This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Car stopped working and wouldn-??t start. I was told there is an ICCU failure. There is a back order of ICCU for this vehicle and unknown date of repair.
When driving at speeds 60+ mph, EV9 steering wheel and center console vibrate consistently even on newly paved smooth road(s). I have taken it into two different dealerships for resolve twice within the first week of ownership. Both dealerships checked tires, mount and balanced the ones that were off and sent us on our way. The steering wheel and console vibrations persist. I have taken it back in and reported that the issue hasn-??t been resolved. They noted it on the service order but did nothing further in an effort to resolve the issue. This is a well known and documented safety issue on NHTSA complaints and several Facebook owner groups for the EV9 across the world.
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/Component: The failure involves the Motor Control Unit (MCU) / electrical drivetrain system. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: The vehicle-??s jerking and power fluctuation make it unsafe to drive in traffic, especially with children on board. It gives the sensation of being rear-ended and raises concern of potential stalling or loss of propulsion. Reproduction and Dealer Confirmation: The problem was reported to Sons Kia in McDonough, GA. The dealership initially inspected the vehicle on October 24, 2025, and returned it on [XXX], claiming the issue was addressed. However, the same warning and behavior reappeared less than 24 hours later ([XXX]). Inspections: The vehicle has been inspected by the Kia dealership service department. No outside parties (police or insurance) have inspected it yet. Warnings/Symptoms: The first warning appeared on [XXX], with the -??Motor Control System-?? dashboard message and a corresponding alert in the Kia Access app. The issue continues to recur despite service. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
A rear seatbelt indicator in the dashboard is broken, and it persistently indicates that (a) a passenger is in a rear seat; and (b) the passenger's seatbelt is fastened. This occurs even if a passenger is not in the seat and the passenger's seatbelt is not fastened. It is unclear whether this is strictly an electronic error in the dashboard, or if the seatbelt itself does not function appropriately. Kia has unsuccessfully tried to fix it twice, and the service department reproduced the problem by simply turning on the vehicle and seeing the persistent light. The local Kia service department says they are not trained to fix many EV problems, so corporate has to be involved, but corporate has not provided material assistance. Corporate has been informed in writing several times of the issue, including that this is a material safety issue, particularly since the vehicle is marketed toward families where a seatbelt indicator may be relied upon by drivers, and it's unclear whether this is strictly an electronics issue or a seatbelt functionality issue. Corporate acknowledged receipt of communications in which they were asked if this has been reported to the NHTSA, and they ignored both requests.
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. Dealership could not replicate and found no error codes.
- Palm Harbor, FL, USA
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My car started to not charge for more than 10mn at a time. It also showed an error message about the electrical system. I have dropped off my car at the dealership on march 3rd. No information since
I have persistent vibration issues with Kia ev9. It is very much a risk as it causes concentration issues while driving. My tires are worn out at less than 10k. Looking at the forum and reports a lot of folks who have EV9 are facing the same issue. Is there a investigation which can be looked into as this can be a safety issue due to vibration as well tired being worn as well.
All of a sudden the EV battery management system warning light is on and it suggest I do not drive it until fixed. This was after my entire screen went out, where I could not see the speed I was going or use turn signals. Very unsafe
I am experiencing significant and persistent vibrations at highway speeds (60-?"75 mph) in my 2024 Kia EV9. Despite multiple dealership visits and repair attempts, the issue remains unresolved. The vibrations cause noticeable discomfort and potential safety risks, especially on long drives. Timeline of Events & Repairs: 1.First Visit to Kia dealer (Dec 24): The dealership performed a tire balance and determined one tire was defective, replacing it. Vibrations persisted. 2.Second Visit (Jan 25) The dealership replaced the remaining 3 tires 3. ThirdVisit (Feb 25): The dealership identified three wheels with lateral runout and replaced them. They also performed road force balancing, reportedly bringing all values below 16. 4.Test Drive (Feb 25): After picking up my vehicle, I drove on the interstate and found the vibrations had worsened, now starting at 60 mph instead of 70 mph. -??A third-party wheel shop inspected the wheels and found the fourth wheel (not replaced by Kia) was defective and out of round. 5.Dealership-??s Response: Despite these findings, Kia dealer dismissed my concerns and referred me to another dealership for a second opinion. They also stated that third-party evaluations are not accepted, creating an endless loop where I cannot get the issue properly addressed. Safety Concerns: -??Vibrations impact vehicle stability and driver comfort, especially on long trips. -??Extended driving with excessive vibrations may lead to fatigue, reduced control, and premature mechanical wear. -??The fact that multiple components (wheels, tires) have required replacement raises concerns about a potential manufacturing defect affecting Kia EV9 models. Request for Investigation: The dealership has failed to resolve this issue despite multiple repair attempts, and their refusal to acknowledge third-party findings leaves me with no clear resolution path. I request that NHTSA investigate potential defects in the wheels, tires, or drivetrain system of the Kia EV9.
