2024 Kia Niro Phev

Defect. Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Niro EV, Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), and Hybrid vehicles. The floor wiring assembly beneath the front passenger seat may become damaged, which can prevent the front air bags and seat belts from deploying properly or cause an unintended side curtain air bag deployment.

Risk. Air bags and seat belts that deploy improperly or an air bag deploying unintentionally can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy. Dealers will inspect, replace and reroute the floor wiring assembly, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, dealers will install wiring covers. Owner notification letters were mailed February 27, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC332.

Have had a serious issue with my 2025 Kia Niro PHEV. I first reported the problem to the dealer when the car was a few months old and they were of no help. I had an accident as a result of this issue. I was very fortunate that the only result was a completely ruined drivers door. I have had a problem of the car freezing in neutral after starting. It will not turn off or shift. After 5-10 minutes it seems to unfreeze and will allow me to turn it off and start over successfully. This has happened about 6-8 times since I got the car. The dealer was unable to address it since I could not duplicate the problem at the dealership. Aug.25 this happened in my garage. I started to get out of the car as I have done on other occasions when this occurred, and just after I stepped out, it shifted into reverse. I was able to jump in the car and hit the break. The car door (opened) crashed into the wall next to the garage causing extensive damage to the door of the car and to an adjacent bike. Other than a few bruises , I was very fortunate not to have been seriously injured or to have injured someone else. If this had happened in a parking lot, it would have posed serious danger to passerby's and other vehicles.

The contact owns a 2024 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while driving in slow traffic, the vehicle accelerated unintentionally and crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The contact stated that while reversing, the failure recurred and the rear end of the vehicle crashed into the front end of another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. There was no warning light illuminated. None of the vehicle's occupants sustained injuries. No police report was filed. The contact drove to a nearby safe location, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The insurance company then towed the vehicle to a tow lot and inspected the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The manufacturer informed that the contact engineers would be sent to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.

The shiny black interior located on the center console is highly reflective resulting in sun glare shining into your eyes for a large portion of the day. This causes serious visibility issue while driving and is a safety hazard. I reported this issue to the dealership within two weeks of purchasing my car. I have not had the dealership, independent service center, manufacturer, insurance company, or anyone else inspect this issue, but am agreeable to having this issue inspected upon request. There are no indication lights or alert systems related to this issue. Lastly, this issue is a common complaint reported on online platforms. It’s a significant safety issue as it impairs visibility and should be addressed. Thank you for your time.