Your vehicleHome›Kia›EV9› 2026

Kia · Large SUV

2026 Kia EV9

Electric

Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
5 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

89 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 2

Complaints2 crash · 2 injured reported 27

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

EV rangebest configuration, EPA 305 mi

Starting MSRP5 trims · manufacturer $54,900

2026 2025 2024

The 2026 Kia EV9 is sold in the U.S. as an electric large SUV with 5 EPA-rated configurations. Its longest-range version, the EV9 Long Range RWD, is EPA-rated at 305 miles with 89 MPGe combined efficiency. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 27 complaints, most often about the electrical system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $54,900 to $71,900 across 5 trims.

Kia EV9 — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Kia EV9 · Photo: Alexander-93 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Trims & pricing

Source: manufacturer press kitWhich trim should I buy? → Compare a trim →

Trim	Powertrain	Drive	MSRP	HP	Torque	MPG comb	Seats	Cargo (2nd row)	Wheels
Light	Electric	RWD	$54,900	215 hp	258 lb-ft	88 MPGe	7	43.5 cu-ft	19 in
Light Long Range	Electric	RWD	$57,900	201 hp	258 lb-ft	89 MPGe	6	43.5 cu-ft	19 in
Wind	Electric	AWD	$63,900	379 hp	516 lb-ft	84 MPGe	7	43.5 cu-ft	19 in
Land	Electric	AWD	$68,900	379 hp	516 lb-ft	84 MPGe	6	43.5 cu-ft	20 in
GT-Line	Electric	AWD	$71,900	379 hp	516 lb-ft	82 MPGe	6	43.5 cu-ft	21 in

MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Range	kWh/100mi	Charge (240V)	Annual fuel*
EV9 Long Range RWD	Electric	RWD	160 kW PMSM (IPM)	100	78	89 MPGe	305 mi	38	10.7 h	$850
EV9 Standard Range RWD	Electric	RWD	160 kW PMSM (IPM)	101	76	88 MPGe	230 mi	38	8.1 h	$850
EV9 Long Range AWD	Electric	AWD	141 kW PMSM (IPM)	94	75	84 MPGe	283 mi	40	10.7 h	$900
EV9 Long Range AWD GT-Line	Electric	AWD	141 kW PMSM (IPM)	92	72	82 MPGe	280 mi	41	10.5 h	$900
EV9 GT	Electric	AWD	139 and 235 kW PMSM (IPM)	83	72	78 MPGe	260 mi	43	10.8 h	$950

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 49666, 49665, 49667, 49668, 49669.

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Air Bags

SC379

21,290 vehicles

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

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF Dealer notice PDF

NHTSA campaign 26V545000 reported Aug 21, 2026 Kia America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

○minor

Electrical System

SC361

42,677 vehicles 92% reported repaired built Jul 28, 2025 – Oct 30, 2025

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." 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. 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.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF Chronology PDF

NHTSA campaign 26V046000 reported Jan 26, 2026 Kia America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Whether any of this applies to one specific EV9

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2026 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Kia publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Kia’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2026 Kia EV9, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

27complaints filed

2 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 2 injuries · 0 deaths reported

16 per 10,000 built · Kia reported 16,700 EV9 built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2026: 27

Most-cited components

Electrical System 12

Unspecified 5

Visibility/Wiper 4

Fuel/Propulsion System 3

Vehicle Speed Control 3

Steering 3

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

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.

Power Train Oct 8, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11770000

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

Visibility/Wiper Sep 27, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11767310

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

Suspension Sep 25, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11766978

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.

Electrical System Sep 10, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11763485

I am reporting a total of 6 failed lug bolts on the rear tires of a 2026 Kia EV9 GT-Line within 1 year of ownership. This vehicle was purchased in Aug 2025 as a new vehicle from a Kia dealership. In March 2026, vehicle was brought for it's 8000 miles service at a Kia dealership. At the time the vehicle had 9336 miles.

Wheels Aug 28, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11760406

I was driving down the freeway driving at the speed of traffic. My vehicle started beeping aggressively, a red indicator started flashing over the frunk area of the vehicle representation in the dash and my vehicle entered red turtle mode. This red turtle mode severely reduced the vehicle's speed and ability to maneuver on the freeway.

Fuel/Propulsion System Jul 4, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11748295

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Kia itself: 2 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 2 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 12 per 100,000 built. Every EV9 model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV AWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	11%
SUV RWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	11%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 42

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-16

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 18 service bulletins, 17 others, 4 service campaigns

Most often about: Electrical System, Visibility/Wiper, Fuel/Propulsion System, Seats, Service Brakes.

