What To Know
- A story involving bolt issues on a flagship Kia model is proving costly for the brand.
- The anticipated consequences in case of an accident are severe enough to prompt swift action from both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Kia to rectify this issue.
- While you will only need to cover gas costs to the service center and endure the stress of driving a vehicle where a seat might detach and project through your windshield.
A story involving bolt issues on a flagship Kia model is proving costly for the brand! Following inspections of several vehicles, Kia has issued a recall for 22,883 of its new EV9 electric SUVs. The saga begins with improperly secured seats but, fortunately, hasn’t ended badly yet.
kia’s massive recall
Kia is currently in the process of recalling nearly 23,000 EV9 electric SUVs across the United States. The reason? Several seat fastening bolts in both the second and third rows may either be missing or insufficiently tightened. The anticipated consequences in case of an accident are severe enough to prompt swift action from both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Kia to rectify this issue.
affected vehicles
The recall campaign specifically targets 22,883 EV9s manufactured at Kia Autoland Gwangmyeong in South Korea between September 25, 2023, and October 15, 2024. Unfortunately, vehicle identification numbers (VINs) won’t suffice; direct testing on NHTSA’s website is necessary (link at bottom). If your vehicle is among those affected, contacting your dealership for confirmation is advisable.
corrective measures and intervention
Kia North America has committed to installing any missing bolts free of charge. While you will only need to cover gas costs to the service center and endure the stress of driving a vehicle where a seat might detach and project through your windshield. Upon arrival at your usual Kia dealership, technicians will perform comprehensive checks on seats and belts, addressing any issues before allowing you to drive off safely.
potential warning signs
Kia urges all EV9 owners to remain vigilant for early indicators that could suggest insufficient bolt tightening or even absence: excessively mobile seats, unusual noises, or bolts found on the floor are all signals necessitating immediate contact with Kia (dealer list link at bottom).
discovery and timeline
In September, an EV9 owner reached out to Kia after discovering missing seat fastening bolts in their SUV’s third row. Shortly thereafter, another vehicle exhibiting the same issue was identified by the automaker. Proactively, Kia inspected 90 random vehicles imported from Korea but found none affected.
human error acknowledged
However, by October 2024, Kia confirmed these incidents stemmed from human error during assembly when an employee failed to install bolts on two identified vehicles: a human mistake slipping through several safeguards. Meanwhile, inspection of 990 vehicles still in stock showed no defects—a reassuring point for customers.
This article revisits the recall involving 22,883 Kia EV9s due to missing or improperly tightened bolts. Kia’s prompt response underscores its commitment to consumer safety as extensive tests conducted on 1,080 vehicles suggest the problem’s scope has been minimized significantly.
