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2018 Kia Niro

Plug-in hybridHybrid
Small Station Wagons
4 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
55 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls3 critical3
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA71
Crash ratingNHTSA overall—
Fuel economybest combined, EPA50 mpg
20272026202520242023202220212020201920182017

The 2018 Kia Niro is sold in the U.S. as a plug-in hybrid and hybrid wagon with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Niro FE, is EPA-rated at 50 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, 3 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 71 complaints, most often about the power train.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombRangekWh/100miCharge (240V)Annual fuel*
Niro Plug-in HybridPlug-in hybridFWD1.6L 4-cyl + 32kW IPMSM484446 (66 MPGe blended)26 mi electric322.2 h$1,350
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: 39799, 39617, 39616, 39618.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2018 Kia Niro is in the years where high-voltage electronics and module repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (3)

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

NHTSA defect investigations

Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds closed

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 pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
71complaints filed

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

Filed per year: 2018: 9 · 2019: 6 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 17 · 2024: 16 · 2025: 6 · 2026: 12

Most-cited components

Power Train24
Electrical System20
Engine20
Unspecified12
Service Brakes6
Vehicle Speed Control6

What owners describe

“Year/Make/Model: 2018 Kia Niro Hybrid Mileage at time of incident: approximately 69,000 Component: Hybrid Propulsion System / Powertrain My 2018 Kia Niro Hybrid has experienced five recurring "Hybrid System Failure — Turn Off Engine" errors occurring without warning while the vehicle was being operated. Each occurren…”Jun 1, 2026 · Vehicle Speed Control · NHTSA owner report
“I received KIA letter about the recall SC276 for HCA issue around 1/15/24. I brought my 2018 Kia Niro PHEV to Kia Dealer in San Jose. They inspected and concluded that the vehicle is safe with the recall SC276. However, they did not replace the fuse as stated in Kia's recall instructions. Ten days later, I was on the r…”Feb 20, 2024 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report
“I was driving myself and two passengers on a highway at night in the rain. I was using the adaptive cruise control and was maintaining speed when i went through a puddle and I think the car hydroplaned a little. A warning sign flashed up on the dash that said something towards "deactivating cruise control" - i am not s…”Jan 10, 2024 · Forward Collision Avoidance · 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

2017 Kia Niro

5 recalls · 98 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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