What 204 owners told NHTSA about the 2024 Kia Ev9 Bev

The car seat system on this device is defective. After placing the shell back on the base and it clicking/latching in place, the shell pops off with using minimal force. The bar with the little plastic arms do not hold the car seat in place. This is extremely dangerous for the child. The arms and bar should be replaced with something that locks in place. In the photos you can see where I circled in red, shows the parts that are unattaching. And the yellow indicates the wear/friction on the plastic surface from it sliding in and out of place. It also rotates of of locked by itself without holding the rotating button. There have been several complaints on this same issue. At this point a recall needs to happen before this car seat kills a child.

NHTSA ODI 11653706

Since taking delivery of the vehicle I noticed the vehicle "hops around" when encountering irregularities in the road. The vehicle feels unsettled over seams, bumps, or uneven surfaces, even minor ones like raised seams or potholes. This happens both while driving straight and through corners, with the rear end feeling like it's skipping, hopping, or "porpoising." The issue is most noticeable at highway speeds.

NHTSA ODI 11652951

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.

NHTSA ODI 11650900

Vehicle failing to charge beyond 65% state of charge. Error message P1AA700 (warning) appearing on the dash with an electrical charging system issue. Kia Customer Care Case Number: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11649934

Snow accumulates under wiper blades and then ice sticks to the wipers themselves. Big chunks of ice form on blades so that wipers do not clear snow/water off of windshield. Impossible to see while driving when this occurs in snowy conditions. Defrost setting on HVAC is not enough to melt ice so must be manually removed. No reference in user manual or from KIA on how to manage.

NHTSA ODI 11649635

Vehicles battery has somehow malfunctioned and will charge to 100% but only has ~40 miles of range. This lead to my family being almost stranded in the middle of the night without range to get home with the un expected decrease. Vehicle is currently still at the dealership and has been there for over a month. They believe they have identified a problem with the battery pack but have to send out a specialist to look at it and have been waiting for that person for over three weeks and there is still no one assigned

NHTSA ODI 11649386

The windshield wipers could not complete full return to starting position due to wet snow. This caused a shuddering noise as the mechanism driving the wipers continued to try to complete its motion. Then an electrical burning smell emanated through the car.

NHTSA ODI 11649387

Vehicle range went from 320+ miles on a 100% charge to just 100 miles on 100% charge. Looks to be a bad battery cell or battery itself. No warning lights of any kind. Just super degraded range. Vehicle is new and has around 5800 miles. Dealer doesn't have techs to work on batteries, so they are having to play telephone game with Kia tech line in Korea.

NHTSA ODI 11649183

We heard a grinding sound from rear of vehicle while driving into a park lot. Checked road and vehicle to see if there was any damage or objects hit, there were not. Shortly after driving a few miles a BMS warning was showing and we called Kia roadside assistance. They insisted on towing the car but we waited until next day so we could secure a rental. The short drive to the rental agency now gave us 4 more errors regarding “check 4WD/AWD” and the code was given as “MCU_R” to check the rear motor control units. All were listed as “P1Axxxx” errors. During this time, electronics in the car did not work well, vehicle did not want to shift into gears and acceleration was noticeably degraded. Car is at dealership being worked on now.

NHTSA ODI 11649234

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 even after a short drive around our town. By all appearances, the high voltage battery seems to be defective and is causing a safety issue because it could result in a sudden loss of power during driving or an unexpected shutdown of the vehicle. This may also be a symptom of an even more serious battery defect that could result in a battery fire. We brought the vehicle to the dealer, and they were able to reproduce the severe drop in range. No components have been replaced yet, we are still waiting to hear which parts will be replaced under warranty service. During this entire time the vehicle has given zero warnings or alerts, including no warning messages nor the check engine light.

