2024 Kia EV9

On April 29, 2025, NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE25004) to investigate inoperative windshield wipers in model year (MY) 2024-2025 Kia EV9 vehicles. The complaints report windshield wipers that malfunction while driving, when snow and/or ice accumulates on or at the bottom of the windshield or in the cowl. ODI further received videos and photographs that depict relatively small amounts of snow and/or ice accumulation that leads to the wipers’ malfunction. Inoperative windshield wipers could reduce driver visibility during inclement weather and increase the risk of a crash. ODI identified 7 Vehicle Owners Questionnaires (VOQs) related to this investigation. Five VOQs describe inoperative windshield wipers due to snow and/or ice accumulation. Two other VOQs describe other malfunctioning windshield wipers including snow build-up on the blades and an odor of overheating. The wipers are equipped with thermal overload protection designed to limit overheating of the wiper motor. Further, consumers describe windshield wipers that temporarily stop working when they are not able to clear the windshield. This may happen when the wipers stop before the parked position in the cowl at the bottom of the windshield. In January 2026, Kia informed ODI that it will conduct a Product Improvement Campaign with owner notification for approximately 47,000 MY 2024-2026EV9 vehicles.The campaign includes a hardware change to the passenger-side wiper arm and an Owner’s Manual revision. The replacement wiper arm will be a different shape and angle that increase the space/clearance between the cowl and the wiper. The Owner’s Manual revision will emphasize the importance of snow removal prior to driving, and it will recommend that drivers place the wipers in service mode when the vehicle is parked outdoors, and snow is forecasted. In addition, Kia is planning to develop pop-up cluster warnings that will be temperature-dependent, and they will remind owners to clear snow/ice pre-drive and to place the wipers in service mode post-drive. In view of Kia’s field action, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation. ODI will take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

This car has had a series of electrical issues in the first year of use. 1. The main battery needed to be replaced 6/2025 2. The 12 V battery needed to be replaced 6/2205 3. 7/2026 There is an electrical issue that causes the right headlight to go out and all the indicator lights to be set-off, which prevents certain safety functions. This has been evaluated be an independent Bodyshop, which changed a part. Then 3 visits to the Kia dealer where another part was changed. After 4 visits and 2 parts, the problem occurred again. I've asked Kia to buy out the lease and they have not. This car is under warranty, but not fixed

NHTSA ID

11774986

Incident

Aug 12, 2026

The vehicle failed without warning while driving. In sequence, it displayed an electrical system warning, then a 12V battery error, dropped into reduced-power “turtle” mode, shifted itself into neutral, sat immobile while throwing multiple warning lights, and then lost all power completely. It had to be towed to local Kia for diagnosis/repair. Losing motive power while driving in traffic is a serious safety hazard that put the occupants and others around the vehicle at risk.

NHTSA ID

11774733

Incident

Oct 27, 2026

In July 2024, approximately two months after purchasing the vehicle new in May 2024, a significant spiderweb-shaped crack developed in the front illuminated grille and fascia assembly. The vehicle had approximately 300 miles on the odometer and the damage was discovered during a routine hand wash. The vehicle had only been driven under normal roadway conditions in the Corpus Christi, Texas area with no collisions, accidents, or known abnormal impacts. This exposed acrylic-style front fascia houses the GT-Line's digital lighting elements and protects critical front-mounted safety sensors and sophisticated electrical systems. The structural failure of this panel compromises the weather sealing, exposing sensitive high-voltage components and advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) sensors to moisture and road debris. This poses a potential safety risk regarding electrical system integrity and sensor reliability. The vehicle was immediately presented to the original purchasing Kia dealership. The dealer ultimately replaced the entire front grille assembly at no charge under warranty. However, the replacement component utilized the identical structural design and materials, failing to correct the underlying vulnerability of the fascia to ordinary highway exposure.

NHTSA ID

11772901

Incident

Jul 1, 2024

On my 2024 Kia EV9 GT-Line, the front illuminated digital pattern acrylic/plastic grill panel suffered a catastrophic structural failure, resulting in a complete blowout and puncture hole under normal driving conditions. The panel fractured and shattered completely while driving on standard paved roads, with zero history of front-end collisions, low-speed impacts, or road debris strikes. This indicates a severe material strength, thermal stress, or structural design defect where the acrylic housing cannot withstand normal operational driving forces. Given its placement over critical forward-facing ADAS sensors, cameras, and electrical lighting elements, this open hole and structural failure presents a severe safety, sensor compromise, and moisture/debris intrusion hazard. I am submitting this report to document the defect and wish to cross-reference existing complaint number 11589157, as multiple owners are experiencing identical structural failures of the illuminated grill panel under normal driving conditions. Requesting a federal investigation into material durability and a manufacturer-backed recall.

NHTSA ID

11771804

Incident

Oct 17, 2026

On September 10, 2026, while driving my Kia EV9 on a public roadway, I experienced a suspected unintended and excessive activation of the vehicle's collision-avoidance/automatic emergency braking system. I was traveling straight in my lane when another vehicle approached from the right side and crossed/moved into the roadway ahead. The other vehicle continued moving away from my immediate path; however, my EV9 suddenly applied substantial braking without me commanding that degree of braking. The incident was captured on my front dash camera. The recording shows my vehicle traveling approximately 31 MPH shortly before the event. The recorded speed decreases from approximately 30 MPH to 28 MPH, then rapidly to approximately 15 MPH and approximately 7 MPH within only a few seconds. The unexpected braking created a serious safety concern because a vehicle traveling closely behind me could have struck the rear of my vehicle. There was no collision, and fortunately no vehicle was immediately behind me. I retained the original dash-cam recording and can provide it for inspection upon request. The vehicle is also available for inspection. I have since disabled the collision-avoidance feature because I am concerned that another unintended braking event could occur at highway or roadway speeds. I am reporting this incident because the driver-assistance system appeared to intervene more aggressively than the traffic situation required and temporarily took braking control away from the driver. I am requesting that NHTSA document and evaluate this incident for possible similar complaints involving Kia EV9 collision-avoidance or automatic emergency braking systems.

