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2017 Kia Niro Hybrid Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Serious

24 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.29 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious17V159000

Steering:Electric Power Assist System

Loss of power steering assist would require higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the MDPS motor, free of charge. The recall began April 3, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC145.

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017 Niro vehicles. The affected vehicles may have a damaged Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) connector resulting in a loss of electric power steering assistance.

Complaint volume

24 this model-year 7 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

0Crashes
1Fires
1Injuries
0Deaths

Across 24 complaints. Severity Index 0.29.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Unknown Or Other4 · 17%Service Brakes3 · 13%Vehicle Speed Control3 · 13%Structure · Body3 · 13%Power Train3 · 13%Engine3 · 13%Steering1 · 4%Exterior Lighting1 · 4%
  1. Unknown Or Other — 4 reports
  2. Service Brakes — 3 reports
  3. Vehicle Speed Control — 3 reports
  4. Structure:Body — 3 reports
  5. Power Train — 3 reports
  6. Engine — 3 reports
  7. Steering — 1 reports
  8. Exterior Lighting — 1 reports
  9. Fuel/Propulsion System — 1 reports
  10. Seats — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2017

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.