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Stutter/Jerk Problem!!!

93K views 141 replies 62 participants last post by  aaron.wilson.us 
#1 ·
Hello All,

Following the post from JosephO - I was surprised to find out that someone else in the world (at least one...) has the same problem as I have. Only last week I found out by reading this forum that I'm not the only one that have such a problem.
I bought a new Kia Niro on Jan 2017. Unfortunately form Feb 2017 I am dealing with this issue in front of Kia Israel technicians and the official dealer.
If I had to describe the problem - it would have sound EXACTLY the same as what Mr. JosephO described. I have the exact same issue.
Until a month ago the dealer admitted there's a problem and felt the sutter themselves. They connected a recording device to the car and claim they didn't see a thing on the computer. Their claim was that this is a miss-firing problem and following Kia's instructions their solution was replacing the injectors - which of course didn't solve a thing. The car continues to stutter. Sometime these are heavy stutters.
Now they have started to dismiss the issue and decided to blame it on the road conditions and claim this is how that car behaves naturally...!!! On my last meeting with them they offered me to replace the car on an improved leasing deal - which actually proves they recognize there's a real problem in addition to their previous admision to the problem. The more severe issue, is that according to what JosephO wrote, Kia probably had known about this problem and the Kia representatives didn't share the whole truth and told me that Kia had never seen such an issue. This sounds like someone is hiding the truth.
If they don't find a way to solve this to my satisfaction, I will most likely have no other option but to take it to court.
The public has the right to know about these defects and how the car manufacturer deals with its customers. Make your decisions wisely.
If you have a proposal or can share more about such an issue, please respond.

Thanks,
Oded
 
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#3 ·
Dang - think they could figure out what is going on (has to be a design problem).

I am still doing OK, but there is obvious Stutter / Jerk / Whatever To Call it at something over 6000 miles (mine is just not severe and not too frequent).

I am thinking smart for all of us to call Customer Service (MFG and Not Dealer) to get something on paper about the issue (no matter how little we experience it).
 
#6 ·
I am thinking smart for all of us to call Customer Service (MFG and Not Dealer) to get something on paper about the issue (no matter how little we experience it).
Smartest thing I heard so far which has worked for other communities. Most front line employees just want to get you in and out as fast as possible due to how they're paid or out of pure laziness. Head Office is a slightly different ball game. At the very least dealing with issues on a higher level creates paperwork and another level of accountability for them.
 
#4 ·
Stutter/Jerk Problem!!!

I, too, have had the "stutter" problem on our '17 Niro EX...and our vehicle has now over 6500 miles on the odometer. The shuddering is very obvious when the Niro is right at the junction of coasting and needing a bit of acceleration to maintain speed. It feels just like a misfire (like someone pulled a plug wire on one of the cylinders) except the MPG's don't seem to be affected...as the car still averages over 52 mpg banging around town and mid-to-high 40's mpg on the highway. This jerking occurs in both EV and gas modes which , of course, leads one to believe it is not an engine misfire but perhaps a transmission/power train problem. Maybe the mechanism to provide a smooth transition between gas and EV modes is at fault?

The car has been twice to the dealer for this issue, but because no error codes get thrown by the OBD, they claim nothing can be done to remedy the problem. Supposedly, this complaint was registered by the dealership's repair facility in such a manner that ALL Kia maintenance personnel worldwide can see the problem and share remedies when available.
 
#34 · (Edited)
I, too, have had the "stutter" problem on our '17 Niro EX...and our vehicle has now over 6500 miles on the odometer. The shuddering is very obvious when the Niro is right at the junction of coasting and needing a bit of acceleration to maintain speed. It feels just like a misfire (like someone pulled a plug wire on one of the cylinders) except the MPG's don't seem to be affected...as the car still averages over 52 mpg banging around town and mid-to-high 40's mpg on the highway. This jerking occurs in both EV and gas modes which , of course, leads one to believe it is not an engine misfire but perhaps a transmission/power train problem. Maybe the mechanism to provide a smooth transition between gas and EV modes is at fault?

The car has been twice to the dealer for this issue, but because no error codes get thrown by the OBD, they claim nothing can be done to remedy the problem. Supposedly, this complaint was registered by the dealership's repair facility in such a manner that ALL Kia maintenance personnel worldwide can see the problem and share remedies when available.

