Since you live in Vermont, it's worth doing an undercoating every year or two with something like fluid film or surface shield by PB Blaster to extend the life of the frame. Every car in Vermont rusts because of the salt on the road from November through May.

Glad Kia came through for U and you remain happy with your vehicle. I’ll be doing 2025 Niro HEV SX test drive next week.

Had a first 'glitch' with my 23 Niro phev at 8700km. Drove short distance, stopped for 30min, came back .. car would not want to do many things it normally does. First, battery warning (had it few times, battery discharging, but ignore it) and oil warning (oil was recently changed it is ok). Car would not go in any of drive modes. Parking brake would not want to activate but brake pedal could engage brakes so I couldn't go out (as car would move-slight inclination). After number of turning vehicle on and off and playing with 'shifter' it finaly decided to let me drive. What maybe was the reason is rear cabine light (which I still didn't figure how to turn off automatically) so it was ON for two days (or longer) and maybe drained the battery. One thing I still didn't check is how is 12V battery charged. Is it charged through hi-voltage battery or is it charged using gasoline engine? I would expect hi-voltage battery. My old car (Rondo) I could have light in a car for a week and battery would not discharge. I've found few cases of this happening to people one of which was at the feerry. Imagine ferry has to unload and you are the one which new car does not want to move?? This car is really advanced and I am suprised that some basic info cannot be displayed, like what gear your car is in, what is your battery kW or el motor output when driving, 12V battery status etc. For all this you need dongle and some advanced phone application which some people use. Will have to get one.

Interesting, bought the same one and I like it, looks good. Locking mechanism does not provide much of confidence I believe it could be easily bypassed with some damage.

Have a same car, great videos you put there; have to say not sure what pictures you had at the end actually show? I do not see valve picture taken from top as I don't see valve stem. My Niro is at 8400km and I am thinking of doing the same thing even though it is really to early to check for carbon build up. Car owners manual suggest using "Tier 1 unleaded gasoline 91 or higher octane". What gasoline do you use? Manual also suggest that "bottle of additive is added to the fuel tank every 13,000km (8000 miles) if you don't use TOP TIER Detergent gasoline. What kind of additive is that if you know? Some people comment that those detergent actually do nothing as fuel is injected directly into cilinder and fuel does not 'wash' cilinder head. I'd say good fuel sure helps as it burns better, so less carbon. Some say bigger issue with GDI are very expensive injectors rather than carbon build up but what do you plan in doing to reduce carbon? I know that engine in Niro plug-in does not work much compared to hybrid Niro but not sure if that is good or bad thing in terms of carbon. thanks

Please make a video of replacing/inspecting fuel injectors 🙏🙏🙏

Changed mine on ioniq hybrid after 60k miles, am yet to bleed the system small ticking sound after the procedure someone recommend a good scanner to do bleeding

Congratulations on your brilliant choice. We have a 2024 Niro HEV and we love this SX trim in Steele gray.

I've maintained my kia Rondo 2007 and having service manuals helped a lot. Not that I had to many problems (three 02 sensors, EGR valve, replaced timing belt at 80,000, water pump, front brakes and that was all) . Trade it in (gave it, better say) for Niro phev 2003 with 8k on it, but in as new condition. Transition from quite roomy Rondo to Niro was going 'down' a bit, but new technology in it should compensate, not space, but feel. Not sure if anyone would want to fix car when it is in warranty .. but this manual is good to have. Thanks!

where did you get niro service manual, tx

My 2021 Niro PHEV is awesome! Truly the best of both worlds. No it is not a race car but the dual clutch transmission with sport mode is efficient and fun to drive. It has driver’s seat memory is power adjustable. Plus the front seats are heated and ventilated and full leather seats all around. The car is easy to get in and out of both front and rear seats, and easy to park and drive around the city, very solid on the highway, with lots of space in the back, plus roof racks and cross bars. I like the regular sunroof (not pano), and the understated styling helps this very cool car blend in. I added on a block heater for winter and rain guards for summer. The regular tinted windows are perfect. The sixteen inch wheels give a better ride and fuel economy than the larger wheels. The intelligent cruise control is my favourite feature. The dual zone AC is great and I like having buttons to push. The dual digital instrument panels give a ton of programmable information and again… blend in. Not like other cars that have an iPad stuck on the dash… I could go on, but you get the picture.

In Hyundai IONIQ PHEV G4LE-engine( 1.6 non turbo) is recommended 0w30... you sure is ok to use 0w16 in it or it's the turbo smartstream from Tucson? If it's the same engine as on Tucson PHEV....well keep an eye on the oil because they had pretty bad oil dilution here in Europe. On the other side, G4LE are pretty solid engine here in EU, didn't hear any majore problems...maybe some carbon deposit specific to the GDi engines with a single row of injectors.

amsoil oil must not have been at dealership?

I just would like to know how you switch to motor going up the hills. We just bought one and I don't know much about the ev button. Tks in advance

Excellent point about the hard cold start on the gas engine for areas that routinely hit -20 C to -30C in winter, and -40C sometimes, as in Saskatchewan. I have wondered about the Total Cost of Ownership, as we would likely run the car 15 to 20 years, until we die likely. We don't want to have big repair bills if they can be avoided. For example, how likely is it that the battery would require changing in ten years, when it is out of warranty? We have a 2007 Honda Fit Manual that is going strong, but looking at what to replace it with eventually. Overall, it has been very reliable. In this climate, perhaps a gas engine is still the best way to go. The Honda CRV 2WD Gas Engine offers pretty good mileage, very good reliability, and very good ride and comfort, for about the same price.

Considering buying the Kia PHEV EX vehicle in Canada. Really appreciate your efforts with sharing your experience. Looks like you are learning lots, too. Please keep up the good work. 👍

I have a PHEV Niro. and I love it. I charge it religiously every night and most days in my work parking lot. I can go all week without spending any gas...and then blow my whole weeks gas budget on the weekend! hehe. BUT to be honest, the laws of thermodynamics and energy conservation say that every time energy is changed forms, energy is lost in the conversion. In the GRAND SCHEME of efficiency, it is better to not use your engine to recharge the battery. When the battery runs out and you switch over to gas...stay in gas mode till you plug it in again!! Thus ends my TED talk

How do I check the air flaps

Tip: Filling the engine coolant reservoir up to the MAX line makes it easier to see level changes than filling it to the mid-reservoir seam. You can't overfill; any excess will overflow.

I have a 2023 hybrid 1.6L Kia niro. 0w 16 oil. I change mine every 3k full synthetic w/ Kia (rebranded Mann) oil filter. I use liqui moly oil since 600 mile break in change. (<$30/oil change) I don’t trust these open deck, loose ring, DI engines & w16. I had just built up minimal trust with 5w20 lol. Anyways do as you all please; I’d recommend 2500k/3 mos interval for PHEV if harsh conditions are met, and u plan to keep long term. get rid of the oil BEFORE it gets over contaminated w/ water or fuel. Just my .02

Haha leave them fluids alone knucklehead,it's all supposed to do what it's doing

NOT cheaper than gas! but the car sure costs more and what happens if there's a power outage?

IMO, for these cold drives, you should switch to hybrid mode so that it runs on the engine ~30 mins at least once every week or so, to get the oil hot enough to vaporize any fuel in the oil. This should address oil dilution issue with direct inject engines, although it wouldn't address keeping the intake track (including the intake valve) clean. The used motor oil from my 2023 Niro PHEV have no gasoline smell at all.

for real? the Niro PHEV has liquid cooled battery?