NHTSA ODI 11649362

3 weeks after picking up our Kia EV9, I noticed a thunking sound from the passenger side front tire. When we reached home, we opened the car cover and noticed that the lug nut had come off and was rattling behind the cover. We called the dealership and the asked us to bring the car in. Since we didn't want to drive it, we bought a torque wrench and tightened it ourselves, after getting the information from the dealership on how much to tighten it. We also noticed that all the lug nuts were under torqued and the driver side lug nut was very loose. I also read multiple reports on online forums (Reddit) about new Kia EV9 wheels flying off on the highway.

NHTSA ODI 11649077

Certain ADAS features have disengaged at least six times in the last year. While traveling at greater than 55 mph vehicle disengages cruise control and reports numerous warning indicators on dashboard including ADAS forward features such as collision warning and automatic braking indicators. I also noted lane management/steering also seemed to disengage when this has occurred during highway curve management. It is difficult to evaluate the full range of loss as the dashboard warnings are numerous and change over the next few minutes. It is also unsafe to secure good photographic evidence when traveling alone, though with assistance some imagery was recently captured. The sudden loss of speed and directional control assistance in multi-lane urban traffic was alarming but managed OK by alert driving. The manufacturer's dealer reported they could do nothing after one of the first occurrences. They said there were not 'codes' registered and not reports on file. The loss of systems usually cleared up within a few miles for the first instances. The most recent case persisted for several hours and several vehicle off/restart cycles. During this time the dashboard indicators suggested some failures resolved but some remained. This last case cleared over-night upon morning restart. A failure/warning was noted in the Kia Connect online app while the car still reported a problem. There were no prior indications before the sudden systems failure. All of these cases initially occurred on a section of road within about 1/2 mile of the same place. It involves a significant curve on an urban interstate interchanged. Sometimes the failures occur just before, or during, and at the end of the curve.

NHTSA ODI 11648895

During left turns the driver's seat will shift right abruptly causing the driver to feel unsafe. This happens repeatedly and consistently while driving, but only while turning left. I've taken this issue to the dealer who replicated it, but did nothing.

NHTSA ODI 11648534

The back end of the car will move back and forth laterally when driving over uneven road. In particular it appears to happen when driving over a bump while also driving at a slight left or right angle. After the bump the back end will oscillate laterally. This is extremely concerning to the driver and passengers, it can feel like the car is going to bounce out of its lane.

NHTSA ODI 11648535

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

NHTSA ODI 11648576

Battery cell in electric vehicle failed after 6 months of ownership.

NHTSA ODI 11648445

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.

NHTSA ODI 11648297

When you're at speeds greater than 15mph and hit a bump or encounter a surface irregularity (pothole, expansion joint, etc.), the Kia EV9 GT Line goes into a porpoising sway, causing the entire chassis to become unsettled. The swaying is much more pronounced when only one side of the encounters the irregularity, or if the car is not perfectly perpendicular to the irregularity and the left and right wheels pass over the irregularity at different times. The effect is especially noticeable in the rear. This unsettling 'swaying' increases with speed and happens both while driving straight and through corners. The rear end feels as though it's hopping or skipping from side to side. Out of all the vehicles I’ve driven—and I’ve driven quite a few—I’ve never experienced anything like this. During wet and slippery conditions, driving over small bumps or manhole covers has even caused the vehicle to lose traction and begin spinning - even while traveling at 25mph in a straight line. I purchased the EV9 in early 2024 and it has had the issue since delivery. I have heard many other EV9 GT Line owners complain of similar suspension issues and I am frankly surprised that there has not been a string of crashes and fatalities linked to the issue. I have spoken to the Kia dealership several times but because the vehicle is new they claim that they have not heard any other reports and they do not have the experience to diagnose or fix the issue.

