2023 Kia EV6 Problems

What owners report

Most 2023 EV6 complaints in this sample describe the Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) failing, often with little warning: a 12-volt battery that stops charging, a pop noise, warning messages, reduced speed mode and sometimes a full shutdown. A smaller but consistent group covers charge sessions that stop or fault out, mainly on Level 2 home or public chargers, and a few owners describe brake-light behavior in one-pedal driving that they find misleading to drivers behind. Most reports arrive well under warranty miles, and many note the vehicle had already had the ICCU software updates or recall work.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   ICCU failure: 12V drain, warnings, loss of power

   • 85 complaints (62%)
   • median 19,000 mi at 2.0 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2023–2026

   Owners describe the car warning to check the electrical system or to stop and check the power supply, then dropping to reduced speed before stopping; some hear a pop beforehand and later find the 12-volt battery drained. Dealers commonly diagnose the ICCU assembly, sometimes with a fuse, and replace it under warranty. Several owners say the failure happened even though the recall software had been applied, and a few report the replacement unit failing again. Reported across a wide range of mileage, from new to about 30,000 miles, occasionally shortly after an overnight Level 2 charge.

   Recall 24V867000Recall 24V2000006 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether recall 24V867 and the ICCU inspection/software campaigns (SC327/SC327Y) were completed and whether the ICCU or high-voltage fuse has been replaced. Note that a completed update has not prevented failure for some owners, so check for a recent 12-volt battery replacement and any stored ICCU codes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Got in my car to leave a store and heard a loud pop and noticed a smell like an electric motor burning. Backed out of my space to drive home and the car displayed several error messages- Check electric vehicle system, turtle mode, power reduced. I was stranded and had to order a tow truck to be towed to the dealer and get a ride home.”

   NHTSA complaint #11732104, filed 2026-04

   “While driving the car we heard a loud pop in the cabin. That was followed by electrical warning lights on the dash. WE were only about a mile from home and did make it back safely at greatly reduced speed. The ICCU was confirmed to have failed by the dealership. The part was replaced. If we had been traveling on the highway it might have been difficult to find a safe place to exit the roadway.”

   NHTSA complaint #11720542, filed 2026-02
2. 2
   Fuel system

   Charging stops or faults on Level 2 and DC chargers

   • 46 complaints (33%)
   • median 4,000 mi at 1.2 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 2023–2026

   Complaints describe charging that begins normally and then stops with an interrupted or charge-failed message, sometimes tripping a home breaker; owners note this more often in hot weather or at higher current settings and say lowering the charge rate helps but slows things down. Others report the car refusing Level 1 or Level 2 charging while DC fast charging still works, and dealers sometimes could not reproduce the fault or pointed to already-completed recall work. Often in warm weather or at higher amperage, and at low to moderate mileage; several vehicles were under a year old.

   Recall 24V867000Recall 24V2000004 related service bulletins

   What to check: If possible, charge the car on a Level 2 charger during the test drive and watch for interruptions or error messages, and ask whether the VCMS/ICCU software updates were done. Also confirm the car includes its portable charging cable and that scheduled charging works.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The car starts charging on my level 2 home charger then after about 10-20 min will stop and send me a message saying charging interrupted and will stop charging. I have taken it in to the dealership and they say they can see the code but that they did the recalls for it and it should be fixed. It is not and keeps happening. I am taking it back to the dealer tomorrow so they can look at it again”

   NHTSA complaint #11535958, filed 2023-08

   “This car advertises that it is capable of fast charging on a level 2 charger up to 50amp. I purchased a level 2 charger capable of 50amps, but it causes the EV6 to overheat and stop charging. The dealership installed TSB ELE-283 but this does not fix the problem and is not an acceptable fix. I have owned this car 5 months, and it has been to the dealership service department 3 times for failing to charge. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11527152, filed 2023-06
3. 3
   Electrical system

   12V battery goes flat and car won't start

   • 22 complaints (16%)
   • median 30,000 mi at 2.5 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 2024–2026

   Owners report the 12-volt battery draining enough that the car will not start or unlock, requiring a jump or tow, sometimes within the first year and in some cases more than once. Complaints link it to the car cycling the 12-volt battery while driving or to an ICCU that stops charging it, and dealers have replaced batteries, tested them, or replaced the ICCU. Reported from a few thousand miles up to roughly 30,000 miles, sometimes after the car sat or after an overnight charge.

   Recall 24V200000Recall 24V8670002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the age and type of the 12-volt battery and ask if it has been replaced already; a jump pack is a reasonable thing to carry. Confirm the ICCU recall work is complete, since the 12-volt charging function runs through it.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Issues with 12v battery dying with only 8,000 miles on vehicle. Knowing Kia requests an all day testing of the battery prior to replacing the 12v, I replaced it with a higher quality one. My car still did not start not long after that. Lots of folks online with similar issue and feels like Kia needs to do a recall with a known good fix. Blame put on 3rd party apps when it’s a design flaw.”

   NHTSA complaint #11577208, filed 2024-03

   “Factory installed 12V battery died at about a year's ownership and about 22,000 miles, leaving me stranded in a remote area. I was fortunate to have a jump start pack to get home. I had the battery tested at an auto parts store and it failed. I replaced it with a lithium car battery with a built-in monitoring system that can be read from the phone. The car routinely runs the 12V battery down to about 50% while driving, then charges it up to 100%. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11581318, filed 2024-04
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Grinding or whining from front motor reduction gear

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   A few complaints describe a grinding or clunking noise while turning at low speed, and Kia has published a voluntary service campaign to replace the gear oil in the front motor reduction gear assembly. Owners report difficulty getting the noise diagnosed, with one dealer attributing similar sounds to summer performance tires in cold weather. Reported at low speed during turning, sometimes in freezing temperatures, at moderate mileage.

   Recall 24V0570003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Listen for whine or grinding on a slow full-lock turn, and ask whether the SC345 gear oil service campaign and the driveshaft recall 24V057000 were completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving my Kia EV6 in the middle of a snowstorm, the vehicle experienced a sudden and severe power failure. I heard a loud popping sound from the rear of the cabin, after which the vehicle immediately entered reduced-power (limp) mode. Within approximately one minute, the vehicle shut down entirely and lost all propulsion and mobility. I was able to move the vehicle to a safe location only because I was not in traffic or on the highway at the time of the failure. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11714011, filed 2026-01

   “The EV-6 GT auto experienced a loud clunking grinding noise while steering 180 degrees when turning right and then left. The car skidded on the pavement this happened over a period of 3 months when the temperature was below freezing. After 2 service appointments Bridgewater NJ KIA dealership failed to diagnose the problem . On the 3rd visit they confirmed that the noise emanated from the summer performance tires that caused the tires to skid and caused the noise. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11641368, filed 2025-02

Buying note. Check the recall and service campaign history carefully, especially the ICCU and charging-related work, and budget for the possibility of a 12-volt battery or ICCU repair even after updates. A pre-purchase inspection at a dealer familiar with EVs, plus a charging test, is worth the cost on this model year.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.