Kia is recalling 1,200 EV6 and Niro EVs over faulty drive shafts Leave a comment

Kia is recalling just over 1,200 EV6 and Niro EVs over a faulty drive shaft that can result in a loss of power.

Kia is recalling certain EV6 and Niro EVs

The recall impacts the 2023 Kia EV6 and 2023-2024 Niro EV models. Kia says 1,243 vehicles are potentially affected.

In a letter to the NHTSA, Kia said it was recalling the EV6 and Niro EVs over a faulty drive shaft. One of the drive shafts may have been improperly heat-treated, allowing it to break under pressure, which could result in a loss of power.

Kia dealers will replace the faulty drive shafts with new, properly heat-treated units. The replacement will be free of charge.

Kia became aware of the problem after Kia HQ informed them of an incident in Turkey earlier this month.

After a field analysis showed no broken drive shafts involving the Niro EV, Kia found the EV6 had the same rear inner drive shaft supplier. Two potential EV6 incidents showed it may have been from improperly heat-treated parts.

Although no crashes or injuries were found, Kia is recalling the EVs out of caution. Owner notifications are expected to be mailed on March 9.

The impacted 2024 MY Niro EVs were produced from June 27, 2023, through July 13, 2023, while EV6 models were produced from January 26, 2023, to April 8, 2023. Kia says 204 Niro EVs and 1,039 EV6 models are affected.

You can contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542 with questions. The recall number is SC295. Owners can also call the NHTSA hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to nhtsa.gov. The NHTSA campaign number is 24V-057.

Electrek’s Take

Kia broke its January record with 1,213 EV6 models sold last month after selling nearly 19,000 last year. The automaker doesn’t provide a breakdown of Niro EV sales, but Kia sold 36,300 Niro models in total in 2023, including the PHEV.

That said, with only 1,243 models impacted, it’s a minor recall in the grand scheme of things.

With its first three-row electric SUV, the EV9, rolling out, Kia is seeing EV sales heat up in the US. Kia’s EV sales were up 57% last month compared to January 2023, with 1,408 EV9 and 1,213 EV6 models sold.