KiaNiro EV2021Electric/kia/niro-ev/2021/electric/

2021 Kia Niro EV

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2021 Niro EV.

Engine ElectricTransmission Automatic (AM-S6)

The 2021 Kia Niro EV Electric is an all-electric vehicle featuring an AM-S6 automatic transmission. This model year's reliability record includes one recall and nine total owner complaints, with the top complaint area listed as "Unknown Or Other." When positioned against the model's history from 2023 to 2025, the 2021 model's complaint count sits between the 15 complaints seen in 2023 and the low of six in 2024.

Model year2026202520232022202120202019

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

EPA efficiency51/46/49 MPGeEPA · verified
EPA electric range0 miEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 99 · 470 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 99 · 470 CCAOEM · verified
Tire size215/55R17 94VOEM · verified
Wheel / rim7 inOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (AM-S6)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length171.7 in
Overall width70.9 in
Overall height60.6 in
Wheelbase106.3 in
Curb weight3889 lb
Track (front / rear)61.8 / 62.2 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)54/46

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined51 / 46 / 49 MPGe
Electric range0 mi
Electric motor240V Li-Ion
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume101 cu ft
Cargo volume22 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

Battery & A/C

Standard BCI Group Number99
Standard BCI Cranking Performance470 cca

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the coolant every 37,500 mi. The big-interval services (every 37,500 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 7,500 miCabin Air Filter (inspect)
Every 7,500 miAir Conditioning System (inspect) · Battery (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Pedal Assembly (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect)
Every 15,000 miCabin Air Filter (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Hybrid Inverter (inspect coolant level) · Transmission Assembly (inspect fluid level)
At 22,500 miTransmission Assembly (inspect fluid level)
At 30,000 miHybrid Inverter (inspect coolant level)
Every 37,500 miHybrid Inverter (drain, flush & refill coolant)
Every 60,000 miBrake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The provided federal record covers only 20232025, leaving 2021 absent from the year-by-year trend data, which prevents a direct comparison of complaint and recall volumes between the target year and its neighboring model years. For 2021 itself, the complaint categories include unknown/other issues, powertrain, engine, and vehicle speed control matters, with one crash-related complaint and zero fire complaints recorded. Since the data does not include 2021, I cannot determine where this model year falls within the generation's complaint arc or whether it represents a peak, trough, or plateau period. The 2023 data shows the highest complaint volume (15) with three recalls, followed by a decline in 2024 and 2025, suggesting the later model years may have addressed some early issues, but the root cause of this trend is not specified in the data. Given this data gap, a concrete assessment of whether 2021 is a good year to buy cannot be reliably derived from the federal record provided.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
52
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
9
Owner complaints
1 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 9 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Unknown Or Other2
Power Train1
Power Train,Engine1
Vehicle Speed Control1
Power Train,Electrical System,Engine1
Electrical System1
Visibility1
Visibility/Wiper1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

23V534000Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Internal:Clutches/Bands:Actuators/SolenoidsReported 31/07/2023

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2022 Niro and 2018-2022 Niro Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. Fluid may leak into the printed circuit board inside the hydraulic clutch actuator, which can result in an engine… Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the hydraulic clutch actuator as necessary and install a new fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 29, 2023…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 52 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PI2603_TSB2026-06-15Electrical SystemTECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: BMS BATTERY DIAGNOSTIC LOGIC…
TSB_ELE4222026-05-27Electrical SystemTECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATE USING UPDATE.KIA.COM…
TSB_ELE4172026-04-14Electrical SystemTECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SOFTWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE - This bulletin…
PS7972025-12-09Back Over PreventionPITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop…
TSB_TRA046_R52025-04-17Power TrainTECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin has been…

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Niro EV. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

Does the 2021 Niro EV have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What is the EPA range and efficiency of the Niro EV?

EPA figures are 51 city / 46 highway / 49 combined MPGe. EPA electric range is 0 miles.