2019 Kia Niro: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 97 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is power train (38% of complaints); the 2021 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 1 new complaint in the last 90 days · latest recall Jul 2023
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 97 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“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 "check regenerative battery" and the braking system went completely soft; I could not stop the car using the brakes. It was terrifying. I had to pull off the road and use the emergency brake to stop the car. This was an awful incident that could have resulted in deaths or serious injuries. Again this is for a car that is well-maintained and well under 100,000 miles.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Jun 2026
“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 with a blown head gasket, a misfire in the engine, and coolant mixing with the engine oil; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 118,000.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Mar 2026
“The Hydraulic Clutch Actuator has caused functional driving issues and caused my vehicle to go into limp mode. I was never informed of the recall issue prior to purchase, and the recall was marked as complete, when it was not. The fix for KIA NIRO Recall SC276 was incomplete in January 2024, and I purchased my vehicle in April 2024. My issues started in November 2025, and the incomplete recall issue has been ongoing. KIA offers only a 1/2-way fix, and this is simply not acceptable.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Nov 2025
Show 7 more owner reports
“The contact owns a 2019 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as needed. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway and the parking brake was engaged to keep the vehicle from moving. The message "Stop the Vehicle and Check Regenerative Brakes" was displayed. The failure was a recurring failure. The vehicle was towed, and the dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired because the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Sep 2025
“While driving an error message appeared about regenerative braking system error and the braking effectiveness was severely impaired.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Jul 2025
“2019 Kia Niro DCT engaged REVERSE during manual 1â'2 upshift attempt in Sport Mode, causing violent reversal. Resets with ignition cycle. Smell of burnt clutch present. Happend at 41,000mi, then 73,000mi then again today at 154,584. Believe it may be a faulty range selector, corrupted tcu logic, or both. **Canadian Recall R238 (May 2022)** for DCT clutch actuators”Owner report · Power Train · Jun 2025
“The rear backup camera works intermittent, checked wiring and still having issues, could cause backing issues for people that don't use their mirrors”Owner report · Back Over Prevention · May 2025
“Ever since the car was purchased 2nd hand, I reported an issue with the car within the 30 day warranty period that the vehicle was steering towards the right and would not go in a straight line, also it popped when steering right, 2 days ago the rod that connects to the bar in the middle that moves in and out as you steer came undone and was chipped”Owner report · Steering · Apr 2025
“I have a Kia Niro Hybrid. I had the check engine light come on. I took it to Kia dealership in Cicero, NY (Driver's Village/ Burdick Kia. Upon inspection, the dealership stated the following: "CONFIRM CUSTOMER CONCERN CEL ON, P0401 EGR INSUFFICIENT FLOW EGR PORT BECOMES CLOGGED AT HIGH MILEAGE, EGR REPLACEMENT WOULD CORRECT LIGHT TEMPORARILY HOWEVER CASUAL CONDITION WILL STILL REMAIN, CLOG IN EGR FROM ENGINE ITSELF. LONG BLOCK REPLACEMENT MAY BE NEEDED FOR FULL CORRECTION OF CONDITION"”Owner report · Engine · Jan 2025
“The contact owns a 2019 Kia Niro. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that there was a misfire in cylinder #1. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the cylinder #4 injector. The dealer also informed the contact that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 32,000.”Owner report · Engine · Dec 2024
When filing, owners marked a crash in 5 of these complaints and injuries in 3 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 1 campaign
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.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
How other years compare
Check your exact Niro by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2019 Kia Niro reliable?
NHTSA has 97 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 2019 Kia Niro. The most complained-about area is power train (38% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2019 Kia Niro problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 33,500 miles or less.
Does the 2019 Kia Niro have open recalls?
1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning power train:automatic transmission:internal:clutches/bands:actuators/solenoids. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.