KIA NIRO PHEV · model year

2022 KIA NIRO PHEV

16 NHTSA complaints, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2022KIANIRO PHEV carries 16 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and Not Rated/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 2022 NIRO PHEV is power train with 6 filings, followed by visibility/wiper (3) and unknown or other (2). 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 2022 NIRO PHEV, 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.

16
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

16 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: Not Rated/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN6
VISIBILITY/WIPER3
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2
SERVICE BRAKES1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:CHARGING:PORT1
ENGINE1

Recalls (1)

23V53400031/07/2023

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:CLUTCHES/BANDS:ACTUATORS/SOLENOIDS

Kia 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 the hydraulic clutch actuator, which can result in an engine compartment fire.

Recent Complaints

20251001POWER TRAIN

Transmission overheat due to clutch inactivity

20250909ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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. I moved my vehicle once again and it was fine but then the next day I went to turn it on and my car system was freaking out saying I needed to check my brakes and wouldn’t let me move or anything. I turned it back off to see if it was just a weird malfunction but it did the same exact thing then the car completely shut off everything dashboard everything. I called AAA. He jumped the car so he could drive it up on his truck to not do any other damage to it. I got them to tow it to my Kia dealership I bought my car from. They ran diag

20231228POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V534000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

20231220POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2022 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. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

20231204POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Niro. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there were exhaust fumes inside the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V534000 (Power Train). The VIN was included; however, parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was 10,500.

Mileage: 10,500

20231204ENGINE

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Niro. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there were exhaust fumes inside the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V534000 (Power Train). The VIN was included; however, parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was 10,500.

Mileage: 10,500

20231106POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Niro PHEV. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the HEV warning light illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, who informed her to bring the vehicle in for service. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and informed her that the failure was due to the port component. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. While unplugging the vehicle, it failed to disengage from the port. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V534000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 17,500.

Mileage: 17,500

20231106ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:CHARGING:PORT

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Niro PHEV. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the HEV warning light illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, who informed her to bring the vehicle in for service. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and informed her that the failure was due to the port component. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. While unplugging the vehicle, it failed to disengage from the port. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V534000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 17,500.

Mileage: 17,500

20231001SERVICE BRAKES

Hi, We made an appointment for lube oil and filter change for Oct. 12 in Redding. We made the call because the dock to recharge the phone was getting very hot and the phone shut down and said it needed to cool down. Two different phones and several times. We do not use it. During the call to two different dealers. Harper Motors and Redding Kia the said there was another issues with no remedy but we should receive a recall by mail. This leading to yesterday morning. Sept. 30, 2023 at 08:30. I put my foot on the brake and pushed the start button. Nothing happened except the dash read Check regenerative braking system and some other things then everything shut down and screen went black. The dash made a winding down sound. Everything shut down and locked. No response with the FOB. Hatch will not open. No lights anywhere. I can not move the gear shift to move the gear shift. It recommends moving the car away from structures and other cars. Because of fire danger. 2022 Kia Niro

20231001ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Hi, We made an appointment for lube oil and filter change for Oct. 12 in Redding. We made the call because the dock to recharge the phone was getting very hot and the phone shut down and said it needed to cool down. Two different phones and several times. We do not use it. During the call to two different dealers. Harper Motors and Redding Kia the said there was another issues with no remedy but we should receive a recall by mail. This leading to yesterday morning. Sept. 30, 2023 at 08:30. I put my foot on the brake and pushed the start button. Nothing happened except the dash read Check regenerative braking system and some other things then everything shut down and screen went black. The dash made a winding down sound. Everything shut down and locked. No response with the FOB. Hatch will not open. No lights anywhere. I can not move the gear shift to move the gear shift. It recommends moving the car away from structures and other cars. Because of fire danger. 2022 Kia Niro

20230807VISIBILITY/WIPER

The silver strip on the dash reflects the sun and it blinds you while you're trying to drive

20220726VISIBILITY/WIPER

The dash chrome trim running across the dashboard reflects the sun and blinds the driver. It is so reflective it makes driving almost impossible. This needs to be addressed by Kia as it blinds the driver bad enough that it's only a matter of time till this will cause an accident that will cause harm or death of the cars occupants.

20220720UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The car is equipped with an excessively loud and obnoxious backup alert that deploys whenever the car is shifted into reverse gear, whether or not the vehicle is moving. The dealer tells me this is a "safety" feature and that therefore the alert cannot be disconnected and the volume cannot be adjusted. My complaint is that this feature is not only not necessary, especially for a PHEV, but also in fact is itself a safety hazard. It is so loud and distracting it prevents the driver and those around the car from paying full attention to other circumstances. Is NHTSA requiring this or is this Kia's invention? I don't hear it from other EVs, let alone PHEVs.

20220708POWER TRAIN

On four separate occasion I shifted it the car into park and a car computer did not register it in the correct mode. Video of lst event upload to Google photos https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ty4AYfnUiF9EX6oE6

20220310VISIBILITY/WIPER

I have tried to contact several dealerships to have it inspected, but they have as of yet (4 days later) not contacted me to get anything set up. We have collectively called 15 times, and they continue to tell us that a "service advisor" will call us back. Because of this, it has not been inspected yet, though we have tried. We plan to just show up and demand it be inspected, without appointment. The concern is that the crack continues to grow, and we are worried if there is a collision that it would cause our safety to be in jeopardy. According to the dealership, this issue has not been seen elsewhere, although several different models in different years have reportedly had a TSB put out for this issue (according to customer service at Corporate Kia on the first day of the issue). There were no other issues indicating that this would happen prior to my seeing the crack. Two weeks after the purchase of the vehicle, the windshield developed a crack coming from the drive side corner.

20220310UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I have tried to contact several dealerships to have it inspected, but they have as of yet (4 days later) not contacted me to get anything set up. We have collectively called 15 times, and they continue to tell us that a "service advisor" will call us back. Because of this, it has not been inspected yet, though we have tried. We plan to just show up and demand it be inspected, without appointment. The concern is that the crack continues to grow, and we are worried if there is a collision that it would cause our safety to be in jeopardy. According to the dealership, this issue has not been seen elsewhere, although several different models in different years have reportedly had a TSB put out for this issue (according to customer service at Corporate Kia on the first day of the issue). There were no other issues indicating that this would happen prior to my seeing the crack. Two weeks after the purchase of the vehicle, the windshield developed a crack coming from the drive side corner.

Compare 2022KIANIRO PHEV to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2022 KIA NIRO PHEV have?
The 2022 KIA NIRO PHEV has 16 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2022 KIA NIRO PHEV?
The 2022 KIA NIRO PHEV received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of Not Rated/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2022 KIA NIRO PHEV?
Yes, the 2022 KIA NIRO PHEV has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:CLUTCHES/BANDS:ACTUATORS/SOLENOIDS. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2022 KIA NIRO PHEV?
The most-complained component for the 2022 KIA NIRO PHEV is POWER TRAIN with 6 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY/WIPER and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 2022 KIA NIRO PHEV 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 2022 KIA NIRO PHEV has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/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.