2025 Kia EV9 reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2025 Kia EV9 has 12 complaints with NHTSA after 2 years, or 6 per year. It is too early to rank against other EV9 years: a year is compared here only after 3 years on the road. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Front passenger seat weight sensor, Propulsion system, and Seat fasteners.

2024 Kia EV9 — Photo by Alexander-93, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (3 of 12), then Powertrain (2) and Steering (2).

Next to 2024 and 2026

The 2024 EV9 has 207 complaints, 69 per year, and the 2026 has 0 complaints, 0 per year.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2025 Kia EV9. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (4)

Recall Front passenger seat weight sensor 2026-08-21 · NHTSA campaign 26V545000

Summary 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."

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 electrical system, propulsion system 2025-02-24 · NHTSA campaign 25V115000

Summary 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.

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.

Recall Seat fasteners 2024-12-20 · NHTSA campaign 24V962000

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

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.

Recall electrical system, instrument cluster 2024-10-10 · NHTSA campaign 24V757000

Summary 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."

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.

Complaints by component (12 total)

Electrical system

Powertrain

Steering

Visibility and wipers

Wheels

Engine

Fuel and propulsion system

Seats

Service brakes

Suspension

Tires

Show 3 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"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…"
Electrical system · filed 2026-08-04
"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…"
Powertrain, Electrical system, Engine · filed 2026-04-08
"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…"
Seats · filed 2026-03-18
"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…"
Tires · filed 2026-03-17
"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…"
Visibility and wipers · filed 2026-02-25

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2025 Kia EV9 SUV AWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2025 Kia EV9 SUV RWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
EV9 Long Range all-wheel drive	—	Automatic (1-speed)	All-wheel drive	91	75	83 MPG / 280 mi range	$900
EV9 Long Range all-wheel drive GT-Line	—	Automatic (1-speed)	All-wheel drive	88	72	80 MPG / 270 mi range	$950
EV9 Long Range rear-wheel drive	—	Automatic (1-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	100	78	89 MPG / 304 mi range	$850
EV9 Standard Range rear-wheel drive	—	Automatic (1-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	99	77	88 MPG / 230 mi range	$850

Specs and fitment

1st generation, 2024–present

Body styles SUV

Tire size 255/60R19 (Light/Wind), 275/50R20 (Land), 285/45R21 (GT-Line)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 24V-271 covers certain 2024 Kia EV9 vehicles, and also certain 2023 Niro EV vehicles: differential gear bolts in the gear drive unit may not be tightened properly, which can result in a loss of drive power or damage the drive unit. Dealers replace the gear drive unit. Recall 24V-338 covers certain 2024 EV9 vehicles: the front passenger seat belt retractor cover may not be secured properly; dealers replace the front passenger seat belt assembly. Recall 24V-400 covers certain 2024 EV9 vehicles: the headliner may not adequately protect passengers from impact in a crash; dealers replace the impact-absorbing plates mounted on the headliner.

Compare

Previous year 2024 Kia EV9 See every Kia EV9 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2025 Kia EV9 reliable?

What are common problems with a 2025 Kia EV9?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (3 of 12), then Powertrain (2) and Steering (2).

Is the 2025 Kia EV9 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2024 EV9 has 207 complaints, 69 per year, and the 2026 has 0 complaints, 0 per year.

Has the 2025 Kia EV9 been recalled?

The 2025 Kia EV9 has 4 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2025 Kia EV9?

Owners have filed 12 complaints about the 2025 Kia EV9 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2025 Kia EV9 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2025 Kia EV9 is 85 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

Does the Kia EV9 need engine oil changes?

No. The EV9 is battery-electric and has no combustion-engine oil service. Other fluids still need scheduled maintenance.

What does recall 24V-271 cover on the EV9?

Certain 2024 EV9 vehicles (and certain 2023 Niro EV): differential gear bolts in the rear motor may loosen—see the NHTSA campaign for the remedy.

What tire sizes does the EV9 use?

255/60R19 (Light/Wind), 275/50R20 (Land), 285/45R21 (GT-Line).