Issue updated July 28, 2018: When I brought our Niro into the dealership for the Hydraulic Clutch Actuator recall, I decided to let then keep the car overnight so that they could test drive it when the engine was COLD the next day. (I had since re-assessed my above claim that the stuttering happened in both EV and gas modes when I realized that the issue only appeared in gas mode and when the engine was cold. After 10 minutes of driving, the stuttering went away--once the engine was warmed up.) The dealership has now had our Niro for nearly three weeks during which time they've changed out the fuel injectors--to no avail. The injector replacement was completed over a week ago....and apparently nothing has been done to rectify the problem since...as the dealership claims they are waiting for word from the Kia Headquarters as to what to try next! We have had a "loaner" car provided to us from the parent Kia Corporation since July 13th...so that in itself is racking up quite an expense for them in addition to the fruitless repairs to date. More to follow, as the saga continues!
 
#5 ·
I have been having the same problem since day 1. It took a while to bring it in the first time and they told me it was the dual clutch. Second trip they reset the computer. Third trip they put a "flight recorder" on it and told me it was misfiring. That was 30 days ago and they still don't have a solution. I have nearly 16,000 miles on the car and I have a case open with Consumer Affairs. They have supposedly escalated it and when they called me back they told they were aware of the issue, they have no time frame as to when it will be fixed and that since the car is driveable I have to keep it and keep driving it until they have a solution. The dealer offered to sell me a new one but I don't think they are going to give me full value on the one I have so I will lose all the payments and have to start fresh. It is unbelievable that they basically told me to sit down and shut up until they get around to addressing the problem.

Has anyone used the lemon law to get their vehicle replaced?
 
#8 ·
That's what I think is the whole issue here. There's a belt that engages/ the motor and engine(ICE) from the drivetrain. Also you have the DCT, which is an automated clutch. Put those together at low speeds and conditions,and sometimes you get the gear/linkage feel. Some people just can't deal with it well, especially when new and theyre used to an ICE with automatic/torque converter. It's interesting your VW hybrid also had the DCT.
Also interesting this guy was a one post wonder, no follow up. If this was a random misfire issue, that would show up big time and be stored even on the old OBD ll diagnostic.
 
#10 ·
Multiple Issues

I contacted the dealership as well as KIA who assigned a case number to my stuttering issue. I called it a "Hunt" as the vehicle seems to get confused over which power source it will use as well as a computer program that is to tight in tolerance when setting a MPH. If the vehicle is set to 60 mph the computer does not allow a variance of more than one mph causing the vehicle powertrain to constantly turn on and off accordingly. I've had a few conversations with multiple representatives from KIA who promise that they will get with the dealer to get to the root cause but eventually the phone call and follow up stops. I now have 9000 miles on the vehicle and have regretted every one since purchase. I've offered to work with development engineers for a software push to correct the issues. Its too bad that there seems to be a lack ot progress or attention to the issues as this is a beautiful vehicle. Interesting fact is that I purchased two of these vehicles about 4 months apart and the first one is a total different driving experience. The suspension is tighter (doesn't wander), headlights don't shake going over bumps, mirror in night mode doesn't cutoff the rear window, and the brakes dont grab.
 
#11 ·
Here is another person with the Shutter/Jerk Problem!!!

