2022 Kia Niro EV Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 8about this part
- Share
- 25%of 32 total for the year
- Median mileage
- —not reported
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 8 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2022 Kia Niro EV, 25% of the 32 complaints for this model year.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“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. …”
NHTSA complaint #11639695, filed 2025-01“I purchased this used 2022 Kia Niro EV on August 19, 2023, with approximately 3,042 miles. On December 22, 2023, at 24,086 miles, a Kia of Valencia service record documented a kicking/knocking sensation when releasing the brake. The cause was not identified. On August 22, 2024, another service record documented a rear seat belt retraction concern. I cannot confirm whether these earlier problems share the same cause as the later motor issue. On March 31, 2026, at approximately 139,071 miles, Kia of Valencia confirmed a rattling noise from the gear driver motor and recommended replacement. …”
NHTSA complaint #11769211, filed 2026-10“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. …”
NHTSA complaint #11450489, filed 2022-02“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. …”
NHTSA complaint #11451321, filed 2022-02“COMPONENT/SYSTEM: The 12-volt auxiliary battery system, the interior fuse box (Total Integrated Power Module) containing an auto-cutoff relay, and the high voltage battery system. All components are available for inspection. SAFETY RISK: The vehicle has lost power and died while being driven, and has left occupants stranded on multiple occasions. A sudden loss of motive power in traffic creates a serious risk of collision to occupants and to other motorists. The vehicle has failed to start dozens of times. …”
NHTSA complaint #11750957, filed 2026-07Related service bulletins
- 11017172Apr 17, 2025TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are…
- 11000787May 16, 2024This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission…
- 10226555Nov 18, 2022TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity…
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
Other parts of the 2022 Kia Niro EV
13 complaintsOther or unknown
13 complaintsEngine
5 complaintsForward collision avoidance
3 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsBrakes
2 complaintsSeat belts
2 complaintsVehicle speed control
2 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
2 complaintsAir bags
1 complaintsLane departure
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2022 Kia Niro EV
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology