Home › Kia › Niro › 2017

2017 Kia Niro

Hybrid Wagon

20272026202520242023202220212020201920182017
Specs & fuel economyRecallsComplaintsCrash ratings
F
Safety Signal
35 / 100
FSafety Signal · 35 / 100
5Recalls · 4 critical
98Complaints · owner reports
—Crash rating · NHTSA overall
50 mpgFuel economy · best combined

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 engine.

Specs & fuel economy (EPA)

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 and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.

Out of factory warranty soon?

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.

Compare coverage →

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Data on this page is never influenced by that.

Recalls (5)

Power Train

critical
121,411 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: A fire increases the risk of injury.

Fix: 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.

NHTSA campaign 23V534000 · reported Jul 31, 2023 · Kia America, Inc.

Hybrid Propulsion System

critical
27,030 vehicles

Problem: Kia 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.

Risk: Overheated rear seats increase the risk of a fire.

Fix: Dealers 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 22V836000 · reported Nov 11, 2022 · Kia America, Inc.

Hybrid Propulsion System

critical
27,030 vehicles

Problem: Kia 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.

Risk: The increased electrical resistance can overheat the rear seat which is above the PRA, increasing the risk of a fire.

Fix: Kia 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 18V666000 · reported Sep 25, 2018 · Kia Motors America

Hybrid Propulsion System

critical
27,029 vehicles

Problem: Kia 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.

Risk: An electrical short can increase the risk of a fire.

Fix: Kia 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 18V257000 · reported Apr 20, 2018 · Kia Motors America

Steering

high
135 vehiclesHybrid only

Problem: Kia 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.

Risk: Loss of power steering assist would require higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.

Fix: Kia 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 17V159000 · reported Mar 10, 2017 · Kia Motors America

Owner complaints

98 complaints filed

4 involved a crash, 5 a fire, 5 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.

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

Most-cited components

  • Engine — 31
  • Power Train — 21
  • Electrical System — 20
  • Unknown Or Other — 16
  • Fuel/Propulsion System — 9
“The contact owns a 2017 Kia Niro. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel intermittently made an abnormal clicking sound upon turning the steering wheel in either direction without warning. Over time, the contact stated while driving at various speeds, excessive force was needed to steer …”Jun 29, 2021 · Steering · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2017 Kia Niro. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where the vehicle was being serviced. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage wa…”Jun 1, 2021 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“2 DOOR HANDLE COVER BROKE UNDER NORMAL USE.”Nov 19, 2020 · Structure · 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

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

Other Niro model years

A

2027 Niro

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2026 Niro

0 recalls · 2 complaints

A

2025 Niro

1 recalls · 19 complaints

B

2024 Niro

2 recalls · 18 complaints

D

2023 Niro

4 recalls · 65 complaints

D

2022 Niro

3 recalls · 73 complaints

C

2021 Niro

2 recalls · 12 complaints

D

2020 Niro

3 recalls · 62 complaints

B

2019 Niro

1 recalls · 98 complaints

F

2018 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 (ids 38497, 38486, 38496). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

JSON for this page · API