The 2021 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 12 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
3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2
ENGINE
2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
1
1crashes1injuries
VISIBILITY/WIPER
1
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
1
Total complaints12
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“I own a 2021 kia niro. The rear backup camera intermittently fails to operate. When shifting into reverse, the display screen will either go completely black or the camera will not activate at all. This issue occurs unpredictably and without warning. As a result, I am unable to see behind the…”
“This is a hybrid vehicle. It has dual clutch transmission. Since I have owned it, intermittently the clutch does not disengage completely. This causes the vehicle to try to pull ahead but my foot is on the brake. The vehicle does not stall. Somehow it figures out it can't pull ahead and somehow…”
“Ev motor and drive train have a clattering noise, much like a playing card attached to a bicycle clattering against the wheel spokes. It speeds up and slows down with the acceleration of the motor.”
“Ev motor and drive train have a clattering noise, much like a playing card attached to a bicycle clattering against the wheel spokes. It speeds up and slows down with the acceleration of the motor.”
“I was backing out of a tandem parking spot in a private garage and got too close to a pillar, and tried to pull forward into the spot. It felt like the car got snagged on the pillar, but while pulling forward slowly, the gas pedal snapped off and the car accelerated quickly and uncontrollably. I…”
“I received important safety recall letter for nhtsa recall # 23v534. The hca & or fuse might need to be replaced . I brought the 2021 nero to my local kia dealership, eagle kia ,riverhead ny on january 18th. The dealership still has the vehicle & claims that a code came up when they did the…”
“I received important safety recall letter for nhtsa recall # 23v534. The hca & or fuse might need to be replaced . I brought the 2021 nero to my local kia dealership, eagle kia ,riverhead ny on january 18th. The dealership still has the vehicle & claims that a code came up when they did the…”
“I received important safety recall letter for nhtsa recall # 23v534. The hca & or fuse might need to be replaced . I brought the 2021 nero to my local kia dealership, eagle kia ,riverhead ny on january 18th. The dealership still has the vehicle & claims that a code came up when they did 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 2021 Kia Niro as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.