2021 Niro EPB Blanking Plate Went Missing - Third Party or Kia Part?

kenftb · 2025-10-10T04:15:06-0400

Hi all,

I have an e-Niro that I bought six months ago. Above the parking brake button on the console, mine had a blanking plate, whereas most/all I've seen online simply have a hole. It was curved so that you can still get your finger behind the button to apply the brake. I didn't think anything of it until now as it's the first Niro I've owned.

It went it for its first service in my ownership to a local dealership this week, and when I picked it up, I immediately noticed something looked different - the blanking plate was gone, and there was a hole in its place. Naturally, I raised it with them, they asked around and nobody knew anything about it. This is the type of thing where if you use something daily and it changes, you know about it, and this stuck out like a sore thumb. I've had a look, and I can't find any photos I might have taken of the interior when it was fitted, unfortunately.

I'm trying to establish if this is a Kia part, or perhaps a community mod or something like that.

Here's a reminder of what it looks like with nothing installed above the EPB button:

iooi · 2025-10-10T06:24:31-0400

Can you post a picture of what yours looks like?

kenftb · 2025-10-10T08:59:16-0400

Sadly, it doesn't look like I have a 'before' pic. If you can imagine a piece of plastic that matches the rest of the trim, and with a slight curve or dip approaching the EPB button so you can get a finger in to operate. I had no idea it was an addition, as it looked like a factory fit. It's really annoying, because I feel like it would have needed to be purposefully pried out - I can't see it just popping out.

mr.macspot · 2025-10-10T09:54:23-0400

Does this help, it a 2020 Sportage, but may look similar:

kenftb · 2025-10-12T12:53:08-0400

Thanks guys. Looks like you both have something similar to what I have now - a hole instead of a blank - so the search continues...

iooi · 2025-10-13T02:58:08-0400

If you dont have a hole, how do you pull the EPB switch up to engage?

mr.macspot · 2025-10-12T14:10:37-0400

I would have thought it would be part of the switch moulding, I'm a bit surprised it is separate. Try entering your VIN into the PartSouq online catalogue, it should display a list of all the parts and part numbers for your vehicle and also has exploded diagrams.

Ken Gillam · 2025-10-12T18:18:45-0400

My 2020 E-Niro looks exactly the same.

AlunS · 2025-10-13T06:17:29-0400

Could this have been some sort of temporary thing inserted during shipping for some reason or another that wasn't removed as part of the pre delivery inspection?

Aerofly · 2025-10-13T07:22:09-0400

Forgive me if I’m stating the obvious here, but from all of the photos I’ve seen, surely it’s pretty straightforward that the hole is there to aid your finger when pulling up on the Parking brake switch.
If there was a blanking plate there, then surely it would be impossible to operate the switch? 🤷‍♂️

Derek996 · 2025-10-13T08:00:10-0400

Aerofly said:
Forgive me if I’m stating the obvious here, but from all of the photos I’ve seen, surely it’s pretty straightforward that the hole is there to aid your finger when pulling up on the Parking brake switch.
If there was a blanking plate there, then surely it would be impossible to operate the switch? 🤷‍♂️

kenftb said:
...It was curved so that you can still get your finger behind the button to apply the brake...

I think the OP is saying the curved section at the bottom of the hole is missing and all this there now is a genuine hole

mr.macspot · 2025-10-13T08:31:04-0400

I was thinking along the same line. Calling it a blanking plate is misleading, it is more a finger guide to prevent you poking your finger into whatever is under the switch.

Aerofly · 2025-10-13T09:19:54-0400

Well I think I’m beginning to understand, now that mr.macspot has suggested the ‘finger guide’👍. I was finding it difficult to imagine what the actual problem was, but looking a little more closely at the picture does suggest that the ‘sloped’ backing plate is actually missing.
I wonder if some heavy handed mechanic accidentally pushed it through, and the dealer is possibly trying to cover up the fact? 🤷‍♂️

iooi · 2025-10-13T13:24:13-0400

Aerofly said:
Well I think I’m beginning to understand, now that mr.macspot has suggested the ‘finger guide’👍. I was finding it difficult to imagine what the actual problem was, but looking a little more closely at the picture does suggest that the ‘sloped’ backing plate is actually missing.
I wonder if some heavy handed mechanic accidentally pushed it through, and the dealer is possibly trying to cover up the fact? 🤷‍♂️

Which picture, as OP has not posted one of what theirs looks like now.

Just one which which is exactly like mine.

kenftb · 2025-10-13T16:19:00-0400

Hi all, thanks for the replies. Apologies if I wasn't clear enough in my original post - the photo is what it looks like now, and from what I can gather, is what most look like - ie. a hole. A hole makes sense, as you need to be able to get your finger under the button. However, mine was different before it went to the dealers. I chose the term 'blanking plate' as essentially the hole was filled in with some sort of insert. I guess 'insert' might have been a better term! I could get my finger under the button though because the insert had a slightly curved section near the button. It gave me way less space to operate the brake, and I guess made it less likely to apply too much force to the button. It looked neater too! Unfortunately, I don't have a pic of what it looked like before,

Mogless · 2025-10-13T18:34:05-0400

Have a look on partsouq.com by your vin it may show a diagram to ascertain if it is a separate part.

2021 Niro EPB Blanking Plate Went Missing - Third Party or Kia Part?

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