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World Of EVEditorial

2025 Kia EV9 problems & recalls

NHTSA has issued 4 recalls covering the 2025 Kia EV9 and owners have filed 12 complaints. The most-reported area is electrical system (3 complaints).

Other model years:20262024
Recalls
4
Complaints
12
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
0
Injuries
0

Recalls (4)

Aug 21, 2026#26V545000

Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification › Front passenger

Kia America, Inc (Kia) is recalling certain 2025-2026 EV9 vehicles. Due to improper routing, the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may not deactivate the air bag when a child or child seat is in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Risk: A child in the front seat may be at a greater risk of injury if the air bag deploys during a crash.

Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the ODS mat and bladder tube with a new one and ensure proper routing as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters will be mailed beginning October 20, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC379. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 4, 2026.

Feb 24, 2025#25V115000

Electrical system › Propulsion system

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 EV9 vehicles. The rear gear drive unit (GDU) motor shaft may have been improperly welded and become damaged, causing a loss of drive power.

Risk: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will replace the rear GDU, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 7, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC337.

Dec 20, 2024#24V962000

Seats › Critical fasteners

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2024-2025 EV9 vehicles. The second- and third-row seat mounting bolts may be missing.

Risk: Seats without mounting bolts may not properly restrain an occupant, increasing the risk of injury.

Fix: Dealers will inspect and install mounting bolts as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 24, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC329.

Oct 10, 2024#24V757000Over-the-air fix

Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2024-2025 EV9 vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel screen may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Controls and Displays."

Risk: An instrument panel screen that fails to display critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, can increase the risk of a crash.

Fix: The instrument cluster software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 25, 2024. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC326.

Owner complaints (12)

What owners reported to NHTSA, by component. One complaint can name several components.

  • Electrical system3
  • Power train2
  • Visibility/wiper2
  • Steering2
  • Wheels2
  • Engine1
  • Seats1
  • Tires1
  • Unknown or other1
  • Suspension1
  • Fuel/propulsion system1
  • Service brakes1

Complaints over time

May 2025: 1 complaintJun 2025: 0 complaintsJul 2025: 0 complaintsAug 2025: 1 complaintSep 2025: 3 complaintsOct 2025: 0 complaintsNov 2025: 0 complaintsDec 2025: 0 complaintsJan 2026: 2 complaintsFeb 2026: 1 complaintMar 2026: 2 complaintsApr 2026: 1 complaintMay 2026: 0 complaintsJun 2026: 0 complaintsJul 2026: 0 complaintsAug 2026: 1 complaintMay 20252026
Complaints filed per month. Peak: 3 in Sep 2025. Hover a bar for its count.
Complaints filed per month
MonthComplaints
May 20251
Jun 20250
Jul 20250
Aug 20251
Sep 20253
Oct 20250
Nov 20250
Dec 20250
Jan 20262
Feb 20261
Mar 20262
Apr 20261
May 20260
Jun 20260
Jul 20260
Aug 20261

Recent owner reports

Aug 4, 2026Electrical system

The infotainment screen, including backup camera views, randomly glitches and then goes completely dark with no ability to view anything on the screen. The screen has been reset and software reloaded, but the glitch continues. Next, the screen was replaced but the glitch continues. This has been occurring since the beginning of June 2026.

Apr 8, 2026Power train, Electrical system, Engine

I am submitting a safety complaint regarding a serious incident involving my 2025 Kia EV9. The vehicle was serviced on March 1 at World Kia in Joliet, Illinois. On April 4, only four days after that service, the vehicle experienced a sudden and unexpected ICCU failure while I was driving. During my normal travel, in active traffic and at speed, the vehicle abruptly entered limp mode and displayed multiple system warnings. This caused an immediate and significant reduction in power, creating a hazardous situation for myself and surrounding drivers. I was forced to maneuver the vehicle out of t…

Mar 18, 2026Seats

Seats allow drivers to save seating positions for different drivers. Seats automatically return to the last used saved position when the vehicle is turned on. This seat movement cannot be stopped or overridden without finding and activating the seat position controls on the left side of the seat base. If the driver does not find these controls in time, they can become crushed against the steering wheel or other surfaces. Seats do not respond to resistance and motors continue increasing torque until the controls are activated or the final saved position is reached. Problem is easily reproduced…

Mar 17, 2026Tires

These Hankook iON Evo tires started vibrating wildly at the first service that I took the car to for a rotation. We took it back to the dealership (Ourisman Kia in Fairfax VA) three times where they kept the car for several days to diagnose. After opening the tires up, they state that the inner sound insulating foam on all four tires has separated. The tires were at 7/32 and now 5/32 and the car only has 18,200 miles on it. The tires have a 50k treadwear warranty, but this isn't covered as part of the warranty. The inner foam separation on a Kia EV9 is a known issue and widely discussed on…

Feb 25, 2026Visibility/wiper

This car is unusual because the wipers are located in a crevice far below the top of the hood where it meets the windshield. The first time we had an issue, it had snowed and snow collected in the crevice area. The wipers were turned on, but the drivers side one didn't move in sync with the passenger side one. They eventually "tangled" and we stopped them. The car was taken for service and supposedly repaired by replacing one of the wiper arms that had bent. It has snowed again. Before the snow fell, the crevice was mostly covered with a shield to keep snow from falling into it. The wipe…

Jan 24, 2026Electrical system, Unknown or other

Component: Electrical System / Instrument Panel Speed at time of failure: [Insert typical speed, e.g., 65 mph] Description of Incident: My vehicle is suffering from an intermittent but total loss of the instrument cluster functionality while in motion. The display goes dark and is replaced by a "No Signal" message. This results in the immediate loss of all critical safety information, including speed, battery range, and warning telltales. This is a direct violation of FMVSS No. 101 (Controls and Displays). Specific Recalls/Campaigns Not Addressed: I brought my vehicle to Fiesta KIA (Dealer…

Jan 15, 2026Steering, Suspension, Fuel/propulsion system

Vehicle consistently vibrates at highway speeds, feels like a driveline vibration, wheel, tire or suspension issue. Almost feels like a tire is wobbling.

Sep 3, 2025Wheels

Vehicle Information: 2025 Kia EV9 GT-Line AWD VIN: [XXX] Mileage: ~16,000 miles Component/Part Affected: Wheel studs / Wheel attachment system Summary: Multiple wheel studs (3 on one wheel, 2 on another) were found stripped/damaged on my [XXX] Kia EV9, making the vehicle unsafe to drive. This is a critical safety issue, as wheels cannot be properly secured and could detach while driving. Details: •The vehicle has been serviced exclusively at Kia dealerships (Winn Kia Fremont and Putnam Kia Burlingame, CA). •Putnam Kia Burlingame visits (7/31/25 and 8/29/25) involved seat motor repairs, mu…

Kia EV9 news

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall and complaint records, updated Oct 1, 2026. Complaints are owner reports and are not verified by NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.