Showing the 2021 Niro LXS. NHTSA's VIN data shows it with a 1.6 L engine, but that may not be every version of it, so the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 18, 2026.
Fuel economy
43–50 mpgcombined; city 46–53, highway 40–48; every version of this model year; plug-in hybrid versions on gasoline, 105 MPGe on electricity
Five years of fuel
$6,500–$7,550U.S. average; Ohio $5,810–$6,750 at local prices; every version of this model year, electric versions apart; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026. Electric versions: $4,120 at U.S. average electricity prices. Plug-in hybrid versions: $7,250, EPA's own estimate for plug-in hybrids: its national gasoline and electricity prices and the share of miles it expects on electricity; not priced for any state
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2021 Niro. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 12 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Niro. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Power train
4
0
0
0
Electrical system
2
0
0
0
Engine
2
0
0
0
Unknown or other
2
0
0
0
Back over prevention
1
0
0
0
Service brakes
1
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
1
1
0
1
Visibility
1
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
1
0
0
0
What the columns count
Complaints: complaints that name that part. One complaint can name several parts, so the rows overlap and don't add up to the total.
Crashes and Fires: complaints that report one. Two owners can file about the same event, and NHTSA doesn't link them, so these count reports, not events.
Injuries: the number of people the complaints say were injured.
None of these columns shows that a part caused a crash, fire or injury: they're what owners reported, unverified.
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2021 Niro over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Back over prevention: sensing system
NHTSA campaign 25V426000 · reported Jun 20, 2025 · 11,327 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 7, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC342.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Niro EV vehicles. The circuit board for the rearview camera may become damaged and cause the rearview camera image not to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
NHTSA campaign 23V534000 · reported Jul 31, 2023 · 121,411 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the hydraulic clutch actuator as necessary and install a new fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 29, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC276.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2022 Niro and 2018-2022 Niro Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. Fluid may leak into the printed circuit board inside the hydraulic clutch actuator, which can result in an engine compartment fire.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 75 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2021 Niro, the latest on Aug 28, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (51), engine and engine cooling (11), service brakes (8), equipment (7), fuel/propulsion system (7).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Defect petition DP22005 Pedestrian alert sounds · covers 43 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2021 Niro.
EPA class: small station wagons. EPA greenhouse gas score: 9–10 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Niro Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AM-S6)
Regular Gasoline
51 / 46 / 49
Niro Electric Front-Wheel Drive
150 kW AC PMSM
Automatic (A1)
Electricity 239 miles of range
123 / 102 / 112 MPGe
Niro FE Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AM-S6)
Regular Gasoline
53 / 48 / 50
Niro Plug-in Hybrid Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AM-S6)
Regular Gasoline or Electricity 26 miles on electricity, 560 miles in all
48 / 44 / 46 on gasoline 105 MPGe on electricity
Niro Touring Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AM-S6)
Regular Gasoline
46 / 40 / 43
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data