← New search

2020 Kia Niro

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2020 Kia Niro do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 34.5.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
Compare all Niro years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 9 of 38 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

2 crash reports3 fire reports2 injury reports

Back Over Prevention complaints

2 reports
Clear category filter
Mileage unknown · Oct 22, 2025
Back Over Prevention

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Niro. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V426000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a black screen while the vehicle was in reverse(R) or the image was frozen. The fai…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Niro. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V426000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a black screen while the vehicle was in reverse(R) or the image was frozen. The failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was not provided.

NHTSA ODI #11695034

62,000 miles · Nov 5, 2024
Back Over Prevention

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Niro. The contact stated while reversing, the back over prevention camera failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the screen displayed a black image. In addition, the contact stated that the back over prevention system was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact de…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Niro. The contact stated while reversing, the back over prevention camera failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the screen displayed a black image. In addition, the contact stated that the back over prevention system was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact declined the diagnostic test because of the cost. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

NHTSA ODI #11623718

Official recalls

1

23V534000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:internal:clutches/bands:actuators/solenoids

Jul 31, 2023

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 & remedy

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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System

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 matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.