Half of all complaints arrive by 0 years of age, so 0% land after the 5-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Electrical System, with 104 complaints, typically at 0.3 years.
Kia EV9 years to avoid — and the best ones
| Model year | Per run | Complaints | Runs | Enough history? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13 | 11 | too new | |
| 2024 | 206 | 45 | too new |
When it starts to break
| Age at failure | Complaints | Running total | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 years | 60.3% | covered | |
| 1 year | 91.8% | covered | |
| 2 years | 100% | covered |
Basic warranty on this car is 5 years / 60,000 miles. Only 100% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 0% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (10 years / 100,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for few of the complaints here.
What actually fails — and at what age
On the Kia EV9, the early trouble is Electrical System and Unknown Or Other — reported at around 0.3 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it.
| System | Complaints | Typical age | Crash | Fire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 0.3 yrs | — | — | |
| Unknown Or Other | 0.4 yrs | — | — | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 0.2 yrs | — | — | |
| Suspension | 0.6 yrs | — | 1 | |
| Lane Departure | 0.1 yrs | — | — | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 0.2 yrs | — | — | |
| Wheels | 0.6 yrs | — | — | |
| Steering | 0.3 yrs | — | — |
What else in this class
6 models share the EV9's vehicle class. Per production run, the Toyota Highlander draws 2.92, the Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.35 and the Ford Explorer 5.03, against 3.91 for the EV9.
| Same class as the EV9 | Complaints on record | Recall campaigns | Years built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Highlander | 128 | 2001–2026 | |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | 335 | 1993–2026 | |
| Ford Explorer | 390 | 1991–2026 | |
| BMW X5 | 198 | 2000–2026 | |
| Cadillac Escalade | 129 | 1999–2026 | |
| Hyundai Palisade | 33 | 2020–2026 |
The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.
Good year or bad year — the VIN settles it.
- Check any VIN against complaints for its exact build year and plant
- Exact value for that car, adjusted for its mileage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Alerts if a recall lands on a car in your garage
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
Is the Kia EV9 reliable?
By complaints per production run it is worse than typical: 3.91 against 3.73 for the average car, and in the middle of its class rivals.
When do EV9 problems usually start?
Half of all complaints arrive by 0 years of age. The most reported system is Electrical System, typically at 0.3 years, followed by Unknown Or Other.
Will the warranty cover EV9 problems?
Mostly yes: basic cover is 5 years / 60,000 miles, and 100% of reported failures fall inside it.
Is the EV9 more reliable than the Toyota Highlander?
No: 3.91 complaints per production run for the EV9 against 2.92 for the Toyota Highlander.
Mark ForCar as a preferred source and our data shows up first in your Google results. One click, no account.