The 2019 Kia Niro has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 121,411 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 83 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the power train. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
POWER TRAIN23V5340002023-07-31121,411 affected
Defect
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.
Consequence
A fire increases the risk of injury.
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
POWER TRAIN
21
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
12
1fires
ENGINE
10
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
8
SERVICE BRAKES
8
2crashes
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
6
1fires
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
4
1crashes
AIR BAGS
2
2crashes3injuries1deaths
BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
2
STEERING
2
Total complaints83
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“My car is a 2019 kia niro hybrid. It's only 7 years old, and my husband and I have been the only owners. It only has 61,000 miles on it, and it is serviced regularly and has to pass a state emissions test each year. As I was driving the other day, the dashboard lit up with critical alerts saying…”
“My car is a 2019 kia niro hybrid. It's only 7 years old, and my husband and I have been the only owners. It only has 61,000 miles on it, and it is serviced regularly and has to pass a state emissions test each year. As I was driving the other day, the dashboard lit up with critical alerts saying…”
“A major drivetrain service and repair was completed by an authorized manufacturer dealership. After picking up the vehicle, an unusual front-end/steering noise was immediately reported to the staff. Over just 390 miles of driving, the symptom worsened. A subsequent formal inspection by a separate,…”
“A major drivetrain service and repair was completed by an authorized manufacturer dealership. After picking up the vehicle, an unusual front-end/steering noise was immediately reported to the staff. Over just 390 miles of driving, the symptom worsened. A subsequent formal inspection by a separate,…”
“A major drivetrain service and repair was completed by an authorized manufacturer dealership. After picking up the vehicle, an unusual front-end/steering noise was immediately reported to the staff. Over just 390 miles of driving, the symptom worsened. A subsequent formal inspection by a separate,…”
“The contact owns a 2019 kia niro. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the road. The vehicle was successfully restarted and moved over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed…”
“While traveling from upstate new york, the vehicle displayed an engine overheating warning shortly after startup while the engine was still cold. Because I was away from home, I stayed overnight and the next morning took the vehicle to a kia dealership for inspection. The dealership inspected the…”
“While traveling from upstate new york, the vehicle displayed an engine overheating warning shortly after startup while the engine was still cold. Because I was away from home, I stayed overnight and the next morning took the vehicle to a kia dealership for inspection. The dealership inspected the…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationDP22005 Opened 2023-01-27 · closed 2023-08-07
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2019 Kia Niro as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.