Skip to content
Transmission and drivetrainPart report

2019 Kia Niro Phev Transmission and drivetrain Problems

Complaints
9about this part
Share
35%of 26 total for the year
Median mileage
800miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 9 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2019 Kia Niro Phev, 35% of the 26 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 800 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 vehicle will sometimes go forward eventhough the gear shift is in the r position for reverse. And the opposite happens. I may go in reverse eventhough the gear is in the d position for drive. -- I believe the above happens if I shift gears too quickly before the car finishes its system check. -- that is my own troubleshooting effort/opinion. The wrong motion happens when starting from a stationary position. For example starting the car and wanting to drive forward out of a parking spot or wanting to go reverse to back out of a garage. ---- it's happened several times. …”

NHTSA complaint #11300065, filed 2020-01, 1,100 miles

“Ongoing issue: randomly from a complete stop, upon acceleration there is a loud clunking noise. As if I am being rear-ended. Possibly the transmission. Happens more often in cold weather when the gas engine is in use more.”

NHTSA complaint #11398541, filed 2021-03, 500 miles

“From a stop, I step on the gas quickly and it feels like the transmission has just broken. It causes my pulse to increase and scares and distracts me so much I've almost had an accident a several times. I have scheduled an appointment with Kia to assess the problem. I will provide an update once they have concluded their assessment.”

NHTSA complaint #11536669, filed 2023-08

“I don't know what components are involved. When attempting to move forward from a stop the car does not respond immediately. Then there is clunk noise and a lurch forward. Sometimes when this happens it feels like the car has been hit from behind. The problem began about a year ago and has been into the dealer's service center several times. I believe during one of those service visits a reset of something was done that seemed to resolve the issue for several months. The problem is intermittent. …”

NHTSA complaint #11452958, filed 2022-02

“Within the first 6 months of owning our 2019 Kia Plugin Hybrid, we started experiencing a clunk with a lurch when accelerating from a stopped position. The issue became progressively worse over time - increasing in frequency and severity. The car has been to the Kia Lupient dealership in Brooklyn Park, MN multiple times for this issue. At our most recent visit on November 7th, 2022, the service advisor acknowledged that the issue may be due to shipping the vehicle with the wrong transmission fluid. The transmission fluid was replaced with the correct fluid. …”

NHTSA complaint #11499188, filed 2022-12

Related recalls

Related service bulletins

Transmission and drivetrain: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2023233%
2022650%
2020240%
2019935%
2018646%

Other parts of the 2019 Kia Niro Phev

Other or unknown
6 complaintsEngine
4 complaintsElectrical system
3 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsBrakes
2 complaintsExterior lighting
2 complaintsSteering
2 complaintsForward collision avoidance
1 complaintsVehicle speed control
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2019 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