2026 Kia EV9 problems, complaints & recalls

2026 Kia EV9 recalls (2)

• Recall 26V545000Aug 21, 202621,290 vehicles
  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.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 26V046000Jan 26, 202642,677 vehicles
  ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

  Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Kia K4, 2025-2026 Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, Sorento Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage PHEV, K5, EV9, Carnival, and Carnival Hybrid vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101, "Controls and Displays" and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring System."

  Risk: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer, tire pressure, or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 26, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC361. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 9, 2026.

Recent 2026 Kia EV9 complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Oct 8, 2026CATransmission & Drivetrain

   Brand new car completely died after one month. The check EV system light came on while driving, could smell burning plastic smell. Vehicle went into limp mode on road and had to be towed to service center. At the service center all power in the vehicle went off and the car could not be driven. Service center diagnosed and reproduced the issue. Active DTC on the the ICCU (integrated charge control unit) unit powering the 12V battery was dead. The entire ICCU assembly had to…

   NHTSA complaint #11770000 · source
2. Filed Sep 27, 2026WAVisibility & Wipers

   The digital rearview mirror system intermittently fails while in use. The image in the rearview mirror will start flickering and eventually go completely black while driving. The system has been inspected and serviced multiple times by the dealership under warranty but the problem keeps recurring.

   NHTSA complaint #11767310 · source
3. Filed Sep 25, 2026WASuspension

   Parts near the rear left suspension area fell off and landed on the inside rear left wheel while driving in I-405. Wheels have never been removed for by reason before this incident after purchasing the car. Car only has 7724 miles on the odometer.

   NHTSA complaint #11766978 · source
4. Filed Sep 12, 2026ID1 injuredOther / Unknown

   So I called KIA about this, but I wanted my report to appear here too. Back in February, my right foot was run over by my car. It was an accident. I had gotten out of the driver's passenger side to check on something that was making noises. The person who ran my foot over didn't realize I was out of the car, and there was no warning; there was no noise indicating my door was open. Then the back driver-side tire ran over my foot. My foot was broken in a few places, and I was…

   NHTSA complaint #11763764 · source
5. Filed Sep 10, 2026ORBody & StructureElectrical SystemSeats & Seat Belts

   I was sold a vehicle with a manufacturer defect. At purchase there was a loud wind noise coming from sunroof. I was promised a swift service department visit to realign the sunroof. At service visit ten days later the dealership replaced sunroof and threw electrical error codes B271100. After a specialist over rode the error the dealership claimed fixed and had me pick up the vehicle. The loud wind noise was still present. When I attempted to return the vehicle the…

   NHTSA complaint #11763485 · source
6. Filed Aug 31, 20261,200 miNCCrash1 injuredTowedAirbags

   The contact owns a 2026 Kia EV9. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH and accelerating through a four-way intersection after a complete stop, the vehicle was T-boned on the front passenger’s side by another vehicle that had ran the stop sign. The passenger’s side air bags deployed as expected, and the driver’s side air bag also deployed, causing a fractured right humerus. The contact required emergency surgery. The contact was pregnant at the time and remained…

   NHTSA complaint #11761029 · source
7. Filed Aug 28, 2026IDWheels & Tires

   I am reporting a total of 6 failed lug bolts on the rear tires of a 2026 Kia EV9 GT-Line within 1 year of ownership. This vehicle was purchased in Aug 2025 as a new vehicle from a Kia dealership. In March 2026, vehicle was brought for it's 8000 miles service at a Kia dealership. At the time the vehicle had 9336 miles. During tire rotation, service technicians found passenger rear wheel to have a broken lug stud. From the service records, "No evidence of outside influence."…

   NHTSA complaint #11760406 · source
8. Filed Aug 15, 2026CACrashBrakesDriver Assistance & Safety TechAcceleration & Cruise Control

   The car was being parked in a shopping lot. As the drive was pulling into the parking spot, the car lurched forward on its own and hit the wall. The gas pedal was not pressed. No collision sensors were triggered either. Unclear if related but the car was taken in for maintenance and recall updates the week prior to this accident.

   NHTSA complaint #11757172 · source

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 11, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology