South Korean carmaker Kia is recalling certain EV6 and Niro EV units in the United States because of an issue with one of the driveshafts, according to the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), which issued a safety recall report on January 31.
The problem is that the affected vehicles might have been fitted with a driveshaft that hasn’t been properly heat treated by the supplier and might break under load, which can result in a loss of propulsion.
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A recall that can't be resolved with a software update
Kia is recalling roughly 1,000 EV6 and 200 Niro EV cars in the United States because they may have been fitted with a driveshaft that hasn't been properly heat treated. The drive shaft may break under load (heavy, sustained acceleration, for example), leading to a loss of motive power. Kia service centers will replace the faulty drive shaft under the recall.
In total, 1,243 cars in the United States are potentially involved in the recall. In the case of the EV6, the rear inner drive shaft can be problematic on 1,039 units manufactured between January 26, 2023, and April 8, 2023.
On the Niro EV, the faulty drive shaft may have made its way to 204 units built between June 27 and July 13, 2023. Here, the front left drive shaft might be part of the recall.
The official defect report mentions that the vehicles that are subject to this recall weren’t assembled in VIN order, which means that customers have to refer to Kia’s Customer Care Center or a Kia dealer to get more information.
Authorized service centers will replace the components free of charge. On the EV6, the part that will be replaced can be identified by the number 49560-GI000, while on the Niro EV, it’s 49500-AO000.
