Kia Niro engine failure problems

Filed Apr 24, 2026 · Engine · NY

I had my oil changed in Dec. 2025. I drove 1000+ miles w/no issue. Engine suddenly seized w/no engine light warning. Oil dumped all at once. Kia refuses to cover under warranty. THIS HAPPENED TO MY CAR: NTSA announced it had launched an investigation into Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motor Company for problems with their oil pans and oil drain plugs... consumers have filed complaints their engine’s oil drain plug falls out, causing all the oil to drain out of their engine while driving. In multiple tests the oil drain plug was tightened according to factory torque specifications and the tightening was well documented. Yet, testing shows in multiple cases that while driving, the oil drain plug falls within a few thousand miles after the service. In those cases, the crankcase drained completely. The Hyundai and Kia drain plug falls out due to inferior oil pan material and the drain plug gasket. The testing and investigations appear to show that the oil drain plans are made with THIN METAL AND THE DRAIN PLUG MOUNTING IS POORLY REINFORCED. In addition, the oil pan is coated with a thick paint coating the bonds the gasket to the pan, so the gasket does not come off when the drain plug is removed. That gasket issue alone is not why the oil drain plug falls out, but it is a factor in the chain of events. The oil pan is the biggest problem Apparently, the thin metal, along with engine vibrations and expansion/contraction tend to loosen the drain plug without any other intervention. the federal safety agency is investigating this as a factory defect ... The problem is two-fold. First, even if the repair shop properly torques the drain plug, the oil drain plug falls out on its own. The customer then blames the shop for shoddy workmanship. Second, Hyundai and Kia dealers are telling customers that servicing their vehicle at an aftermarket shop automatically voids their factory warranty. This is totally false & actually illegal under the terms of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

Filed Mar 23, 2026 · Engine · NY

Engine Seized at 79,000 miles on Kia Niro Hybrid on 3/8/2025. Oil was changed at 78,225 miles on 12/16/2025. No issues with vehicle until approx. 1,000 miles later and just a month and a half later when car suddenly lost power on a highway forcing me to try to safely and quickly navigate off the road. This could have caused risk to my life and other lives. The car could not be restarted. Kia said the drain plug was not screwed on and is refusing to honor warranty despite no issues with the oil change. Notably, in October 2022, the federal safety agency announced it had launched an investigation into Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motor Company for problems with their oil pans and oil drain plugs. Specifically, consumers and aftermarket service facilities have filed complaints their engine’s oil drain plug falls out, causing all the oil to drain out of their engine while driving. In multiple tests the oil drain plug was tightened according to factory torque specifications and the tightening was well documented. Yet, testing shows in multiple cases that while driving, the oil drain plug falls within a few thousand miles after the service. In those cases, the crankcase drained completely. [XXX] This issue should be investigated for potential recall to keep drivers, passengers safe on our highways. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Feb 3, 2026 · Electrical · CA

Hydraulic fluid is leaking onto the hydraulic clutch actuator’s circuit board, creating a potential fire hazard. The vehicle requires replacement of the dual clutch and slave cylinder. This failure occurred just over one year after Kia replaced the dual clutch and performed a full engine replacement at a Kia dealership. This condition is identical to a known safety recall affecting 2019–2022 Kia Niro vehicles involving hydraulic clutch fluid leaking onto the actuator circuit board and creating a fire risk. Although my VIN is not listed under the recall, the vehicle is the same year, make, model, and drivetrain and is exhibiting the same defect described in the recall. This appears to be a recurring safety defect involving the hydraulic clutch system.

Filed Jul 18, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · CO

I am experiencing engine issues with my 2017 Kia Niro Touring Launch Edition at approximately 111,000 miles, including engine hesitation and lack of acceleration, along with engine code P0011. These symptoms started suddenly and have made highway driving difficult and potentially unsafe, as I was recently in the mountains unable to exceed 35 mph. This appears to be a widespread issue among 2017 Kia Niro owners, with many reporting CVVT (Continuously Variable Valve Timing) or solenoid failures around 100,000 miles shortly after the powertrain warranty expires suggesting a pattern of premature failure. My car was purchased certified preowned and is still within the 10 year timeframe. No official recall currently exists for this issue, but it should be investigated. Despite submitting service requests and making multiple attempts to contact the dealership to have these recalls addressed, I have received little to no follow up. I have not yet had the engine issue officially diagnosed by a Kia dealer due to lack of response but the pattern of failure and symptoms match what others are experiencing. There has been no crash, fire, or injury at this time, but the combination of the existing fire related recalls and the new engine malfunction creates serious concerns for long term safety and reliability.

Filed Jun 13, 2025 · Engine · CA

Cooling system broke down at 140k miles. Water pump, EHRS failure EGR Cooler. Engine head gasket blown needs engine replacement 144k miles $9000 repair. Problems confirmed by dealership. Engine light never came on for cooling system, water pump coupling repair. Engine light did come on for head gasket and vehicle stopped working.