I have a 2017 Kia Niro Touring with Advanced Tech Pack. It's in a color that is not sold in the US, but in EUR, but I have it. It makes it unique. They call it Gravity Blue, not sure, I have only heard of one other, and the support for Kia told me that they didn't even know of it. Keep in mind it's a Touring (With Sunroof) not the Touring Launch Edition. Anyway....
I have had my Kia in multiple times for this problem. They have test drove it and said they don't detect a problem. Like going to the doctor, it seems the problem goes away when I take it to the dealer, but returns after. (Keep in mind the dealer has never drove it after it sits for a long time or over night.) It is exactly as described by the person that started this Thread. I don't think it has anything to do with the transmission when it comes to switching between Electric and Gas. I have watched my screen to see if the vehicle was switching at the time, and it is always when it's running on Gas. Unlike someone above, when mine is in Electric mode, I don't feel the problem at all. It's only when running gas and lightly pressing the gas pedal. Even though at times, it happens when I accelerating with half or more throttle. I have noticed it happens more when the car is not warm, or just at running temp. It also seems to happen to me more when the weather is rainy. Like someone above, my problem does come and go, but I feel it at some point everyday. Its as if the car is going to stall, which has happen already. I was starting to accelerate from a stop and bomb, the engine stalled and lost all power. The gas pedal wouldn't do anything. I had to pull the car to the side of the road, put it in park, turn it off and then re-crank it, to get it running. Every since that stall, my car started this shutter/jerk problem, and the electric motor started making a funny noise. The last time I had it in, the performed the recall for the electric coolant and found no problems. They took it out with me in the car this time and the **** car never shuttered or jerked. BUT, they did drive it around the lot and listen the the strange noise my electric motor is making. Which sounds like an electric motor that is out of balance, or that the bushings have wore out. They said that they couldn't do anything about the noise, but were escalating it to a higher level. Not sure what that means, Level 2 techs? The Corp Office? The engineers that made the vehicle? They didn't give me a time frame of when they will get back to me on the issue either. After the stall, when I got the weird sound and the shutter/jerk, I also lost gas mileage. I have to drive perfect to achieve 42 miles to the gallon which gives me another reason to think it's a miss-fire or dropped cylinder. The first time I took my vehicle to the dealer for the shutter / jerk and they didn't see a problem. I got in my call and it ran perfect for 2-3 days and then started back with the shutter. While it was running with no jerk, I was getting 48 miles to the gallon. (Keep in mind these mileages are w/o the roof rack)

I apologize for all the rambling. I have just had this and other problems with my Kia Niro bundled up.. Everyone looking at me like I am an idiot when I am telling them about the shutter. I am happy to find out that it's not just me. I did call Corp Support on this, they offered to pay for a loaner while the Kia place keeps my car multiple over nights to see if they can detect the problem, which I now see is not just me. I have yet to take them up on this offer, but have called back to confirm the offer still stand, and the Kia support agent never called me back. So, I have let it go for a while. I currently have over 25,000 miles on my Kia, which I got roughly March 29th. I took the crappy dealership (JT's Kia of Rockhill) 6 months to get me my registration, which was late when I renewed it, but they at least picked up the cost of penalties that were incurred. But I have had no luck with the dealership, which sold it to me saying it had LKAS (Lane Keep Assist System) and it only had (LDWS) Lane departure warning system. They also told me I would have 1 year of service, which turned out to be 2 visits. Check out the picture of my tire pressures when I got home. Took it to another dealer and they said the tires reading 51 were really 70ish and that the system caps off at 51? Well, the list of problems goes on... I hope Kia resolves this issue or makes it right. The shutter has made me dislike my Niro, even though I love most everything else.
 

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#12 ·
I had a mild stuttering with my Niro EX but it seems to happen only while the engine is not warmed up. Once my engine temperature is at normal range it stops and works great. My MPG is also still wonderful at around 54 city 43 highway but again stuttering only when engine has not warmed up which takes time due to I run on the EV most of the way out of my neighborhood and reach the highway I know it will stutter for few miles then stops.
 
#14 · (Edited)
grfx69;50618 It is exactly as described by the person that started this Thread. I don't think it has anything to do with the transmission when it comes to switching between Electric and Gas. I have watched my screen to see if the vehicle was switching at the time said:
It's only when running gas and lightly pressing the gas pedal[/B]. Even though at times, it happens when I accelerating with half or more throttle. I have noticed it happens more when the car is not warm, or just at running temp. It also seems to happen to me more when the weather is rainy. Like someone above, my problem does come and go, but I feel it at some point everyday.
I registered to share my 2 cents. The quote above nails it especially the part in bold print (ok apparently this didn;t work so in between the random B's). It's only in gas mode. Now to those who say its the DCT, I worked at a VW dealer and it's not the same thing. To those who think this is just a hybrid thing, it is not my first hybrid and it only happens when the display shows gas only mode. It happens in almost a rhythmic way, like a nail in your tire when moving slow, it has a consistent timing to it (not sure if that makes sense). It feels similar to a transmission slipping but not exactly like that either. It actually bucks you while your driving, like intermittent boosts of power. It's very difficult to explain to someone who has never experienced it. If you stomp on the gas or if you let go of it completely, it disappears. If the battery joins the party it disappears as well. I'm not sure if I helped or confused people more here but I wanted to express that there is yet another person here with a 2017 having issues.
 
