NHTSA Complaint #11701883 — 2017 KIA NIRO

The heat exchanger (exhaust heat recovery system) on my 2017 Kia Niro has been diagnosed by an authorized Kia dealership as leaking coolant. The failed component can be available for inspection upon request. This failure poses a serious safety risk. The heat exchanger is part of the vehicle’s cooling system, and when it leaks, the engine can rapidly lose coolant while driving. This can lead to sudden overheating, reduced power, or potential engine shutdown in traffic. A driver may not receive immediate warning, and if the vehicle overheats unexpectedly at highway speeds, it can put both the occupants and surrounding drivers at risk of a collision. Coolant leaking into the exhaust system can also create steam and white smoke that may impair visibility for the driver or other vehicles. The problem has been confirmed by a Kia dealership, which inspected the vehicle and provided a repair estimate of over $3,500 for heat exchanger replacement. The vehicle has not been inspected by the police or insurance representatives. In my case, there were no warning lamps or messages prior to the diagnosis. The vehicle did not illuminate a check-engine light related to the failure or coolant warning, meaning the failure could easily occur without the driver’s knowledge until the engine overheats or loses power while on the road. This lack of warning significantly increases the safety risk. Given the number of owners reporting identical heat-exchanger failures, the high repair cost, and the potential for sudden overheating or power loss, this appears to be a widespread safety-related defect that warrants investigation.