion to pedestrians. As implemented, the backup alert system on this vehicle does more harm than good and has the potential to cause a pedestrian accident because of the confusing, non standard and non-directionality of the sound. A blind or vision impaired person would have a very hard time discerning the direction that the sound is coming from and could get hit by this vehicle as it is backing up. To be effective, the backup beeper should be mounted in the rear of the car and emit the standard tone that people generally associate with backup alarms.