My 2023 Kia EV6 was subject to recall SC327 (the federal safety agency 24V‑867, ICCU); the recall remedy on Nov 19, 2024 was an inspection and software update only. After the remedy, the car repeatedly lost all 12-volt power (Feb 2025 and Apr 2025). Each time, the dealer said it could not find the cause — its hands were tied, it said, because Kia corporate required a diagnostic code and some codes did not yet exist for a car this new — and it repeatedly replaced parts, including the 12V battery twice and the battery sensor, to "hope for the best." On May 12, 2026, while driving about 25 mph, I heard a loud pop/bang from under the car, an electrical warning appeared, the vehicle lost power and stopped in traffic, and would not shift out of Park or move. The dealer found the high-voltage box exploded, all high-voltage fuses blown including the 500-amp fuse, the power relay assembly shorted, and connectors damaged by heat; about $16,324 of high-voltage components were replaced under warranty. The dealer and Kia engineering could not determine the cause; the service advisor wrote on July 22, 2026: "We do not have a smoking gun as to what caused all of this… anything is all a guess." On Oct 17, 2026 I found the car completely dead again at the dealership, and it has continued to show electrical faults. After I retrieved the car on Oct 26, 2026, it developed further electrical faults, which I reported to the dealership in writing, including the mirror and remote start failing, false door-unlocked warnings while driving, and two occasions when the car stalled and then recovered. On Nov 2, 2026, the car displayed a charging fault and would not charge at all; the dealership's general manager advised me in writing to discontinue charging attempts until the vehicle is evaluated. The dealership has repeatedly declined to state that the vehicle is safe to drive. I am concerned the vehicle is unsafe and that the recall remedy has not corrected the defect.
Kia EV6 loss of power problems
60 of the 553 owner complaints about the Kia EV6 describe sudden loss of power, most of them for the 2022 model year.
- owner complaints
- 60
- worst model year
- 2022
By model year
Often reported together
Won't start 3Stalling 3Battery drain 3Won't shift 1Overheating 1
What owners say
Dear Kia Customer Care, I am writing to formally report a serious and recurring safety issue with my Kia vehicle. I have repeatedly experienced a "Power Limited" error while driving, often accompanied by a turtle icon and a "Check Electric Vehicle System" warning. On multiple occasions, the vehicle has suddenly lost power and stalled in the middle of the road. This is extremely dangerous and has put me and other drivers at risk. A vehicle should never lose propulsion unexpectedly, especially in active traffic conditions. I request an immediate investigation into this issue, along with a clear explanation of the cause and a permanent fix. Please treat this matter with urgency, as it directly concerns driver safety. Kindly confirm the next steps and the earliest available service appointment. Thank you,
While driving southbound on the [XXX] in a rented 2023 Kia EV6 from The Hertz Corporation, picked up in [XXX] on XXX, the vehicle entered "Power Limited" mode without warning. The vehicle lost normal propulsion and decelerated from highway speed to a crawl, forcing 4-5 emergency stops onto the highway shoulder over several miles while semi-trucks passed at 70+ mph in live traffic, with two minor children in the vehicle. The vehicle was ultimately abandoned at a highway rest stop on Hertz Roadside Assistance's instruction and towed. This vehicle was subject to three the federal safety agency recall campaigns for the ICCU defect that produces exactly this failure mode: 24V057000 (SC295, driveshaft, notice mailed XXX), 24V200000 (SC302, ICCU 12V charging failure/Power Limited mode, notice mailed XXX), and 24V867000 (SC327, expanded ICCU remedy superseding SC302, notice mailed XXX) — all mailed well before this vehicle was rented to me on XXX. Under 49 U.S.C. §30120(i), a rental company may not rent a covered rental vehicle subject to an unremedied safety recall. I am requesting the federal safety agency use its inspection authority under 49 U.S.C. §30166 to determine whether Hertz completed the required SC327 remedy on this vehicle before renting it to me, and to review Hertz's fleet-wide recall compliance for its Kia EV6 inventory. This does not appear to be an isolated incident: the federal safety agency complaint ODI XXX, filed XXX, describes a near-identical failure — a rented 2023 Kia EV6 (Dollar Rent A Car, a Hertz-owned brand) losing power and shutting down multiple times on the freeway during a single trip, also towed. Two renters, two Hertz-family rentals, same defect signature, five months apart. Hertz has been on written and verbal notice of this incident since XXX, and I sent a formal written demand on XXX with a response deadline of XXX. As of this filing, Hertz has not responded. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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. The vehicle was a rental (Dollar Rent A Car); no external damage or collision was involved. The vehicle has since been towed.
Car was totally dead even with a 68% charge. AAA came out to jump start. The next day while driving on the highway the car started to lose power. A red warning to check the electrical system came on along with "turtle mode". I was able to pull over off the highway, grateful the two small children were not with me. Car was towed to dealer who kept it for the three days. Only after repeated calling could I reach someone who said they couldn't reproduce the problem. I'm afraid to drive the car at this point as I feel it's just unsafe to do so. This seems to be an ongoing issue that Kia can't seem to fix.
Driving on three lane highway at 60 mph the car abruptly lost power. Was able to get off the highway. Called Kia roadside assistance. Tow truck picked up car and delivered it to Kia dealership. Service dept diagnosed and is replacing the ICCU.
Lost power while driving. 12Vbattery low voltage on dash. ICCU not responding. Dealership replaced ICCU and told me it wasn't under warranty. Had to pay out of pocket.
Car lost power and stopped Diagnosed iccu failure Now reporting coolant issue following repair
I had an ICCU failure on 4/12/26. I was fortunate enough to be close to home, so I was able to get back home before the vehicle dropped into reduced power mode. As has been reported many other places, I heard a loud pop and moments later a number or warning messages came up on the display. It was towed to the dealer the following day and has been confirmed to be an ICCU failure.
2024 Kia EV6 leased January 2025. Vehicle is subject to the federal safety agency Recall 24V‑867 / Kia campaign SC327 for the Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU). The recall remedy was performed at an authorized Kia dealer in July 2025 (software / operational logic update). The defect was not cured. Three months after the recall remedy was performed, the vehicle suffered complete loss of electrical power and would not move. It was towed to the Kia dealer. The dealer's own diagnostic recorded code P1A9096 — the exact diagnostic code Kia's recall instructs technicians to check for — and replaced the ICCU and high-voltage fuse. This is the recall-defined failure occurring AFTER the recall remedy was applied. Approximately three months later, the vehicle again suffered total loss of power and would not start in cold weather. It was towed in. The dealer replaced only the 12-volt battery and did not address the ICCU, despite the documented prior ICCU failure on this VIN. The 12V battery failure is a known downstream symptom of ICCU failure on this platform. Approximately one month after that, the vehicle returned for charging system failure ("vehicle charges briefly then stops") and a "check electrical/hybrid system" warning that appeared while driving. Diagnosed as charging port failure. Vehicle was out of service approximately 27 consecutive days. Total cumulative days out of service across four visits: approximately 35-40. Two safety-related stranding incidents resulted from these failures. Both occurred in winter conditions in Pennsylvania. In the first, the driver was stranded in a parking lot at night during a snowstorm in sub-zero conditions; three tow trucks were dispatched before a flatbed could recover the vehicle because the EV could not be towed conventionally with no power. In the second, the vehicle died in a school parking lot during a snowstorm; the first dispatched tow truck could not recover an EV with no power, and the driver had to walk multiple miles home in freezing
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Kia EV6 loss of power
Which Kia EV6 years have sudden loss of power problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2022 (28 complaints), 2023 (14 complaints) and 2024 (12 complaints).
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