2026 Kia EV9 recalls and problems

2 recalls and 27 owner complaints on file with NHTSA for the 2026 Kia EV9.

2
recalls
27
owner complaints
2
complaints mentioning a crash
0
mentioning a fire

Recalls apply to specific production ranges. To see whether a particular car still has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Repairs for safety recalls are free at authorised dealers.

2026 Kia EV9 recalls

Air bags: sensor, occupant classification, front passenger

NHTSA campaign 26V545000 · reported August 21, 2026 · Kia America, Inc. · 21,290 vehicles potentially affected

The problem
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."
The risk
A child in the front seat may be at a greater risk of injury if the air bag deploys during a crash.
The fix
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.

Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel

NHTSA campaign 26V046000 · reported January 26, 2026 · Kia America, Inc. · 42,677 vehicles potentially affected

The problem
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Kia K4, 2025-2026 Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, Sorento Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage PHEV, K5, EV9, Carnival, and Carnival Hybrid vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101, "Controls and Displays" and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring System."
The risk
An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer, tire pressure, or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
The fix
The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 26, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC361. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 9, 2026.

Most reported problems

Areas named in owner complaints to NHTSA. One complaint can name several areas.

What owners report

Recent complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. These are unverified accounts from owners, not findings.

Oct 8, 2026 · Power train

Brand new car completely died after one month. The check EV system light came on while driving, could smell burning plastic smell. Vehicle went into limp mode on road and had to be towed to service center. At the service center all power in the vehicle went off and the car could not be driven. Service center diagnosed…

Sep 27, 2026 · Visibility/wiper

The digital rearview mirror system intermittently fails while in use. The image in the rearview mirror will start flickering and eventually go completely black while driving. The system has been inspected and serviced multiple times by the dealership under warranty but the problem keeps recurring.

Sep 25, 2026 · Suspension

Parts near the rear left suspension area fell off and landed on the inside rear left wheel while driving in I-405. Wheels have never been removed for by reason before this incident after purchasing the car. Car only has 7724 miles on the odometer.

Sep 12, 2026 · Unknown or other

So I called KIA about this, but I wanted my report to appear here too. Back in February, my right foot was run over by my car. It was an accident. I had gotten out of the driver's passenger side to check on something that was making noises. The person who ran my foot over didn't realize I was out of the car, and there…

Sep 10, 2026 · Electrical system

I was sold a vehicle with a manufacturer defect. At purchase there was a loud wind noise coming from sunroof. I was promised a swift service department visit to realign the sunroof. At service visit ten days later the dealership replaced sunroof and threw electrical error codes B271100. After a specialist over rode…

EV9 model years compared

YearRecallsComplaintsCrashesFires
2024 721012
2025 42100
2026 22720

Across all years, the 2024 EV9 has the most complaints (210). All Kia EV9 years →

Questions

Does the 2026 Kia EV9 have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2026 Kia EV9, the most recent reported on August 21, 2026 (Air bags: sensor, occupant classification, front passenger). Check a specific car by its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common problems with the 2026 Kia EV9?
Owners have filed 27 complaints with NHTSA. The most frequently reported area is electrical system (12 complaints), followed by unknown or other (5).
How many 2026 Kia EV9 complaints mention a crash or fire?
2 of 27 complaints report a crash and 0 a fire; 2 injuries were reported in total. Complaints are unverified reports from owners.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint data, updated October 27, 2026. Latest complaint received October 8, 2026.