#81 ·
This is exactly what i experience in my car for the last two years and three trips to the dealer. At this point all warranty work has been completed but the "stutter" remains. I agree it seems to be primarily when the engine is cold but it happens when warm and traveling at coasting speeds on the highway. I'm also only getting 42MGP and i drive a mix of highway and city. Not horrible, but not what is advertised.

I have the benefit of owning two of these, same year and same trim. One has these issues and the other doesn't the one with no issues is also getting 52mpg and drives primarily highway. Some of the other post mention dealerships looking up serial numbers. Doesn't this confirm a batch of bad parts!? I assume i have one Niro with good parts and one with bad parts.

Any recommendation in forcing the dealers hand to actually do something or should i just keep taking it back?
 
#15 ·
There is now a recall, full RECALL not just a TSB/Technical Service Bulletin, regarding a clutch seal, leaks oil, and could possibly cause a fire under certain circumstances....I wonder if oil leaking from a clutch assembly could possibly be the culprit for those experiencing this engine stuttering problem?
 
#16 ·
Just to point out, there is no such thing as ICE only mode. The traction motor is always engaged, and if one is to believe the displays, always charging or adding to motive force. In addition, it is always fully engaged with the DCT. The ICE has a clutch that disengages it from the drivetrain.

I'm not suggesting the issue is your motor, but I can easily envision that a software glitch could cause this issue only when the ICE is engaged. Notice I did not say ICE on, because it is common in mornings that I go two blocks in EV mode with the ICE running before it engages.
 
#18 ·
I purchased my 2017 Niro (base model) a few months ago back in Feb 2018. It started having this issue within the first week of owning it where it would jerk randomly as if it was confused between going from the engine to the battery. It started getting worse so 3 weeks ago I made an appointment with the dealership as this was a daily thing that was happening. After driving it around for about an hour with a technician it of course ran like a dream. I told them to keep the car until it does it and the technician drove it home and back to the dealership the next day and noticed what I was describing. The dealer then submitted a ticket with Kia to figure out what is going on with the vehicle. Kia advised the dealer to take the top part of the engine off and get them part numbers. After several days of me calling and requesting an update the dealership called and I just found out today that the entire engine needs to be replaced. All the dealer said they were told was that there is a "valve hangup" and that a "special detergent" was used to see if it would fix the problem but did not. They then indicated a new engine is on order and will be to the dealer ship next week. It sounded like Kia is trying to keep this on the DL as they typically don't just jump to replacing the engine.

My experiance with the issue is it can happen anywhere from 25 - 75 mph. More times than not it happens around 50 mph. It happens when both the engine and electric motor are engaged at the same time and also just when the engine is running. It has never done it running only off of battery power as far as I know. I just wanted to give my two cents to maybe help anyone else out having the same issue.
 
#19 ·
Hi,



Anyone with KIA Niro PHEV w/ lots of miles, driving in different conditions, etc who is not getting Stutter/Jerk or other issues?


I have been researching this car inside-out because we foster Labradors and do quite a bit of transport of foster Labs too. We are really on the fence after reading MPG drops dramatically on hills & in cold weather. I read an owner was really upset at 20MPG during winter temps 20F- 40F.


I see Ford stopped C-Max Energi production, this is the last year of Ford C-Max hybrid, & there are quite a few pics of a Ford Escape Energi being tested. Given Ford has the Energi/ Plug-In transmission almost perfected, I could wait for it instead of the KIA Niro PHEV.

Note car mags are saying Ford stopped C-Max b/c Toyota had the Prius V in production and sales plummeted after they released the Rav4 Hybrid- which has better safety features included, shorter braking distance, more NHSTA testing/ recommendations, & more cargo space for a drop in MPG.
 
#27 ·
My second hybrid and I live in the northeast. Winter temps definitely affect MPG in all cars but I'd suggest even more so in a hybrid. I think these batteries need a while to warm up before they start working efficiently so if you park outside and drive short distances like me you will see the effects more extremely. I get low 60's on the niro in the summer and low 40's in the winter. My wife has a cmax and also experiences a 20% plus drop in MPG but she drives longer distances to work. I also notice that when I do drive longer distances in the winter, the decrease is much smaller.
 
