Reliable Auto DB

2022 Kia Niro reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 31 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022 Kia Niro over 5 years — 4 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Niro years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Actuators and solenoids.

2017 Kia Niro
Photo by Vauxford, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

31

Per year

4

Recalls

1

Years on the road

5

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (7 of 31), then Service brakes (7) and Engine (6). Those filings include 5 that report a crash and 4 that report an injury.

Next to 2021 and 2023

The 2021 Niro has 9 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2023 has 44 complaints, 11 per year. The 2022 has more complaints per year than the 2021. The 2022 has fewer complaints per year than the 2023.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2022 Kia Niro. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, internal, clutches and bands, actuators and solenoids 2023-07-31 · NHTSA campaign 23V534000
Summary 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.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the hydraulic clutch actuator as necessary and install a new fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 29, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC276.

Complaints by component (31 total)

Electrical system
7
Service brakes
7
Engine
6
Powertrain
4
Air bags
3
Fuel and propulsion system
3
Exterior lighting
2
Speed control
2
Back-over prevention
1
Forward collision avoidance
1
Lane departure
1
Parking brake
1
Structure
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Show 6 more Show less
Crash-flagged

5

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

4

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

32022420235202482025112026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "I park the car, lock it and then later on can’t open it. I use the emergency key to enter it but then can’t start it even with a new battery in the key fob. It happened twice. It is an issue that needs to be fixed as…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-09-07
  • "2022 Kia Niro EX Premium Hybrid was sold as Kia Certified Pre-Owned on August 12 2026 with an active check engine light present at time of purchase. Dealer Calavan Kia West in Lithia Springs GA represented the vehicle…"
    Electrical system, Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-08-25
  • "The contact owns a 2022 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormally loud grinding sound. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the brake…"
    Parking brake · filed 2026-07-29
  • "The contact owns a 2022 Kia Niro. The contact stated that a hardwired kill switch was installed in the vehicle, and the switch overheated to the point that the vehicle was unable to operate. An investigation was…"
    Structure · filed 2026-07-20
  • "The contact owns a 2022 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop at 5 MPH, the vehicle was T-boned on the passenger's side by a Jeep Grand Cherokee driving at high speed. Due to the impact,…"
    Air bags · filed 2026-06-10

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2022 Kia Niro Electric SUV FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2022 Kia Niro Hybrid SUV FWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2022 Kia Niro PHEV SUV FWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Niro 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S6) Front-wheel drive 51 46 49 MPG $1300
Niro Electric — Automatic (1-speed) Front-wheel drive 123 102 112 MPG / 239 mi range $700
Niro FE 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S6) Front-wheel drive 53 48 50 MPG $1300
Niro Plug-in hybrid 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S6) Front-wheel drive 48 44 46 MPG / 560 mi range $1400
Niro Touring 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S6) Front-wheel drive 46 40 43 MPG $1500

Specs and fitment

First generation (Hybrid / PHEV / EV), 2017–2022
Body styles Crossover
Oil SAE 0W-20 full synthetic (Hybrid/PHEV); none (EV)
Tire size 205/60R16, 225/45R18 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

First-generation Niro Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid models (roughly 2017–2022 Hybrid and 2018–2022 PHEV) are covered by NHTSA campaign 23V-534 (Kia SC276): hydraulic clutch actuator fluid can leak onto the actuator circuit board and create an engine-compartment fire risk; the remedy replaces the actuator and related parts. A separate older campaign (NHTSA 18V-666 / Kia SC256) addressed power-relay assembly overheating and rear-seat fire risk on early hybrids. HEV/PHEV powertrains also use a dual-clutch transmission that owners frequently report for low-speed shudder. Confirm both fire-related campaigns are closed on the VIN before treating a first-gen Hybrid or PHEV as remedied.

Compare

Previous year 2021 Kia Niro Next year 2023 Kia Niro See every Kia Niro model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2022 Kia Niro reliable?

Owners have filed 31 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022 Kia Niro over 5 years — 4 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Niro years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Actuators and solenoids.

What are common problems with a 2022 Kia Niro?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (7 of 31), then Service brakes (7) and Engine (6). Those filings include 5 that report a crash and 4 that report an injury.

Is the 2022 Kia Niro more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2021 Niro has 9 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2023 has 44 complaints, 11 per year. The 2022 has more complaints per year than the 2021. The 2022 has fewer complaints per year than the 2023.

Has the 2022 Kia Niro been recalled?

The 2022 Kia Niro has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2022 Kia Niro?

Owners have filed 31 complaints about the 2022 Kia Niro with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2022 Kia Niro get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2022 Kia Niro is 60 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Kia Niro Hybrid take?

First-generation Hybrid and PHEV owner manuals list about 4.01 US qt (3.8 L) of full-synthetic SAE 0W-20. Second-gen Hybrid/PHEV also list 0W-20. The Niro EV has no engine oil.

What does NHTSA campaign 23V-534 cover on first-gen Niro?

First-generation Niro Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid models: hydraulic clutch actuator fluid can leak onto the actuator circuit board and create an engine-compartment fire risk (Kia SC276).

When did the second-generation Niro start?

Model year 2023 on this site.