2026 Kia EV9
Electric Midsize / large SUV
The 2026 Kia EV9 is sold in the U.S. as a electric midsize or large SUV with 5 EPA-rated configurations. Its longest-range version, the EV9 Long Range RWD, is EPA-rated at 305 miles with 89 MPGe combined efficiency. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 22 complaints, most often about electrical system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Range | kWh/100mi | Charge (240V) | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV9 Long Range RWD | Electric | RWD | 160 kW PMSM (IPM) | 100 | 78 | 89 MPGe | 305 mi | 38 | 10.7 h | $850 |
| EV9 Standard Range RWD | Electric | RWD | 160 kW PMSM (IPM) | 101 | 76 | 88 MPGe | 230 mi | 38 | 8.1 h | $850 |
| EV9 Long Range AWD | Electric | AWD | 141 kW PMSM (IPM) | 94 | 75 | 84 MPGe | 283 mi | 40 | 10.7 h | $900 |
| EV9 Long Range AWD GT-Line | Electric | AWD | 141 kW PMSM (IPM) | 92 | 72 | 82 MPGe | 280 mi | 41 | 10.5 h | $900 |
| EV9 GT | Electric | AWD | 139 and 235 kW PMSM (IPM) | 83 | 72 | 78 MPGe | 260 mi | 43 | 10.8 h | $950 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
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Recalls (2)
Air Bags
highProblem: Kia America, Inc (Kia) is recalling certain 2025-2026 EV9 vehicles. Due to improper routing, the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may not deactivate the air bag when a child or child seat is in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: A child in the front seat may be at a greater risk of injury if the air bag deploys during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the ODS mat and bladder tube with a new one and ensure proper routing as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters will be mailed beginning October 20, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC379. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 4, 2026.
Electrical System
highProblem: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Kia K4, 2025-2026 Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, Sorento Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage PHEV, K5, EV9, Carnival, and Carnival Hybrid vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101, "Controls and Displays" and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring System."
Risk: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer, tire pressure, or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 26, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC361. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 9, 2026.
Owner complaints
22 complaints filed
2 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 1 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2026: 22
Most-cited components
- Electrical System — 11
- Unknown Or Other — 4
- Fuel/Propulsion System — 3
- Vehicle Speed Control — 3
- Steering — 3
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 11% |
| SUV RWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 11% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
Other EV9 model years
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 49666, 49665, 49667, 49668, 49669). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.