The car was being parked in a shopping lot. As the drive was pulling into the parking spot, the car lurched forward on its own and hit the wall. The gas pedal was not pressed. No collision sensors were triggered either. Unclear if related but the car was taken in for maintenance and recall updates the week prior to this accident.
The OEM Hankook iON tires (285/45R21) on my 2026 Kia EV9 GT Line experienced acoustic foam delamination — the sound-dampening foam bonded to the interior liner of the tire separated and is moving freely inside the tire at highway speeds. At speeds above 55mph the steering wheel and car start to vibrate. At 70mph the vehicle becomes undrivable and feels as though the wheels may detach. This creates a serious and immediate safety risk to myself. I have largely avoided highway driving since the onset of this issue due to safety concerns. The problem was confirmed by the Kia dealership service advisor who performed a road force balance on June 15, 2026 — the technician confirmed the front two tires were off balance and needed replacement (but didn't save the report, their mistake). The road force balance did not resolve the issue. The service advisor also verbally confirmed that multiple other EV9 customers at the same dealership are experiencing the identical issue with no resolution, and that one customer has been waiting over three months while driving a loaner vehicle. The vehicle was inspected by the Kia dealership on June 12 and June 15, 2026. Kia Consumer Affairs was contacted and a case was opened on June 22, 2026 (Case #26202152). The assigned case manager never contacted me despite three follow up calls over three weeks. Kia Consumer Affairs ultimately directed me to contact Hankook — however Hankook's own published warranty process requires claims to be filed through authorized dealers, not consumers. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to onset. The vibration appeared suddenly at approximately 7,400 miles. The vehicle drove normally for several months prior to this onset with no vibration at any speed. The sudden onset after months of normal operation confirms this is a defect, not a vehicle characteristic. The issue has persisted since first appearing. *Video documentation of the vibration at highway speed is available upon request*
No injuries · No fire · No crash
Beginning at approximately 104 miles (shortly after delivery at 75 miles), this vehicle exhibits a persistent vibration felt through the steering wheel, seat, and floorboard at highway speeds — specifically beginning around 55 mph, again at 61–63 mph, and most noticeably between 68–74 mph. A second defect involves rear-end instability where the rear of the vehicle feels loose and sways side to side over bumps and at higher speeds. Five repair attempts across two authorized Kia dealerships have failed to resolve either concern. A Kia Field Technical Specialist attributed the vibration in writing to the vehicle’s design (center console and floor-mounted captain seats). An independent inspector arranged by BBB Auto Line confirmed both defects on July 2, 2026. This appears to be a platform-level issue affecting multiple 2026 EV9 vehicles based on owner reports.
No injuries · No fire · No crash
Since taking delivery on June 20, 2025, this vehicle has exhibited a vibration at highway speeds, most severe at approximately 72 mph. The steering wheel visibly shakes and the vibration is felt through the steering column. It is fatiguing over long drives and I have become unwilling to use the vehicle for family highway travel. I reported it to the selling dealer within days of delivery. Authorized Kia dealers have attempted repair four times over thirteen months, including tire replacement, multiple road force balances, and alignments. The dealer has now tested the vehicle with the original factory wheels and tires, an aftermarket set, and a known-good set of wheels and tires from another EV9, and confirmed in writing that the vibration is still present in all three configurations. The dealer has additionally found excessive road force on the original factory tires on two separate occasions. The dealer has advised me that Kia may consider this a normal characteristic of the model and that no further repair is expected. No crash or injury has occurred.
No injuries · No fire · No crash
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. I was almost struck by numerous vehicles while attempting to get to the side of the road. I had been driving in the number 3 lane of a 5 lane freeway where lane 1 was an exit only offramp. Once I got to the side of the road, I power cycled the vehicle. when that didn't revolve the red turtle issue. I pressed the frunk open button. I heard the opening mechanism actuate. I then reseated the frunk latch and closed the frunk. Once the vehicle was turned back on, all issues were resolved and the vehicle behaved as normal.
No injuries · No fire · No crash