Home · 2017 Kia Niro · Complaints

What 94 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Kia Niro

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (94)Crash / fire / injury (11)Engine (30)Transmission & drivetrain (19)Electrical system (17)Body & structure (10)Fuel system (10)Steering (8)Brakes (4)Engine & cooling (4)Speed control (4)Airbags (2)

4 of 94 complaints match · Speed control · clear filters

Sep 7, 2023SteeringSpeed controlFuel system

- 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)

NHTSA ODI 11543219

Dec 14, 2017Speed controlBrakes

NEW KIA NIRO ROLLS BACK ON INCLINES IN DRIVE AFTER REMOVING FOOT OFF OF BREAK AND RIGHT BEFORE PUSHING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, ON PAVED, CITY STREETS. NEVER HAD THIS WITH OTHER AUTOMATICS. NEW KIA NIRO JUMPS FORWARD/ACCELERATES SHARPLY WHILE IN DRIVE WHILE DRIVING SLOWLY (1-3 MILES PER HOUR) UP AN INCLINE. THIS OCCURRES ON PAVED, CITY STREETS.

NHTSA ODI 11054843

Jun 9, 2017Speed control

I ACCELERATED TO 65MPH.I SET THE CRUISE CONTROL. 2 SECONDS LATER I SEE THAT I AM ACCELERATING. I PRESS CANCEL AT 72 MPH. I PRESS THE CRUISE BUTTON AGAIN, TURNING OFF THE CRUISE, THEN ON AGAIN. SLOW TO 65, PRESS THE - SET AND IT IMMEDIATELY STARTS SPEEDING UP. SECOND REPORT. 4TH AND 5TH TIME TO HAPPEN. DASHCAM RECORDED EVENTS.

NHTSA ODI 10994154

Jun 4, 2017Speed 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.

NHTSA ODI 10993066

Working with the data? Download all 94 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2017 Kia Niro verdict →