What 131 owners told NHTSA about the 2023 Kia Ev6

ICCU failed at 30,200 miles disabling vehicle on street in front of my house. Date 1/27/2025. Towed to Dealet. Waited 8 wks for repair due to parts back order.

NHTSA ODI 11651646

On January 23 2025, while driving on the highway, the car lost power an had limited control. The car was towed to a dealer and it was determined that the ICCU failed. The car was at the dealer three weeks earlier for a recall related to the ICCU (ICCU (SC273A VCU SW LOGIC UPGRADE (VSC) • SC273A and ICCU INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT • SC302 ). Obviously, the recalls did not prevent the ICCU failure.

NHTSA ODI 11650739

driving at around 35mph I heard a pop and a warning showed up on the dash stating "stop vehicle and check power supply". This warning put the car into limp mode as I was about to turn on to a busier road to get to my place of employment. The car was then towed, at the request of Kia, to the nearest dealership. It was diagnosed a few days later as having a faulty ICCU, or integrated charging control unit. There were no indications of the problem before the loud pop which I am assuming was a fuse blowing, and the car entering limp mode and showing warnings on the dash. This is a known issue by Kia as I have had my car in for multiple recalls regarding the ICCU.

NHTSA ODI 11650794

2023 Kia EV6 GT Line model. ICCU failed around 25k miles despite having the required software update as per the initial recall.

NHTSA ODI 11650568

I have had 3 incidents where the ev6 went out of power. The one recent incident is when the car suddenly started giving red alert on low power and suddenly slowing down even when I try to step on the pedal to accelerate. Please see my video and photos of these incidents. And all these times my main battery of ev6 was always having charge higher than 40%. I was driving on all 3 occasions, once on highway close to the exit where I had to pull over to curbside. The ev6 has hence lost my trust since these type of sudden power failures could lead to my life straight being on risk - the 12 volt battery has died two times after I purchased the car in feb 2023! Kia themselves do not know what issues exist in the car- the recalls have happened three times, as I type this my ev6 is sitting at the west gate Kia service in wake forest, North Carolina since 17 days for a spare part called ICCU recall and replacement! I have been forced to lay an amount of $745 on this car every month and it’s draining me out financially and mentally. the worst part is since this is electric car , and you run out of battery power then it suddenly halts, if you are on high speed road on freeway no doubt you get hit by the car behind you and you die. I am not willing to put my life and my family’s life on danger when I drive this car anymore. Kia is not willing to buyback the car, I have paid a very high price for this and my car value has come down, leaving me a sum of more than around $10000 difference when I try to sell it back to Kia. This is injustice given that my life is in danger, I might face this experience again when Kia ev6 shuts on the power while I am on road, and I will get hit bythe car behind me and die. I need justice, I need Kia to buy my car back asap. I do not need to pay 745 monthly for this [XXX] car. Please help. Thanks, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11649943

I was on my way to the highway when about one mile from home when without warning vehicle went into Limp Mode. Acceleration suddenly dropped to 25mph. It was very dangerous trying to drive uphill on a busy road at limited power to get back to my home. Thankfully I was not yet on the highway. Dealer said that both the ICCU and fuse that were inspected a month ago due to a recall and found to have no error codes in January now need to be replaced. Parts on back order with no ETA.

