Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2026 Kia EV9, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system12
- Unknown or other5
- Vehicle speed control3
- Steering3
- Visibility/wiper3
- Wheels3
- Fuel/propulsion system3
- Structure2
- Engine1
- Power train1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2026 Kia EV9 failed the safety check 0.25% of the time — 51% more often than the average 2026 passenger car (0.16%). Median odometer at inspection: 41 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the Netherlands
412 first registered in 2026 are on Dutch roads; 1% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €79,139.
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In Finland
59 of these cars first registered in 2026 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
15 2026 cars are on the New Zealand register.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 2 variants; 2 of 2 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 KIA EV9 SUV BEV AWD | ★★★★★ | 10.7 % |
| 2026 KIA EV9 SUV BEV RWD | ★★★★★ | 10.9 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Standard
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 2026 Kia EV9.
| 2026032 26 Jan 2026 | Lights And Instruments Issue: On certain vehicles, a software problem could cause the instrument cluster display to go blank while driving. As a result, you may not be able to see c… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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."
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."
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words