2022 Kia EV6

The ICCU, or integrated charge control unit, continually fails on this car. When it fails, the 12V battery rapidly drains and the car goes into turtle mode (25mph max) until the 12 battery drains completely. This has happened 4 times on this car, twice since I purchased it 'certified pre-owned" from a Kia dealership in February 2026. Luckily for me the two times it has failed on me, I was in town and close to home. I purchased this car to use for road trips, and out in remote areas of wilderness that do not have cell reception. It is my opinion that the lack of a permanent fix from Kia is a safety issue, as this problem can strand a driver like myself in the middle of nowhere without cell service or any way to get back. Kia has increased warranty coverage on this component, but has not rolled out a permanent fix. My car has been sitting at a dealership service department for 4 weeks now, waiting for Kia to approve the warranty work. This is a known issue, Kia has increased warranty coverage on this part, but they are refusing to allow the dealership to perform the work to fix it.

I began to drive. The dashboard display read "Check low voltage supply" or something like that and on the opposite side of the display there was a small image that looks like a 12V battery. A moment later the dashboard display changed to read "DO NOT DRIVE." The car was towed to a dealer who reported a "failed ICCU and High Voltage Fuse." The vehicle was towed to a dealership where it is being repaired under warranty. The same parts were replaced on December 26, 2024, that time because the electric vehicle would no longer accept a charge from a 240VAC source, although it continued accept a charge from a high voltage DC source. At that time there was also a software update that was said to correct the defect.

Vehicle Safety Complaint My Kia experienced an ICCU (Integrated Charging Control Unit) failure and was at the dealership for approximately two months while awaiting repairs. The ICCU and related components were replaced, and I was told the vehicle had been repaired. However, immediately after I received the vehicle back, the “Check Electric Vehicle System” warning illuminated again. Since that time, the vehicle has continued to experience serious electrical issues. The vehicle has unexpectedly shut off while stopped at red lights and has failed to restart on multiple occasions, leaving me stranded. This creates a significant safety hazard because the vehicle can lose the ability to move while in traffic, placing me and other motorists at risk. I have returned the vehicle to the dealership twice since the ICCU replacement, but the problem has not been resolved. The dealership has been unable to identify or permanently repair the defect. I have been without my vehicle for nearly three months this calendar year due to this issue. More importantly, I no longer feel safe driving the vehicle because I cannot trust that it will remain operational in traffic. I am submitting this complaint because I believe this represents a serious safety defect involving the vehicle’s electrical system and propulsion system. I request that NHTSA investigate this issue to determine whether other Kia owners are experiencing similar failures and whether additional action is warranted to protect consumers.

1. Severe Safety Concerns (Battery Thermal Risk & Component Interdependency) The PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater in my vehicle has failed. This component failure has completely disabled my vehicle’s air conditioning (AC) system. In the Kia EV6 architecture, the AC compressor loop is not merely a cabin comfort feature; it is intrinsically linked to the vehicle's thermal management system responsible for cooling the high-voltage traction battery pack. California temperatures are projected to hit 110°F immediately. Without a functioning AC system, the vehicle cannot execute critical battery cooling procedures. Yesterday, when plugging the vehicle into a charger, the high-voltage battery became alarmingly hot. Forcing a lithium-ion battery pack to accept high-current DC fast charging without operational coolant loop heat rejection poses an immediate, catastrophic risk of thermal runaway and vehicle fire. I am terrified to operate, park, or charge this vehicle in upcoming extreme summer conditions. 2. Predatory Maintenance Plan Tie-In Offer Yesterday, the dealership called and acknowledged the issue. They offered to cover 70% of the diagnostic and repair labor costs under corporate goodwill, as I am technically out of the standard warranty period. However, they applied an unfair and coercive condition: I am only eligible for this safety assistance if I purchase a mandatory 2-year maintenance contract costing $120 per month (totaling $2,880 over 24 months). Because the EV6 is a fully electric vehicle, its routine maintenance profile is virtually nonexistent. The dealership explicitly stated that this contract would exclusively cover tire rotations. Charging nearly $3,000 for tire rotations as a gatekeeping mechanism to fix a dangerous battery cooling defect is highly exploitative. The cost of this forced maintenance plan essentially equals or exceeds paying for the entire repair out-of-pocket, rendering the "70% goodwill coverage" an empty gesture.

The contact owns a 2022 Kia EV6. The contact stated that while driving approximately 6-7 MPH in the left-turn lane, the vehicle made an abnormal popping sound and stalled. The vehicle was pushed to the side of the road with assistance. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) failure. The ICCU was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred several times. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, the messages "Check ABS", "Check ESC", "Check Electronic Parking Brake" and "Pull Over Safely" were displayed, and alarms sounded on several occasions. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted several times, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.

On the night of [XXX], the vehicle was plugged in to AC charge at my home charging at 7.5kw (32 amps/240 volts). The next morning, the dedicated breaker to the EVSE was tripped, and the EVSE was damaged and unusable upon resetting the breaker. The car had charged approximately 20% before cutting off. A new EVSE was ordered and arrived by that night, however the car would not accept a charge, and displayed a "charging failure" message, despite the new EVSE working on two other electric vehicles. Additionally, the vehicle to load (V2L) functionality was compromised, and the vehicle displayed an error message when attempting to use the V2L. The vehicle was taken into Kia service center located in Mission, KS on 6/29, and diagnosed with a broken ICCU, which is scheduled for service on 7/1/2026. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ICCU electrical system failed while driving (~1mi from house). Warning messages popped up and caused me to pull over and drive back to house under reduced speed. Kia told me car was not safe to drive and to tow car for repair under warranty. ICCU failure was confirmed by service provider and repaired after 2 weeks (diagnosis, part order, and replacement).

Vehicle ICCU unit failed resulting in inability to charge at level 1/2 on AC power and would have ultimately led to failure of the 12v battery, which results in the car shutting down. Posing a safety risk. Resulting repair led to coolant level issue. Currently the only solution to the problem is replacement of the unit, with the exact same unit model. Leaving the possibility of it happening again. The manufacturer has not developed a long term solution to the problem, which is common and affects a large percentage of the vehicles. Previous software update recall did not correct the issue.

My car was in my garage and charging with my home's level-2 charger on June 1 2026 in standard fashion. At 2am the charging was interrupted by the car (per charger log) and stopped at 68% charge (set to fully charge to 100%). Subsequently the car could not charge any more, and I tested this with two independent level-2 charging units. Both of these chargers are confirmed operational with another electric car in my garage. I took the car to Kia Service on June 4 and they confirmed it was a failed ICCU.