2023 KIA EV6 Fuel/propulsion System Problems

I am submitting this as a supplemental statement to my existing NHTSA safety complaint regarding my electric vehicle, KIA EV6, 2023 model. Since my original filing, the vehicle has now experienced loss of power / loss of propulsion a total of three times. These incidents occur without warning, are unpredictable, and render the vehicle unsafe to operate. The vehicle can suddenly lose motive power, creating a serious risk of collision, particularly in traffic or at speed. The manufacturer and authorized dealership have been unable to identify the root cause or permanently repair the defect. Dealer documentation reflects that the issue “cannot be replicated,” and no corrective action beyond temporary battery charging or system reset has been performed. No explanation has been provided as to why the power loss occurred or how it will be prevented from recurring. Because the defect is intermittent and safety-critical, I no longer feel safe driving this vehicle and have stopped operating it entirely. A reasonable consumer would consider repeated, unexplained loss of propulsion to present an unreasonable risk to safety. I am submitting this update so NHTSA is aware that: The defect is recurrent (three incidents) The condition remains unresolved The vehicle is unsafe for continued use I respectfully request that NHTSA review this matter for potential investigation, as loss of propulsion in an electric vehicle poses a serious safety hazard to the driver and others on the road. Thank you for your attention to this safety concern. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

While driving, heard a pop and a check electric vehicle system error popped up on the dash. Car was not drivable except for very low speeds shortly after (impacted safety of the drive) until it eventually stopped being able to turn on at all.

ICCU FAILURE. Car would not drive

The vehicle experienced a total power failure resulting in complete inoperability (no start, no unlock, no electrical response). This is the second occurrence within approximately five weeks. The most recent incident occurred after the vehicle was fully charged and driven the day prior. There were no warning lights or messages before the failure. The vehicle was previously inspected by an authorized dealer and a manufacturer service campaign related to the charging/low-voltage system was performed, after which the problem recurred. This condition can strand the driver without warning and poses a safety concern.

On several occasions, when traveling over 55mph, once the battery hits a certain threshold (35% or 55% so far) the “power is limited” warning will appear on the dash and the vehicle will lose power. This has not occurred at lower speeds but only at higher speeds, and not every time. This vehicle was purchased so my husband could do his freeway commute, but it is on a remote highway where there is often no shoulder, so it especially dangerous to suddenly lose power with limited ability to safely pull over. On one such occasion, he drove the vehicle straight to Kia for inspection. They said the soonest available appointment was in 2 weeks and because they had no technicians available, they could not run the diagnostic that would allow us to get a rental car in the meantime. They suggested going to a different Kia dealership. We called ahead and they said they could try to see it that day or the next, but when we arrived (with, again, the power failing on the drive to the next dealership), they said we were misinformed and they would have to hold the vehicle for at least a week with no rental option. We have since been unable to use the vehicle for commuting due to its unreliability and incredibly dangerous power failure.

Was parking car. Pushed on brake and car accelerated

On April 6, 2025, while charging my car my Juicebox tripped a breaker. When I reset it the Juicebox was showing errors and was inoperable. I tried to use my backup charger (Blink) but it tripped a breaker and became inoperable too. I took the car a commercial charger (ChargePoint) and it would not charge the car. Kept getting a “charge interrupted” message. The first Kia dealer I went to did not have a Level 2 charger and could find nothing wrong and refused to help repair the car. The second Kia dealer had a Level 2 and confirmed it would not charge, but Kia would not authorize a warranty fix. That dealer suggested leaving the car for a few days and hope the car generates a fault that Kia will accept to authorize a fix. •What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The Level 2 AC charging no longer works. •How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The car tripping 240-volt breakers and making two 240-volt chargers inoperable is concerning. •Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? One dealer has confirmed the Level 2 charging no longer works. •Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? It was inspected by a Kia service shop •Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? None

While driving my car a warning flashed stating "check electrical vehicle system." Pulled over, contacted Kia of Abilene and asked if we could drive the car to the dealership. While on the phone another warning flashed ""Stop vehicle and check power supply." Attempted to drive car, "Limp mode or turtle mode" occurred and the max speed for the car was 25mph, sudden loss of acceleration. Made it home, which was approximately 2 miles away, and it seems like the 12V battery was draining quickly. Eventually the vehicle stalled at home and became unresponsive, no power. Contacted roadside assistance and the vehicle was towed to Kia of Abilene. All of this occurred March 29th at approximately noon. The dealership finally contacted us today, April 2nd, and notified us it was an ICCU failure and the part wasn't available with no foreseeable time-frame for repair. The car is absolutely inoperable!

