EV6 (1st)
Reliability Score
Complaints by Engine Code
Kia EV6 Unidentified Engine
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Complaint Breakdown
Battery & Propulsion Reliability
Battery Electric (BEV)
Battery & propulsion complaint analysis for the 2022-2025 Kia EV6
That's roughly 9.9x the typical rate for BEVs in this dataset (median 5.7 per year). This generation has materially more battery & propulsion complaints than its peers. The comparison is not adjusted for sales volume.
What kind of battery complaint?
Among the 223 battery-related complaints, here's the type mix. These percentages describe what the complaints are about — not how reliable the vehicle is overall.
Low-voltage battery deaths, common on EVs and hybrids that use a 12V for accessories.
Charge port, cable, mobile connector, or session failures.
Loss of power, drive unit, inverter, traction motor, DC-DC converter.
Propulsion battery defects, capacity loss, BMS faults, replacement claims.
Regen brake feel, one-pedal driving, B-mode complaints.
Battery fires, smoke, thermal runaway. Includes any complaint with fire reported.
Battery & propulsion recalls (3)
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022-2024 EV6 vehicles. The Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) may become damaged and stop charging the 12-Volt battery, which can result in a loss of drive power.
Consequence: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022-2024 EV6 vehicles. The Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) may become damaged and stop charging the 12-volt battery, which can result in a loss of drive power.
Consequence: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022-2024 EV6 and 2024 EV9 vehicles. The high voltage battery cells may contain misaligned electrodes, which can lead to a fire while parked or driving.
Consequence: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Sample complaint excerpts
12V Auxiliary Battery
- [2022] The ICCU, or integrated charge control unit, continually fails on this car. When it fails, the 12V battery rapidly drains and the car goes into turtle mode (25mph max) until the 12 battery drains completely. This has happened 4 times on this car, twice since I purchased it 'certified pre-owned" from a Kia dealership in February 2026. Luckily for me the two times it has failed on me, I was in town
- [2022] Vehicle ICCU unit failed resulting in inability to charge at level 1/2 on AC power and would have ultimately led to failure of the 12v battery, which results in the car shutting down. Posing a safety risk. Resulting repair led to coolant level issue. Currently the only solution to the problem is replacement of the unit, with the exact same unit model. Leaving the possibility of it happening again.
- [2022] Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU )failure on the high voltage battery leading to also the 12v battery failure.
Charging System
- [2022] 1. Severe Safety Concerns (Battery Thermal Risk & Component Interdependency) The PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater in my vehicle has failed. This component failure has completely disabled my vehicle’s air conditioning (AC) system. In the Kia EV6 architecture, the AC compressor loop is not merely a cabin comfort feature; it is intrinsically linked to the vehicle's thermal management sys
- [2022] The Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) failed twice within four weeks. The first failure occurred in March 2026 and was repaired under recall SC327 with a replacement ICCU and fuse. The second failure occurred April 7, 2026, approximately 12 days after pickup. Symptoms: Vehicle failed to charge overnight on Level 1 and Level 2 circuits despite being plugged in. Later that day, while driving,
- [2022] I was unable to charge this electric vehicle which I normally do almost once or twice a week using my home level 2 charger. It also did not speak the message that "your vehicle is being charged" which it normally does when I charge the vehicle. I tried multiple times. Then I got into the vehicle and saw that it was giving me the following error messages (pics included below) upon trying to star
Electric Propulsion
- [2022] The ICCU, or integrated charge control unit, continually fails on this car. When it fails, the 12V battery rapidly drains and the car goes into turtle mode (25mph max) until the 12 battery drains completely. This has happened 4 times on this car, twice since I purchased it 'certified pre-owned" from a Kia dealership in February 2026. Luckily for me the two times it has failed on me, I was in town
- [2022] The Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) failed twice within four weeks. The first failure occurred in March 2026 and was repaired under recall SC327 with a replacement ICCU and fuse. The second failure occurred April 7, 2026, approximately 12 days after pickup. Symptoms: Vehicle failed to charge overnight on Level 1 and Level 2 circuits despite being plugged in. Later that day, while driving,
- [2022] Electrical propulsion failure resulting in 3 tow-ins. Vehicle goes into limp mode, slows to 20 mph on highway and then stops after about 2 miles. The issue appears related to the ICCU, fuse and 12V battery failures. History includes 6 attached ICCU related Repairs. #1 ICCU updated under recall SC271 at 31,678 miles. #2 Then the ICCU was replaced under recall SC302 at 45,059 miles. #3 Then t
High-Voltage Battery
- [2022] 1. Severe Safety Concerns (Battery Thermal Risk & Component Interdependency) The PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater in my vehicle has failed. This component failure has completely disabled my vehicle’s air conditioning (AC) system. In the Kia EV6 architecture, the AC compressor loop is not merely a cabin comfort feature; it is intrinsically linked to the vehicle's thermal management sys
- [2022] Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU )failure on the high voltage battery leading to also the 12v battery failure.
- [2022] Persistent ICCU failure causing charging interruptions, “Check Vehicle Charging System” → “Stop vehicle and check power supply” warnings, low 12V battery voltage (down to 12.1V), and risk of power loss/strand. Kia Connect sent “Charge Interrupted” alert during a session that reached 99%. Multiple prior recalls/attempts failed to resolve (Sep 2023 TSB ELE291 BMS, Jun 2024 SC271 ICCU SW, Jan 2025 SC
Regenerative Braking
- [2022] There exists a serious manufacturing defect in that the brake lights do not turn on when the car is used in one-pedal drive mode and even a rapid deceleration occurs due to regenerative braking. This was documented by Consumer Reports and it presents a critical safety hazard. https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-safety/brake-lights-can-fail-to-provide-fair-warning-on-some-evs-a9533519285/?EX
- [2022] The brake light does not activate in a way that would signal to other drivers that the vehicle is stopping or slowing down, while using higher regenerative braking. The ipedal mode can have a significant amount of deceleration and not activate the brake light, even coming to a full stop and not activating the light, if the driver's foot is not completely off the pedal. I have been told by other d
- [2022] When heavy regenerative braking is used, the car decelerates very quickly. Despite this, the brake lights do not turn on. This is very dangerous as the regenerative braking can be used to completely stop the vehicle. People driving behind me need to be aware that I am coming to a stop and are not currently warned. Technology Connections just released a very detailed video on the Ioniq 5 which use
Thermal Events
- [2022] 1. Severe Safety Concerns (Battery Thermal Risk & Component Interdependency) The PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater in my vehicle has failed. This component failure has completely disabled my vehicle’s air conditioning (AC) system. In the Kia EV6 architecture, the AC compressor loop is not merely a cabin comfort feature; it is intrinsically linked to the vehicle's thermal management sys
- [2024] I was driving my car on the highway, then I got the message çheck your electrical system'for around a minute. Then there was a rumble or bang as if I hit something with the back, but the road was clean. Then the car started slowing down and I drove to the side. I got out of the car and saw white smoke coming from under the car in the back. I started opening the hood and trunk in the back to find o
Source: classified from NHTSA complaint and recall data. "Battery-related" includes high-voltage propulsion battery, charging system, hybrid drivetrain, electric propulsion, regenerative braking, 12V auxiliary battery, and thermal-event complaints. Other complaints (suspension, steering, brakes, infotainment) appear in the engine and vehicle-level sections. Rates are absolute counts, not normalized per-VIN — high-volume models naturally produce more raw complaints than low-volume ones. Self-reported death and injury counts are capped per complaint to limit form abuse.
Battery: Hyundai e-GMP 77.4 kWh (NCM)
Pack overview
Known issues
How this pack ages (industry context)
Industry fleet aggregates: 2.3% average annual capacity loss across 22,700 EVs / 21 models (Geotab, 2026), and 95% range retention at 5 years on average across 30,000+ vehicles (Recurrent, 2026).
OEM warranty floor on this pack: 10 yr / 100k mi to 70% capacity.
Public per-pack degradation curves are not available for most models. Individual results vary materially with climate, charging behavior, and DC fast-charge frequency.
Battery: Hyundai e-GMP 58 kWh (Standard Range)
Pack overview
Known issues
How this pack ages (industry context)
Industry fleet aggregates: 2.3% average annual capacity loss across 22,700 EVs / 21 models (Geotab, 2026), and 95% range retention at 5 years on average across 30,000+ vehicles (Recurrent, 2026).
OEM warranty floor on this pack: 10 yr / 100k mi to 70% capacity.
Public per-pack degradation curves are not available for most models. Individual results vary materially with climate, charging behavior, and DC fast-charge frequency.
Battery: Hyundai e-GMP 84 kWh
Pack overview
Known issues
How this pack ages (industry context)
Industry fleet aggregates: 2.3% average annual capacity loss across 22,700 EVs / 21 models (Geotab, 2026), and 95% range retention at 5 years on average across 30,000+ vehicles (Recurrent, 2026).
OEM warranty floor on this pack: 10 yr / 100k mi to 70% capacity.
Public per-pack degradation curves are not available for most models. Individual results vary materially with climate, charging behavior, and DC fast-charge frequency.
Battery: Hyundai e-GMP 63 kWh (Standard Range, 2025 on)
Pack overview
Known issues
How this pack ages (industry context)
Industry fleet aggregates: 2.3% average annual capacity loss across 22,700 EVs / 21 models (Geotab, 2026), and 95% range retention at 5 years on average across 30,000+ vehicles (Recurrent, 2026).
OEM warranty floor on this pack: 10 yr / 100k mi to 70% capacity.
Public per-pack degradation curves are not available for most models. Individual results vary materially with climate, charging behavior, and DC fast-charge frequency.
Owner Complaints by System
Complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the Kia EV6, counted across every engine. A complaint can name more than one system.
What to check on a used 2022-2025 Kia EV6
On a used 2022-2025 Kia EV6, the systems with the most NHTSA owner complaints are the electrical system (406), the 12-volt battery and its charging (112) and the drivetrain (96). Each one has an inspection step below, with counts as of 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner report, not a confirmed defect, and counts rise with sales.
- Switch on every electrical item in turn: lights, windows, locks, wipers, climate fan, screen and power outlets.Costly repair. NHTSA has 406 owner complaints on the 2022-2025 Kia EV6 about the electrical system.
- Measure the 12-volt battery before the car is switched on.Costly repair. NHTSA has 112 owner complaints on the 2022-2025 Kia EV6 about the 12-volt battery and its charging.
- Shift between Drive, Reverse and Park several times, then make slow, tight turns in both directions.Costly repair. NHTSA has 96 owner complaints on the 2022-2025 Kia EV6 about the drivetrain, which NHTSA files under its power train category.
- Plug into a Level 2 AC charger and watch for five minutes.Costly repair. NHTSA has 64 owner complaints on the 2022-2025 Kia EV6 about charging.
- Accelerate hard once from a stop and once from 40 mph, and hold a steady highway speed.Safety. NHTSA has 61 owner complaints on the 2022-2025 Kia EV6 about the electric drive system.
- Accelerate hard once from a stop and once from 40 mph.Costly repair. NHTSA has 40 owner complaints on the 2022-2025 Kia EV6 about the drive motor and its controls, which NHTSA files under its engine category.
Recalls (5)
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022-2024 EV6 and 2024 EV9 vehicles. The high voltage battery cells may contain misaligned electrodes, which can lead to a fire while parked or driving.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022-2024 EV6 vehicles. The Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) may become damaged and stop charging the 12-volt battery, which can result in a loss of drive power.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022-2024 EV6 vehicles. The Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) may become damaged and stop charging the 12-Volt battery, which can result in a loss of drive power.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Niro EV and 2023 EV6 vehicles. One of the drive shafts may have been improperly heat-treated, allowing it to break under load and resulting in a loss of drive power.
Kia Motor America (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 EV6 vehicles. A software error in the Shifter Control Unit (SCU) may disengage the parking mechanism, which can allow the vehicle to rollaway.
NHTSA Safety Ratings About NHTSA ratings
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common 2022-2025 Kia EV6 complaints?
Owners have filed 543 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022-2025 Kia EV6. The systems they name most often are the electrical system, the fuel system and the transmission.
Is the 2022-2025 Kia EV6 a good used car?
That depends on the model year, the mileage and the maintenance history of the car in front of you. Owners have filed 543 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022-2025 Kia EV6. Check which systems they name most often and whether a recall is still open on that car.
How many NHTSA complaints does the 2022-2025 Kia EV6 have?
NHTSA has 543 owner complaints on file for the 2022-2025 Kia EV6 as of the latest data pull. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and counts rise with sales.
What recalls affect the 2022-2025 Kia EV6?
NHTSA lists 5 recalls covering some 2022-2025 Kia EV6 vehicles. Which ones apply depends on the VIN: enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see the open campaigns on a specific car.
What should I check before buying a used Kia EV6?
Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup and confirm every open recall has been done. Look hardest at the electrical system, the fuel system and the transmission, the systems owners complain about most. Ask for maintenance records, have an independent mechanic inspect the car and run a vehicle history report for prior accidents and title issues.
What are the NHTSA crash test ratings for the EV6?
The 2025 Kia EV6 received an overall 5-star safety rating from NHTSA. Frontal crash: 5 stars. Side crash: 5 stars. Rollover: 5 stars (8.2% rollover probability). Electronic Stability Control: Standard. Forward Collision Warning: Standard & Optional. Lane Departure Warning: Standard. These ratings are based on standardized crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Data from NHTSA federal complaints database. 543 complaints analyzed. Data confidence: high. Last updated: 2026-10-12.