What 131 owners told NHTSA about the 2023 Kia Ev6

I was driving on a residential street at fairly slow speeds, like 25 mph. There was a stop sign so I engaged the brakes and the car did not smoothly slow down but instead it felt like the back tires locked up and a skid started and I actually went into the intersection before coming to a stop. There was no ice, no sand, just the road surface and the skid in the rear of the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11708253

I am submitting this as a supplemental statement to my existing NHTSA safety complaint regarding my electric vehicle, KIA EV6, 2023 model. Since my original filing, the vehicle has now experienced loss of power / loss of propulsion a total of three times. These incidents occur without warning, are unpredictable, and render the vehicle unsafe to operate. The vehicle can suddenly lose motive power, creating a serious risk of collision, particularly in traffic or at speed. The manufacturer and authorized dealership have been unable to identify the root cause or permanently repair the defect. Dealer documentation reflects that the issue “cannot be replicated,” and no corrective action beyond temporary battery charging or system reset has been performed. No explanation has been provided as to why the power loss occurred or how it will be prevented from recurring. Because the defect is intermittent and safety-critical, I no longer feel safe driving this vehicle and have stopped operating it entirely. A reasonable consumer would consider repeated, unexplained loss of propulsion to present an unreasonable risk to safety. I am submitting this update so NHTSA is aware that: The defect is recurrent (three incidents) The condition remains unresolved The vehicle is unsafe for continued use I respectfully request that NHTSA review this matter for potential investigation, as loss of propulsion in an electric vehicle poses a serious safety hazard to the driver and others on the road. Thank you for your attention to this safety concern. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11707268

While driving, heard a pop and a check electric vehicle system error popped up on the dash. Car was not drivable except for very low speeds shortly after (impacted safety of the drive) until it eventually stopped being able to turn on at all.

NHTSA ODI 11706763

Car said there was a 12V low battery danger and said to pull over immediately while driving. After taking it to the dealership, they said my ICCU went out. So they had to replace it. I've read that the ICCU on these cars are notorious for failing and needing replacement.

NHTSA ODI 11706848

ICCU FAILURE. Car would not drive

NHTSA ODI 11706661

The ICCU that charges the 12V on board battery failed to keep the battery charged and it made my vehicle a paper weight. Had to have it towed to my local Kia dealership to wait 2 weeks for an appt. Hasn’t been repaired yet and I’m sure it won’t be a short wait after they schedule the repair

NHTSA ODI 11706684

The vehicle experienced a total power failure resulting in complete inoperability (no start, no unlock, no electrical response). This is the second occurrence within approximately five weeks. The most recent incident occurred after the vehicle was fully charged and driven the day prior. There were no warning lights or messages before the failure. The vehicle was previously inspected by an authorized dealer and a manufacturer service campaign related to the charging/low-voltage system was performed, after which the problem recurred. This condition can strand the driver without warning and poses a safety concern.

NHTSA ODI 11706395

First year of ownership rear engine needed to be replaced. The car literally stopped where I was on the road and had to be towed to dealer. It took a month to get the motor replaced. After that, my car stopped while I was leaving my house driving it out of my driveway. There were red warining lights and sounds and then it just suddenly died seconds later. It had to be towed to the dealer. They said it was fixed and that the 12v battery wasnt being charged. Then I was leaving church when my car died on me again. Same issue. Now, the third time in this vehicles 2 years of life, my car died while I was on the highway driving to work in the morning in the passing lane during rush hour. The dash went red and waring lights and sounds with a message get to safety quick check electrical system and it only gave me a few seconds the car suddenly just stopped running and I was coasting on the highway to try to get to safety. I was going 70mph in the passing lane during rush hour, I could not steer to the left to coast off the road because on my left it was just a ditch no side road to stop on, I saw in the right lane a car that was a length or so behind so I cut my wheel straight across the right lane where I coasted to a complete dead stop barely making it to the side of the road. The side of this highway was barely the width of my car so traffic flying next to me was just inches away from my drivers side door.... I called roadside assistance and had it towed to the dealer. They then told me about the recall - which I had already had it into the dealer to fix the last time it was there for this same issue. The car is 2 years old and so far I have had it stop dead in its tracks on me 4 times! I have such stress and anxiety about continuing driving this vehicle as it is completely unsafe! I almost died last week when this happened. My safety and others on the highway that day were at risk. This could have been catastrophic.

