- An investigation has revealed the front passenger seatbelt assembly hasn’t been secured correctly.
- Dealers have been instructed to replace the seatbelt assembly free of charge.
- Four other EV9s were recalled due to loose differential gear bolts in April.
The all-electric Kia EV9 has received plenty of praise since its launch and was even named 2024 World Car of the Year a couple of months ago. However, its winning ways don’t mean it’s perfect and in the U.S., a handful have been recalled.
In a recall notice published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Kia revealed that the retractor cover for the front passenger seatbelt assembly on certain EV9s has not been secured correctly. This means the front passenger seatbelt automatic locking retractor and emergency locking retractor may not operate as intended. Impacted vehicles fall foul of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards as a result.
Read: 2026 Kia EV9 GT Debuts January With ‘Enormous Power’ And 0-60 In 4 Seconds
Owners of affected 2024 EV9 models may notice a grinding noise when using the seatbelt. Should the seatbelt not function correctly in a crash, occupants could be injured. Fortunately for Kia, the recall is limited to just 4 EV9s delivered in the U.S., all of which were manufactured on October 17, 2023.
The manufacturer became aware of a potential issue on February 23 after a dealer alerted it to a front passenger seatbelt that was making a grinding noise and getting stuck. While Kia has not identified any field incidents related to the problem, it was able to pin down the affected vehicles.
Kia alerted U.S. dealers to the recall on May 17 and will inform owners by first class mail from June 5. Those unlucky four EV9 owners will be instructed to bring their vehicles into a local Kia dealership where the front passenger seatbelt assembly will be replaced with a new one that includes a retractor cover that has been properly secured.
This isn’t the first time the Kia EV9 has been recalled. In April, four other EV9s were recalled in the U.S. because they had differential gear bolts in the Gear Drive Unit (GDU) which may not have been properly torqued during assembly.
