While driving car began to decelerate and the dash lit up with a number of ABS/Brake system failure symbols. I was on the highway traveling at abt 70 mph when the issue happened. Got car to coast off hwy onto an upward sloping exit. Stopped at a light. Turned off and back on and was able to gain minor speed got approx three blocks to a gas station. Pulled off and tried restarts. The screen stated there was an update pending, but it could not complete it because the Electronic Brake System failed. I tried triggering a brake reset but it didn’t work. Car was towed back to Dealership. Two days later the Dealership mechanic confirmed the issue was a failed Electronic Brake which must be replaced. Car has now been with Dealer for 10 days. Dealer stated the EBS was on back order and they do not have a timeline for the parts to come in. They’ve provided me a rental from their fleet which they are covering in full. Hoping this is resolved soon.
NHTSA complaint #11739429 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Incident took place 1/31/26. I was pulling into my driveway at approximately 5 mph. Normally, as I approach the wooden driveway gate, sensors would begin to beep and I would be prompted to stop.The car normally would stop itself if a collision was imminent. This did not take place. Instead, the car picked up speed, smashed through the gate proceeded up the driveway, smashed through the garage door and the rear wall of the garage. I was alone and uninjured, but the structure was yellow tagged and there was severe damage to the contents. Airbags were not deployed. The car was towed to Caliber body shop in Santa Monica for repairs to the body. When this has been completed it will be taken to Kia of Santa Monica for analysis of the black box and braking system.
NHTSA complaint #11716470 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Most vehicles with ABS experience what I call “ABS shudder/jutter” when applying brakes across a road seam where the road surface is uneven or a rut in the road. In this particular case while applying the brakes across a long rut in the road, the “ABS shudder/jutter” was much worse. NOT SPEEDING and having plenty of distance to stop. With brake pedal to the floor several times, the vehicle continued to move forward. The last few feet before colliding with a pickup truck, although the road was completely dry, the vehicle was driving forward yet sliding forward slowly. Felt no different than being on ice. Collision aversion system did nothing to help avoid. There is also only electronic parking brake and not an emergency brake to pull a handle on to assist in stopping. Dealership wasn’t able to find anything simply by driving around and slamming on the brakes and not finding any error codes. Regional technician currently scheduled to be here the 27th of Jan. Several people online have expressed similar concerns, just haven’t hit anything. I feel that the issue lies with the ABS system specifically braking over uneven road seams or ruts in the road and my experience is being discounted.
NHTSA complaint #11713276 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving on a residential street at fairly slow speeds, like 25 mph. There was a stop sign so I engaged the brakes and the car did not smoothly slow down but instead it felt like the back tires locked up and a skid started and I actually went into the intersection before coming to a stop. There was no ice, no sand, just the road surface and the skid in the rear of the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11708253 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2023 Kia EV6 experienced a sudden ICCU and 12-volt system failure while traveling approximately 50 mph. Without warning, the vehicle instantly lost propulsion and all electrical power. This included loss of steering assist, braking assist, hazard lights, shift capability (unable to shift into Park), and even the ability to lock the doors. The failure effectively “bricked” the vehicle in motion. I was only able to get the vehicle off the roadway because the road happened to slope downward into a nearby lot. Steering required significant physical effort, the brake pedal went completely hard (“dead”), and the vehicle offered no functional parking brake or Park engagement once stopped. Because I was on a hill, we had to allow the car to roll to the bottom until it met a curb to prevent movement. After power loss, the doors could not be locked at all. This type of unrecoverable electrical failure creates an extreme safety hazard for the driver, passengers, and surrounding traffic. There is no pre-warning and no diagnostic indicator. The ICCU fuse appears to fail spontaneously and renders the vehicle uncontrollable in several critical respects. This is not an isolated issue. ICCU failures have been occurring across the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5/6 platforms for more than three years, including on brand-new 2025 models. The persistence of this defect across multiple model years indicates that the underlying design or component defect has not been resolved by the manufacturer. Given the suddenness of the failure, the total loss of vehicle control systems, and the long history of similar incidents reported by other owners, I am now hesitant to drive the vehicle due to the unpredictable and dangerous nature of the defect.
NHTSA complaint #11703617 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brakes failed with unintened acceleration. We were stopped behind a truck at a stoplight when the the vehicle accelerated with a foot on the brake. We had it towed from the scene of the accident to our local dealership for testing. They had the vehicle for 4 weeks. Kia customer care was not responsive to our calls and emails or the dealerships. The dealership could not confirm the cause without their cooperation. The police were called to the scene of the accident and there is a report. The vehicle has been looked over by the service department at our local Kia lot. It was appraised for cost of damages by the collision center.
