Kia Niro Phev Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 62 consumer complaints across the 5 model years of the Kia Niro Phev (2018–2023) that have at least 5 complaints. 2019 has the most, with 26. Across all years, the part named most often is transmission and drivetrain (25 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Niro Phev model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 6 | 1,300 | 2 | 47 | — | Too new |
| 2022 | 12 | 14,000 | 1 | 36 | — | Not enough data |
| 2020 | 5 | 50 | 1 | 54 | — | Not enough data |
| 2019 | 26 | 3,000 | 1 | 15 | Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years) | Falling |
| 2018 | 13 | 11,000 | 1 | 52 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Transmission and drivetrain25 35%
- Other or unknown14 19%
- Engine9 13%
- Electrical system8 11%
- Brakes5 6.9%
- Vehicle speed control4 5.6%
- Fuel system4 5.6%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)3 4.2%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2019: “The vehicle accelerated as if I had pressed on gas pedal when it came to a stop just before putting it in park gear. This is a safety issue, as it can hit someone or something. This happened at about 6400 miles and again at about 6600 miles. Both times it happened in my driveway, which is flat.”
NHTSA complaint #11355331, filed 2020-09, 6,600 miles2018: “I went to a Kia dealer for an oil change and was then informed there were 3 open recalls on my vehicle. I received no notification by mail, email or phone. The repairs were to take 5 hours. I made an appointment to do the repairs and left the car there the entire day and had to be shuttled 20 miles back and forth twice that day. They were not competent enough to order the parts but were content to have me waste my entire day and tell me to come back again next week. The incompetent dealer is Kia on battleground in greensboro.”
NHTSA complaint #11173342, filed 2019-01, 7,000 miles2022: “When I got to work one day I turned off my vehicle and went about my regular day until I went to go home and my car was dead. The entire electrical system wasn’t working. No lights on the dashboard or in the vehicle when I opened the door. We went to jump it with the instructions from the owner’s manual. We finally got it jumped the next day and I drove home everything seemed okay I put gas in it and battery seemed charged from what my dashboard said. …”
NHTSA complaint #11685917, filed 2025-09Other Kia models
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About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology