2019 Kia Niro problems

“My 2019 Kia Niro EV, with approximately 75,000 miles, continuously displays a “Refill inverter coolant” warning. While driving, the vehicle intermittently displays the turtle-shaped reduced-power warning and experiences a significant loss of acceleration. The vehicle does not respond normally to accelerator input. The condition sometimes clears after a period of driving, but when traveling uphill, the warning and reduced acceleration persist. This creates a serious safety concern because the vehicle may be unable to maintain speed or accelerate sufficiently on hills or when merging into traffic. The vehicle has been at an authorized Kia dealership for approximately seven days. The dealership has not yet identified the cause and has reportedly contacted Kia corporate technical support. The dealer has also indicated that another vehicle has presented with a similar issue. I am requesting an investigation into the potential coolant-circulation or thermal-management defect and its relationship to unexpected propulsion-power reduction.”

“Our 2019 Kia Niro EV (approximately 138,000 miles) exhibits an abnormal rumble/growling noise from the front drive unit while driving slowly in "D" range and when accelerating or decelerating between 0–25 mph. This symptom matches exactly the condition described in Kia Technical Service Bulletin ELE234 (Rev. 1, April 2021): "Drive Unit Inspection & Replacement for EV Motor Rumble Noise," which covers all 2019MY Niro EV vehicles produced from December 5, 2018. To our knowledge, TSB ELE234 has never been performed on this vehicle. The repair involves replacement of motor/roll mount brackets and, if necessary, traction motor or reduction gear replacement. Kia has a documented, tiered repair procedure for this exact issue with assigned labor operation codes. The failure presents a safety concern because drivetrain noise at low speed can precede loss of drive power or sudden drivetrain failure, which creates a hazard in traffic, intersections, and during highway merging. Despite the existence of this TSB since April 2021, NHTSA appears to have few or no formal complaints logged for this specific defect, meaning it has not triggered the regulatory scrutiny it…”

“The contact owns a 2019 Kia Niro. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine seized. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into gear. The check regenerative braking system message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the transition motor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.”

“- While driving, we received a notice on the dashboard to "stop driving and check regenerative brakes". Simultaneously we lose 95% of our braking power and all of the acceleration. Slamming on the brakes all the way to the floor provided some minor braking ability, but it was significantly diminished and frankly terrifying. We turn the car off, turn it back on again, and everything seems totally normal. - We cannot recreate the error, but we call the dealership. They say they can get us in in a week to service us. As this is our only car we keep driving it cautiously. - This happens again once more, before we bring it into the dealership. - The dealership runs a bunch of tests, tells us its the 12V battery, replaces the 12V battery, charges us $500 and tells us its fixed. - one week later (today) the same thing happens. Clearly it's not fixed, but even if it had been fixed, why is so much of the braking tied to the 12V? The dealership cannot get us in for days and is suggesting this may not be covered under our warranty.”

“SINCE THE BEGINNING OF APRIL 2021, AND JUST AFTER THE ODOMETER TURNED OVER TO 10K MILES, MY E-NIRO HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING A BIZARRE BEHAVIOR THAT POSES A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SAFETY RISK. THIS TAKES THE FORM OF TOTAL LOSS OF ACCELERATION POWER FOR A FEW SECONDS, USUALLY AFTER DEACCELERATING TO A NEAR STOP (USUALLY, BUT NOT ALWAYS, WHEN USING THE PADDLE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL TO REGENERATIVELY BRAKE) THEN PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, OR WHEN MAKING A VERY TIGHT TURN (E.G., INTO A PARKING SPACE). POWER RETURNS A FEW SECONDS AFTER THE PAUSE, AND I CAN CONTINUE. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THIS VEHICLE FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS, AND THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING SIMILAR HAPPEN PRIOR TO THE START OF THIS BEHAVIOR AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN GARAGED AND CHARGED NORMALLY AND NO EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS OR OTHER FACTORS HAD BEEN PRESENT BEFORE THIS WAS FIRST NOTICED. INSTANCES NOW SEEM TO BE INCREASING IN FREQUENCY THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, HOWEVER. ON 2 OR 3 OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE ACTUALLY BACKED UP A COUPLE OF FEET (ON LEVEL GROUND), WHICH WAS FRIGHTENING BOTH FOR ME AND THE AUTO BEHIND ME AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. ON THE OTHER…”