2017 KIA NIRO Engine Problems

When I was driving, a propulsion system warning went off. Then a malfunction in the vehicle’s powertrain/propulsion system lit up on the GPS screen. Shortly afterward, the engine began smoking, and a loud popping sound occurred simultaneously. The vehicle then experienced a sudden loss of propulsion, requiring me to pull over immediately to avoid a hazardous situation. An authorized Kia dealer subsequently diagnosed a blown head gasket with internal coolant intrusion, confirming an internal powertrain failure consistent with propulsion system malfunction, and the vehicle became inoperable. The vehicle was inspected in October and the loss-of-propulsion failure occurred in December.

Failed/leaking coolant heat exchanger which is integrated into the rear catalytic converter assembly. This seems to be a well-known issue with 2017-2020 Kia Niros. Leaks cause overheating of the engine or no heat in the vehicle and potential blown head gaskets. This issue has been confirmed by an independent service center. Car itself gave no messages or warnings regarding the leak.

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...

I am experiencing engine issues with my 2017 Kia Niro Touring Launch Edition at approximately 111,000 miles, including engine hesitation and lack of acceleration, along with engine code P0011. These symptoms started suddenly and have made highway driving difficult and potentially unsafe, as I was recently in the mountains unable to exceed 35 mph. This appears to be a widespread issue among 2017 Kia Niro owners, with many reporting CVVT (Continuously Variable Valve Timing) or solenoid failures around 100,000 miles shortly after the powertrain warranty expires suggesting a pattern of premature failure. My car was purchased certified preowned and is still within the 10 year timeframe. No official recall currently exists for this issue, but it should be investigated. Despite submitting service requests and making multiple attempts to contact the dealership to have these recalls addressed, I have received little to no follow up. I have not yet had the...

Cooling system broke down at 140k miles. Water pump, EHRS failure EGR Cooler. Engine head gasket blown needs engine replacement 144k miles $9000 repair. Problems confirmed by dealership. Engine light never came on for cooling system, water pump coupling repair. Engine light did come on for head gasket and vehicle stopped working.

I was driving my car as usual and it began overheating. I took it to the mechanic and they could not find a coolant leak, even though the coolant was all gone. We added more coolant and I was on my way. A few weeks later, the same thing happened. The mechanic said to take it to the dealer because they would need to run a diagnostic. I took it to the dealer and they said there were some new recalls that needed to be repaired that could fix the issue. They did the recalls, I topped off my coolant, and I was on my way. One week later, while picking up my son from school, the engine had a catastrophic failure. This was not only dangerous to me and my kids, but to those around me. The car stopped and refused to start up again mid-driving. I had it...

I had some lurching when trying to accelerate for a month before the check engine and HEV warning beeping came on. Kia Niro EGR (Gas Recirculated Cooler) failed at 105K miles. It leaked on to the engine causing it to overheat. My children and I got smoked out and my child had an asthma attack from this issue. We were also stressed, thinking the engine would catch fire. Kia says there are no recalls for my 2017, yet the 2023 has a recall on this exact item. I would like this complaint to be filed due to a part failing 5K miles after a warrenty. The problem was diagnosed by the Kia Dealer. Quote is $1875.

I received a warning indication that the engine temperature is too hot while driving the vehicle to work. I opened the hood of my vehicle and discovered the vehicle’s coolant reservoir was empty which led me to believe there was a coolant leak. I took the vehicle to be inspected and diagnosed by an independent repair shop (non-dealership) and it was explained that there was in fact a coolant leak and it’s because the exhaust heater exchanger is failing. This is a serious safety concern because if there is a coolant leak the vehicle’s engine can overheat causing further and extensive damage to the engine which could result in a fire. Based on research, there have been other cases where this particular year/model vehicle has had or is experiencing issues with the exhaust heater exchange failing. This faulty system is causing customers who own the same year/model vehicle that I...

I am unsure of what to say about my car. I saw a check oil light flicker and it went away. The car had oil when I checked on it so it didn't seem to be a problem. There was no sign of leakage and no sign of burning oil or fuel. Several days later, the check oil light came on permanently. Before I could get the car anywhere, the car started making a strange sound. I took it to my usual shop. They said it had sprung a spontaneous leak. They said it was a large oil pressure switch leak. They replaced the sensor and added oil. They said there was some damage but that the car was still drivable. I drove the car for a week and then when I was on the highway, the car starting roaring and shaking like I was in an earthquake. The check...