NHTSA ODI 11643938

The EV-6 GT auto experienced a loud clunking grinding noise while steering 180 degrees when turning right and then left. The car skidded on the pavement this happened over a period of 3 months when the temperature was below freezing. After 2 service appointments Bridgewater NJ KIA dealership failed to diagnose the problem . On the 3rd visit they confirmed that the noise emanated from the summer performance tires that caused the tires to skid and caused the noise. Their solution was that storm tires would need to be replace the existing “summer tires”The existing tires are Good Year 255/40R 21. Not only that Good Year does not make snow tires of this size but when I first leased the car I was not told that the car would need snow tires to prevent skidding from snow or icy road conditions. There failure to notify car owners in the northeast of this hazard puts drivers at risk and potential for accidents in cold weather temperatures. Since I have not driven the leased car in below freezing temperatures and risk safety and hazards from driving on these summer tires I believe KIA should be held responsible for failure to notify drivers of this condition. I plan to terminate early the 3 year lease and also withhold payment until KIA acknowledges that they failed to identify this safety hazards and then did not offer to replace these tires to prevent future accidents. These “summer tires” were also Not clearly defined as racing tires with inability to provide adequate tread on icy and snowy road conditions. I am submitting this claim to prevent potential car accidents in driving the car in the northeast were weather conditions are periodic snow and icy conditions.

NHTSA ODI 11641368

Well, at first I got the 12 V battery fixed because it wasn’t throwing the code because my 12 V battery wasn’t holding power and then I did get the code and it turned my vehicle into turtle mode where it would not move. This could’ve been very unsafe in the car. I have brought it in now and it has been 20+ days and I have not had resolution and I have not received the part to fix my car. I have been left as a single mother without another vehicle to use the dealership offered me a vehicle and I was driving that, but it has issues with the Wheel bearing and rotors which at first they told me I would be held liable for driving and then they told me to continue driving it since then now I am renting a vehicle which I cannot afford as I said I am a single mother and I can’t afford $300 a week and then we wait to be reimbursed by Kia they have done nothing to help me and my situation and I am concerned. I have had this car for less than two years. I have less than 24,000 miles on it and by Iowa lemon law it should be resolution into it getting fixed so I am making a formal complaint.

NHTSA ODI 11641303

I purchased my 2023 Kia EV6 in December 28, 2024. On January 8, 2025, I took my EV6 in for the SC327 recall service. Despite completion of the recall service, my ICCU still failed and my car lost power while driving on February 6, 2025. I was driving 45 mph down a state road and was about to get into a highway onramp when my speed quickly dropped to 13 mph and my car displayed a "check electrical system" warning. The car would not go above 13 mph. I was fortunate that no one was following close behind me and that I was not on the highway. Had I been in front of a truck or other vehicle that couldn't stop quickly, the sudden deceleration could have been very dangerous. I was fortunate that I was near a parking lot that I could pull into to wait for a tow truck. By the time I got into the parking lot my car completely died and I was stuck without heat in 19 degree F weather. There were no symptoms prior to the failure, and the first warning about the electrical system ("Stop vehicle and check power supply") appeared after I lost acceleration. This warning was followed by "12 volt battery low. Stop safely." before it died completely. The vehicle is currently at the Kia Dealership pending repair.

NHTSA ODI 11641424

While driving, the vehicle screen showed an electrical warning on the screen. The car went into limp mode and dropped to 25 MPH. 5 minutes later, the screen showed a critical electrical issue and said I needed to pull over as soon as possible. It was towed to a dealership. They found the ICCU is faulty. Because so many EV6's have this problem, it is on national backorder, My concern this vehicle seems to be a safety hazard where it shuts itself down and strands its driver because of faulty parts.

NHTSA ODI 11640909

12 volt battery failed to recharge

NHTSA ODI 11640284

I received recall 24V867 from Kia dated 12/13/2024. The dealer alternately claims no knowledge of this recall, scheduled a service appointment to complete it, an today again claims no knowledge of the recall. Union Kia has put it on me to contact Kia America - that is not my job to correct their internal problems. Please advise. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11635891

Rear seat 120 ac voltage outlet indicates an open ground when utilizing an outlet tester. I believe this risks a electrical shock injury to the user. The dealer service department states all is well since a device plugged in powers up. It seams that the dealer service department does not have the requisite knowledge in dealing with household voltages and is not equipped with the appropriate test equipment.

NHTSA ODI 11634349

While driving with the power liftgate partially open, I experienced an inability to accelerate after coming to a stop. I pressed the accelerator and the car rolled gently forward into an intersection at a speed less than 2MPH. A warning displayed on the dash that I needed to close the liftgate before the vehicle would operate correctly, which was impossible because I was in the middle of an intersection with a large chair blocking the liftgate from closing. I was able to restore functionality by turning the car off and turning it back on. Prior to this, there were audible and visual alarms about the open liftgate after each stop. These alarms are described in the manual, which instructs the driver to close the liftgate when the alarms sound. However, driving with a liftgate open is a common use for an small SUV when hauling large or long objects, and contravenes no laws when done properly and safely. The manual does not state, so I did not anticipate, that the vehicle would enter a "limp mode" if I continued to ignore the alarms. Being unexpectedly unable to accelerate is a dangerous behavior, especially if you are in the position to make a left turn across traffic and the car goes into limp mode with cars oncoming. I consider this a safety concern because 1) driving with the liftgate open is not an inherently unsafe activity that warrants disabling the vehicle, and 2) the manual fails to state that the driver might experience sudden loss of ability to accelerate with the liftgate open.

NHTSA ODI 11626274

Car vibrated to degree it was hard to control. Initial tire balancing did not fix the issue. The tire was removed from the rim and a separated balled-up foam tire liner was found and removed. My concern is if this happens again in one of the other tires and causes an accident.

NHTSA ODI 11618576

Vehicle does not charge at the full 11 kW it's rated for on a level 2 EVSE. It gets charge interrupted. I've had the SC311 installed which causes the car to lower the charging rate automatically instead of just dropping charge. But I still can't get the full charge rate. This occurs on my home level 2 EVSE, on each of the 12 level 2 EVSE ports I use at work, and out in town. The charging port gets extremely hot when charging and is not designed to pass the full 50 amps it's rated for. It struggles at anything over 25 amps. The extreme temperatures of the charging port can cause a fire or burns to people. The car needs to be recalled and the J1772 charging port and sensors needs to be replaced. This complaint is very common in the various EV6 owner's forums.

NHTSA ODI 11614448

I was pulling into a mall parking lot. The vehicle started beeping and popped up a message on the dash saying "stop vehicle and check power supply". The vehicle slowed to maximum 25 miles per hour. The battery died completely the vehicle has no power at all and cannot be driven or even moved off the roadway - there is no way to even get it into neutral now. The dealership wont look at the vehicle for 2-3 weeks even though it is only 1 year old. I did pull off the road before all this happened but it was so sudden and happened so quickly that I was very aware of how dangerous this could have been had I not heeded that warning immediately.

NHTSA ODI 11613170

My Kia EV6, AWD Wind has the exact problem described in this Ionic 5 video, [XXX] , which addresses your TSB 24-EV-003H. It appears my EV6 uses the same electric oil pump (EOP) as the Ionic 5, so I am not sure why the EV6 was not included in your TSB? The first 14 months I owned my car, I loved it, then in June after I started driving for 45 to 60 mins, the car ride started becoming rough or unsmooth. After researching it on the Internet and purchasing some diagnostic tools, I figured out, that when I start driving the car there is a demand signal for the EOP but the pump has no rpm, no torque and no DC current. Depending on driving conditions, it appears the rear motor stops propelling the car when it reaches 190 to 205 degrees and the front motor kicks in to do all the propulsion. Under the front motor propulsion, the car has a definite “lag” in responsiveness which I consider extremely unsafe as I expect to get an instantaneous response when I step on the accelerator not a lethargic response with no “zip”. It is similar to the difference between a turbojet engine and a turbofan engine. It has been to my Kia dealership’s service dept where they told me they duplicated the the switch from the rear to the front motor but after talking to Kia this condition was “normal” as the computer calculated this was the most efficient operation of the car I said that was BS and asked them if they checked the oil pump and was told yes. Bottom line, it’s the same EOP as the Ionic 5 and the EV6 has the same problems with it except there is no displayed fault code so Kia fails to acknowledge the problem. Also, based on what I see when the motors switch, the on board screen display shows the front motor with 5-7 bars of whatever the measurement is and the rear motor has only 1 or 0 bars but the OBD data shows both motors with the same rpm? Three EV6 problems: EOP inoperative, no fault code, data disconnect (OBD vs displayed data). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11609185

