Reliable Auto DB

2025 Kia Niro reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 17 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Kia Niro over 2 years — 9 per year. It is too early to rank against other Niro years: a year is compared here only after 3 years on the road. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Seats.

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

17

Per year

9

Recalls

1

Years on the road

2

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (3 of 17), then Suspension (3) and Engine (2). Those filings include 2 that report a crash.

Next to 2024 and 2026

The 2024 Niro has 9 complaints, 3 per year, and the 2026 has 0 complaints, 0 per year.

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 2025 Kia Niro. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

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.

Complaints by component (17 total)

Electrical system
3
Suspension
3
Engine
2
Forward collision avoidance
2
Air bags
1
Powertrain
1
Seat belts
1
Speed control
1
Steering
1
Tires
1
Wheels
1
Show 3 more Show less
Crash-flagged

2

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

62025112026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "My car was shifted into drive but when I press accelerate my car went backwards. I’ve reported this to kia numerous times and they refuse to fix it"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-10
  • "The vehicle began shaking violently on the Florida Turnpike, and the factory-installed tire completely separated from the factory rim at highway speeds. This was a life-threatening equipment failure on a brand-new…"
    Tires · filed 2026-08-14
  • "Finally got car back from previous repairs and it was making a loud groaning noise all the time. Took it back to dealership and they said they had to repair the rack and pinion system and the gears were shredded.…"
    Suspension, Electrical system, Engine · filed 2026-07-23
  • "Re: Driver Safety Downgrade Stemming from Recent Software Update Complicating Tire Pressure Display Accessibility I am writing as the owner of a 2025 Kia Niro HEV to express my concerns regarding a recent software…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-07-17
  • "I purchased this vehicle new from the dealer last year. The second time I went to them for an oil change the tires were worn out oddly and needed to be replaced. They said the car needed an alignment that I had to pay…"
    Suspension · filed 2026-07-06

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2025 Kia Niro EV SUV FWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2025 Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid SUV FWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2025 Kia Niro SUV FWD 4 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 $700
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 2024 Kia Niro See every Kia Niro model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2025 Kia Niro reliable?

Owners have filed 17 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Kia Niro over 2 years — 9 per year. It is too early to rank against other Niro years: a year is compared here only after 3 years on the road. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Seats.

What are common problems with a 2025 Kia Niro?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (3 of 17), then Suspension (3) and Engine (2). Those filings include 2 that report a crash.

Is the 2025 Kia Niro more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2024 Niro has 9 complaints, 3 per year, and the 2026 has 0 complaints, 0 per year.

Has the 2025 Kia Niro been recalled?

The 2025 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 2025 Kia Niro?

Owners have filed 17 complaints about the 2025 Kia Niro with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2025 Kia Niro get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2025 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.