Reliable Auto DB

2023 Kia Niro reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2023 Kia Niro holds 44 complaints after 4 years, a rate of 11 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 8 Niro years on this site. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Seats and Instrument cluster.

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

44

Per year

11

Recalls

2

Years on the road

4

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (14 of 44), then Forward collision avoidance (7) and Air bags (6). Those filings include 8 that report a crash and 5 that report an injury.

Next to 2022 and 2024

The 2022 Niro has 31 complaints, 4 per year, and the 2024 has 9 complaints, 3 per year. The 2023 has more complaints per year than the 2022. The 2023 has more complaints per year than the 2024.

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 2023 Kia Niro. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall Seats 2025-01-17 · NHTSA campaign 25V024000
Summary 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 air bag deployment.
Remedy Dealers will inspect, replace and reroute the floor wiring assembly, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, dealers will install wiring covers. Owner notification letters were mailed February 27, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC332.
Recall electrical system, instrument cluster 2023-04-26 · NHTSA campaign 23V298000
Summary 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 when the vehicle is started. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays," and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Remedy Dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC270.

Complaints by component (44 total)

Electrical system
14
Forward collision avoidance
7
Air bags
6
Powertrain
6
Fuel and propulsion system
5
Engine
4
Service brakes
4
Speed control
3
Steering
2
Wheels
2
Chest clip, buckle, and harness
1
Seat belts
1
Structure
1
Suspension
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Show 7 more Show less
Crash-flagged

8

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

5

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

122023102024112025112026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "My 2023 Kia Niro Hybrid has a recurring intermittent electrical defect. Warnings appear together: Check Hybrid System, Check Engine, Forward Collision, Rear Cross-Traffic, Lane Keeping, Driver Attention, ESC, Brake,…"
    Electrical system, Service brakes, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-09-05
  • "When stopping for a traffic sign or light, the car announces that it is shifting into park and does so. The car then will not shift into drive or reverse and is essentially disabled. Turning off the car completely and…"
    Electrical system, Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-03
  • "After sitting 2 weeks at airport parking. 12 volt Battery dead . Unsafe to repeatedly have to take out emergency key and pull handle cover off and get in car hit 12v button to start. The dealer we took it to refuses to…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-09-02
  • "My 2023 Kia Niro Hybrid EX has experienced multiple warning messages and unresolved concerns after previous repairs. After the first recall repair, I began receiving intermittent warning messages while driving. The…"
    Powertrain, Electrical system, Engine · filed 2026-07-26
  • "There's a problem with the horn in my car. Either the high or low. The problem is intermittent and the horn will fail and it is not available in emergency situations. I brought this to the dealership and made them aware…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-07-09

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2023 Kia Niro EV SUV FWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2023 Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid SUV FWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2023 Kia Niro SUV FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

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 53 45 49 MPG $1300
Niro Electric — Automatic (1-speed) Front-wheel drive 126 101 113 MPG / 253 mi range $650
Niro FE 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S6) Front-wheel drive 53 54 53 MPG $1200
Niro Plug-in hybrid 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S6) Front-wheel drive 49 47 48 MPG / 510 mi range $1350

Specs and fitment

Second generation, 2023–present
Body styles Crossover
Oil 0W-20 full synthetic (Hybrid/PHEV); none (EV)
Tire size 205/60R16, 215/55R17, 225/45R18 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Second-generation Niros (2023-on) leave the first-gen hydraulic clutch actuator fire campaign behind, but newer wiring and charging-related service campaigns have still appeared on some trims; confirm open NHTSA recalls on the specific VIN. Hybrid/PHEV variants keep a dual-clutch layout that can show low-speed shudder if software and fluid service are neglected. EV models do not share the Hybrid HCA fire recall but can show 12-volt auxiliary battery and onboard charging complaints in owner forums and complaint summaries.

Compare

Previous year 2022 Kia Niro Next year 2024 Kia Niro See every Kia Niro model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2023 Kia Niro reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2023 Kia Niro holds 44 complaints after 4 years, a rate of 11 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 8 Niro years on this site. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Seats and Instrument cluster.

What are common problems with a 2023 Kia Niro?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (14 of 44), then Forward collision avoidance (7) and Air bags (6). Those filings include 8 that report a crash and 5 that report an injury.

Is the 2023 Kia Niro more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2022 Niro has 31 complaints, 4 per year, and the 2024 has 9 complaints, 3 per year. The 2023 has more complaints per year than the 2022. The 2023 has more complaints per year than the 2024.

Has the 2023 Kia Niro been recalled?

The 2023 Kia Niro has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2023 Kia Niro?

Owners have filed 44 complaints about the 2023 Kia Niro with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2023 Kia Niro get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2023 Kia Niro is 65.8 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.