2020 KIA Niro Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Niro years
- More complaints than other years 5th of 10 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 39 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 KIA Niro. That ranks 5th out of 10 Niro model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (9 complaints, 23%), typically at around 958 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes, 3 fires, 2 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 39owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2020 KIA Niro problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 9 | 23% | 958 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 8 | 21% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 8 | 21% | 28,750 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 8 | 21% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 5 | 13% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 13% | 46,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 5% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 5% | 84,250 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Hybrid Propulsion System | 1 | 3% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 3% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 3% | 30,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2020 KIA Niro recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Power train:automatic transmission:internal:clutches/bands:actuators/solenoids
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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds (DP22005) — opened Jan 27, 2023, closed Aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V063000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
This is a supplemental complaint to NHTSA Complaint #11744598 and #11749340. Multiple 2020 Kia Niro Hybrid and PlugâIn Hybrid vehicles are exhibiting identical Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) failures. I have personally encountered other Niro owners reporting the same intermittent EPB/ABS/ESC…
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while driving 79 MPH, the thermostat displayed that the engine was running hot and there was white smoke coming from the front of the vehicle, with the check engine warning light illuminated. Upon inspection, the contact became aware that a…
AC not working, recall SA512 is needed, Kia wont cover the cost of replacing electrical components. Thermal Runaway / Fire Risk: The broken compressor prevents the battery thermal management system from cooling the main high-voltage lithium-ion battery package, creating an overheating hazard during…
This submission is supplemental information for my prior NHTSA complaint (Complaint #XXX). After filing the original report, I learned additional details from the Kia dealership that serviced my vehicle. The service department stated that they have seen the same electronic parking brake controller…
What's malfunctioning: coolant monitoring system shows low coolant warning when coolant level is observably fine. Problem has been ongoing for over a year. Available for inspection: yes. Safety problem: coolant monitoring is inaccurate, causing alarm when coolant levels are fine and possibly…
Other KIA Niro years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Niro | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 Niro | 17 | 1 |
| 2024 Niro | 10 | 1 |
| 2023 Niro | 44 | 2 |
| 2022 Niro | 31 | 1 |
| 2021 Niro | 9 | 1 |
| 2020 | 39 | 1 |
| 2019 Niro | 56 | 1 |
| 2018 Niro | 60 | 3 |
| 2017 Niro | 82 | 4 |
See all KIA Niro problems by year, every KIA model, or the KIA VIN decoder.
Similar KIA models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2020 KIA Niro?
Owners most often report engine, electrical system, power train problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 9 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2020 KIA Niro?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2020 KIA Niro a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Niro model years, the 2020 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.