Kia Niro EV: reliability & safety rating

Kia's industry-best seven-year warranty and track record for reliability put its latest electric family car in good stead. The latest Niro has also received a four-star rating in Euro NCAP’s crash safety testing – the same as the old e-Niro – but when Kia’s DriveWise safety systems are active, that rating is upgraded to five stars. 

Kia Niro EV reliability & problems

The Kia e-Niro was, for a long time, a well-respected entry into the EV space, placing consistently well in our Driver Power customer satisfaction surveys. While the old model still places above the new one in our latest study, the Niro EV still made it into the list of the top 15 EVs to buy. Kia as a brand did equally as well, placing a respectable 6th out of 32 manufacturers; roughly 25% of owners did report a fault with their car within the first year of ownership, though, which is above average for the survey.

Safety

Standard safety kit on the Niro EV includes smart cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, lane-keeping assistance, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, front collision avoidance assistance and the usual assortment of ISOFIX points and airbags throughout the cabin. 

Upgrading to the higher 3 and 4 trim levels adds front parking sensors, blind-spot collision avoidance and remote parking capability which enables the car to autonomously move in and out of tight spaces. Top-spec models also come with highway driving assistance that helps maintain a set distance and speed from the vehicle in front, while also helping with lane changes.