NHTSA complaint #11685781 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving over to walk my friends dog and I was pulling into the overflow parking area and my car just speed up and it would not stop. I went up a curb and I hit a small tree went down another curb crossed the street and then up another curb and the break would not stop the car. I finally just cut the car off
NHTSA complaint #11684498 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving in the rain, the vehicle failed to decelerate and brake efficiently. There were two event this morning (12/18/24). 1. Approaching a red light with Regen braking set to lvl 3 the car failed to slow after removing my foot from the accelerator. Quickly i began applying braking force with the brake pedal, but there was no change in the vehicles speed. Finally I firmly forced the brake pedal to the floor and the car came to a quick stop with ABS kicking in. Thinking that some of the sensors may have been affected by the wet road conditions, i disabled regen/ self braking. 2. With regen set to zero I began approaching slower traffic in a bend on the highway. When i saw brake lights ahead i began to brake and the pedal did not respond. It wasn't firm, nor soft just "regular". Knowing that i had distance to avoid collision, i let off the brake then applied again. This time-still nothing. I'm running out of space now so I quickly jab the brakes, activating abs, and avoiding the rear end of the pickup in front of me. I have yet to take the car to the dealership as they don't open until 9am (currently 7:44 am). I fear that they will not be able to replicate problem unless it is still raining when i arrive.
NHTSA complaint #11631339 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While braking in parking lot with low speed and turning the steering wheel, all of sudden the vehicle reving up by itself and then accelerate forward uncontrollably.
NHTSA complaint #11625821 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When washing my car at an automated car wash my brakes failed when exiting the facility. When the wash was completed it gave me the approval to leave. I tapped on the gas pedal to get the car moving slowly. The car started to move down the ramp and when I applied the brakes there was no response. I pumped the brakes several times but they did not engage. I tried to hit the parking brake and shift into reverse and nothing happened. I finally had no choice but to hit a wall to keep from hitting a vehicle. I did contact the dealership and they were non responsive. They indicated they had never heard of a wet brake issue on this vehicle. I provided them with several statements from the EV6 Forum. My vehicle had less than 600 miles on the odometer.
NHTSA complaint #11614326 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On multiple occasions, while driving on the freeway, the vehicle experienced a clunking noise and complete loss of propulsion. Safety was put at risk as the vehicle had to navigate off to the shoulder of the freeway at a speed significantly slower (due to no acceleration available) than traffic with reduced braking capability. Once on the shoulder the vehicle needs to be turned off then on again then it functions as normal. Due to the intermittency of the issue, the dealer was not able to reproduce the problem, therefore they will not fix it. When the issue occurs, there are no warning messages on the display. The dealer has stated there are no error codes stored in the computer. This issue seemed to go away after an ICCU fix was applied, but came back after the ICCU recall was recently applied. This incident has occurred on the following dates: On freewayFeb 2023 On FreewayJune 2023 On FreewayJuly 7 2023 On FreewayJuly 20 2023 On FreewayJune 26,2024 On FreewayAugust 20,2024 3:13 PM On FreewayAugust 24, 2024
NHTSA complaint #11610753 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
A couple of months ago the breaks started making a strange grinding noise and it starts vibrating for a few brief seconds, but violently. There are no warning lights or any indication of malfunction. I took it to the dealership and they allegedly fixed it. Nevertheless, less than a month later, the noise came back, and not just a noise, but the vehicle attempts to stop abruptly without me engaging the breaks. It happens intermittently, and it is quite scary when it happens while driving high speed on a freeway. It creates safety issues. This is not my first EV. I am very familiar with EVs, regenerative breaking, and so on. This is not a regenerative breaking issue. I don't even know how to properly describe it. it is very unusual.
NHTSA complaint #11592500 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Component/System Failure: The i-Pedal feature in the Kia EV6, designed for one-pedal driving through regenerative braking, consistently fails to stay engaged. This component is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk:The erratic behavior of the i-Pedal function poses a significant safety risk. When the i-Pedal mode disengages unexpectedly, drivers must abruptly switch to using traditional brakes. This sudden transition increases the likelihood of delayed reactions and potential accidents, especially in heavy traffic or complex driving situations. Problem Reproduction/Confirmation: The problem has been widely reported by multiple users on forums and confirmed through personal experience. It has been noted that the i-Pedal mode disengages when the vehicle is stationary or when the battery is fully charged. Inspection by Authorities: The vehicle has been inspected by a dealer, but the issue persists due to a lack of awareness or understanding of the i-Pedal system among service personnel. No inspections by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives have occurred yet. Warning Lamps/Messages: There are no warning lamps or error messages indicating the malfunction of the i-Pedal feature. The issue is typically observed when the vehicle unexpectedly exits i-Pedal mode, requiring the driver to manually re-engage it using the steering wheel paddles. Assessment of the Incident:The inconsistency in the i-Pedal system's engagement appears to result from potential software bugs, sensor malfunctions, or design flaws in the regenerative braking system. This unreliability significantly impacts daily driving safety and efficiency. Recommendation 1. Software Update: Kia should release a firmware update to ensure the i-Pedal mode remains stable and reliable under all driving conditions and even after vehicle is turned off and back on.
