The 2023 Kia Niro has 5 recalls, the most serious involving wiring beneath the front passenger seat that can be damaged when the seat moves, potentially disabling airbags and seatbelt pretensioners in a crash or causing an unintended side curtain airbag to deploy.
On the drivetrain side, recalls only affect EV models: differential gear bolts that are not properly tightened can cause a sudden loss of drive power or lock the differential, and a drive shaft can fracture under load and also cut power without warning. Both failures raise the risk of a crash. There is also an electrical concern on vehicles equipped with a 4.2-inch digital instrument cluster: the display can go completely blank at startup, hiding tire pressure readings, warning lights, and other critical information the driver would normally see.