2026 Kia Niro

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
48–53 mpgcombined; city 49–53, highway 45–54; every version of this model year; plug-in hybrid versions on gasoline, 108 MPGe on electricity
Five years of fuel
$6,130–$6,630U.S. average; Ohio $5,480–$5,920 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: $7,000, 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 overall safety rating
4 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
0none on file
Owner complaints
2filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2026 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.

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 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
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air bags1101
Electrical system1000
Exterior lighting1000
Visibility/wiper1000

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.

  1. 2017101
  2. 201873
  3. 2019101
  4. 202063
  5. 202112
  6. 202274
  7. 202365
  8. 202419
  9. 202520
  10. 20262

Every Niro year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2026 Niro. NHTSA's recall lookup checks a specific VIN.

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 5 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2026 Niro, the latest on Aug 28, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: electrical system (2), engine (2), back over prevention (1), visibility/wiper (1).

NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.

Maintenance

Oil

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 2026 Niro.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Specs

EPA class: small sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 8–10 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Niro
Front-Wheel Drive		1.6 L, 4 cylAutomatic (AM-S6)Regular Gasoline53 / 45 / 49
Niro Electric
Front-Wheel Drive		150 kW PMSM (IPM)Automatic (A1)Electricity
253 miles of range		126 / 101 / 113 MPGe
Niro FE
Front-Wheel Drive		1.6 L, 4 cylAutomatic (AM-S6)Regular Gasoline53 / 54 / 53
Niro Plug-in Hybrid
Front-Wheel Drive		1.6 L, 4 cylAutomatic (AM-S6)Regular Gasoline or Electricity
33 miles on electricity, 510 miles in all		49 / 47 / 48 on gasoline
108 MPGe on electricity

Sources and dates

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