Filed Feb 26, 2025 · Engine · CA

I was driving my car as usual and it began overheating. I took it to the mechanic and they could not find a coolant leak, even though the coolant was all gone. We added more coolant and I was on my way. A few weeks later, the same thing happened. The mechanic said to take it to the dealer because they would need to run a diagnostic. I took it to the dealer and they said there were some new recalls that needed to be repaired that could fix the issue. They did the recalls, I topped off my coolant, and I was on my way. One week later, while picking up my son from school, the engine had a catastrophic failure. This was not only dangerous to me and my kids, but to those around me. The car stopped and refused to start up again mid-driving. I had it towed to the Dealer (Kia of Carson) and they rand diagnostics. A few days later they send me a quote for $10K to replace the engine as well as the muffler system - more than the current market value of the car. The car has just over 70K miles on it, and since I bought it used from Carvana, it was not under Kia's warranty. This is NOT how things should be. They should not be allowed to put vehicles that break down like this and then charge people outrageous amounts for it with no compromise whatsoever. How can the engine be worth more than the whole car? I've talked with Kia customer service and they don't care. I've spent months trying to reason with them, but to no avail. Also, upon research online, there are tens of thousands of Kia Niro (and other kia car model) owners who've had the same problem - overheating that turns into engine failure. This is a systemic problem with a fraudulent company that is destroying the lives of their customers. This experience put my family in danger and has essentially ruined my life since it happened. I hope the federal safety agency can do something about this!

Filed Nov 8, 2024 · Electrical · 87,000 miles · AL

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Niro. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check hybrid system warning light illuminated, and the hybrid system seized. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with power relay assembly failure. The contact was informed that the power relay assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired. The contact referenced Technical Service Bulletin: SC256 as a possible fix for the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

Filed Jun 20, 2024 · Driver assistance, Engine · PA

I am unsure of what to say about my car. I saw a check oil light flicker and it went away. The car had oil when I checked on it so it didn't seem to be a problem. There was no sign of leakage and no sign of burning oil or fuel. Several days later, the check oil light came on permanently. Before I could get the car anywhere, the car started making a strange sound. I took it to my usual shop. They said it had sprung a spontaneous leak. They said it was a large oil pressure switch leak. They replaced the sensor and added oil. They said there was some damage but that the car was still drivable. I drove the car for a week and then when I was on the highway, the car starting roaring and shaking like I was in an earthquake. The check engine light started blinking. I could not accelerate properly and had to coast to safety on the electric. I was able to use my friends scanner and found 4 misfire codes: PO300-303. My neighbor (a mechanic) looked at the vehicle and said that was damage was internal and was going to need extensive work or a new engine. He didn't have the time to take the vehicle apart so we did not find the true cause and I am now wondering if this is a new safety issues or related to the recall. I did not receive the recall information until recently (I tend to have issues receiving my mail sometimes) and haven't even had time to get to the dealership to check on it. Everyone I have spoken to has said this is how Kia's are and they are not worth purchasing.

Filed Nov 27, 2023 · Brakes · FL · crash

Breaks seized to respond when doing a sharp break. Vehicle did not break and slid off until it hit the vehicle up front. Waiting for vehicle inspection to begin. No warning signs, lights, or prior issues happened before the incident.

Filed Sep 7, 2023 · Acceleration, Fuel system · CT

- my car started releasing white smoke - i took it to repair shop, stated it was fixed, white smoke continued -car started overheating -Took it to KIA dealership and was told i was responsible for fuel leaking into engine, was told my car was not covered under warranty, I also have an extended warranty at the dealership which they wouldn't honor stating it was not covered -Recently while driving the car flashed Hybrid system Failure and shut off -I was unable to move the car -I had the car towed to the original dealer (wiz autos) and it has been there since May 2023, it is now 4 months and the car still does not work -Wiz autos informed me the car had a "lock on it" and will need to be released by KIA its been 4 months with no answers from KIA, I have been having an issue with the coolant leaking into the engine since 11/22 and although this is a common problem in these cars(manufacturers defect) KIA will not fix, or replace. I believe the coolant leaking into the engine, is causing the cars to malfunction**** Please take a look at these forums: [XXX] [XXX] Although my car is not listed in this lawsuit by KIA, i believe more cars are affected: A federal court has granted final approval of a class action lawsuit known as In re: Hyundai and Kia Engine Litigation , No. 8:17‑cv‑00838‑JLS‑JDE and Flaherty v. Hyundai Motor Company, et al. , No. 18‑cv‑02223 (C.D. Cal.) allege that 2011–2018 and certain 2019 Kia Optima, 2012–2018 and certain 2019 Kia Sorento, and 2011–2018 and certain 2019 Kia Sportage vehicles suffer from a defect that can cause engine seizure, stalling, engine failure, and engine fire, that engine seizure or stalling can be dangerous if experienced, and that some owners and lessees have been improperly denied repairs under the vehicle’s warranty. Neither KMC nor KUS have been found liable for any of the INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)