One more thing to keep an eye on is the battery cooling intake, make sure it doesn't get dust bunnies all clogged up in there

I see at 4:42 the trunk cargo liner has kind of a weird thing going up the sides. I got one from Weather Tech that seems to be a better fit. But mine partially covers up some vents low on the wheel wells. I think these are for cabin air outflow (so the HVAC can blow in treated air), and not super important. At first I was worried they were vents for the battery, but that appears to not be the case. At any rate, I'd be a little worried if your cargo liner completely covers those vents.

How are they holding up?

Kia connect

Is available in your phone app

Great video, what trim level is your Niro ? Thanks I’m debating between that and the Sportage thanks

before going on your return home trip, switch from EV to HEV mode. It will start the engine sooner and allow it to reach operating temperature. And it will also reduce the chance of drainign the battery below 20% which is the gold standard to keep battery healthy

I can do 50 miles on $3.00 of gas at the present gas price of $3.25 with the non-plugin hybrid Niro

your batteries are rated to accept 14 thousand recharge cycles

I can smell the gas in the oil and I was checking the oil at 500 miles it was strong gas smell

Any idea how much to replace the battery for this car?

Thanks for sharing all your info! I have a 2023 niro HEV. You seem to be very protective in your maintenance, have you ever thought about installing a catch can to help reduce build up on the valves that happens to GDI engines? I had to walnut blast the valves on my mazdaspeed and i’d be happy to never do a job like that again.

How did the tests turn out? any gas in the oil?

That's cool! I just leased a 2024 Kia Niro PHEV and I also own a 2019 Rad Ebike!

Your hair is giving mad scientist and I'm not mad about it 👍

Had the same problem on a 10 year old BMW i3 - it was a $2000 cable... Difference is that BMW did not have a megger - I did ask about it.

Thanks for the report. Strange problem, the only reason I can think of for an insulation issue would be heat from the current flowing between the battery and the inverter. That seems unlikely but what else could it be? Glad you got it fixed under warrantee.

Thank you👍

I enjoy your videos. How about an update buddy ?

Great Vid! 👍🏻 Super helpful

How do you find this in wintery cold conditions being in Vermont? Living in Canada a bit north of you and very interested in one. Forgive what may be an obvious answer, but does the Niro PHEV have a heat pump, or is heating supplied as normally with any other ICE? Any cold weather observations you would want to share? Thanks!!

About to get a 2024 tomorrow and found your channel. Grateful for the work you've done. Following with interest.

I got an analysis from Blackstone on the initial oil change on my 2024 Niro PHEV at 3,327 miles. The results were very similar to those you reported earlier, copper at 29ppm, and silicone at 83ppm. Molybdenum, calcium, boron, etc were very similar. The report on my oil indicated 2.3 % fuel dilution, somewhat higher than your oil. Because I tend to drive on battery power much more than the gas engine, I wonder if gas is starting to accumulate in the crankcase. I'd think that gas (fuel) would be removed if the engine were run at operating temperature, by evaporation and then burned up through the EGR system. I took my first extended road trip up your way to watch the eclipse last week, quite spectacular! I averaged just under 52mpg on the 600 mile round trip, mostly I93 and Rt 3 in NH. The drive home was a painfully slow crawl for 6 hours! I have to say the car was thoroughly tested in slow speed, bumper to bumper traffic. I was somewhat concerned about the dual clutch transmission but the gas engine was mostly off and the car operated using the electric motor to move the car slowly so there was never a chance of overheating from slipping the clutch. I found for driving up short, steep hill climbs on the secondary roads, putting the car into sport mode made easy work of them.

Love it and yes I love to drive my Niro in sport mode which also charge my hybrid electric battery as well on motorway so take less petroleum and run more fast & I enjoy both which I notice wile I m going from london to Zurich all the way just £70 petroleum and going in hybrid & EV mode

I'll see if this applies to my Soul. Since I hear the word clutch, I think manual. I recently had the inspection done at the dealership and asked them to check the trannie fluid. Now I will look into this.

The fuel smell in your first sample could be a sign of piston ring blow by. Small high compression engines where there rings out like there's no tomorrow.