NHTSA ODI 11705082

My 2023 Kia EV6 experienced a sudden ICCU and 12-volt system failure while traveling approximately 50 mph. Without warning, the vehicle instantly lost propulsion and all electrical power. This included loss of steering assist, braking assist, hazard lights, shift capability (unable to shift into Park), and even the ability to lock the doors. The failure effectively “bricked” the vehicle in motion. I was only able to get the vehicle off the roadway because the road happened to slope downward into a nearby lot. Steering required significant physical effort, the brake pedal went completely hard (“dead”), and the vehicle offered no functional parking brake or Park engagement once stopped. Because I was on a hill, we had to allow the car to roll to the bottom until it met a curb to prevent movement. After power loss, the doors could not be locked at all. This type of unrecoverable electrical failure creates an extreme safety hazard for the driver, passengers, and surrounding traffic. There is no pre-warning and no diagnostic indicator. The ICCU fuse appears to fail spontaneously and renders the vehicle uncontrollable in several critical respects. This is not an isolated issue. ICCU failures have been occurring across the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5/6 platforms for more than three years, including on brand-new 2025 models. The persistence of this defect across multiple model years indicates that the underlying design or component defect has not been resolved by the manufacturer. Given the suddenness of the failure, the total loss of vehicle control systems, and the long history of similar incidents reported by other owners, I am now hesitant to drive the vehicle due to the unpredictable and dangerous nature of the defect.

NHTSA ODI 11703617

The vehicle can't be changed with a message "issue with electrical system". The message blinks very fast for 3sec and disappears. I have to turn on and off the car a few time to be able to read the message. The the car lost 12V secondary battery, it only shows 5.5V when measured. car is dead.. Replaced with new battery, car can start again but the car still can't be charged. Is it related to ICCU problem? KIA doesn't show any recall to this problem.

NHTSA ODI 11699907

ICCU failure

NHTSA ODI 11694296

On several occasions, when traveling over 55mph, once the battery hits a certain threshold (35% or 55% so far) the “power is limited” warning will appear on the dash and the vehicle will lose power. This has not occurred at lower speeds but only at higher speeds, and not every time. This vehicle was purchased so my husband could do his freeway commute, but it is on a remote highway where there is often no shoulder, so it especially dangerous to suddenly lose power with limited ability to safely pull over. On one such occasion, he drove the vehicle straight to Kia for inspection. They said the soonest available appointment was in 2 weeks and because they had no technicians available, they could not run the diagnostic that would allow us to get a rental car in the meantime. They suggested going to a different Kia dealership. We called ahead and they said they could try to see it that day or the next, but when we arrived (with, again, the power failing on the drive to the next dealership), they said we were misinformed and they would have to hold the vehicle for at least a week with no rental option. We have since been unable to use the vehicle for commuting due to its unreliability and incredibly dangerous power failure.

NHTSA ODI 11686299

I was driving my Kia EV6 2023 on I-110 in California when the driver rear tire suffered an instantaneous deflation. I was driving at or slightly below the 65mph speed limit, there was traffic in front and to the rear of me, the road surface was excellent. The tires had 11556 miles of use and were operating at the correct pressures as the vehicle has a tire monitoring system. The ambient air temperature was circa 76F. I was able to exit the freeway with some difficulty. The tire was a Continental Cross Contact 255-45 R20. I have been driving for nearly 60 years, had a wide range of cars and tires and never experienced an incident like that described which has all the indications of a product defect.

NHTSA ODI 11685691

The contact owns a 2023 Kia EV6. The contact stated while attempting to unlock the driver's side door with the remote, the door failed to unlock. The contact manually unlocked the door with the key. In addition, while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start, with the message "12-Volt battery failure" displayed. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V200000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); as a probable cause for failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.

NHTSA ODI 11679918

Was parking car. Pushed on brake and car accelerated

NHTSA ODI 11668229

had 3 recalls on ICCU module, each time dealer said everything was OK. Last "repair" was in January. In April, car just "died" nothing worked, could not shift, no acceleration and limited braking, had to call a tow truck to move it as everything was locked up. dealer said ICCU shorted out, 3 week repair time, and this is down from 3 month repair time 2 weeks ago. The only warning we had was a dash message to check electrical system, meanwhile Kia app for car said everything was OK, no problems with any thing. dealer listed faults as, P1A9096 dc converter sensor fault, P1E3716 battery charger V2L low voltage, other low voltage comm codes as well but not listed

NHTSA ODI 11664795

The trunk continues to rattle after multiple trips to the dealership, it has been verified to not be the license plate or any loose components by the dealership. The noise sounds like the trunk latch striking repeatedly during regular driving. The sister model Hyundai Ioniq-5 has had numerous TSBs to fix this issue while Kia EV6 has had none published. And example of the TSB listed is [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11663495