NHTSA ID

11768236

Incident

Sep 10, 2026

Beginning sometime after purchase, our 2024 Kia EV9 (VIN: [XXX]) developed a recurring failure of the multimedia display system (head unit). The screen goes completely dark after approximately 5 minutes of drive time and only restores after a full vehicle restart. This failure occurred approximately 10 to 14 times before we brought the vehicle in for service. Critically, when the multimedia screen goes dark, the rearview camera display is also rendered completely unavailable. As the rearview camera is federally mandated safety equipment under FMVSS 111, this failure left us unable to use the camera while backing up on multiple occasions, creating a serious safety hazard to pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles behind our car. The vehicle was dropped off at Grand Kia (Wheat Ridge, CO) on XXX for diagnosis. The service technician disassembled and reassembled the head unit and contacted Kia Techline for an action plan. We were told a replacement part was on order. As of the date of this complaint, the vehicle has been out of service for over six weeks with no confirmed repair timeline and minimal communication from the dealer or Kia America. This is our second significant warranty-related repair issue with this vehicle. We are filing this complaint to create a federal record of a safety defect involving the loss of federally mandated rearview camera functionality, and to request that NHTSA investigate whether this failure pattern exists across other 2024 Kia EV9 vehicles. Requested Action: Investigation of potential safety defect involving multimedia/head unit failure causing loss of rearview camera in 2024 Kia EV9 vehicles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11760318

Incident

Jul 9, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 Kia EV9. The contact stated that while attempting to release the rear seat belt to install a child safety seat, a significant amount of effort was required. The contact stated that after struggling with the seat belts over several months of use, the seat belt became fully jammed and no longer was able to be extended. The dealer was notified of the failure on several occasions. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 25,600.

NHTSA ID

11758624

Incident

Aug 21, 2026

Mileage

25,600 mi

When I started the car up, I noticed a little bit of chattering on the brake pedal, which seemed very unusual. I drove the car forward a little bit and then all of a sudden, all these lights displays and stop vehicle and check brake system now message showed up. The car was very sluggish to drive and had almost no brake pressure. I was able to drive it out of the parking lot (slowly and carefully). When I called a tow truck, I left the vehicle off for about 20 or 30 minutes, and then when I turned it back on, everything was fine no error messages and I had plenty of brake pressure. Post dealership update: They confirmed the issue and DTC code. Found that it was a ground wire that had a 3 ohm resistance (something about a “plastic coating” was mentioned in the paperwork!). They replaced the cable via SC360, and I’ve put about 800 miles on it since then with no issues.

NHTSA ID

11755146

Incident

Aug 5, 2026

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: 3RD ROW SEAT BELT REPLACEMENT (PI2604) - This bulletin provides information to replace both third-row seat belt retractor assemblies with enhanced components on certain 2024-2026MY EV9 (MV, MVa) vehicles, as listed in the table below. To improve usability of the third-row seat belts in the subject vehicles, Kia has developed seat belt retractor assemblies with enhanced components. The enhanced seat belt retractor assemblies feature modified seat belt webbing stiffness and retraction speed to reduce twisting at the D-ring under certain usage conditions.

RELEASE NOTES: OVER-THE-AIR: PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR BODY DOMAIN CONTROLLER (PI2601B) - This Over-the-Air (OTA) software update is designed to update the Body Domain Controller (BDC) logic of certain 2024 - 2026 EV9 vehicles. Enhanced warning messages in the instrument cluster display upon detection of an obstruction in the windshield wiper area such as snow or ice, and new reminders to clear snow/ice when winter weather conditions are possible. Before operating your vehicle in low temperature conditions, clear snow from the vehicle's roof/windshield wiper area and defrost the windshield. If winter conditions are forecasted and the vehicle is parked outside, place the wipers in Service Mode for easier access to the windshield cowl area when clearing snow or ice before next use. ※ This enhancement requires completion of three software updates; this BDC OTA update, the Cluster (CLU) OTA update and the ccNC OTA update.

This Pitstop provides information related to Electric Vehicle (EV) charging on 2024 - 2026MY EV9 (MV1, MV1a) vehicles. In some cases, high-voltage charging performance may be limited or inoperative and accompanied by an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with DTC P343A98 stored. This condition may occur if the Electric Water Pump #1 (Power Electronics) E65 connector and Electric Water Pump #2 (High-Voltage Battery) E66 connector being inadvertently swapped.

PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: OWNER'S MANUAL INSERT LEAFLET (PI2601B) - This document is the PI2601B Owner's Manual Insert Leaflet that contains revised information for wipers. Vehicle owners are advised to keep this leaflet with the Owner's Manual.

PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (PI2601B) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign on all 2024-2025 MY and certain 2026 MY EV9 vehicles to install enhanced windshield wiper software that provides drivers with additional reminders related to the use of the windshield wipers during winter conditions.

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: WIPER MESSAGE LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (PI2601B) - This bulletin provides information to install enhanced windshield wiper software on certain 2024–2026MY EV9 (MV1, MV1a) vehicles as listed.