2022 Kia NIRO EV problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
30 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
9,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2022 model year. Data snapshot: . 3 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Unknown Or Other is the most frequently named component, appearing in 13 of 30 complaints (43.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 10 | 33.3% |
| Braking behavior | 6 | 20.0% |
| Engine operation | 2 | 6.7% |
| Transmission and shifting | 1 | 3.3% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | 13 |
| Electrical System | 12 |
| Power Train | 6 |
| Engine | 4 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | 2 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 2 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 2 |
Unknown Or Other: 13; Electrical System: 12; Power Train: 6; Engine: 4; Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control: 2; Fuel/Propulsion System: 2; Vehicle Speed Control: 2; Visibility/Wiper: 2
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 2 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 2; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (2). 27 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 10 |
| 2023 | 7 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 | 3 |
2021: 1; 2022: 10; 2023: 7; 2024: 4; 2025: 5; 2026: 3
Pattern summary
Unknown Or Other leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 10 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 6 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 2 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11527822 · 2023-06-20 (June 20, 2023)
Vehicle enters power limited (turtle) mode randomly. While driving under normal conditions, with ample battery charge and range, the “turtle mode” warning indicator chimes. Sometimes it is brief and no noticeable power loss is experienced. However, often power will be lost and the vehicle must limp off the road to restart if it doesn’t resume on its own. This problem arises at varying speeds and ambient conditions. Our safety is at risk because you never know when it will happen. Losing power on the highway and making an emergency stop is c…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11527822 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11540377 · 2023-08-23 (August 23, 2023)
2022 Kia Niro EV loses main battery power causing the vehicle to not be able to maintain speed. This has happened at varying speeds including highway speeds. The vehicle showes "limited power" warning on the dash along with "check electrical system" warnings. The OBDii system does not record these warnings and do not show up when taken to service center. The service center can not make repairs as they are not able to replicate the issue.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11540377 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11450489 · 2022-02-04 (February 4, 2022)
When the KIA is shifted into "park", it will sometimes roll forward or backwards until the brakes are applied by the driver. This doesn't happen all the time and we have not figured out a way to predictably reproduce the results, but it happens a lot. My wife is the primary driver and I have only driven the car about 10 times. It has happened to just me twice in that time frame. It's such a common problem that we have started trying to routinely activate the emergency brake, as the transmission is not reliable in shifting the vehicle into …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11450489 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11451321 · 2022-02-10 (February 10, 2022)
After putting the car in park on a moderate slope, I exited the car and about 2 seconds later, as I was connecting the charger, the car rolled backward 4 feet before coming to a stop. I immediately confirmed that the car was in park. The parking brake was *not* on. (Or at least, I did not manually set it- I don't know if this car activates the brake automatically when in park.) The right front wheel was on ice. All other wheels on bare gravel. The temperature was 36 deg F. This is an EV, so it may have some sort of event recorder built in. …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11451321 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11559245 · 2023-12-09 (December 9, 2023)
Started 2-3 months ago and is progressively getting worse. Battery drop from charged down to 2% randomly. Battery would drop 1% every 3 seconds. During highway drive it would cancel out cruise control and/or limited power down to 30mph. Which almost caused accident for the sudden loss of power. Brought to dealer and found no issues, waiting for next appointment in 2 weeks (next opening) to bring in for second look. Currently renting a vehicle since it is life threatening to just have no power in range and acceleration.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11559245 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11752715 · 2026-07-24 (July 24, 2026)
Component or system that failed: High-Voltage Electrical System / High-Voltage Battery Safety Plug Assembly (specifically covered under Recall SC314 / NHTSA Campaign 24V-358). It is NOT wear and tear as falsely claimed by the dealer. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request at the owner's residence. How safety was put at risk: The vehicle triggers an active "Check EV System" master warning while driving, creating a severe risk of sudden loss of motive power (stalling) on public roads. The high-voltage charging system is also comple…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11752715 at NHTSA ↗