NHTSA complaint #11589474 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When using 1 pedal driving, it isn't necessary to use the brake pedal to stop the EV. The EV6 will only illuminate the brake lights when the accelerator pedal is completely released, or when the brake pedal is depressed. Since using 1 pedal driving does not require depressing the brake pedal to stop, the following vehicle has no indication or warning that the EV6 is stopping. I have experienced several instances of near rear-end collisions because of this dangerous issue with the Kia EV6. I emailed Kia asking if they were going to offer an OTA fix and this is their reply, " Dear [XXX], Hello, This email is to let you know that as of now we are not aware of any updates coming out for this feature. Your complaint will remain on file here within Kia for review. Sincerely, Kia America. Curiously Kia's parent company Hyundai, whose Ionic 5 has the same problem, is receiving a fix which will illuminate the brake lights while using the same 1 pedal driving programming as the Kia EV6. Because the lack of 1 pedal driving brake light warning to following vehicles, I have turned this feature off until the issue has been resolved. I hope NHTSA takes this dangerous situation seriously and provides legislation to force auto manufacturers to adjust the conditions when brake lights must illuminate. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
NHTSA complaint #11531901 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
There exists a serious manufacturing defect in that the brake lights do not turn on when the car is used in one-pedal drive mode and even a rapid deceleration occurs due to regenerative braking. This was documented by Consumer Reports and it presents a critical safety hazard. https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-safety/brake-lights-can-fail-to-provide-fair-warning-on-some-evs-a9533519285/?EXTKEY=YSOCIAL_FB&fbclid=IwAR3N_MQOI4ZGHfHSf18eAJSE7Cx02eftIx2k8F_oKaVo19_YJKgYEn7yeOE
NHTSA complaint #11526770 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The brake light does not activate in a way that would signal to other drivers that the vehicle is stopping or slowing down, while using higher regenerative braking. The ipedal mode can have a significant amount of deceleration and not activate the brake light, even coming to a full stop and not activating the light, if the driver's foot is not completely off the pedal. I have been told by other drivers that my brake lights were out when I expected that they were working. Testing this with a odb2 device and another driver following behind me confirmed that the Kia EV6 does not activate brake lights when it should. Additionally, there is a video on youtube titled "Electric cars prove we need to rethink brake lights", demonstrating this on a similar vehicle, the Hyundai Ioniq 5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0YW7x9U5TQ There is no indication in the vehicle that the brake lights are not functioning as a driver would expect. The lights do work when using the brake pedal and are not normally "malfunctioning". The nearest dealer has confirmed that the driver needs to take their foot off of the accelerator to actuate the brake lights. In my opinion, the vehicle should be recalled to apply a fix that signals braking and intent to slow down that is consistent with the deceleration of the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11523956 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brake lights do not illuminate when using the Regenerative Braking System in the Kia EV6. The vehicle is fitted with a 'one-pedal-driving' system that allows the vehicle to slow down and stop without actuation of the brake pedal. When using this system, the vehicle can decelerate rapidly and to a complete stop, however the brake lights do not illuminate unless the drivers foot is completely removed from the accelerator pedal. Doing this causes rapid deceleration beyond what would be considered normal for a driver approaching a turn or any other scenario where a planned stop will occur. Because the vehicle does not illuminate the brake lights during normal deceleration when using the one-pedal-driving feature of the regenerative braking system this significantly increases the risk of a rear end collision. The vehicle has been found to be operating normally and matches the behavior of other EV6 models. Although I have not yet been involved in a collision, I have been advised by other drivers that my brake lights are not working, and have had multiple 'close-calls' where drivers behind me have been unable to correctly determine that my vehicle is decelerating and have subsequently caused them to brake erratically or harshly putting myself and others at risk.
NHTSA complaint #11523964 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While using I-Pedal mode the brake lights do not engage unless fully off of the accelerator. Even a large deceleration force does not engage any of the brake lights when coming to a full stop quickly. This is very dangerous as drivers behind cannot tell you are decelerating quickly.
NHTSA complaint #11523943 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle does not trigger brake lights when it is using Regen braking or the ipadel mode. This can cause a safety hazard for the person behind me to crash into me without the brake lights warnings
NHTSA complaint #11523894 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2022 Kia EV6. The contact stated that on various occasions while coming to a stop at a stop signal, a loud crunching sound was heard underneath the vehicle. The brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle jerked forward. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred and caused the vehicle to lunge forward into oncoming traffic, causing another vehicle to almost crash into the driver's side. The vehicle was then taken back to the dealer and remained in dealer possession awaiting a further diagnostic test and repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 2,215.
NHTSA complaint #11519264 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.