Which Niro model year has the most NHTSA complaints?

The 2017 leads with 101 complaints (NHTSA's count on October 10, 2026), and the 2019 trails by two with 99. The 2024 and 2025 Niros have been around for less time, so their small totals don't settle much.

Is my hybrid Niro covered by the clutch actuator recall?

Recall 23V534 covers certain 2017-2022 Niro and 2018-2022 Niro Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. Dealers inspect the hydraulic clutch actuator, replace it as needed and add a new fuse, free of charge. A VIN search on NHTSA's recall page shows whether your car is included and whether the work is still open.

Can I sell a 2022 Niro EV with the battery safety plug recall still open?

Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Tell us the recall is open. Until the repair is done, recall 24V358 advises owners not to charge the car in a garage or any other covered structure, so leave it parked outside if you can.

Do I have to pull the battery or any parts before selling?

No. You sell the whole car as it sits, hybrid or electric battery included. Anything already pulled off it should be mentioned up front.

Model file · KiaUpdated October 11, 2026 · 16 sources

Selling a Kia Niro that's broken or junk

Kia has recalled the hybrid Niro's clutch actuator twice. In 2018 it was an oil seal that could leak and cause an electrical short on 2017 cars. In 2023 it was fluid getting into the actuator's circuit board, on Niros from 2017 through 2022. If yours has a hybrid fault, a dead battery or crash damage you'd rather not fix, you can sell the whole car as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

A red Kia Niro crossover, front three-quarter view, parked on a dealership lot — Photo: Makizox · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Powertrains: Hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric
Complaints to NHTSA, 2017-2026: 528
Year with the most complaints: 2017 (101)
Recall campaigns: 12
Hybrid and plug-in gearbox: 6-speed dual-clutch
Built in: Hwaseong, South Korea

One name, three powertrains

The EPA lists the Niro as a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid and an electric car, and the problems split along those lines. Wikipedia says the hybrid and plug-in pair a 1.6-liter Kappa engine with the D6KF1 six-speed dual-clutch, while the EV drives through a 1-speed reduction gear. So a clutch actuator recall means nothing to an EV owner, and a battery plug recall means nothing to a hybrid owner. Know which one you have before you read on.

Kia revealed a facelifted Niro on January 20, 2026, and Wikipedia notes the plug-in hybrid and electric versions were dropped with it.

Known problems by generation

Complaint and recall counts below come from NHTSA's complaint file, counted as of October 10, 2026.

2017-2022: first generation (built 2016-2022)

Hybrid and plug-in. The hydraulic clutch actuator is the part to know. Recall 18V257 covered 27,029 2017 Niros for an inner oil seal that could leak into the actuator cap. Recall 23V534 is far wider, at 121,411 vehicles: 2017-2022 Niro and 2018-2022 Niro Plug-in Hybrid, where fluid can reach the actuator's circuit board. Dealers inspect and replace the actuator as needed and fit a new fuse.

The power relay assembly came back too. Recall 18V666 replaced the main relay on 2017-2018 hybrids. Recall 22V836 then went back to cars already fixed under 18V-666 to inspect again and replace the relay or the whole assembly. Each campaign lists 27,030 vehicles.

Complaints point the same way. Power train is the top component on the 2018 (20) and 2019 (29). The 2017 leads with engine (24), and it holds 6 of the Niro's 11 reported fires. A small 2017 recall, 17V159, replaced the power steering motor on 135 cars with a damaged connector.

Electric. Three recalls hit the first-generation Niro EV:

22V899, 2020 Niro EV: coolant can leak internally in the EPCU, the electric power control unit, if it was sealed poorly. 872 vehicles.
24V358, 2022 Niro EV: the high voltage battery safety plug may overheat and melt, which risks a loss of drive power or a fire. Owners are told not to charge in a garage or covered structure until it's repaired. 2,209 vehicles.
25V426, 2020-2022 Niro EV: the rearview camera's circuit board can fail and leave the screen blank. 11,327 vehicles.

