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During the last decade, Kia has rewrote their outdated narrative given to them by an earlier life once they needed to promote financial system vehicles to outlive, their life is totally different now.
They’ve began delivering shockingly competent machines just like the Stinger, the Telluride, and now the EV9, their first devoted three-row electrical SUV. Kia has spent years convincing the world that they’ve shaken off their bargain-bin popularity. And but, for all their progress, horror tales like this one drag them proper again into the darkish ages of poor reliability.
“I drove our new 2024 EV9 Wind off the lot Sept 30. It was towed to the Kia service dept. on Dec 2 as a result of it was unpredictably failing to begin. On Dec 16 I drove it 1 hour and located it nonetheless had the issue, and it was returned it to the dealership service dept. Feb 1, they found out a rodent had broken a wiring harness. IT TOOK THEM TWO MONTHS TO DIAGNOSE THAT!!!! The automotive remains to be within the store ready for a wiring harness to reach from S. Korea.
The automotive has been within the store for greater than half the time I’ve owned it. I’m so fed up with Kia service. By no means, in 40 years of proudly owning and driving vehicles, has any automotive firm come near taking so lengthy to a) diagnose (2 MONTHS!!) and b) repair (3+ WEEKS AND COUNTING!!) an issue. Their sluggish tempo of labor is nothing wanting astonishing- and I do not see what recourse I’ve.”
It took two months to diagnose a rodent-chewed wiring harness. That is the sort of supplier incompetence that retains Kia’s popularity from actually graduating into the higher echelon of automakers.
Kia EV9 Details
- Designed to accommodate households, the EV9 presents three rows of seating with configurations for six or seven passengers. Options embody swiveling second-row captain’s chairs, a number of Isofix baby seat tethers, and ample cargo area, making it a sensible selection for numerous wants.
- Geared up with a virtually 100 kWh battery, the EV9 offers an estimated vary of as much as 349 miles on a single cost. The twin-motor all-wheel-drive variant delivers spectacular acceleration, reaching 0-60 mph in roughly 4.3 seconds, catering to drivers in search of each effectivity and dynamic efficiency.
- The EV9 is among the many first Kia fashions to characteristic a local Tesla/North American Charging Normal (NACS) port, granting house owners entry to Tesla’s in depth Supercharger community. This integration enhances charging comfort and displays Kia’s dedication to adopting industry-leading requirements.
Sure, rodent harm is technically not the automaker’s fault, Toyota house owners have handled comparable points, however the tempo of the restore course of, the availability chain delays, and the final dealership expertise? That’s on Kia to an extent. Individuals purchase EVs anticipating a seamless, maintenance-free expertise, not an prolonged keep on the native service division whereas a $65,000 brick gathers mud.
EVs Ought to Be Extra Dependable, So What’s Going Unsuitable?
Electrification was alleged to be the good equalizer, eliminating the mechanical complexity that made inner combustion vehicles susceptible to failures. No timing belts to snap, no oil leaks, no transmission failures lurking at 90,000 miles. In idea, EVs needs to be extra dependable than their gas-powered counterparts. A 2023 Shopper Stories examine backs this up, displaying that EV powertrains expertise far fewer failures than gasoline engines. However EV house owners, particularly these coping with first-generation fashions, are discovering that when issues do go fallacious, they go spectacularly fallacious.
Not like a standard fuel automotive, the place a defective wire could be patched by a neighborhood mechanic, EV9’s high-voltage wiring harness is a proprietary element sourced from South Korea. This implies when one thing goes fallacious, like a rat deciding to make a meal of your automotive’s future, your entire restore course of grinds to a halt whereas elements are shipped from abroad. And since Kia dealerships are nonetheless studying how you can service EVs, house owners like Anna are left in a maddening limbo, ready weeks or months for one thing that needs to be a comparatively easy repair.
A Digital Service Division
Many EV9 house owners have taken issues into their very own arms. Fb teams like Kia EV9 House owners USA have change into unofficial service facilities, the place pissed off house owners share troubleshooting recommendation, evaluate horror tales, and attempt to diagnose points lengthy earlier than the dealership can. This community-driven method has led to options for software program glitches, charging points, and minor electrical faults. However for critical mechanical issues, like a shredded wiring harness, house owners are on the mercy of Kia’s dealership community, which nonetheless isn’t outfitted to deal with main EV repairs effectively.
Kia’s Reliability Status Is at Threat
Kia has labored tirelessly to shake off its popularity for poor high quality, and in some ways, they’ve succeeded. The Telluride is a runaway success, the EV6 has gained awards left and proper, and the model now competes with Honda and Toyota in buyer satisfaction. However this sort of slow-motion service catastrophe is the precise factor that sends potential patrons working again to the safer, extra established manufacturers.
Different EV9 house owners have reported 12V battery failures, random software program crashes, and lengthy delays in getting alternative elements which is nothing new to electrical automobile house owners, simply ask Tesla Cybertruck house owners.
Can Kia Repair This?
Kia nonetheless has an opportunity to show issues round, however they should act quick. First, dealerships want higher EV coaching. Kia mechanics who grew up wrenching on Rios and Souls want to know high-voltage programs, software program diagnostics, and why an EV sitting for weeks ready for an element is unacceptable. Second, Kia should repair its provide chain points. A contemporary automaker can’t anticipate EV patrons to attend months for one thing as basic as a wiring harness.
Most significantly, Kia should show to clients that their EVs are definitely worth the funding. The EV9 is a genuinely nice SUV, but when it’s going to succeed, Kia wants to repair these rising pains earlier than they change into deadly flaws. In any other case, they gained’t simply lose EV9 gross sales, they’ll lose the belief of each buyer who thought Kia had lastly turned the nook.
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based mostly in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys masking the newest information within the automotive {industry} and conducting critiques on the newest vehicles. He has been within the automotive {industry} since 15 years outdated and has been featured in outstanding automotive information websites. You may attain him on X and LinkedIn for ideas and to observe his automotive protection.
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