NHTSA ODI 11648155

Car would not charge on a fast charger and died on us while on a trip. We got the car towed to a dealership and two days later was told the car was fixed and ready to go. On the way home, we stopped to charge the car and the car still wouldn’t connect to charger. The car would connect to our home charger though. I took to the car to the dealership in our town where they had trouble getting it to connect to their fast charger along with the car not communicating to back of car. The car also completely died even with a full battery and had to get it towed to dealership

NHTSA ODI 11647715

Vehicle suspension experiences rear end swaying at speed when encountering rough or uneven road surfaces. Vehicle is available upon request. Rear 2 rows experience it more than front but requires driver to be mindful of steering to maintain control of vehicle. Dealer replicated swaying on vehicle and new 1 off the lot on 11/11/2024 per service invoice. Dealer service department test drove, rebalanced all tires, performed alignment, 8k service, and has performed 4 multi-point inspections since purchase in July 2025. No warning indicators, codes, or lights on dash and as stated on service invoice.

NHTSA ODI 11646085

Battery Management System light came on 1/22 , battery wouldn’t charge past 80% - took into Kia Burlington NJ for service- they diagnosed vehicle and put it on charger and was told issue was resolved. I am noticing that my battery pack is having issues- battery pack is 99kw when it goes down to 10 % in can charge it all the way to 100% but only 50kw is dispensed. Meaning that there is 40kw of battery that is unaccounted for. My max range is extremely limited to 120mi on a full charge. I understand winter can affect range but with the constant charging- i haven’t been able to dispense the full 90ish kw of charge. Concerned about my safety and a potentially defective battery pack.

NHTSA ODI 11645456

We've had the vehicle for about six months as my wife's primary car. within the first week of driving the vehicle, she noticed it "hops around" when encountering irregularities in the road surface at highway speeds. After driving it myself, I agree—the vehicle gets unsettled while driving over seams, bumps, or uneven surfaces, even minor ones like raised seams or potholes. This happens and is most noticebale at highway speeds, both while driving straight and through corners, with the rear end feeling like it's skipping, hopping, or "porpoising." Even with small irregulairities in the road the vehicle lightly sways. Tire pressure is set to manufacturer specifications, and there's no noticeable irregular or excessive wear on the tires. When I have spoken to the dealership about this, they cliam that it's perfectly normal becuase it's a heavy vehicle (referencing a 3/4 ton pickup). This does not inspire confidence in dirving the vehicle and is likely to cause an accident.

NHTSA ODI 11644976

The Kia EV9 has a defect in its suspension that causes the rear end to "bump-steer" over imperfections in the road, giving the driver a scary sensation of losing control. For example, driving on the highway in a corner, if you hit an expansion joint or pothole, the vehicle will require a quick steering correction while the vehicle's rear-end enters what feels like an oversteer condition. This reduces confidence in the vehicle's ability to hold the road. In poor weather like snow, it's impossible to discern whether the vehicle's rear end is sliding, or if it's the bump-steer condition occurring. My wife refuses to drive the car in inclement weather, despite the vehicle being fitted with snow tires. It is a very scary feeling. Kia has yet to issue a TSB for this on 2024 and 2025 model year vehicles, and it seems that all trim levels are affected after discussing with the community on forums. Even after dialing in the alignment perfectly to manufacturer specifications, the issue does not resolve.

NHTSA ODI 11644992

When driving over uneven surfaces, like typical urban and suburban roads and highways, the rear end seems so wobble and slide. It feels like the heavy EV is about to break traction and slide sideways. It porpoises as well. It makes every passengers heart skip a beat. These are on dry roads, obeying speed limits, with the stock tires. An expansion joint, seam of two types of road material, utility cover or other irregularities can cause this. Easily reproduced but dealers or Kia America don’t seem to believe or care.

NHTSA ODI 11645188

At highway speeds, the SUV experiences significant body sway when hitting a bump, causing it to rock side to side in an unsettling manner. This issue makes the vehicle feel unstable and nervous, requiring the driver to slow down to regain control. The excessive body roll presents a potential safety hazard, as it could lead to a loss of control in certain conditions. Based on my research, this problem appears to affect the GT-Line model more than others. A solution is urgently needed to address this serious handling issue, but so far, Kia Corporation has done nothing to resolve it.

NHTSA ODI 11644936