2021 KIA NIRO — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
8
Owner Complaints
1
Recall
3
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2021 KIA NIRO
The 2021 KIA NIRO has received a total of 8 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 3 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:CLUTCHES/BANDS:ACTUATORS/SOLENOIDS. 3 technical service bulletins have been issued by Kia America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Electrical System (2 complaints), Engine (1 complaint), and Power Train (1 complaint).
Recalls for the 2021 KIA NIRO
NHTSA has recorded 3 recalls for the 2021 KIA NIRO, potentially affecting up to 364,233 vehicles.
Recall 23V534000 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:CLUTCHES/BANDS:ACTUATORS/SOLENOIDS
| 121,411 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the hydraulic clutch actuator as necessary and install a new fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 29, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall...
View full details →Recall 23V534000 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:CLUTCHES/BANDS:ACTUATORS/SOLENOIDS
| 121,411 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the hydraulic clutch actuator as necessary and install a new fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 29, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall...
View full details →Recall 23V534000 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:CLUTCHES/BANDS:ACTUATORS/SOLENOIDS
| 121,411 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the hydraulic clutch actuator as necessary and install a new fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 29, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2021 KIA NIRO
8 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2021 KIA NIRO. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibilitysunmoon Roof Assembly | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibilitywiper | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
I was backing out of a tandem parking spot in a private garage and got too close to a pillar, and tried to pull forward into the spot. It felt like the car got snagged on the pillar, but while pulling forward slowly, the gas pedal snapped off and the car accelerated quickly and uncontrollably. I was able to avoid hitting other cars but drove straight into a concrete wall despite immediately braking. I'm relatively uninjured, but if it had happened in a less controlled environment and/or I hadn't reacted as quickly, there could have been serious injuries to myself or others. There was no indication of an issue prior, and the car is currently in storage with my insurance company and will be appraised next week. I have photos of the broken pedal.
I received important safety recall letter for NHTSA recall # 23V534. the HCA & or Fuse might need to be replaced . I brought the 2021 Nero to my local Kia dealership, Eagle kia ,Riverhead NY on January 18th. The dealership still has the vehicle & claims that a code came up when they did the diagnostics That requires a part that must be secured to complete the fix for the recall. they claim they are awaiting approval from kia corporate & NHTSA to add to the technical bulletin. But their is no timeframe they have or when this additional part will be available. The dealership has the fuses & Harness for the HCA replacement, but needs this additional part. I asked what the # of this part is or name, but all they would tell me TBT.
I received important safety recall letter for NHTSA recall # 23V534. the HCA & or Fuse might need to be replaced . I brought the 2021 Nero to my local Kia dealership, Eagle kia ,Riverhead NY on January 18th. The dealership still has the vehicle & claims that a code came up when they did the diagnostics That requires a part that must be secured to complete the fix for the recall. they claim they are awaiting approval from kia corporate & NHTSA to add to the technical bulletin. But their is no timeframe they have or when this additional part will be available. The dealership has the fuses & Harness for the HCA replacement, but needs this additional part. I asked what the # of this part is or name, but all they would tell me TBT.
I received important safety recall letter for NHTSA recall # 23V534. the HCA & or Fuse might need to be replaced . I brought the 2021 Nero to my local Kia dealership, Eagle kia ,Riverhead NY on January 18th. The dealership still has the vehicle & claims that a code came up when they did the diagnostics That requires a part that must be secured to complete the fix for the recall. they claim they are awaiting approval from kia corporate & NHTSA to add to the technical bulletin. But their is no timeframe they have or when this additional part will be available. The dealership has the fuses & Harness for the HCA replacement, but needs this additional part. I asked what the # of this part is or name, but all they would tell me TBT.
Problem has not been remedied. What is my recourse? How long do I have to drive around worried about the car going on fire?
Safety Rating for the 2021 KIA NIRO
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2021 KIA NIRO in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2021 KIA NIRO
Kia America, Inc. has issued 3 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2021 KIA NIRO. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
TSB_ELE247 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE
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...
TSB_ELE247 — POWER TRAIN
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...
PS703 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
PITSTOP: BLUETOOTH MEMORY AND VOICE RECOGNITION CONCERN WITH AVN 5.0/W - This Pitstop provides information for resolving a memory concern with the AVN 5.0 Wide head unit while downloading the contact list from a paired phone. The concern also affects Voice Recognition (VR) functionality.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2021 KIA NIRO
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the KIA NIRO
- 2017 KIA NIRO — 91 complaints
- 2018 KIA NIRO — 71 complaints
- 2019 KIA NIRO — 71 complaints
- 2020 KIA NIRO — 36 complaints
- 2021 KIA NIRO (current)
- 2022 KIA NIRO — 33 complaints
- 2023 KIA NIRO — 63 complaints
- 2024 KIA NIRO — 10 complaints
- 2025 KIA NIRO — 9 complaints
- 2026 KIA NIRO — 0 complaints
Other KIA Models
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- KIA OPTIMA — 10,045 total complaints
- KIA SOUL — 7,147 total complaints
- KIA SPORTAGE — 6,540 total complaints
- KIA FORTE — 3,450 total complaints
- KIA SEDONA — 3,334 total complaints
- KIA SEPHIA — 3,080 total complaints
- KIA TELLURIDE — 2,109 total complaints