2023-2026: second generation (built 2021 on)

Kia's own filings split the generations the same way: 23V534 stops at 2022, and the main second-generation recall, 25V024, starts at 2023. It covers 80,255 2023-2025 Niro EVs, plug-ins and hybrids whose floor wiring under the front passenger seat can be damaged and stop the front air bags from working as designed.

Three other recalls touch these years, and their vehicle counts are not the Niro's alone. Recall 23V298 (instrument cluster software, 108,936 vehicles) also covers the 2023 Sportage, Soul and Telluride. Recall 24V057 (a drive shaft that can break, 1,243 vehicles) includes the 2023 EV6. Recall 24V271 (loose differential gear bolts, 8 vehicles) includes the 2024 EV9.

The 2022 and 2023 lean electrical in complaints, and the 2023 lists 10 crashes, the most of any Niro year. The newest years are thin, but they've had the least time to collect complaints.

Complaints and recalls by model year

"Component named most" leaves out NHTSA's unknown-or-other category. Campaigns that span model years show up in each of them, so this column sums past the Niro's 12 campaigns.

Model year	Complaints	Crashes	Fires	Recall campaigns	Component named most
2017	101	4	6	5	Engine (24)
2018	73	6	0	3	Power train (20)
2019	99	5	2	1	Power train (29)
2020	63	3	3	3	Power train (11)
2021	12	1	0	2	Power train, electrical (2 each)
2022	74	9	0	3	Electrical, power train (14 each)
2023	65	10	0	4	Electrical (17)
2024	19	6	0	2	Electrical (4)
2025	20	2	0	1	Electrical, forward collision avoidance (2 each)
2026	2	1	0	0	Air bags, electrical (1 each)

Fix it or sell it?

Run the VIN first. Use NHTSA's recall lookup. Most remedies above are listed as free of charge at a Kia dealer; the 18V257, 18V666 and 24V358 notices are cut off before they say.
Hybrid won't go into gear or throws a hybrid fault on a 2017-2022? Ask the dealer whether 23V534 was done. Our dual-clutch guide covers the signs, and the hybrid battery guide covers the other big part.
EV that won't charge or drive? Check the 2020 coolant, 2022 safety plug and 2023-2024 drive shaft recalls before paying for a diagnosis. If the traction battery itself is gone, see EV battery failed.
Then compare. Put the repair quote next to what a running Niro of your year and powertrain sells for. A quote near that figure points toward letting the Niro go as it is.

Selling your Niro whole

Note the VIN, the mileage, and whether it's a hybrid, plug-in or EV.
Ask for an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
Tell us if it can be pushed and where it's parked. If it's a 2022 EV with the safety plug recall open, park it outside rather than in a garage.
Don't remove the hybrid or EV battery, the catalytic converter or the wheels. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
Hand over the signed title, with your ID, when the truck comes. Plate rules differ from state to state; after you sell lists them.

Other Kia crossovers: the EV6, Seltos and Sportage, or every Kia we cover.

Questions people ask

Which Niro model year has the most NHTSA complaints?: The 2017 leads with 101 complaints (NHTSA's count on October 10, 2026), and the 2019 trails by two with 99. The 2024 and 2025 Niros have been around for less time, so their small totals don't settle much.
Is my hybrid Niro covered by the clutch actuator recall?: Recall 23V534 covers certain 2017-2022 Niro and 2018-2022 Niro Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. Dealers inspect the hydraulic clutch actuator, replace it as needed and add a new fuse, free of charge. A VIN search on NHTSA's recall page shows whether your car is included and whether the work is still open.
Can I sell a 2022 Niro EV with the battery safety plug recall still open?: Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Tell us the recall is open. Until the repair is done, recall 24V358 advises owners not to charge the car in a garage or any other covered structure, so leave it parked outside if you can.
Do I have to pull the battery or any parts before selling?: No. You sell the whole car as it sits, hybrid or electric battery included. Anything already pulled off it should be mentioned up front.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.