Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, backup camera).
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2024 Kia EV9 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On November 5th, 2024 I exited a store and my vehicle instrument panel was black when I turned my vehicle on. I turned my vehicle off and on several times trying to get the panel to work. I could also not control the headlights or turn signal with the manual controls either. It was still daylight hours and I was 2 miles from home so I decided to try and see if the vehicle could be driven home. I was able to get the vehicle home but could not get the instrument panel to turn on despite many more times of trying by turning the vehicle off and on. The following morning I contacted the Royal Kia dealership and told them of my issue and they informed me this was a known recall issue that had recently been discovered; they had the vehicle towed to them the same day. …
The dashboard and control panel of my vehicle have repeatedly blacked out since shortly after purchase. These blackouts cause the entire instrument cluster and control systems, including critical safety features, to become non-functional or obstructed intermittently while driving. This creates a dangerous situation where I lose access to important information such as speed, warning indicators, and climate controls, severely compromising my ability to operate the vehicle safely. The issue has occurred multiple times, including once while driving on a highway, which put me and other drivers at significant risk. The problem has been reported to authorized dealerships, where the vehicle was inspected and software updates were attempted, but the issue persists. Despite multiple repair attempts, the blackouts continue to happen unpredictably. …
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. …
The screen that shows speed, miles remaining, etc. went black on a long trip. All of the automated cruise control, lane keeping, etc. are also housed in that screen. The blinkers would not work, I had no idea how fast I was going at any time which is unsafe. I could not see how much range is left on the vehicle which I imagine could lead the car just dying while driving or going into the turtle mode with too low of a charge. Also, the adaptive cruise control was not working properly and at one point when a car in front of me moved over out of my lane, the car accelerated hard and brought me up to about what was probably about 90-100mph, not even close to where it was set earlier. 2 hour drive without screen or these safety features and the screen still is not back. I will be taking it into the dealership. …
When the vehicle is in adaptive cruise mode and tracking a lane with Lane Keeping Assistance, if the lines on the road widen beyond a certain point (perhaps 3-5ft wider than a normal lane), the vehicle will suddenly stop maintaining the lane with no audio warning or significant visual indicator. As the driver should always be paying attention, it is the lack of an audio warning that is the major concern. On a straight road, the vehicle will slowly begin to drift out of the lane. However, when this happens on a curve, the vehicle will suddenly stop steering around the corner, and throw the vehicle out of the lane in a dangerous way. This happens all the time when the lane widens, which I often experience on newer freeways with wider lanes. …
[redacted] Message says warning "check ev system". they then sent a letter saying it had to go to the dealer, or the car would need A tow potentially. I can't get an appointment as they are way too busy to do anything other than tell me they will get back to me, repeatedly stating they will do so in one business day. it has been a week. My wife is scared to drive the car. I think it is bogus as no recall has been issued. I have had the car for 19 months with no such warning. Two days after it shows up on the screen in the car i receive the letter. This is fishy. it is either a recall, or it isn't. if it is why is it not in your data base? The vagueness of the message is inappropriate, and it implies danger.
The main display of the vehicle which shows Speed, Range, Blind Spot Cameras, etc - essentally all the critical vehicle information needed to drive - goes blank randomly. While the vehicle is driveable during this time, the driver does not know their speed, range, any other alerts/warnings that would typically be shown on the guage screen (including seatbelt warnings, mechanical failure warnings etc). During this time the climate screen and infotainment screens, which are seperate, function but the main guage screen does NOT. There is no pattern/predictablity as to when the screen will be unavailable. Further, it does not seem to return until the vehicle is parked and locked for an extended period (eg, several hours).
My EV9 lunged forward very abruptly when I was parking. I had to slam on the brakes before my vehicle crashed into the building in front of me. My vehicle also lost the signal (blank screen while driving ) the same day my car lunged forward. I could not tell how fast or slow I was going. I pulled over and restarted the vehicle or and my screen came back on. I began driving for maybe 4 minutes and the screen went completely black except for the "lost signal" alert in red. My vehicle has also lost the ability to use adaptive cruise control while driving my vehicle. I pulled over and when I restarted the vehicle i was able to use it again.
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.
I had finished charging the car over night and just turned it on to drive to work. However, the dash display did not fully turn on. It did not display the speed, charge, odometer reading, any form of driver safety information, etc. The display was completely blank except for displaying the gear the car was in, that the parking break was on, and that auto hold was engaged. The infotainment and climate control screens were functional and the vehicle could drive but it was unsafe to drive without the main dash screen (including the speedometer).
Collision Avoidance complaints in other EV9 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are collision avoidance problems on the 2024 Kia EV9?
NHTSA has 37 complaints about the driver assistance of the 2024 Kia EV9, 18% of the model year's 209 complaints. The component named most often is warnings (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2024 Kia EV9 collision avoidance problems?
No. NHTSA lists no driver assistance recall for the 2024 Kia EV9, though it has 7 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.