KIA NIRO PHEV · model year

2023 KIA NIRO PHEV

10 NHTSA complaints, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2023KIANIRO PHEV carries 10 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. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2023 NIRO PHEV is unknown or other with 4 filings, followed by power train (2) and forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control (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 2 active recall campaigns, 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 2023 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.

10
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

10 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
UNKNOWN OR OTHER4
POWER TRAIN2
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL1
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS1
LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1

Recalls (2)

23V29800026/04/2023

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid, Soul, and Telluride vehicles equipped with a digital instrument cluster containing a 4.2" LCD screen.  The instrument cluster may fail to display any information wh

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

20250904POWER TRAIN

Unknown which component exactly as it does not throw a fault. I believe it to be transmission related as the behavior seems like a clutch to me, but dealership has not been able to confirm. Vehicle rolls freely in directions other than what is selected and does not respond to throttle input. Described the issue to dealer numerous times and they claim to have seen it. I do not believe they actually have. It is currently at the dealer for the fourth time about the issue. Currently claiming engine issues but the engine isnt even on when it experiences the problem. (PHEV) Has been occurring since purchase but very intermittent. Could not reproduce until enough trial and error when it did occur that I could reliably reproduce it. During my own testing and diagnostic is how I found it can roll freely in the wrong directions and is much more dangerous than just shaking was. Description: Within the first few minutes of the vehicle being turned on it can shudder against the brakes when sto

20250904UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Unknown which component exactly as it does not throw a fault. I believe it to be transmission related as the behavior seems like a clutch to me, but dealership has not been able to confirm. Vehicle rolls freely in directions other than what is selected and does not respond to throttle input. Described the issue to dealer numerous times and they claim to have seen it. I do not believe they actually have. It is currently at the dealer for the fourth time about the issue. Currently claiming engine issues but the engine isnt even on when it experiences the problem. (PHEV) Has been occurring since purchase but very intermittent. Could not reproduce until enough trial and error when it did occur that I could reliably reproduce it. During my own testing and diagnostic is how I found it can roll freely in the wrong directions and is much more dangerous than just shaking was. Description: Within the first few minutes of the vehicle being turned on it can shudder against the brakes when sto

20250904VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Unknown which component exactly as it does not throw a fault. I believe it to be transmission related as the behavior seems like a clutch to me, but dealership has not been able to confirm. Vehicle rolls freely in directions other than what is selected and does not respond to throttle input. Described the issue to dealer numerous times and they claim to have seen it. I do not believe they actually have. It is currently at the dealer for the fourth time about the issue. Currently claiming engine issues but the engine isnt even on when it experiences the problem. (PHEV) Has been occurring since purchase but very intermittent. Could not reproduce until enough trial and error when it did occur that I could reliably reproduce it. During my own testing and diagnostic is how I found it can roll freely in the wrong directions and is much more dangerous than just shaking was. Description: Within the first few minutes of the vehicle being turned on it can shudder against the brakes when sto

20250627FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

2023 Kia Niro electronic dash went blank, no speed indication, no adaptive cruise, no lane departure warning, no forward collision warning capabilities.

20250627FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

2023 Kia Niro electronic dash went blank, no speed indication, no adaptive cruise, no lane departure warning, no forward collision warning capabilities.

20250627LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING

2023 Kia Niro electronic dash went blank, no speed indication, no adaptive cruise, no lane departure warning, no forward collision warning capabilities.

20231108UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The engine oil levels are dropping rapidly. This percentage number is displayed, making the driver think that an oil change is needed or that there is a leak. There seems to be a miscommunication from a sensor to the computer system. The mechanics at the dealer keep saying that nothing is wrong with the car. Because of the rapid decline of the engine oil levels shown on screen, one cannot know with certainty when and if there is a real oil consumption or not. The vehicle was inspected by a KIA dealer who so far, has not been able to diagnose nor fix the issue.

20230620UNKNOWN OR OTHER

While approaching an intersection light, that was turning red, I suddenly heard the car beeping rapidly and all the red warning lights on the dashboard behind the wheel went off and the vehicle stalled. Luckily the intersection light was red, so everyone was coming to a halt. I do remember the dash board becoming blank, like there was no power. I had to turn the car's power ON button several times before I could shift into Drive. In the meantime, the traffic light turned green and I was still trying to switch the car to Drive mode. Finally it did and we drove the next 4 hours without issues. When the car stalled we were already running in hybrid mode as we had driven 250 miles prior to that and there wasn't much charge in the battery other than what the car maintains when it switches from EV to Hybrid mode. If this would have happened where we were at higher speeds, like on a highway, then we were at very high risk of being in an accident and someone could have gotten hurt for sure.

20230613POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while attempting to shift into drive (D), the transmission failed to shift to the intended gear. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,300.

Mileage: 1,300

20230519UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Main screen goes blank randomly and also randomly switches between android auto and normal. This disrupts navigation and other functions and is both distracting and disruptive to driving which is dangerous. Dealership said there is no fix from Kia at this point so advised to file a complaint.

Compare 2023KIANIRO PHEV to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2023 KIA NIRO PHEV have?
The 2023 KIA NIRO PHEV has 10 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2023 KIA NIRO PHEV?
Yes, the 2023 KIA NIRO PHEV has 2 recall(s). The most common affected component is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2023 KIA NIRO PHEV?
The most-complained component for the 2023 KIA NIRO PHEV is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN and FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL.
Is the 2023 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. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. 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.