The Exhaust heat recovery system has a valve that can malfunction and allows coolant to leak into the exhaust and ignite it into the atmosphere. It can cause misfires in the engine, there are technical service bulletins (TSB 212 and Pitstop Tech bulletin PS709 that are attached to this report) that have more information on this issue. This can drain the coolant from the system and cause engine overheating issues. Some shops may misdiagnose it as a head gasket problem. This is a common problem for Kia Niro's 2017-2022. A new heat exchanger as of now costs $3000 brand new from the OEM and Kia is very strict about how they apply their warranty to any kind of part. Please can you help remedy this issue for Niro owners.

My 2017 Kia Niro (hybrid) discharges white smoke and overheats while being driven. I brought it to a reputable mechanic immediately. After an inspection, it was discovered that coolant is leaking into the engine because the heat exchange system is not functioning correctly. There are 6 similar complaints files about the same model vehicle (NHTSA 11561701, 11550994, 11547940, 11442817, 11457565 & 11491873) and many that have not been filed on line but complaints are the same. A Kia dealership said that the part (#28601G5320) is on back order everywhere w/ no availability in sight. This is a $3000-$6000 repair and is ridiculous. No engine lights or indications of anything malfunctioning, this needs to be recalled ASAP!

EHRS fails, causing coolant leaks & cracked cylinders

I was driving and the car was stuttering. Then after I stopped for a bit it resumed normal operations. Then the warning light came on, then it went off again. This happened for a couple of weeks until finally, while on a road trip at the end of July 2023, the car seemed to just lose power in 4th gear and I would have to really rev the engine just to keep it moving, that happened while on a road trip. I called the dealership several times during the trip and they said I’d already had the computer recall reset so they didn’t think it made any sense. I took it to my neighborhood repair shop when I got back and they said two spark plugs are shot, they replaced them and it ran fine. But now it’s stuttering again, just a few months later. I called the dealership again...

Car stalled, overheated due to coolant leaking into car parts which is causing catyllac converter to not work correctly. The issue is not with the catillac converter but the faulty piece that causes coolant leaking. This is a known issue amongst Niro Users. KIA is illegally forcing customers to purchase the most expensive part instead of bypassing so that the heat exchange system doesn’t leak into converter. The same issue affects the EV model which KIA has recalled but they refuse to add the hybrid to the recall list. Please help. The repair is $3,000 and customers that have paid to fix only end up in the same position moths later with the same issue. I reported the issue to KIA and my claim was denied.

Car gives digital signal of overheating, white smoke pours out of exhaust but there is no code that allows dealership to diagnose and remedy. This has occurred twice in the last 6 weeks and the car has sat at the dealership for weeks. This problem and inability to repair without a $1,200 exhaust system replacement is well documented on-line [XXX] ] and the dealership is unhelpful. It appears there's a design flaw that allows this to occur and should be remediated by the manufacturer. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Few days ago, the check engine light turned on in the dashboard of the Kia Niro 2017 The car was taken to an authorized Kia dealership for diagnostic. The dealership informed that the "Fuel air filter kit & NVLD" needed to be changed at the expenses of the owner. The same issue was described in the "Kia technical service bulletin ... SA395" in the NHTSA website. This bulletin explains that the dealership has to repair this issue under warranty, even if the warranty is expired. The dealership said that this car VIN number is not covered by this bulletin; however, the issue is exactly the same as described in the mentioned document. The car mileage is under 54,000 miles. I would appreciate if NHTSA reviews the list of VIN numbers in order to cover all the cars that present this problem.

Car caught on fire while in motion on the highway due to safety recall issue

Active Air flap system error message and check engine light. Error message and check engine light come on and off randomly kind of annoying since I've only had it just over a month and already have to have it go to get repaired

My 2017 Kia Niro (hybrid) discharges white smoke and overheats while being driven. I brought it to a reputable mechanic immediately. After a thorough inspection, it was discovered that coolant is leaking into the engine because the 'heat exchange recovery unit' is not functioning correctly. There are two similar complaints about the same model vehicle already posted on your site (NHTSA #11442817 & #11457565). A Kia dealership told my mechanic that the part (#28601G5320) is on back order everywhere w/ no availability in sight.

Major coolant leak causing engine to overheat

On 12/03/2021 I noticed white steam coming from the exhaust of my vehicle. Very shortly after noticing this issue I lost all heat and the engine temperature began to rise. I immediately checked the engine coolant level and noticed the reservoir was empty. On 12/04/2021 an authorized dealer diagnosed the issue as a cracked catalytic converter/heat recovery unit. This assembly allows exhaust gases to heat up engine coolant to improve gas efficiency. When the system fails it allows engine coolant to burn off an causes the vehicle to unexpectedly over heat, hence putting the occupants at great risk. Simple internet research has shown that this is a common problem with this vehicle yet the dealer is refusing to pay for the replacement of this defective part.

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Niro. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where the vehicle was being serviced. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.