KIA NIRO · model year

2025 KIA NIRO

9 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

4 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2025KIANIRO carries 9 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2025 NIRO is unknown or other with 4 filings, followed by air bags (1) and seat belts (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 38 investigation files overlapping the 2025 NIRO, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

9
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
2025 KIA NIRO — NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2025 KIA NIRO. Overall composite: 4.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 4.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 4.0 ★
  • Side Crash 5.0 ★
  • Rollover 4.0 ★
NHTSA overall 4.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

9 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 4/5 — Strong NCAP rating · Front: 4/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
UNKNOWN OR OTHER4
AIR BAGS1
SEAT BELTS1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL1
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS1

Recalls (1)

25V02400017/01/2025

SEATS

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Niro EV, Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), and Hybrid vehicles. The floor wiring assembly beneath the front passenger seat may become damaged, which can prevent the front air bags and seat belts from deploying properly or cause an unintended side curtain

Recent Complaints

20251105CrashUNKNOWN OR OTHER

On November 3, 2025 I had an accident/event in my KIA Niro. At 2:20 I had been sitting in my car with the engine running and the gear was in (P) park. I was on an incline. When I saw the child I was babysitting ‘s bus arrived, hopped out of the car (it was still running) and walked behind the car, and stood waiting for him. I told him to hold on and we would go inside after I grabbed my phone and turned the car off. I opened my drivers side door to grab my phone, when the car started moving very rapidly backwards. I made every effort get control of the car but I was unable to, as I was hanging half in half out of the car. I collided with a Toyota truck, and damaged the passenger side rear bumper and lights and the side panel on the passenger side. It all happened immediately after I opened the driver side door. By the grace of God my charge and myself were not hurt, as we were standing directly behind the car moments before I went to turn off my engine and get my phone.

20251010UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I'm writing to express my disappointment and frustration with my recent car purchase. The salesperson's failure to clearly explain the contract has left me with unexpected expenses and a higher payment than anticipated. Furthermore, the car's persistent malfunctions have caused me significant stress and anxiety. The manager told me he was not inclined to help me because he did not like my survey answers so he wouldn't help me like any other customer and I made sure he clarified this . The first day I had it at 40 miles I tried to take it back because I could not get the car to get out of traffic it would not go in any gear it just wouldn't Now, thr R flashes red, the backup camera stays on while driving forward for a while, zero rpms when your going 75, then so fast you can't see #s, window fluid comes right back in your face, something new all the time. Went hunting and had to back down a small hill and get a running start to make it. It's a brand new car. Should not be having probl

20251010UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I'm writing to express my disappointment and frustration with my recent car purchase. The salesperson's failure to clearly explain the contract has left me with unexpected expenses and a higher payment than anticipated. Furthermore, the car's persistent malfunctions have caused me significant stress and anxiety. The manager told me he was not inclined to help me because he did not like my survey answers so he wouldn't help me like any other customer and I made sure he clarified this . The first day I had it at 40 miles I tried to take it back because I could not get the car to get out of traffic it would not go in any gear it just wouldn't Now, thr R flashes red, the backup camera stays on while driving forward for a while, zero rpms when your going 75, then so fast you can't see #s, window fluid comes right back in your face, something new all the time. Went hunting and had to back down a small hill and get a running start to make it. It's a brand new car. Should not be having probl

20251001FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

I am reporting a serious safety concern regarding the 2025 Kia Niro Hybrid and its adaptive cruise control system. When the cruise control is activated and set to maintain a certain speed, the vehicle continues at that speed regardless of whether there are other vehicles in front of it. In multiple instances, the car approached slower-moving vehicles at 45 mph without reducing speed or giving any warnings. There was no automatic braking or even a prompt to alert the driver of the imminent danger. This is extremely dangerous and could easily result in a rear-end collision if the driver is not fully alert. It is especially surprising because the same vehicle features intelligent climate control functions—such as adjusting fan speed during phone calls and preventing windshield washer fluid odors from entering the cabin while the A/C is running. Given the level of attention to such minor details, the lack of basic forward collision mitigation behavior is unacceptable. The issue was re

20251001FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

I am reporting a serious safety concern regarding the 2025 Kia Niro Hybrid and its adaptive cruise control system. When the cruise control is activated and set to maintain a certain speed, the vehicle continues at that speed regardless of whether there are other vehicles in front of it. In multiple instances, the car approached slower-moving vehicles at 45 mph without reducing speed or giving any warnings. There was no automatic braking or even a prompt to alert the driver of the imminent danger. This is extremely dangerous and could easily result in a rear-end collision if the driver is not fully alert. It is especially surprising because the same vehicle features intelligent climate control functions—such as adjusting fan speed during phone calls and preventing windshield washer fluid odors from entering the cabin while the A/C is running. Given the level of attention to such minor details, the lack of basic forward collision mitigation behavior is unacceptable. The issue was re

20250511UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The engine light went on. I took the car into the dealer, where they explained that the navigation system needs to be updated. But they couldn't update the navigation system, because the Kia website for that is down. Since this isn't actually an engine issue, I retrieved my car. The dealer suggested that I try to update the nav system myself, as the website for consumers is different from that for dealers. No dice: that website is down. 1. The fact that my car needs a map update causes the engine light to go on? That's misleading--bad design, in my opinion. 2. The navigation system update website being down means that I'm driving around with the engine light on. If an engine issue occurs now, I might disregard it because the light's on already. 3. According to Kia's technical service bulletin on this subject, nav system are available in spring and fall. So if I do get this fixed anytime soon, it'll just happen again in the fall.

20250317AIR BAGS

Took car in and dealership kept it. Recall indicated that parts were available, however, dealership says that because there's additional fraying of wires, they don't have the parts. When I contacted Kia corporate, they confirmed that they have release of parts indicated as "TBD." According to NHTSA records, they should have the parts but they say they don't and can't indicate when parts will be available.

20250317SEAT BELTS

Took car in and dealership kept it. Recall indicated that parts were available, however, dealership says that because there's additional fraying of wires, they don't have the parts. When I contacted Kia corporate, they confirmed that they have release of parts indicated as "TBD." According to NHTSA records, they should have the parts but they say they don't and can't indicate when parts will be available.

20250317ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Took car in and dealership kept it. Recall indicated that parts were available, however, dealership says that because there's additional fraying of wires, they don't have the parts. When I contacted Kia corporate, they confirmed that they have release of parts indicated as "TBD." According to NHTSA records, they should have the parts but they say they don't and can't indicate when parts will be available.

Compare 2025KIANIRO to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2025 KIA NIRO have?
The 2025 KIA NIRO has 9 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2025 KIA NIRO?
The 2025 KIA NIRO received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 4/5, front crash rating of 4/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2025 KIA NIRO?
Yes, the 2025 KIA NIRO has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is SEATS. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2025 KIA NIRO?
The most-complained component for the 2025 KIA NIRO is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS and SEAT BELTS.
Is the 2025 KIA NIRO safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2025 KIA NIRO has an NHTSA safety rating of 4/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.