I purchased this Kia Niro hybrid new in 2017. I had read about this problem online from several consumers, but hoped it was a fluke. I did not notice it until around 9000 miles, probably because I didn't use the sport mode much. After putting the car in sport to get extra power for hills or freeway ramps, I would notice that if I came to a stop and started up again, the car started to lurch and jump. I'd feel like I wasn't getting any power, as if the tires were suddenly made of stone or I was between gears. This happened whether or not I was still in sport mode. At times it would jump a few times and then be okay. At times it would jump a few times and then feel like I just couldn't get it going. It is very scary. The most important thing to know is that Kia is refusing to acknowledge or fix the problem. The dealership was told by Kia Tech that there is no repair. When I called Kia Consumer Affairs, they told me they were "escalating" the call because of safety.
It took almost a week to get a call back. I was then told the car was repaired and I should pick it up. It turns out no repairs were done. The dealership was honest in saying they tried rebooting the electrical just in case, but they did not believe the problem was repaired. They just couldn't do anything else without instructions from Kia. The Consumer Affairs line, however, was not honest. Kaitlin told me the car had been repaired; it had not. She told me the dealership checked and the problem was resolved. That was not true. She refused to let the call be recorded or to put notes in writing. She was non-responsive. I was horrified that Kia Consumer Affairs would not show any concern for driver safety, especially for a problem they were alerted to over 2 years ago. Note that in almost 30 years of driving, I've never had a problem with a car that needed repair (I owned a Honda and a Toyota), nor have I called a consumer affairs line.
There are some other small issues with the Kia: 7 recalls to date, a "lumbar support" seat that is too hard and has caused back pain, not meeting its fuel economy statements, and being noisier and bumpier than other cars. But there are also thinks we love about the Niro - like it's cuteness and compact size, safety features, better rear view than the Prius, digital screen, etc. But this is a real deal problem that needs to be resolved for safety. I've asked to speak to a supervisor, but at this point it looks like I'll be forced to pick up my car without any repairs done in the last 10 days.
I purchased this Kia Niro hybrid new in 2017. I had read about this problem online from several consumers, but hoped it was a fluke. I did not notice it until around 9000 miles, probably because I didn't use the sport mode much. After putting the car in sport to get extra power for hills or freeway ramps, I would notice that if I came to a stop and started up again, the car started to lurch and jump. I'd feel like I wasn't getting any power, as if the tires were suddenly made of stone or I was between gears. This happened whether or not I was still in sport mode. At times it would jump a few times and then be okay. At times it would jump a few times and then feel like I just couldn't get it going. It is very scary. The most important thing to know is that Kia is refusing to acknowledge or fix the problem. The dealership was told by Kia Tech that there is no repair. When I called Kia Consumer Affairs, they told me they were "escalating" the call because of safety.
It took almost a week to get a call back. I was then told the car was repaired and I should pick it up. It turns out no repairs were done. The dealership was honest in saying they tried rebooting the electrical just in case, but they did not believe the problem was repaired. They just couldn't do anything else without instructions from Kia. The Consumer Affairs line, however, was not honest. Kaitlin told me the car had been repaired; it had not. She told me the dealership checked and the problem was resolved. That was not true. She refused to let the call be recorded or to put notes in writing. She was non-responsive. I was horrified that Kia Consumer Affairs would not show any concern for driver safety, especially for a problem they were alerted to over 2 years ago. Note that in almost 30 years of driving, I've never had a problem with a car that needed repair (I owned a Honda and a Toyota), nor have I called a consumer affairs line.
There are some other small issues with the Kia: 7 recalls to date, a "lumbar support" seat that is too hard and has caused back pain, not meeting its fuel economy statements, and being noisier and bumpier than other cars. But there are also thinks we love about the Niro - like it's cuteness and compact size, safety features, better rear view than the Prius, digital screen, etc. But this is a real deal problem that needs to be resolved for safety. I've asked to speak to a supervisor, but at this point it looks like I'll be forced to pick up my car without any repairs done in the last 10 days.
- kiacalifornia, Albany, US