PS814 Service bulletin
2026-09-16 · Fuel/Propulsion System
This Pitstop provides information related to Electric Vehicle (EV) charging on 2024 - 2026MY EV9 (MV1, MV1a) vehicles. In some cases, high-voltage charging performance may be limited or inoperative and accompanied by an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with DTC P343A98 stored. This condition may occur if the Electric Water Pump #1 (Power Electronics) E65 connector and Electric Water Pu
PI2601B_OWNR Other
2026-09-01 · Electrical System
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (PI2601B) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign on all 2024-2025 MY and certain 2026 MY EV9 vehicles to install enhanced windshield wiper software that provides drivers with additional reminders related to the use of the windshield wipers during winter conditions.
OTA_ELE427_RELEASE_NOTES Over-the-air update
2026-08-11 · Electrical System
OVER-THE-AIR: OVER-THE-AIR SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR COMMUNICATION CONTROL UNIT: This Over-the-Air (OTA)software update is designed to update the Communication Control Unit (CCU) logic of certain 2025 – 2026MY EV9 vehicles. This update is designed to improve the Communication Control Unit (CCU) logic to enhance charging-related messaging in the app.
TSB_ELE427 Service bulletin
2026-08-11 · Electrical System
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VEHICLE-TO-EVERYTHING (V2X) SOFTWARE UPGRADE - This bulletin provides information to install the Vehicle-to-Everything ‘V2X’ function enhancements by upgrading the software of the Central Communication Unit ‘CCU’ on certain 2025 - 2026MY EV9 (MV1a) vehicles produced at Kia Georgia (KaGA) that have been unable to be updated using the Over-The-Air ‘OTA’ method. The V2X te
PI2601A_OWNR_102 Other
2026-08-08 · Visibility/Wiper
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (PI2601A Flight 102) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign on 2024-2026 MY EV9 vehicles to replace the passenger-side wiper arm on your vehicle with an improved wiper arm of a different shape and angle to increase the clearance between the wiper and windshield cowl.
OTA_ELE413_NOTES_R2 Over-the-air update
2026-06-18 · Electrical System
RELEASE NOTES: OVER-THE-AIR: SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR DATA CONNECTIVITY (ELE413 Revision 2) - This Over-the-Air (OTA) software update is designed to update the Data Connectivity Unit (DCU) logic of certain 2025 - 2026MY Carnival, EV9, K5 and Sorento vehicles. This update is designed to improve the vehicle’s network communication performance.
TSB_BOD355 Service bulletin
2026-06-18 · Seats
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: FRONT SEAT SLIDE MOTOR NOISE (CA2603) - This bulletin provides information to remove the seat slide motor tube from the power front seats on certain 2026MY EV9 (MV1a) vehicles produced from January 2, 2025, through January 3, 2026. The subject vehicles may exhibit a buzzing noise while the user operates the front power seat slide (forward and rearward) functions. This c
TSB_ELE422 Service bulletin
2026-05-28 · Electrical System
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATE USING UPDATE. KIA. COM - This bulletin provides information and service procedures for updating the infotainment systems on applicable Kia vehicles using the Kia Navigation Updater available at update.kia.com. The software update may improve system performance, enhance existing features, and apply the latest operating software for sup

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Compare the 2026 EV9 with

Any vehicle, your weights →

Head-to-head	Verdict
2026 Toyota Highlander · Large SUV · grade A	EV9 +7.6
2026 Honda Pilot · Large SUV · grade A	EV9 +2.5
2026 Hyundai Palisade · Large SUV · grade B	EV9 +6.6

EV9 by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2026 this page B 2 27 305 mi 2025 C 4 21 304 mi 2024 F 7 210 Park outside

Common questions about the 2026 EV9

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

How much does the 2026 Kia EV9 cost?

Manufacturer pricing runs from $54,900 for the Light RWD to $71,900 for the GT-Line AWD, across 5 trims. Those are MSRPs from the manufacturer's own press material; they exclude destination, options, taxes and whatever the dealer adds. Every trim and price is listed above.

Does the 2026 Kia EV9 have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2026 Kia EV9. The most serious on file is 26V545000, covering Air Bags. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2026 Kia EV9?

NHTSA gave the 2026 Kia EV9 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it B (89/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2026 Kia EV9?

Across the 5 EPA-rated configurations of the 2026 Kia EV9, the longest EPA range is 305 miles on a charge. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What do owners complain about on the 2026 Kia EV9?

Owners have filed 27 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Kia EV9, most often about electrical system, unspecified, visibility/wiper. Of those, 2 involved a crash, 2 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

Are there service bulletins for the 2026 Kia EV9?

The manufacturer has filed 42 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2026 Kia EV9, most often covering electrical system, visibility/wiper, fuel/propulsion system. The most recent is dated 2026-09-16. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

Which 2026 Kia EV9 trim is the best value?

$17,000 separates the cheapest of the 5 trims from the most expensive, so the answer depends on which of the differences you would actually use. Every trim has its own page here with the manufacturer's full specification and equipment list, plus a short summary of exactly what it adds over the base trim — worth reading before a dealer frames the walk-up for you. The trim-by-trim ladder shows what every step up costs and what it makes standard.

Is the 2026 Kia EV9 better than the 2026 Toyota Highlander?

The Kia EV9 wins clearly, 90 to 82.4, on fuel & range, tech & comfort. The Toyota Highlander is ahead on price and performance. We publish a full side-by-side of the 2026 Kia EV9 against the 2026 Toyota Highlander — specifications by family, equipment feature by feature, safety record and ownership costs. You can re-weight what matters to you and the verdict recalculates.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	5 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	none	EPA emission certificates	The EPA published no certificate we could match to a configuration on this page.
Recalls	2	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	27	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	2 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	42	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	none	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	We had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable.
Trims, pricing & equipment	5 trims	Manufacturer press kit	Transcribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.

JSON for this page · API