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 its own and when the accelerator was released the car started to wildly fishtail. Called dealer and they agreed this was a serious issue and agreed to see car the next morning. Service tech said when they drove the car it did the same thing and that the troubleshooting recommended I change the regenerative braking setting to "smooth" and sent me on my way. I did not get even a mile before the car began weaving rapidly again on its own. Went straight back to dealership where manager wanted me to drive the vehicle again with the tech in car which I refused as it is not safe to drive. So he said if I was ok with it tech would take car out again but if it was just acting how regenerative brakes work, there wasn't much else they could do. When manager returned to talk to me, he said he ended up going with the tech and it did replicate the weaving action two times during that drive. The car is steering on its own weaving wildly left and right and imposes a great danger and no longer feels like a safe vehicle to drive.
The display for the instrument cluster is completely blank, or shows unrelated information after starting the car and shows none of the vital information about the car's operation or status. After leaving the car off for 30 minutes, the instrument cluster display began functioning normally. This was the subject of a 2024 October recall which we got dealer service for but the issue is not resolved.
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 vehicles.
Our KIA EV9, which HAS HAD the software update installed to address NHTSA Recall Number 24V757 (Kia safety recall SC326) has again had the driver's instrument panel screen come up blank when the car was started. This is identical to behavior we observed multiple times before taking the car to the dealership for the software update. To resolve the issue, the car was turned off and permitted to sit for an hour before we attempted to start it again and the problem was no longer present.
Dashboard shows a message" Stop vehicle and check brake system", vehicle doesn't pass over the 10 mph. On the KIA access APP I have all this 6 Diagnostic Issues : FR_CMR C28B981, FR_CMR C164286, ADAS_DRV C28B086, ADAS_DRV 28B986, ADAS_DRV C28B881, ADAS_DRV C164286. Dealer was unable to fix the issue, they state that it fix by itself. Also I have a safety Recall SC326
My gauges stopped displaying any information outside of the gear selection. I had no Speedometer, or acess to any of my safety features. This has happened twice and gauges will turn on again on the next drive if sufficient time has passed.
Display/instrument cluster not functional when turning the car on after overnight charge to 80%. User profile display functions and car can shift into gear, although no speedometer available.
Left screen where odometer should show become blackout at the middle of my driving. Went to drive for 200 miles without odometer and other warning signs because the screen are all blackout, 3rd time happen. 1st was Gear also not emgaging and blackout screen 3 months ago, then same incident happen 2 months ago and then another incident with same reason for this month.
Twice in approximately 6 weeks of ownership, when starting the car, the screen that displays the digital instrument panel for the driver has been blank with the exception of a single letter at the bottom of the display that indicates the drive mode of the vehicle (D). While in this state, the vehicle does not have any audio alerts (e.g. turn signal, blind spot warning, etc). Also, due to the screen being blank, the vehicle speed, remaining range of the electrical vehicle, and all other digital gauge data are unable to be seen. The screen portions to the right of the driver instrument panel (radio, android auto, etc.) are displayed when this occurs. If the vehicle is turned off and then allowed to sit for 30-60 minutes, when restarting the vehicle, the condition is cleared.
Instrument panel went blank while driving. No digital gages available. No sound or picture when turn signals used. Had no idea how fast I was driving. The issue resolved itself after the vehicle was turned off and sat for a few hours. Have a service appointment for safety recall in addition to this and another concern.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Sacramento, CA, USA