2025 Kia EV9

The defect

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.

The risk

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

The remedy

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.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 342 vehicles across all model years covered

The defect

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

The risk

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

The remedy

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.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 22,883 vehicles across all model years covered

The defect

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."

The 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.

The remedy

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.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 14,163 vehicles across all model years covered · fixed by software update

Closed preliminary evaluation · opened April 29, 2025 · closed March 11, 2026

visibility

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.

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.

NHTSA complaint 11754793. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

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 traffic while it was rapidly losing propulsion capability. The vehicle is currently at Berwyn Kia in …

NHTSA complaint 11729945, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

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 and may be related to recent fatality in Hyundai Palisade which likely shares components from …

NHTSA complaint 11725127, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

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 the internet. For an $80k vehicle with OEM tires that cost over $1500 to replace, it's ridiculous that …

NHTSA complaint 11724871, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

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 wipers were put into the "snow position" but when used again today, the wipers have again failed to operate …

NHTSA complaint 11720527, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

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 Code 53232) to address the following open safety campaigns which they failed to remediate: NHTSA …

NHTSA complaint 11713139, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.