Most common 2026 Kia EV9 problems
Share of the 27 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Kia EV9 complaints by model year
2026 Kia EV9 recalls (2)
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.
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.
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.
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.
What 2026 Kia EV9 owners say
Electrical system
I own a Kia 2026 EV9. We charged the car to 80% (we have reduced the limit to only 80%). The next morning there was no power to the car. The interior lights would not come on door handles would not work. I could not start the vehicle. I read on line of the 12v battery dying and ICCU failures. I charged the battery for 1.5 hours and was able to get the car to start. I immediately drove it to the Kia dealership on 01/05/2026. The service department stated they could charge the battery but had to further diagnose the problem. On 01/08/2026 the service department stated that the tech was "tinkering" on the car and would reload software updates and patches. On 01/09/2026 the service department informed me that the technician still does not know what is wrong with the car and the tech is off again today.
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 dealership said I would no longer be serviced by their dealership. Kia Customer Care sent me to a second dealership. Second dealership brought in techline specialist that ordered Kia Warranty repair would replace the entire roof. The vehicle is at a third party auto body repair shop.
Windows, wipers & sunroof
The contact owns a 2026 Kia EV9. The contact stated that while driving at 68 MPH, the sunroof made an abnormally loud banging sound. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, inspected the sunroof, and became aware that the sunroof was cracking. The contact closed the shade guard to prevent shattered glass from falling inside the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to the destination. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer the same day. The dealer confirmed that the sunroof had internally failed, and the dealer was waiting for the warranty department to approve the sunroof replacement. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 600.
The first time I drove on a highway in this brand new car the windshield chipped. There are facebook group posts of other drivers experiencing numerous chips and cracks in the windshield. I'm not sure how this compares with other cars, but I've been driving for about 20 years and have had little rocks/pebbles hit the car windshield and never have had an issue with a chip in the windshield. I'm not sure how unsafe this is-- if the entire thing could break-- the dealership I go to is patching it for me-- but this may be a consumer issue and possibly a safety issue too.
Fuel & propulsion system
I was driving down the freeway driving at the speed of traffic. My vehicle started beeping aggressively, a red indicator started flashing over the frunk area of the vehicle representation in the dash and my vehicle entered red turtle mode. This red turtle mode severely reduced the vehicle's speed and ability to maneuver on the freeway. I was almost struck by numerous vehicles while attempting to get to the side of the road. I had been driving in the number 3 lane of a 5 lane freeway where lane 1 was an exit only offramp. Once I got to the side of the road, I power cycled the vehicle. when that didn't revolve the red turtle issue. I pressed the frunk open button. I heard the opening mechanism actuate. I then reseated the frunk latch and closed the frunk. Once the vehicle was turned back on, all issues were resolved and the vehicle behaved as normal.
Car was driving find and suddenly check electric system message came in with a red battery indicator. The application for the car indicates an ICCU P1A9096 error code. ICCU errors seems to be common with Kia/Hyundai electric cars. Car went to limp mode and wouldn't let drive it more than 45mph which it was dangerous in the highway. I was able to get the car into the dealer but the last mile the car was very limited in power with no more than 30mph. Radio, A/C and other accessories stop working
2026 Kia EV9 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric | Single-speed | RWD | 100 / 78 / 89 MPGe | 305 mi |
| Electric | Single-speed | AWD | 94 / 75 / 84 MPGe | 283 mi |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2026 Kia EV9 a good car?
Based on 27 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2026 EV9 rates average: 1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the EV9 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2026 Kia EV9?
The electrical system — 12 complaints, 44% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the windows, wipers & sunroof (4) and fuel & propulsion system (3).
How many recalls does the 2026 Kia EV9 have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2026 Kia EV9, the most recent from August 21, 2026 (front passenger). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do 2026 Kia EV9 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 1,000 miles; 100% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.