2018 Kia Niro Phev Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 6about this part
- Share
- 46%of 13 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 2,525miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 6 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2018 Kia Niro Phev, 46% of the 13 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 2,525 miles. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.
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.
“The transmission fails to engage immediately to the gear shifted to. When stationary and with the vehicle in reverse, if you proceed to press the accelerator and the vehicle starts to move backwards, the vehicle will continue to roll in the reverse direction even after switching the gear selector to drive and pressing the accelerator. This problem happens when switching from either drive to reverse or reverse to drive.”
NHTSA complaint #11144919, filed 2018-11, 50 miles“2018 Kia niro plug-in hybrid, 16,235mi. Vehicle has been in 5 times in last several months for a total of over 30 days in shop. Transmission will do a very hard downshift intermittently when stopping. Makes vehicle dip hard..noticeable on dash cam video. On harder acceleration, power train has trouble deciding what to do and often there is a noticeable delay in acceleration. Feels sort of like it is slipping, but is a delay in powering the electric motor fully and starting the gas motor.this has caused a couple close calls when pulling into traffic expecting the car to react appropriately. …”
NHTSA complaint #11299943, filed 2020-01, 5,000 miles“I received KIA letter about the recall SC276 for HCA issue around 1/15/24. I brought my 2018 Kia Niro PHEV to Kia Dealer in San Jose. They inspected and concluded that the vehicle is safe with the recall SC276. However, they did not replace the fuse as stated in Kia's recall instructions. Ten days later, I was on the road, slowing down at the intersection and the car suddenly lost power, the Dashboard show the message for 'EV System failed'. My battery was fully charged at work, which is 2 miles away. My gas tank was full and I couldn't start my car again. …”
NHTSA complaint #11572995, filed 2024-02“The contact owns a 2018 Kia Niro. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V534000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”
NHTSA complaint #11552926, filed 2023-10“The contact owns a 2018 Kia Niro. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V534000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. An undisclosed dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”
NHTSA complaint #11548070, filed 2023-10Related recalls
- 23V534000Jul 31, 2023Kia 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…Covers: Kia Niro Phev 2018–2022, Niro 2017–2022
Related 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…
- 10185035Dec 23, 2020TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: 6-SPEED DOUBLE CLUTCH OR DCT REPLACEMENT - This bulletin provides the procedure to replace the Double Clutch set or Double Clutch Transmission (DCT)…
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
Other parts of the 2018 Kia Niro Phev
4 complaintsElectrical system
2 complaintsOther or unknown
2 complaintsBody and structure
2 complaintsVehicle speed control
2 complaintsAir bags
1 complaintsBrakes
1 complaintsElectronic stability control
1 complaintsForward collision avoidance
1 complaintsFuel system
1 complaintsSuspension
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2018 Kia Niro Phev
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