My New Kia EV9’s Rear Motor Failed at 1,000 Miles, Now I am twentieth in Line for a Backordered Substitute and Kia Cannot Even Present a Half Quantity

By now, everyone knows the honeymoon part of electrical autos is over. The shiny press occasions, the breathless evaluations, the claims that every little thing on 4 wheels needs to be battery-powered by subsequent Tuesday, none of it means squat once you’re staring down the enterprise finish of a damaged drivetrain with no repair in sight. 

The Points At Hand

And that’s precisely what’s occurring to Ryan Tallman, a brand-new Kia EV9 proprietor who, simply six weeks into possession, is already coping with what seems like a catastrophic failure of the rear motor.

“So that is my automotive sitting on the dealership since Monday. They’d it checked out and never excellent news for me….

Service supervisor says they suppose the rear motor must be changed and that the unit is on again order.

Additionally there’s 20 of them on again order so it may very well be some time until I get it again. 

Solely 6 weeks of possession and already 👎🥺…

Anybody else needed to change one thing like this after simply 1000 miles?”

In the event you’ve ever owned a automotive, any automotive, you recognize this isn’t regular. At 1,000 miles, you need to nonetheless be marveling on the new-car odor, not battling Kia Company over elements that don’t exist. However right here we’re.

EV Rising Pains, or a Bigger Downside?

Kia’s all-electric EV9 was speculated to be a game-changer. A 3-row, sub-$60,000 EV SUV? Signal us up. However with excessive expectations comes even greater scrutiny, and the very last thing Kia wants is its flagship EV affected by widespread drivetrain failures earlier than most homeowners even hit their first tire rotation.

And right here’s the place it will get murky: Tallman was informed there are already 20 rear motors on backorder. Jean Silverio, a commenter on his put up, wasn’t satisfied,

“There isn’t any approach for them to know what number of are on a nationwide backorder. Kia would not launch that data on our database. That is truly humorous.”

Perhaps it’s 20. Perhaps it’s 200. Perhaps Kia doesn’t even know. What is evident, although, is that elements are scarce, and there’s no repair lined up. In line with Tallman, Kia’s personal service middle doesn’t also have a half quantity for the alternative. That’s not only a provide chain hiccup—it’s a obvious signal that the corporate doesn’t but have a definitive repair.

Lemon Regulation within the USA: 

• Within the USA, lemon legal guidelines are enacted on the state stage to guard consumers from faulty autos—generally outlined as autos that stay within the store for repairs longer than they’re on the street—by requiring producers to refund, change, or compensate shoppers when defects persist after an inexpensive variety of restore makes an attempt. 
• Whereas most lemon legal guidelines primarily cowl new autos bought with a guaranty, some states lengthen safety to leased and even used autos; these legal guidelines set particular standards (reminiscent of time, mileage limits, and a sure variety of restore makes an attempt) that decide when a automobile qualifies as a lemon resulting from defects that have an effect on its security, worth, or usability. 
• Shoppers who efficiently declare below lemon legal guidelines might obtain a full refund, alternative automobile, or financial compensation, together with restoration of legal professional charges, and these state legal guidelines are complemented by federal protections just like the Magnuson-Moss Guarantee Act, which enforces clear guarantee phrases and producer accountability.

Company Confusion and the Guarantee Shuffle

This isn’t only a defective half—it is a traditional company runaround. In a textual content alternate with a Kia service advisor, Tallman was knowledgeable that Kia nonetheless doesn’t have a restore process for this failure.

“Proper now there actually isn’t any half quantity as Kia doesn’t have an entire restore for this concern. We’ve had an engineer come out yesterday and right this moment. They are going to be again out on Monday to re-examine the models and submit their findings to Kia. Kia is trying to decide if there must be a subject service motion or some form of manufacture program to restore these models. The half/s and repairs that can should be made shall be decided by their findings.”

Translation? They don’t know what’s improper. They don’t know how one can repair it. And when you’re one of many unfortunate few watching a dull EV9 in a dealership lot, you’re caught in limbo whereas Kia figures out its subsequent transfer.

Is Lemon Regulation on the Horizon?

Silverio additionally identified one thing essential: If Tallman’s EV9 sits on the dealership lengthy sufficient, he might have a case for a buyback below lemon legal guidelines. That’s the nuclear choice, however it might be the one recourse if Kia drags this out.

In California, for instance, a automobile qualifies as a lemon if it has a considerable defect that Kia can’t restore after a “cheap” variety of makes an attempt, or if it is out of service for 30 days or extra. Provided that Kia engineers are nonetheless within the “we’re trying into it” part, Tallman would possibly need to begin reviewing his authorized choices.

A Black Eye for Kia’s EV Status

Kia and its company sibling Hyundai have made huge strides in recent times, shaking off their outdated econobox picture with critical contenders just like the Telluride, Stinger, and Ioniq 5. However this EV9 mess is precisely the form of factor that fuels skepticism about new expertise and drives potential consumers proper again into the arms of Toyota and Honda.

Folks shopping for $60,000 electrical SUVs aren’t early adopters anymore—they’re households on the lookout for a dependable, futuristic different to a Highlander Hybrid. A drivetrain failure this early is unacceptable, and the dearth of a transparent repair? Even worse. Tesla, for all its points, has a observe file of getting main drivetrain elements swapped in days, not months. If Kia desires to play on this league, it has to get critical about service.

What Now?

Tallman is ready on Kia’s subsequent transfer, however he’s not alone. Different EV9 homeowners are actually on excessive alert, watching to see if that is an remoted problem or the beginning of a bigger development. If Kia doesn’t get in entrance of this rapidly, the EV9’s promising begin might take a critical hit.

For now, the takeaway is easy: In the event you’re contemplating an EV9, hold an in depth eye on early reliability experiences. And when you already personal one? Pray your rear motor doesn’t find yourself on a thriller backorder checklist.

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based mostly in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys protecting the most recent information within the automotive trade and conducting evaluations on the most recent automobiles. He has been within the automotive trade since 15 years outdated and has been featured in outstanding automotive information websites. You may attain him on X and LinkedIn for ideas and to observe his automotive protection.