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For many EV homeowners, a significant restore like a most important battery substitute is meant to mark the top of the stress. It’s the second if you lastly really feel just like the worst is behind you and that the car ought to return to being dependable, predictable transportation. That expectation makes it particularly irritating when the other occurs and a automobile fails nearly instantly after what ought to have been a definitive repair.
That frustration was on full show this week after I got here throughout a publish within the “KIA EV6 House owners USA” Fb group from Taryn OBrien Myre. Simply two weeks after having the principle battery changed in her Kia EV6, Taryn says the car abruptly died with out warning and have become utterly unresponsive. Worse although, the automobile wouldn’t even energy on lengthy sufficient to be put into impartial.
As Taryn defined in her publish, “Welp this simply occurred 2 weeks after getting a brand new most important battery put in it. My automobile simply died. I’m over it. A tow truck is on the best way. I can’t even flip the automobile on to place it in impartial, so it must be dragged. God I’m pissed!”
A Put up-Restore Failure Feels Even Worse
Breakdowns are irritating beneath any circumstances, however failures that occur instantly after main repairs are inclined to hit homeowners more durable. In circumstances like this, there’s usually a way that one thing deeper should still be incorrect, or that the unique difficulty was by no means totally resolved within the first place. For EV homeowners, the emotional influence might be amplified as a result of battery-related repairs are among the many most vital and costly procedures these autos endure.
With the EV6 positioned as a refined, mainstream electrical car somewhat than an early experiment, many house owners count on that after a significant element is changed, reliability ought to enhance somewhat than decline. When that confidence is shaken, it may rapidly flip pleasure into exhaustion.
Being Unable to Shift Into Impartial Issues
One element in Taryn’s expertise that stood out to many readers was the lack to place the EV6 into impartial. In conventional autos, even critical mechanical failures usually nonetheless permit the automobile to be rolled or pushed. In trendy EVs, nonetheless, digital interlocks can forestall any motion if the system doesn’t detect secure working situations.
When an EV can’t energy on in any respect, it might additionally lose the flexibility to launch the drivetrain, leaving towing corporations with no choice however to bodily drag the car. It is a scenario that feels excessive to homeowners, particularly when the underlying drawback just isn’t instantly apparent.
What Commenters Are Saying About ICCU Issues
Because the dialogue unfolded, a number of commenters identified their very own points with the Kia EV6.
Laura Rye shared a very regarding expertise, writing, “This has occurred to me thrice within the final two weeks. Jumps do seem to work this time. We had the ICCU changed final yr.”
Repeated failures, even after a element substitute, naturally elevate questions on whether or not sure points are being totally resolved or just reset quickly. That is why conditions like this are troubling, as a result of the ICCU performs a vital position in managing charging and supporting the 12-volt system that retains the car’s electronics alive. When it fails or behaves unpredictably, the automobile can seem utterly useless even when the high-voltage battery itself is wholesome.
How Reliability Notion Shapes Shopping for Choices
Kevin Yu took a broader view of the problem, saying, “So glad I did not purchase a KIA EV after seeing all of the ICCU points on Fb/Reddit.”
Feedback like this spotlight how on-line proprietor experiences can affect consumers lengthy earlier than they ever set foot in a showroom. This type of notion problem just isn’t distinctive to EVs both. In different segments, consumers usually acknowledge Kia’s robust worth proposition however nonetheless gravitate towards rivals with longer-established reliability reputations, a sample that has been explored in why the Kia Carnival is rising as a better-value minivan than the Toyota Sienna. For EVs the place belief in new expertise continues to be being constructed although, recurring tales of digital failures can carry much more weight.
Rising Frustration With the Lack of a Clear Repair
Scott Caughell echoed that sentiment with a extra direct critique, writing, “The truth that Kia received’t correctly handle these main points is regarding. I used to be contemplating shopping for an EV6 however I don’t assume so anymore. An improved ICCU and 12V charging repair ought to have been made by now together with a full recall.”
Whereas producers hardly ever remark publicly on particular person circumstances, feedback like Scott’s replicate a rising impatience amongst shoppers who count on sooner and extra clear responses when widespread failure factors emerge. Even when repairs are coated beneath guarantee, repeated disruptions can erode confidence within the possession expertise.
Some House owners Are Nonetheless Transferring On Anyway
What makes tales like this particularly fascinating is that they exist alongside accounts from homeowners who finally determine to maneuver on from the EV6 totally, together with homeowners who simply switched from a Kia EV6 to a Rivian R1S Gen 2 and say that they can not consider a greater improve.
Others proceed to reward features of the EV6 itself, together with its effectivity and real-world vary in difficult situations, with some pointing to how the car can nonetheless carry out impressively in winter situations when options like Snow Mode are used correctly. The distinction between these constructive experiences and tales like Taryn’s highlights simply how uneven trendy EV possession can really feel.
Tales like this underscore a vital second for EV adoption. Electrical autos are not area of interest merchandise, and consumers moderately count on them to be as reliable because the vehicles they change. When a car fails shortly after a significant restore, it isn’t simply an inconvenience, because it turns into a belief difficulty. I believe producers want to acknowledge that reliability considerations, even once they have an effect on a minority of householders, can have an outsized influence in an period the place experiences are shared immediately and extensively.
For the EV6 particularly, the problem just isn’t convincing those who the automobile might be nice on a superb day. It’s convincing them that dangerous days will probably be uncommon, well-handled, and decisively mounted. Till that confidence is solidified, tales like this can proceed to form the dialog.
Key Takeaways for EV House owners and Consumers
• Put up-repair failures hit more durable: A breakdown after a significant restore usually raises deeper considerations than a random difficulty.
• Digital methods matter: Elements just like the ICCU can immobilize an EV even when the principle battery just isn’t the foundation drawback.
• On-line experiences affect consumers: Repeated tales of comparable points can have an effect on buying choices far past particular person circumstances.
• Guarantee protection just isn’t every little thing: Comfort, downtime, and confidence play a significant position in proprietor satisfaction.
• Consistency builds belief: Lengthy-term success within the EV market is dependent upon predictable reliability, not simply robust efficiency on good days.
Be part of the Dialog
Have you ever ever skilled a significant failure shortly after a big restore? Whether or not in an EV or a gas-powered car?
And for EV6 homeowners particularly, how has your long-term reliability expertise been? Would you select the identical car once more figuring out what you understand now?
I might love to listen to your ideas and experiences within the feedback beneath.
Aram Krajekian is a younger automotive journalist bringing a recent perspective to his protection of the evolving automotive panorama. Observe Aram on X and LinkedIn for every day information protection about vehicles.
Picture Sources: The “KIA EV6 House owners USA” public Fb group and Kia’s gallery, respectively.
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