#20 ·
20 mpg? I'd be upset too. That's not normal. But the reality is that you always get better mpg with a hybrid. Yup, the winter mileage drop can look huge. I bought my car in January and my first tank was 42 mpg calculated (not the car display). But it was really cold, twenties, and I did most of the miles at over 70 mph. Last three fills have been 58, 58, and 60! That is with a standard hybrid, it will be even higher in a PHEV.
 
#22 ·
Not sure where you read 20 mpg. Sounds like someone has a car with an issue. Otherwise that makes little sense.

Over the holidays with lots of short hauls and hills in near 0F temps, I got one tank of 39.9 mpg. Recently I’ve been over 50 failures regularly.
 
#23 ·
What failures did you have? Do you have the 2017, 2018 Hybrid or 2018 Plug-In?


Yes I did read in Michigan, New Hampshire, Vermont etc Cold Winter places that the cold drops the MPG drastically. Example of posts See Reddit.com about the North-Easters who posted bad MPG during very low temps.


I really want a gas efficient vehicle with room to transport foster Labs for the No-Kill/ rescue groups I volunteer to help. A heart worm positive dog getting treatment also gets Predisone which has made some really sweet dogs aggressive; not an ideal dog in a breakdown/ accident situation.


As I research, it seems the Kia Niros HEV & PHEV have some major hiccups.
 
#24 ·
I'm pretty sure that "failures" there was an autocorrect for mpg or something similar, but the poster would have to confirm. Until then I would read it as this, which makes a lot more sense in context:

Over the holidays with lots of short hauls and hills in near 0F temps, I got one tank of 39.9 mpg. Recently I’ve been over 50 mpg regularly.
What failures did you have?
 
#28 ·
I am a potential Niro owner doing research in prep. to buy new or used. This "Stuttering" issue has me concerned! SO: has there been any resolution for any of you experiencing this? If so, what was the cause, and has it been fixed? Does this issue also occur with the new 2018 model???
I have been searching used Niros, but would a 2018 be a smarter choice?

Thanks for any updates on this!

Robert B
Snellville, GA
 
#32 ·
Not exactly and update and there has been so much written on this topic (stuttering) that I hesitated to respond.

I have an early (first one dealers lot) 2017 bought in FEB 2017 and now have 14,888 miles. FUELLY site that I faithfully post on shows 51.1 MPG AVE.

That said, stutter or whatever it is called shows up moderately for most part, a few times what I call more than moderate (hard to put a level on it other than to say, it has not been bad enough for me to worry with). I just drive and enjoy but if it got bad (overly annoying), I would pursue with KIA.

Seems I read on here someplace that it is a bit like a straight shift car with the clutch operation when it shifts (sometimes not a smooth engagement). The article said should go away when broke in -- reckon the "Broke In" can mean anything (I am 14,888 miles and still get some stutter).

My son has a Hyundai Sonata (Hybrid) and it is smoother overall (less noise and shift is smoother) the few times I have ridden with him. He says he has felt the stutter at times (I guess it is a dual clutch -- don't know). He gets in 43 MPG range with it.
 
#33 ·
Surging Problem @ 40 mph or so

My 2017 Niro Touring w/6800 miles has had a surging problem at 35-45 mph for some time. By surging I mean that you can feel the car accelerate / decelerate slightly while trying to hold a steady speed. I noticed and communicated to them that it seemed to always act up in gas engine mode and was worse with higher ambient temperatures. On the first trip in to the dealer a month or so ago they did some computer reprogramming. There was no improvement.

I dropped it off last Thursday 7/5/18 for the same concern. On Thursday Kia tech support instructed them to remove the intake manifold and take pictures of some numbers to email them. My assumption is that they were casting numbers from the cylinder head. Finally late Friday 7/6/18 afternoon Kia tech support instructed the tech at the dealer to replace the cylinder head. It is currently on order, possibly arriving Wednesday and maybe I get the car back on Friday of this week.

Two things...

First off, the dealer said they would be happy to rent me a car at my expense during this. In light of the time delays I found that unacceptable and contacted Kia Customer Service this morning. Has anyone else had satisfaction getting a free loaner for an extended warranty repair? If so how loud did you have to scream?

Secondly, I find it interesting that they diagnosed the problem via casting numbers. It would seem that there is a known problem with certain cylinder heads. I don't see anything on this via my internet searches. It seems to me that there must be a crack or warping issue between the head and the intake manifold causing a vacuum leak, as that could create my symptom.

I'll update this once I know more about it.
 
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