NHTSA recall 18V666000
A recall listed here may apply to a vehicle of this year, make and model. Only the manufacturer can say whether it applies to one vehicle: check the VIN with the official lookups.
| Published by | NHTSA (United States) |
|---|---|
| Campaign number | 18V666000 |
| Manufacturer's number | SC168 |
| Manufacturer | Kia Motors America |
| Reported | 2018-09-25 |
| Owners notified | 2018-11-23 |
| Component | HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM |
| Units potentially affected | 27030 |
| Report | Quarterly report 6, for 2020 quarter 1 |
|---|---|
| Filed with NHTSA | 2020-05-11 |
| Vehicles in the campaign | 27030 |
| Reported remedied | 23237 (85%) |
| Reported unreachable | 976 |
| Reported removed | 516 |
These are the manufacturer's totals for the whole campaign at the end of 2020 quarter 1, as filed with NHTSA. They do not say whether one vehicle has been remedied: check the VIN with the official lookups. The reports are from data as of 2026-10-19.
What is wrong
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Kia Niro hybrid electric vehicles. The Main Relay within the Power Relay Assembly (PRA) may have inadequate connections between its contacts, causing increased electrical resistance.
What can happen
The increased electrical resistance can overheat the rear seat which is above the PRA, increasing the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the Power Relay Assembly (PRA) for damage. If no damage is found, the main relay will be replaced. If damage is found, the PRA will be replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began November 23, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC168.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
| 2017 KIA NIRO | Built 2016-11-01 to 2017-09-11. |
|---|---|
| 2018 KIA NIRO | Built 2016-11-01 to 2017-09-11. |
A vehicle with no link is not in this site's catalog, which covers cars, multipurpose vehicles and trucks by model year. The campaign is from data as of 2026-10-19.
Bulletins for the same vehicles and component
| TSBELE135_R1 | 2018-03-13. Service bulletin. TSB - SERVICE ACTION: INSPECTION AND/OR REPLACEMENT OF HYBRID DRIVE MOTOR (SA304) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. - This bulletin provides the procedure to inspect and, if necessary, replace the hybrid drive motor on some Niro (DE HEV) vehicles produced from January 1, 2017 through July 10, 2017, which may exhibit a hybrid drive motor warning light malfunction and concerns with the EV mode driving. |
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A bulletin is the manufacturer's note to its dealers. It is not part of this recall.