AI Damage2023 KIA EV6: common problems
Owners of the 2023 KIA EV6 filed 138 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and fuel/propulsion system. The maker issued 68 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 138
- involving a crash
- 2
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 68
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 75% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel/propulsion system 22% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 19% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 10% of all complaints
- 5 Vehicle speed control 6% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
- 7 Tires 2% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 1% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 104 complaints (75% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 49.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 30 complaints (22% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 15.
- Powertrain: 26 complaints (19% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 11.
- Engine: 14 complaints (10% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 8 complaints (6% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- electric
- automatic, 1-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 138 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 104 | 0 | 49 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 30 | 2 | 15 |
| Powertrain | 26 | 0 | 11 |
| Engine | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| Tires | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Wheels | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Lane departure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Backover prevention | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 1 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
There were no warning lights, sounds, or messages displayed on the car's gauge cluster display, either for the initial loss of propulsion or for the restoration of propulsion. This caused a loss of traction when the car eventually passed through a patch of packed snow and ice.
Vehicle failed to start and a jump is required to start the vehicle for the first time on 10/6/2026. This has now happened numerous times and at times when the vehicle's power train batteries are charged.
I was driving in heavy rain on a busy highway (I4) and the lane assist pulled me off the road to the road hand side and then cut across all lanes of traffic to the left hand side. It also engaged emergency braking going forward when there was no reason to do so.
While driving a rented 2023 Kia EV6 on the freeway, the vehicle lost power and shut down completely, without warning, on multiple separate occasions during a single trip. This occurred at highway speed in live traffic, creating a serious risk to vehicle occupants and surrounding traffic.
Level 3 (DC) worked, but upon connecting to Level 2 (AC/J1772), a loud "pop" occurred, and the public charging station immediately suffered a mechanical failure/shutdown.
The ICCU failed. The vehicle suddenly stopped on the road, would not go into any gear and could not be moved whatsoever, was stuck on the side of the road in a dangerous position. Called roadside assistance, after a few hours the vehicle was towed to the nearest dealership.
After resetting the breaker and rebooting the charger, the EV6 would not start charging and displayed no “Charging started” or “Charging unsuccessful” message.\n\nI then attempted to charge using a portable Tesla Level 1 charger on a 120V GFCI outlet.
A small amount of snow / ice is sufficient to prevent the windshield wipers from returning all the way to the original starting position low on the windshield. For some reason this prevents them from functioning entirely - they just get stuck in a loop trying to go all the way down.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 457 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 22% most complained about).
On average one model year of the EV6 has 110 complaints (5 years in the data). This year has 138, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
PARTIAL REPAIR – ELECTRICAL A/C COMPRESSOR - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
KEY AND CYLINDER SET REPLACEMENT - This bulletin provides information to replace the driver’s door lock and trunk lid key cylinders on some 2019-2024MY Kia vehicles listed below. On affected vehicles, the stored key…
- 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…
- WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN
QUESTION AND ANSWER (WTY044) - This document is the Question and Answer Guide containing the most frequently asked questions regarding the Warranty Extension Campaign WTY044.
- WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: ICCU INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT (WTY044) - This bulletin provides information associated with the ‘Warranty Extension Program’ (WTY044) to inspect and, if necessary, replace the Integrated…
- WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN
REIMBURSEMENT FORM (WTY044) - This document is a Reimbursement Request form that was mailed with the customer letter advising them to submit the form if they had paid for repairs for this same matter prior to the…
- WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN
OWNER NOTIFICATION (WTY044) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is extending the New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage to all owners for certain repairs related to the Integrated Charging…
- WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN
DEALER PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER MEMO (WTY044) - This document is the announcement to the dealer Parts and Service managers advising that Kia is extending the New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage to all owners for…
- WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN
DEALER PRINCIPAL MEMO (WTY044) - This document is the announcement to the dealer principals advising that Kia is extending the New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage to all owners for certain repairs related to the…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
INFOTAINMENT SOFTWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides information on the process for downloading infotainment software updates and preparing USB for installation on applicable Kia vehicles. The software…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
SUBSEQUENT REPAIR ACTION: ICCU AND FUSE REPLACEMENT (SC327Y) - This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published under SC327, titled “ICCU and Fuse Inspection/Replacement…
- PITSTOP
TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the driver…
NHTSA lists 68 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2023 KIA EV6?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, fuel/propulsion system, powertrain. Total complaints: 138. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: loss of power / limp mode (12%), warning lights, check engine (11%), won't start (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2023 KIA EV6?
NHTSA lists 68 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2023 KIA EV6 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2023 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.