2017 Kia Niro

On XXX, at approximately 11:30 a.m., a friend and I were driving on XXX near [XXX], when I noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. As I pulled over to the side of the road, a warning light appeared on the dashboard. Once stopped, I saw flames coming from the engine compartment. We immediately got out of the car, retrieved our dogs from the back seat, and ran away from the burning car. Another motorist who had witnessed the flames pulled over behind us. Because our cell phones were still inside the car, we used his phone to call [XXX]. The Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Fire Department responded to the scene. The car was completely destroyed by the fire and was declared a total loss. We were unable to retrieve anything from the car. There was no collision with another car or object. The car is now located at [XXX]. Telephone [XXX]. On XXX KIA Ourisman of [XXX] had installed a rebuilt engine, as according to them, the original engine had “thrown a rod.” An insurance claim has been filed with GEICO. Complaints have been filed with KIA of [XXX] and [XXX] KIA of [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My 2017 Kia Niro exhibits a dangerous low-speed engine surging hazard matching Safety Recall SC276. An authorized Kia dealership technician inspected the vehicle under RO #6115244 and formally documented 'seeping fluid residue' inside the clutch actuator housing. However, the dealership and Kia Corporate are refusing to honor the recall remedy and have released the car at a $0.00 balance while explicitly stating in writing that the vehicle is 'not safe to drive.' I am requesting federal intervention for safety campaign non-compliance.

Kia Dealership (DCH Kia of Temecula) Repair order 237695 shows Recall SC276 was 'passed' via inspection on October 16, 2025. However, the Hydraulic Clutch Actuator has now suffered the exact fluid leak the recall warned about, destroying the slave cylinder. The dealership is refusing to honor the safety recall, leaving an active fire hazard unaddressed.

On or around March 20, 2026, my 2017 Kia Niro Hybrid experienced a complete failure of the high-voltage hybrid battery system, rendering the vehicle undriveable. The vehicle was towed to Kia of South Austin. As of the date of this complaint (74 days later), no diagnosis has been provided, no parts have been ordered with trackable confirmation, and no repair timeline has been given. Kia Techline corporate engineers are reportedly involved but have provided no resolution. A sudden high-voltage battery failure in a hybrid vehicle raises potential safety concerns I believe warrant NHTSA's attention, particularly given the extended inability to diagnose or repair the system.

The Hydraulic Clutch Actuator (HCA) and the Under Hood Wiring Harness have failed due to internal fluid contamination and corrosion. Yes available for inspection. The vehicle experienced a sudden loss of motive power while driving. Per Safety Recall SC276, this component failure creates an electrical short and internal corrosion that poses a significant fire risk and potential for a sudden stall at high speeds, endangering the driver and other motorists. YES. Rusty Wallace Kia of alcoa confirmed the failure on 04/27/2026. They diagnosed the vehicle with DTCs P17EE and U1010. They provided a repair quote (RO XXX) for $9,431.48 to replace the corroded HCA and harness. YES. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized Kia dealer (Rusty Wallace Kia of alcoa ). They are refusing to perform the Recall SC276 mandated repair, claiming it was "already completed" with a fuse swap in Jan 2024, even though the safety defect has now manifested as a full component failure. Yes. The HEV warning light and Check Engine light appeared. Symptoms include "Check Hybrid System" messages and the vehicle failing to engage the engine clutch. These symptoms appeared recently at approximately 107,000 miles. Then when i checked the car it vanished, no error on dashboard ,so i took the car back and was driving error showed up at 109k miles again They asked to repair the vehicle and the repair is not in my budget and i told them that its the recall related issue and they are denying and saying recall was done and they dont open recall again and I found in the document they provided they just did the fuse replacement not HCA unit and The fuse swap did help with the hca corrosion and its not in drivable state and it becae a fire hazard. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH on the highway, the vehicle jolted and shook abnormally. The electrical system warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost partial power. The engine and hybrid warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was coasted off the roadway to a gas station. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a blown high-voltage fuse. The vehicle was repaired with a higher voltage fuse. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 101,000. The VIN was not available.

-Car was leaking or burning coolant causing engine to overheat. -Car was diagnosed with: Exhaust heat exchanger is leaking coolant and needs to be replaced. After costly repair, car continued to leak coolant and overheated. -Car was taken back to the dealership and diagnosed with: Engine Assembly - Long Block - Replace | Engine long block needs replacement due to coolant in the oil. This was at a certified Kia Dealership. No insurance reps or police were involved. An engine light has come on a couple of times over the years that was interpreted to mean replacing the gas cap. After replacing the gas cap, the engine light didn't come back on. My safety was impacted as a person living in a cold, rural state to have a sudden mechanical failure where I couldn't run the heat and had to stop the car immediately.

When I was driving, a propulsion system warning went off. Then a malfunction in the vehicle’s powertrain/propulsion system lit up on the GPS screen. Shortly afterward, the engine began smoking, and a loud popping sound occurred simultaneously. The vehicle then experienced a sudden loss of propulsion, requiring me to pull over immediately to avoid a hazardous situation. An authorized Kia dealer subsequently diagnosed a blown head gasket with internal coolant intrusion, confirming an internal powertrain failure consistent with propulsion system malfunction, and the vehicle became inoperable. The vehicle was inspected in October and the loss-of-propulsion failure occurred in December.

Failed/leaking coolant heat exchanger which is integrated into the rear catalytic converter assembly. This seems to be a well-known issue with 2017-2020 Kia Niros. Leaks cause overheating of the engine or no heat in the vehicle and potential blown head gaskets. This issue has been confirmed by an independent service center. Car itself gave no messages or warnings regarding the leak.

The heat exchanger (exhaust heat recovery system) on my 2017 Kia Niro has been diagnosed by an authorized Kia dealership as leaking coolant. The failed component can be available for inspection upon request. This failure poses a serious safety risk. The heat exchanger is part of the vehicle’s cooling system, and when it leaks, the engine can rapidly lose coolant while driving. This can lead to sudden overheating, reduced power, or potential engine shutdown in traffic. A driver may not receive immediate warning, and if the vehicle overheats unexpectedly at highway speeds, it can put both the occupants and surrounding drivers at risk of a collision. Coolant leaking into the exhaust system can also create steam and white smoke that may impair visibility for the driver or other vehicles. The problem has been confirmed by a Kia dealership, which inspected the vehicle and provided a repair estimate of over $3,500 for heat exchanger replacement. The vehicle has not been inspected by the police or insurance representatives. In my case, there were no warning lamps or messages prior to the diagnosis. The vehicle did not illuminate a check-engine light related to the failure or coolant warning, meaning the failure could easily occur without the driver’s knowledge until the engine overheats or loses power while on the road. This lack of warning significantly increases the safety risk. Given the number of owners reporting identical heat-exchanger failures, the high repair cost, and the potential for sudden overheating or power loss, this appears to be a widespread safety-related defect that warrants investigation.