Kia Motors America: Hybrid Propulsion System
Kia Motors America reported this defect to federal regulators on Sep 25, 2018 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 27,030. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Kia Niro hybrid electric vehicles. The Main Relay within the Power Relay Assembly (PRA) may have inadequate connections between its contacts, causing increased electrical resistance.
The risk
The increased electrical resistance can overheat the rear seat which is above the PRA, increasing the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the Power Relay Assembly (PRA) for damage. If no damage is found, the main relay will be replaced. If damage is found, the PRA will be replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began November 23, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC168.
2 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Kia Niro | 60 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 2017 Kia Niro | 82 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 18V666000.
Full record for the 2018 Kia Niro → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →