EV9 (1st)
Reliability Score
Complaints by Engine Code
Kia EV9 Unidentified Engine
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Complaint Breakdown
Battery & Propulsion Reliability
Battery Electric (BEV)
Battery & propulsion complaint analysis for the 2024-2025 Kia EV9
That's about 3.3x the typical rate for BEVs in this dataset (median 5.7 per year). Above peer average — but high-volume models naturally produce more raw complaints, so check the issue mix below before drawing conclusions.
What kind of battery complaint?
Among the 37 battery-related complaints, here's the type mix. These percentages describe what the complaints are about — not how reliable the vehicle is overall.
Propulsion battery defects, capacity loss, BMS faults, replacement claims.
Loss of power, drive unit, inverter, traction motor, DC-DC converter.
Low-voltage battery deaths, common on EVs and hybrids that use a 12V for accessories.
Regen brake feel, one-pedal driving, B-mode complaints.
Battery fires, smoke, thermal runaway. Includes any complaint with fire reported.
Charge port, cable, mobile connector, or session failures.
Battery & propulsion recalls (2)
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.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 EV9 vehicles. The rear gear drive unit (GDU) motor shaft may have been improperly welded and become damaged, causing a loss of drive power.
Consequence: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Sample complaint excerpts
High-Voltage Battery
- [2024] My vehicle popped up a red vehicle warning to check the electric vehicle system. It would no longer charge, was taken to the dealership where the emergency notification was sent :suspected condition with your EV9's Battery Management System has been detected and charging has been limited. A full system check is recommended. Please schedule an appointment with your local Kia dealership as soon as p
- [2024] I would also like to highlight the serious safety concern due to cell deviation (imbalance) along with SOC (State of Charge) mismatch as per my car's BMS (Battery management system) which is present in my vehicle and shared with Kia corporate. In an electric vehicle, the high-voltage battery cells, the Battery Management System, and the battery coolant system function as a single integrated safet
- [2024] Battery Management System - Critical EV Battery Warning This vehicle has been back to the dealership for repairs multiple times. Including needing to swap battery cells and wires around.
Electric Propulsion
- [2024] I would also like to highlight the serious safety concern due to cell deviation (imbalance) along with SOC (State of Charge) mismatch as per my car's BMS (Battery management system) which is present in my vehicle and shared with Kia corporate. In an electric vehicle, the high-voltage battery cells, the Battery Management System, and the battery coolant system function as a single integrated safet
- [2024] Description of the Problem: While driving my 2024 Kia EV9, the vehicle suddenly jerked and displayed a “Motor Control System” warning on the dashboard. The Kia Access app showed diagnostic code P0A4100 (MCU_R – Motor Control Unit fault). The issue causes the vehicle to hesitate and feel as if it loses power momentarily while in motion, creating a serious safety risk for me and my children. System
- [2024] The contact owned a 2024 Kia EV9. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, several warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle lost automotive power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a failed rear inverter. The contact was informed that the rear inverter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed b
12V Auxiliary Battery
- [2024] The 12-volt battery for the vehicle was depleted, so the vehicle had to be jump-started to run. I work for a repair facility (it was here for collision repairs, as far as I know unrelated to this issue) and since I was unfamiliar with the vehicle, I inadvertently turned it off before shifting into park. When I took my foot off the brake, the vehicle began to roll forward. I am not sure if the ve
- [2024] Car was new with 1,002 miles on odometer and with me for 3 weeks. The 12 volt battery died and needed to be replaced. This vehicle uses the 12v battery to start the electronics for the car which then enable operation of the car. The failure of this battery left the car without any power and it needed to be towed from my garage to the dealer. This is a common issue with Kia and Hyundai electric
- [2024] The electric dash that shows speed, battery charge level, drive mode, and other safety features (such as camera side mirrors, whether turn signal is on) has gone blank twice. From research online, this appears to be a known issue that can only be resolved by disconnecting the 12v battery or stopping the car and leaving it lock for an extended period of time. This seems like a major safety issue.
Regenerative Braking
- [2024] Vehicle suddenly slowed, with the same force at regenerative braking, to 30mph. Vehicle would not go any faster, changing drive modes, pedal to the floor, anything I tried did not work. Was in the middle of a 55mph road and was suddenly moving much slower than traffic with nowhere to pull off the road No warnings, no lights, nothing to indicate that I saw to show there was an issue. Dealershi
- [2024] I brought the vehicle in to have recalls addressed on 12/30/24. Starting the next day we noticed the car was weaving without any steering, but thought it might have been icy road conditions and waited to see if it reoccured. The car has since weaved intermittently, but has righted itself after releasing the accelerator. However, on 1/15/25 while traveling about 50mph, the car started weaving on it
- [2024] After starting and backing the car out of a parking spot, I noticed the instrument cluster display screen behind the steering wheel was completely blank, except for the letter of the gear I was in (P, R, or D) in the bottom center of the screen. The symbol for the parking brake also appeared in the bottom left of the screen, and the Door Ajar symbol at the top of the screen. The Heads Up display
Thermal Events
- [2024] Starting on Feb 22, 2025, we observed that our Kia EV9 had dramatically reduced range. Normally, when charging was complete the dashboard would show well over 250 miles of range, even in cold weather. On Feb 22nd we started to see the range had dropped to around 60 miles, even when the dashboard reported the battery at 100% charge. The actual range seemed to be even worse, dropping dramatically ev
Charging System
- [2024] I leased my EV9, GT from Northstar KIA, NY. I got the delivery of EV9 GT on 3/29/2024. I started to notice that the car was not charging properly. After the whole night of charging it was charged like 3-4% at most. on the 3rd-4th day, the car started to make sudden abnormal sounds. I called the salesperson and dealership regarding the charging, and other issues, and told me to take it to the servi
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: Kia EV9 99.8 kWh (E-GMP)
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: Kia EV9 Light 76.1 kWh (E-GMP)
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 EV9, counted across every engine. A complaint can name more than one system.
What to check on a used 2024-2025 Kia EV9
On a used 2024-2025 Kia EV9, the systems with the most NHTSA owner complaints are the electrical system (106), the airbags and driver-assist systems (37) and the suspension (22). 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 106 owner complaints on the 2024-2025 Kia EV9 about the electrical system.
- Switch the ignition on and watch the airbag light. On the drive, check the backup camera and any collision or lane warning.Safety. NHTSA has 37 owner complaints on the 2024-2025 Kia EV9 about the airbags and driver-assist systems.
- Drive over a speed bump and a rough patch at 15 to 20 mph with the radio off.Safety. NHTSA has 22 owner complaints on the 2024-2025 Kia EV9 about the suspension.
- Read the traction battery’s state of health with a dealer tool or an EV-capable scan tool.Costly repair. NHTSA has 22 owner complaints on the 2024-2025 Kia EV9 about the high-voltage battery.
- Measure the tread on all four tires, read the date codes and look at each wheel.Safety. NHTSA has 20 owner complaints on the 2024-2025 Kia EV9 about the wheels and tires.
- Latch and tug every seat belt, move every seat through its full travel and lock each seatback.Safety. NHTSA has 18 owner complaints on the 2024-2025 Kia EV9 about the seats, seat belts and interior.
Recalls (9)
Kia America, Inc (Kia) is recalling certain 2025-2026 EV9 vehicles. Due to improper routing, the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may not deactivate the air bag when a child or child seat is in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
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 2025 EV9 vehicles. The rear gear drive unit (GDU) motor shaft may have been improperly welded and become damaged, causing a loss of drive power.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2024-2025 EV9 vehicles. The second- and third-row seat mounting bolts may be missing.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2024-2025 EV9 vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel screen may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Controls and Displays."
Show 4 older recalls
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2024 EV9 vehicles. A software error may cause the remote smart parking assist feature, which allows the operator to remotely move the vehicle, to miscalculate stopping distances.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2024 EV9 vehicles. The headliner may not adequately protect passengers from impact in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 201, "Occupant Protection In Interior Impact."
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2024 EV9 vehicles. The front passenger seat belt retractor cover may not be secured properly, which can cause the front passenger seat belt automatic locking retractor (ALR) and emergency locking retractor (ELR) to not operate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 208, "Occupant Crash Protection" and 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Niro EV and 2024 EV9 vehicles. The differential gear bolts in the gear drive unit may not be tightened properly, which can result in a loss of drive power or cause the differential to lock up.
NHTSA Safety Ratings About NHTSA ratings
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common 2024-2025 Kia EV9 complaints?
Owners have filed 222 complaints with NHTSA about the 2024-2025 Kia EV9. The systems they name most often are the electrical system, the safety systems and the suspension.
Is the 2024-2025 Kia EV9 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 222 complaints with NHTSA about the 2024-2025 Kia EV9. Check which systems they name most often and whether a recall is still open on that car.
How many NHTSA complaints does the 2024-2025 Kia EV9 have?
NHTSA has 222 owner complaints on file for the 2024-2025 Kia EV9 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 2024-2025 Kia EV9?
NHTSA lists 9 recalls covering some 2024-2025 Kia EV9 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 EV9?
Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup and confirm every open recall has been done. Look hardest at the electrical system, the safety systems and the suspension, 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 EV9?
The 2025 Kia EV9 received an overall 5-star safety rating from NHTSA. Frontal crash: 4 stars. Side crash: 5 stars. Rollover: 4 stars (10.7% rollover probability). Electronic Stability Control: Standard. Forward Collision Warning: Standard. 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. 222 complaints analyzed. Data confidence: high. Last updated: 2026-10-12.