2021 KIA NIRO EV — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
2
Owner Complaints
1
Recall
6
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2021 KIA NIRO EV
The 2021 KIA NIRO EV has received a total of 2 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There has been 1 recall campaign affecting this vehicle, covering issues with BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA. 6 technical service bulletins have been issued by Kia America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problem area is the Back Over Prevention Back Up Alarm (1 complaint).
Recalls for the 2021 KIA NIRO EV
NHTSA has recorded 1 recall for the 2021 KIA NIRO EV, potentially affecting up to 11,327 vehicles.
Recall 25V426000 — BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
| 11,327 vehicles affected
Defect: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Niro EV vehicles. The circuit board for the rearview camera may become damaged and cause the rearview camera image not to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Consequence: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 7, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC342.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2021 KIA NIRO EV
2 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2021 KIA NIRO EV. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back Over Prevention Back Up Alarm | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
The rear brake rotors on the vehicle are pitted, as confirmed by a local repair shop. The "incident" is ongoing. Kia refuses to repair or replace them under warranty (25,500 miles on the car), claiming they are wear item. However, pitting is not wear, in fact quite the opposite. My analysis (30+ yrs in the auto business): As an EV, regenerative braking means the actual brake systems are rarely used. Noise at low speeds prompted the inspection at a local shop. Braking under high speeds does not result in noise, telling me the system relies too heavily on the front brakes. The result is the rear rotors are too often unused leaving them to rust and then pit. Tesla recognizes that regen braking can actually harm brake rotors, suggesting burnishing the brakes at times using the following procedure: 1) Drive the vehicle at approximately 50 mph - 55 mph (80 km/h - 90 km/h) on a straight road. 2) Apply moderate, consistent pressure to the brake pedal to slowly decelerate the vehicle, releasing at 10 mph (15 km/h). 3) Repeat this procedure 6 times, waiting at least 30 seconds between applications. Since the rear brakes do not appear to engage on the Kia Niro, this method is fruitless. Other Niro drivers report this as seen here: [XXX] I my opinion, the vehicles should at minimum be repaired under warranty or recalled to "rebalance" the brake system. Thank you... INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I'm a new Niro Ev driver. The VESS noise when reversing the vehicle is very loud. It is too loud, I live in close proximity to neighbors and have to get up early for work and the sound is a major nuisance, I would not want a neighbor that has this car . I understand VESS in place for safety but the reverse backup beeping is just a step down from a garbage truck backing up, especially in the silence of a residential neighborhood in the early AM hours. Furthermore, I and others as seen on web forums will reverse faster than we normally would do to be able to take the car out of reverse as quickly as possible to stop the blaring beeping. This creates its own risk, as if there is less time to react if there is a pedestrian behind the vehicle. The volume of the noise should be greatly reduced. It is also unnecessary noise pollution. Kia, please fix this.
Safety Rating for the 2021 KIA NIRO EV
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2021 KIA NIRO EV in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2021 KIA NIRO EV
Kia America, Inc. has issued 6 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2021 KIA NIRO EV. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
TSB_ELE270_R3 — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: INVERTER COOLANT/DEBRIS FLUSHING/REPLACEMENT FOR CLUSTER MESSAGE “REFILL INVERTER COOLANT” (SA512) - 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 flush out the inverter low-conductivity...
SC321_QA — SERVICE BRAKES
WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: QUESTION AND ANSWER (SC321) - This document is the Question and Answer Guide containing the most frequently asked questions regarding the Voluntary Service Campaign SC321.
TSB_ELE320 — EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT:SOFTWARE
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...
TSB_ELE270_R1 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: INVERTER COOLANT/DEBRIS FLUSHING/REPLACEMENT FOR CLUSTER MESSAGE 'REFILL INVERTER COOLANT' (SA512) - 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 flush out the inverter low-conductivity...
TSB_ELE270_R1 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: INVERTER COOLANT/DEBRIS FLUSHING/REPLACEMENT FOR CLUSTER MESSAGE 'REFILL INVERTER COOLANT' (SA512) - 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 flush out the inverter low-conductivity...
TSB_ELE247 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: HCU/LDC LOGIC IMPROVEMENT FOR P-DTC (SA484) - This bulletin provides the procedure to update the software logic of the Hybrid Control Unit/Low Voltage DC/DC Converter (HCU/LDC) system on some 2020-2021MY Niro HEV (DE HEV) and Niro PHEV (DE PHEV) vehicles produced in the date ranges...
NHTSA Investigations for the 2021 KIA NIRO EV
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the KIA NIRO EV
- 2018 KIA NIRO EV — 0 complaints
- 2019 KIA NIRO EV — 22 complaints
- 2020 KIA NIRO EV — 26 complaints
- 2021 KIA NIRO EV (current)
- 2022 KIA NIRO EV — 43 complaints
- 2023 KIA NIRO EV — 27 complaints
- 2024 KIA NIRO EV — 8 complaints
- 2025 KIA NIRO EV — 0 complaints
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