{"id":"2021_kia_niro","make":"Kia","make_slug":"kia","model":"Niro","model_slug":"niro","year":2021,"url":"/kia/niro/2021/","pts":["bev","phev","hev"],"configs":[{"id":43820,"model":"Niro Electric","pt":"bev","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (A1)","cyl":null,"displ":null,"eng":"","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":123,"hwy":102,"comb":112,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":30.0071,"range":239,"range_city":259,"range_hwy":214,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":9.5,"charge240b":0.0,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"150 kW AC PMSM","fuel":"Electricity","vclass":"Small Station Wagons","co2":0,"fe_score":10,"ghg_score":10,"fuel_cost":700,"save_spend":7750,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"KMX","modified":"Wed Feb 02 00:00:00 EST 2022"},{"id":43686,"model":"Niro Plug-in Hybrid","pt":"phev","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (AM-S6)","cyl":4,"displ":1.6,"eng":"SIDI; PHEV","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":true,"city":48,"hwy":44,"comb":46,"cityA":110,"hwyA":99,"combA":105,"kwh100":32.0,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":26.0,"phev_comb":66,"charge240":2.25,"charge240b":0.0,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"45 kW IPMSM","fuel":"Regular Gas and Electricity","vclass":"Small Station Wagons","co2":90,"fe_score":10,"ghg_score":10,"fuel_cost":1350,"save_spend":6250,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"KMX","modified":"Wed May 17 00:00:00 EDT 2023"},{"id":43633,"model":"Niro FE","pt":"hev","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (AM-S6)","cyl":4,"displ":1.6,"eng":"SIDI; Hybrid","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":true,"city":53,"hwy":48,"comb":50,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"240V Li-Ion","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Small Station Wagons","co2":179,"fe_score":9,"ghg_score":9,"fuel_cost":1250,"save_spend":5000,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"KMX","modified":"Tue Aug 03 00:00:00 EDT 2021"},{"id":43632,"model":"Niro","pt":"hev","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (AM-S6)","cyl":4,"displ":1.6,"eng":"SIDI; Hybrid","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":true,"city":51,"hwy":46,"comb":49,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"240V Li-Ion","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Small Station Wagons","co2":183,"fe_score":9,"ghg_score":9,"fuel_cost":1250,"save_spend":5000,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"KMX","modified":"Tue Aug 03 00:00:00 EDT 2021"},{"id":43631,"model":"Niro Touring","pt":"hev","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (AM-S6)","cyl":4,"displ":1.6,"eng":"SIDI; Hybrid","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":true,"city":46,"hwy":40,"comb":43,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"240V Li-Ion","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Small Station Wagons","co2":208,"fe_score":9,"ghg_score":9,"fuel_cost":1450,"save_spend":4000,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"KMX","modified":"Tue Aug 03 00:00:00 EDT 2021"}],"vclass":"Small Station Wagons","segment":"Wagon","recalls":[{"campaign":"25V426000","component":"BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA","mfr":"Kia America, Inc.","reported":"2025-06-20","owner_notified":"2025-11-07","units":11327,"summary":"Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Niro EV vehicles. The circuit board for the rearview camera may become damaged and cause the rearview camera image not to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, \"Rear Visibility.\"","consequence":"A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.","remedy":"Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 7, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC342.","notes":"","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"SC342","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":["bev"],"severity":"high"},{"campaign":"23V534000","component":"POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:CLUTCHES/BANDS:ACTUATORS/SOLENOIDS","mfr":"Kia America, Inc.","reported":"2023-07-31","owner_notified":"2023-12-29","units":121411,"summary":"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.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"SC276","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"critical"}],"recall_count":2,"critical_count":1,"park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"score":77,"grade":"C","complaints":{"count":12,"crash":1,"fire":0,"injured":1,"deaths":0,"comps":[["Power Train",4],["Unspecified",2],["Electrical System",2],["Engine",2],["Visibility/Wiper",1],["Visibility",1]],"by_year":{"2021":2,"2022":1,"2023":3,"2024":2,"2025":1,"2026":3},"excerpts":[["2026-04-10","Power Train","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 fully releases. I have b\u2026"],["2026-03-20","Engine","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."],["2025-05-28","Service Brakes","The rear brake rotors on the vehicle are pitted, as confirmed by a local repair shop. The \"incident\" is ongoing. Kia refuses to repair or replace them under warranty (25,500 miles on the car), claiming they are wear item. However, pitting is not wear, in fact quite the opposite. My analysis (30+ yrs in the auto busines\u2026"]]},"investigations":[{"action":"DP22005","component":"ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM","opened":"2023-01-27","closed":"2023-08-07","campaign":"22V063000","subject":"Pedestrian alert sounds","summary":"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"}],"ncap":[{"desc":"SUV FWD","overall":4,"frontal":4,"side":5,"rollover":4,"rollover_risk":0.121,"seats":5,"fcw":"Optional","ldw":"Optional","aeb":"Optional","esc":"","backup_cam":"","variant":"hev"}],"popularity":62,"headline":{"range":239,"mpg":50,"ncap":4,"complaints":12},"presskit_trims":[],"generated_at":"2026-09-11 05:01 UTC","sources":["EPA fueleconomy.gov","NHTSA recalls","NHTSA complaints","NHTSA NCAP","NHTSA investigations"]}