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2017 Kia Niro

Hybrid
Small Station Wagons
3 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
35 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls4 critical5
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA98
Crash ratingNHTSA overall—
Fuel economybest combined, EPA50 mpg
20272026202520242023202220212020201920182017

The 2017 Kia Niro is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid wagon with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Niro FE, is EPA-rated at 50 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year, 4 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 98 complaints, most often about the engine.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Niro FEHybridFWD1.6L 4-cyl + 240V Li-Ion524950$1,250
NiroHybridFWD1.6L 4-cyl + 240V Li-Ion514649$1,250
Niro TouringHybridFWD1.6L 4-cyl + 240V Li-Ion464043$1,450

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 38497, 38486, 38496.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2017 Kia Niro is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (5)

Source: NHTSA recall database
!critical

Power Train

SC276
121,411 vehicles
ProblemKia 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.RiskA fire increases the risk of injury.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 23V534000reported Jul 31, 2023Kia America, Inc.
!critical

Hybrid Propulsion System

SC256
27,030 vehicles
ProblemKia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Kia Niro hybrid electric vehicles previously recalled under recall 18V-666. The Main Relay within the Power Relay Assembly (PRA) may have inadequate connections between its contacts, causing increased electrical resistance, which can overheat the rear seats.RiskOverheated rear seats increase the risk of a fire.FixDealers will inspect the PRA and replace either the PRA or the Main Relay, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 9, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC256. This recall supersedes NHTSA recall number 18V-666. Vehicles already repaired under the previous recall will need to have the new remedy completed.
NHTSA campaign 22V836000reported Nov 11, 2022Kia America, Inc.
!critical

Hybrid Propulsion System

SC168
27,030 vehicles
ProblemKia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Kia Niro hybrid electric vehicles. The Main Relay within the Power Relay Assembly (PRA) may have inadequate connections between its contacts, causing increased electrical resistance.RiskThe increased electrical resistance can overheat the rear seat which is above the PRA, increasing the risk of a fire.FixKia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the Power Relay Assembly (PRA) for damage. If no damage is found, the main relay will be replaced. If damage is found, the PRA will be replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began November 23, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC168.
NHTSA campaign 18V666000reported Sep 25, 2018Kia Motors America
!critical

Hybrid Propulsion System

SC163
27,029 vehicles
ProblemKia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017 Kia Niro vehicles. The Hydraulic Clutch Actuator (HCA) inner oil seal may leak, allowing oil to accumulate in the cap area, possibly resulting in an electrical short.RiskAn electrical short can increase the risk of a fire.FixKia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the HCA caps for leaked oil and replace the HCA assembly if needed, or replace the HCA cap with additional sealant. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall is expected to begin June 15, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC163.
NHTSA campaign 18V257000reported Apr 20, 2018Kia Motors America
▲high

Steering

SC145
135 vehicles
ProblemKia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017 Niro vehicles. The affected vehicles may have a damaged Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) connector resulting in a loss of electric power steering assistance.RiskLoss of power steering assist would require higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.FixKia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the MDPS motor, free of charge. The recall began April 3, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC145.
NHTSA campaign 17V159000reported Mar 10, 2017Kia Motors America

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
98complaints filed

4 involved a crash · 5 a fire · 5 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2017: 8 · 2018: 10 · 2019: 6 · 2020: 4 · 2021: 5 · 2022: 11 · 2023: 13 · 2024: 16 · 2025: 7 · 2026: 18

Most-cited components

Engine31
Power Train21
Electrical System20
Unspecified16
Fuel/Propulsion System9
Steering7

What owners describe

“Hybrid System Failure due to overheating Overheating due to coolant leak into resorvoir My car started having white smoke come from exhaust during driving Took to the repair shop, repaired the coolant reservoir next day, same issue took back to the service tech stated they couldn't find the leak, but the reservoir was …”Oct 20, 2023 · Power Train · NHTSA owner report
“Car gives digital signal of overheating, white smoke pours out of exhaust but there is no code that allows dealership to diagnose and remedy. This has occurred twice in the last 6 weeks and the car has sat at the dealership for weeks. This problem and inability to repair without a $1,200 exhaust system replacement is w…”Oct 3, 2023 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“- my car started releasing white smoke - i took it to repair shop, stated it was fixed, white smoke continued -car started overheating -Took it to KIA dealership and was told i was responsible for fuel leaking into engine, was told my car was not covered under warranty, I also have an extended warranty at the dealershi…”Sep 7, 2023 · Vehicle Speed Control · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Other Niro model years

A

2027 Kia Niro

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2026 Kia Niro

0 recalls · 2 complaints

A

2025 Kia Niro

1 recalls · 19 complaints

B

2024 Kia Niro

2 recalls · 18 complaints

D

2023 Kia Niro

4 recalls · 65 complaints

D

2022 Kia Niro

3 recalls · 73 complaints

C

2021 Kia Niro

2 recalls · 12 complaints

D

2020 Kia Niro

3 recalls · 62 complaints

B

2019 Kia Niro

1 recalls · 98 complaints

F

2018 Kia Niro

3 recalls · 71 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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