The contact owns a 2023 Kia EV6. The contact stated that the controls for the heating and cooling system on the steering wheel were too close and were a distraction. The contact stated that sunlight made it difficult to check the controls. While checking the features, the contact veered off the road. The contact stated that his hands lightly touched the controls, and he was unable to determine if the features were activated for the heated seats or the steering wheel. The contact stated that the controls needed to be less sensitive. The seats and steering wheel became hot. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 4,000.

NHTSA ODI 11604000

The brake lights illuminate too early and often under [even very] gentle deceleration. My '23 EV6 GT is driven primarily in Level 1 (minimal) regenerative braking mode and the threshold for brake light activation clearly is far too low. The appearance of "riding the brakes" is dangerous because those who follow are not alerted when the driver transitions from [essentially] coasting to actually hitting the brakes. Also, at least in my mid-Atlantic suburban area, even the appearance of "brake checking" other drivers incites road rage, which I experience most days, especially when using cruise control, unless driving with regenerative braking disabled (Level 0). SC273 was necessary and prudent because the brake lights failed to illuminate under significant deceleration, confusing those who follow. SA541 was necessary and prudent because the brake lights illuminated inconsistently on uneven road surfaces, confusing those who follow. Another VCU software logic upgrade is necessary and prudent because the brake lights fail to distinguish between [essentially] coasting vs. significant deceleration, confusing those who follow, and potentially (demonstrably!) inciting road rage. Other owners agree: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11598574

The contact owns a 2023 Kia EV6. The contact stated that while driving 72 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the console displayed that the drive mode independently switched from rear wheel to front wheel only. The vehicle was driven to a safe location and parked. The contact allowed the vehicle to sit for approximately thirty minutes; then the vehicle was started the vehicle and driven to the destination. The failure reoccurred, and the failure was persistent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.

NHTSA ODI 11594758

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Ev6. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle became inoperable. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where the battery was replaced. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the battery had been replaced approximately four times. The local dealer was able to diagnose the vehicle and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V200000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11593758

The contact owns a 2023 Kia EV6. The contact stated that the horn button had failed to operate on several occasions without warning. Despite the failure, the contact stated that the panic button located on the key fob would sound the horn once depressed. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be left with the dealer to have the vehicle inspected at the earliest availability. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 18,366.

NHTSA ODI 11592464

A couple of months ago the breaks started making a strange grinding noise and it starts vibrating for a few brief seconds, but violently. There are no warning lights or any indication of malfunction. I took it to the dealership and they allegedly fixed it. Nevertheless, less than a month later, the noise came back, and not just a noise, but the vehicle attempts to stop abruptly without me engaging the breaks. It happens intermittently, and it is quite scary when it happens while driving high speed on a freeway. It creates safety issues. This is not my first EV. I am very familiar with EVs, regenerative breaking, and so on. This is not a regenerative breaking issue. I don't even know how to properly describe it. it is very unusual.

NHTSA ODI 11592500

I do not yet know if the recalled part is defective. The dealer asked me to bring in the car for inspection and if the recalled part is defective then the dealer would order the part and I would be required to bring the car in again to have the part replaced. This requirement of having the customer return to have a defective part repaired puts the customer in the position of having to drive the car in a defective condition that could cause serious injury, whereas if the dealer carried the defective part in inventory this would not be necessary. Kia America will not let the dealer order the part unless it is first diagnosed as defective. In view of the fact that the issue is not attributable to the customer's care or use of the car, rather to the manufacture of it, the dealer's convenience should take second seat to the customer's safety and convenience.

NHTSA ODI 11590015