The ICCU in my Kia EV6 failed while driving. Thankfully I was not involved in a crash, but my speed was capped at 30 MPH, crawled back home, where the vehicle wouldn't start. I had to get it towed to the service center. All of this besides all recalls and software updates being addressed. There were multiple warning lights that went off during my drive: "Stop vehicle and check power supply" "Check electric vehicle system"

NHTSA ODI 11662103

On April 6, 2025, while charging my car my Juicebox tripped a breaker. When I reset it the Juicebox was showing errors and was inoperable. I tried to use my backup charger (Blink) but it tripped a breaker and became inoperable too. I took the car a commercial charger (ChargePoint) and it would not charge the car. Kept getting a “charge interrupted” message. The first Kia dealer I went to did not have a Level 2 charger and could find nothing wrong and refused to help repair the car. The second Kia dealer had a Level 2 and confirmed it would not charge, but Kia would not authorize a warranty fix. That dealer suggested leaving the car for a few days and hope the car generates a fault that Kia will accept to authorize a fix. •What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The Level 2 AC charging no longer works. •How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The car tripping 240-volt breakers and making two 240-volt chargers inoperable is concerning. •Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? One dealer has confirmed the Level 2 charging no longer works. •Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? It was inspected by a Kia service shop •Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? None

NHTSA ODI 11655673

I want to disclose this is the 2nd time this has happened. I was on the highway when the system failed. Immediately and drastically forced my car down to 25mph on [XXX] going to Philadelphia in the far left lane with no warning. I had to make it across 3 rows of traffic and ride on the shoulder of the highway until I could find a safe place. One ruining the sport tires on the car and probably messing up suspension since these cars are very sensitive and the highway does have those perforated shoulders. While cars zip past me I am having to figure out how to pull over with no force. None of the functions were working. It was traumatizing. Especially to do it again after 6 months ago the same thing happened. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11655590

Integrated Charge Control Unit (ICCU) failed. Charging error appeared on 30 March 2025. Next attempted to drive vehicle on 2 April 2025. Accessory battery suddenly dropped from 12V to 8V. Vehicle displayed "Stop Vehicle and Check Power Supply." Was able to crawl home in "Turtle mode" before tow to dealer. P1A90(96) [0x1A9096] among the Diagnostic Trouble Codes stored. Dealer confirmed ICCU failure and estimates at least one month to repair. SC302 was applied on 13 May 2024 at 5,732 miles. SC327 was applied on 2 Jan 2025 at 10,506 miles. 12V accessory battery is original (sealed lead acid).

NHTSA ODI 11653352

On January 27th I was driving home on I-495 in the far left lane going about 70MPH when the electrical warning light came on. Telling me to stop the car and take to the dealership. While I was trying to get over into my far right lane, the car went from 70mph to 25 mph in about 40 seconds! Cars were flying all around me! It was terrifying and incredibly dangerous! The dealership discovered my ICCU had failed. This vehicle has a fatal flaw that is going to get someone killed.

NHTSA ODI 11653379

I have received at least two recalls on the ICCU component on my Kia EV6, which were taken to the dealership for repair per the recall. On April 4, 2025, my vehicle displayed the "Check Electric Vehicle Systems" and "Stop vehicle and check power supply" alerts. It had to be towed to the dealership, as it cannot be driven. They called and stated it was related and the part is on back order for the unforeseen future.

NHTSA ODI 11653129

ICCU failure. Car was dropped off with Kia and the (second) recall they claimed to have performed did not fix the 12-v battery charging system error. They ordered in a new part, which was on national backorder and they provided no ETA. I had to purchase a replacement vehicle after 30 days of them having the vehicle without making the repair, providing an update, or having given me a loaner. Received message it was fixed after 37 days, but no information whether it is with a new part. Subreddit for the EV6 shows this is a widespread issue that has not been permanently resolved. When the ICCU fails, you are limited to 25mph "limp mode" and will lose ability to move car if 12V battery dies.

NHTSA ODI 11653198

While driving my car a warning flashed stating "check electrical vehicle system." Pulled over, contacted Kia of Abilene and asked if we could drive the car to the dealership. While on the phone another warning flashed ""Stop vehicle and check power supply." Attempted to drive car, "Limp mode or turtle mode" occurred and the max speed for the car was 25mph, sudden loss of acceleration. Made it home, which was approximately 2 miles away, and it seems like the 12V battery was draining quickly. Eventually the vehicle stalled at home and became unresponsive, no power. Contacted roadside assistance and the vehicle was towed to Kia of Abilene. All of this occurred March 29th at approximately noon. The dealership finally contacted us today, April 2nd, and notified us it was an ICCU failure and the part wasn't available with no foreseeable time-frame for repair. The car is absolutely inoperable!

NHTSA ODI 11652439