2017 Kia NIRO HYBRID
Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report
Quick Summary
The 2017 Kia NIRO HYBRID has 24 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 1.0x the segment average of 24. The most common issue is other problems (17% of all complaints), specifically: leased the car on sunday and drove home 10+ miles. odometer had 15 miles on it. left the car in the garage for two days and attempted to drive it early wednesday. (did not drive the car until wednesday, and only attempted once. owned the car for less than 3 days.) backing out of the garage and w. There is 1 recall issued for this model year. ⚠️ 1 fire report filed.
24
Total Complaints
1
Recalls Issued
—/5
Safety Stars
1.0x
vs Segment Avg
Known Problems(top 5 of 8)
OTHER
4 complaints- • LEASED THE CAR ON SUNDAY AND DROVE HOME 10+ MILES. ODOMETER HAD 15 MILES ON IT. LEFT THE CAR IN THE GARAGE FOR TWO DAYS AND ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE IT EARLY WEDNESDAY. (DID NOT DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL WEDNESDAY, AND ONLY ATTEMPTED ONCE. OWNED THE CAR FOR LESS THAN 3 DAYS.) BACKING OUT OF THE GARAGE AND W
- • ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2018, I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE COMING BACK FROM AUSTIN AND HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE AN EXPLOSION. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS I HEARD A SOUND OF SOMETHING RATTLING ABOVE MY HEAD. MY PASSENGER SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS COMING FROM THE SUNROOF AREA. HE CRACKED OPEN THE SUNROOF ACCE
- • MY 2017 KIA NIRO CAUGHT ON FIRE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. NO COLLUSION WAS INVOLVED. I GOT A WARNING MESSAGE TO STOP THE ENGINE DUE TO A PROBLEM BEING DETECTED IN THE HYBRID SYSTEM. I PULLED OFF OF THE INTERSTATE DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AND NOTICED BLACK SMOKE COMING
“LEASED THE CAR ON SUNDAY AND DROVE HOME 10+ MILES. ODOMETER HAD 15 MILES ON IT. LEFT THE CAR IN THE GARAGE FOR TWO DAYS AND ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE IT EARLY WEDNESDAY. (DID NOT DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL WEDNESDAY, AND ONLY ATTEMPTED ONCE. OWNED THE CAR FOR LESS THAN 3 DAYS.) BACKING OUT OF THE GARAGE AND W”
— NHTSA complaint filing
When Problems Appear on the 2017 Kia NIRO HYBRID
Based on 23 owner complaints that included an odometer reading. Median mileage at time of complaint: 2K miles. Most complaints cluster in the 0-30K miles range.
Mileage figures are self-reported by owners in NHTSA complaint filings. Peak bucket = the mileage range with the most complaints for that component; it reflects when owners noticed and reported problems, not necessarily when the fault first occurred.
Recalls (1)
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.
Estimated Insurance Cost for 2017 Kia NIRO HYBRID
How this estimate is calculated
Coverage assumed: 100/300/100 liability + comprehensive/collision, $500 deductibles. Data sources: NAIC 2024 + HLDI loss studies.
Maintenance & Warranty
Recommended Kia NIRO HYBRID Service Intervals
Turbo engines (Optima 2.0T, Sorento 2.5T) may benefit from more frequent oil changes.
"Severe service" conditions (heavy towing, extreme temps, city stop-and-go) typically halve these intervals. Always consult your vehicle's owner's manual for the authoritative schedule.
Kia New-Vehicle Warranty Coverage
10 year powertrain not transferable to subsequent owners
These are the terms for a new Kia. If you're buying a used 2017 NIRO HYBRID, remaining coverage is usually pro-rated from the vehicle's original in-service date. Not all coverage transfers between owners — check with a Kia dealer for VIN-specific remaining warranty.
Estimated Repair Costs
Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.
🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
Based on 24 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:
- ☐OTHER: LEASED THE CAR ON SUNDAY AND DROVE HOME 10+ MILES. ODOMETER HAD 15 MILES ON IT. LEFT THE CAR IN THE GARAGE FOR TWO DAYS AND ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE IT EARLY WEDNESDAY. (DID NOT DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL WEDNESDAY, AND ONLY ATTEMPTED ONCE. OWNED THE CAR FOR LESS THAN 3 DAYS.) BACKING OUT OF THE GARAGE AND W
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐BRAKES: WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON INDICATING AN ISSUE WITH THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM. FURTHER INSPECTION FOUND THE RIGHT REAR FLEXIBLE BRAKE LINE LOOSE WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE HARD LINE. I TIGHTENED THE FITTING ADDED APPROXIMATELY 6OZ OF BRAKE FLUID TO THE RESERVOIR AND LEAK CHECKED THE SYSTEM UNDER PRE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐SPEED CONTROL: WHEN PRESSING THE RESUME BUTTON THE CAR HAS ACCELERATION WIDE OPEN THROTTLE WELL BEYOND THE SET SPEED OF THE SPEED CONTROL. MOST OF THE TIME THE RESUME DOES NOTHING BUT SET A NEW SPEED, THE CURRENT SPEED.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐BODY/STRUCTURE: EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES POP OFF, JUST FROM PULLING ON THE HANDLES TO OPEN THE DOOR.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐RECALLS: Verify all 1 recall have been completed — free at any Kia dealer
- ☐General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)
Kia NIRO HYBRID — Year Comparison
How does 2017 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.
Full years-to-avoid analysis →NHTSA Safety Rating
No NHTSA safety rating available
At a Glance
- Complaints
- 24
- Recalls
- 1
- Fire reports
- 1
- Crash reports
- 0
- Injury reports
- 0
- Segment avg
- 24
Check a Specific VIN
See recalls for YOUR 2017 Kia NIRO HYBRID