2016 Kia Niro Hybrid with a clean scan, a healthy battery and two body repairs

This 2016 Kia Niro Hybrid was a UK import that has been in Ireland since 2020. Our scan found no fault codes in any of the 22 control units the tool reached, and all 64 hybrid battery cells sat within 0.02 V of each other. It passed and was recommended for purchase. The one open question was a body repair on the right side that our inspector found and the seller had not mentioned.

The car

This is the first generation Niro, with a 1,580 cc direct injection petrol engine and an electric drive motor, 141 PS (139 bhp) combined, and a 6-speed dual clutch automatic driving the front wheels. It was first registered in the UK in September 2016, had two owners there, and came to Ireland in October 2020. The dashboard showed 41,952 miles (67,515 km). The history checks were clear: no finance, no write-off in Ireland or the UK, no UK theft record and no damage record. The NCT was valid to October 2027, the road tax had expired, there was one key and the service book was only partly complete.

What we found

Hybrid system and electronics

All 64 hybrid battery cells read between 3.66 and 3.68 V, with low, even internal resistance and good insulation resistance, and there were no battery faults. The engine computer recorded 28,879 km since its fault memory was last cleared, so nobody had wiped codes before our visit, and nothing was stored anywhere. The engine showed zero misfires and only small fuel corrections. The 12 volt battery sensor reported 90% health, and the engine clutch actuator, which connects the petrol engine to the hybrid drive, held 10.4 bar with no faults.

Body repairs on both sides

Every panel was measured with a paint thickness gauge. Original paint reads up to about 150 microns. On the left, the rear door read 2,000 microns, meaning body filler, with the front door and rear wing repainted at 200 microns. The seller disclosed this repair before the inspection. On the right, our inspector found a second repair: 1,200 microns of filler in the front door, with the front wing and rear door repainted. Neither repair appears on the Irish or UK history checks.

Smaller points

• A few small drops of oil at the sump plug after a recent service, most likely a plug or washer that needs tightening or renewing.
• The left mirror indicator was scratched with moisture inside, which can stop it working and fail the NCT.
• Light marks on the paint that a machine polish will remove.
• Very small damage on the front radiator and on one tyre sidewall and rim, both judged not major.

All four tyres were from 2025 with 4.89 to 6.19 mm of tread, and the brakes were only 15 to 20% worn, as expected on a hybrid where the electric motor does much of the slowing down.

Mileage

There are no UK or earlier Irish mileage readings on record to compare with. Inside the car, the hybrid battery had run for about 1,400 hours, an average of 48.2 km/h over the displayed distance, which is normal for mixed driving. With the light wear on the car, the data supports the displayed mileage, and we found no evidence of manipulation.

What it would cost

The jobs worth doing now, the sump plug check, the mirror indicator and a machine polish, come to €140 to €380, and the road tax needs renewing at €190 a year. Planned maintenance later comes to €800 to €1,410: a dual clutch gearbox oil change, a coolant change and the motor generator drive belt, all due by age or mileage unless records show otherwise, plus brake fluid at the next service and spark plugs at about 90,000 km.

Our verdict

Pass, recommended for purchase, with no conditions. Our inspector's recommendation was to buy, with the sump plug checked and the right side repair explained. It started well from cold with no unusual noises, drove smoothly, and the braking test was excellent. The suspension appeared original, all interior equipment worked, and the oil was clean and at the correct level. Our inspector would be comfortable buying this car once the sump plug has been checked.

Buying a used Niro in Ireland: what to check

• Have the hybrid battery read cell by cell. Battery health percentage is not available to independent tools, so cell voltage spread and resistance are the practical guide.
• On the dual clutch gearbox, watch for judder when pulling away and ask when the gearbox oil was last changed.
• Ask a Kia dealer for a VIN recall check. Campaigns on this generation have covered the engine clutch actuator and, in the US, a high-voltage relay, mostly on cars built from November 2016. Ranges differ by market.
• On a UK import, ask for the MOT certificates, which give you an independent mileage history.
• Measure the paint on every panel. A clean history check does not mean a car has never been repaired.

A clean scan and a healthy battery made this an easy pass, but only measuring every panel showed the second repair.