Vehicle does not reliably handle the 12V battery well. Many times, I see it sitting at 12.8 VDC when driving the vehicle. On a ICE vehicle, the charging voltage is close to 14V when running/driving. On 3 separate occasions, when I tried to "start" the EV6, the 12V battery was too dead to allow the car to be started. Basically stranded. This can be life threatening if this occurs in frigid temps. Or a hazard to traffic if/when the car tells you to "pull over safely, immediately". OK, I can "block the box" because my car died??? Kia and Hyundai need to address this issue that's common to their recent "luxury" EVs. With all the high-tech these cars have, why can't it manage the charge-state of the 12V battery? Tesla vehicles do not have this issue (I believe). Tesla EVs do "lose" their 12V battery over time, but that is similar to the 12V battery that eventually dies in a regular ICE vehicle. This 3rd time that this occurred, I called 800-KIA and had the car towed. So far, "they cannot reproduce the problem".

I leased a 2023 Kia EV6 vehicle and on October 30, 2023, I was 45-60 minutes into my first road trip when a warning displayed in the dashboard followed immediately by a reduction of motive power. The warning displayed was a turtle icon and the words “Power Limited.” Traveling on CA I-5 when this occurred putting me in a very dangerous situation. I navigated several lanes of traffic, vehicle decelerating, to reach the shoulder and pull over then to merge into existing traffic traveling at a high rate of speed only to advance 7-10 miles before the warning display reappeared. I then repeated the process another 7-8 times until I reached my destination. Later that day, again, 45-60 minutes non-stop when the warning display reappears for the second time and I’m forced to repeat the process another 7-8 times to make it to the dealership. I was told the vehicle had a warranty defect in the VCSM which had to be replaced. On January 25, 2024, the issue reoccurred for a third time after and I drove the vehicle directly to the dealership. I was told the diagnostic test did not reveal any codes and they had a service advisor drive the EV6 home, over an hour to see if he could recreate the problem. The service advisor experienced the same issue, twice, and the diagnostic scan did not reveal any codes. My safety and well-being have been compromised on three-separate occasions and twice with a dealership service advisor. I contacted Kia Customer Care Center and opened a case #15946871 and a tech-line case #16141516 was opened with Kia America. NHTSA opened an investigation on the 2022 Kia EV6 and the 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5 which shares the same E-GMP electric vehicle platform. The investigation confirmed “a range of loss of power and varying time intervals between the warning message and loss of power and all power to the vehicle was subsequently lost, immobilizing the vehicle.”

1. **Battery Pack Issues:** - The vehicle's battery pack experienced issues at DC Fast Charger and all charging levels, available for inspection. 2. **Safety Implications:** - Range anxiety began on December 11, 2023, with the vehicle serviced on December 22, 2023, and again on January 10, 2024, for low range due to battery pack issues. On January 8th, stranded for 3 hours in cold weather with 3 miles of range, posing a significant safety risk. 3. **Confirmation by Service Center:** - Two services conducted on December 22, 2023, and January 10, 2024, documented battery pack issues. The manufacturer attributes it to weather without a prior warning upon selling. 4. **Inspections by Others:** - No inspections by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives at this point specifically for the battery pack. 5. **Warning Signs:** - Range issues causing anxiety started on December 11, 2023, well before any service. Services conducted on December 22, 2023, and January 10, 2024, didn't significantly improve battery pack performance.

The motor inverter for the rear motor failed while I was driving. The power cut out, and luckily I was able to drift over to the side of the road. On a highway, it would have been very dangerous. The dealer diagnosed the inverter issue, and said it needs to be replaced. The car has not been inspected by the manufacturer, the police, or insurance representatives. A warning message appeared the moment the power cut out. It said, "Check electric vehicle system."