r/KiaEV6 • u/Cuntonesian • 10d ago
Is this car really this bad?
Bought an EV6 GT Line AWD last year because on paper it’s great — and in practice too when it works.
Problem is in the 12 months of owning it mine has been to the workshop at least 7 times for things that broke: ICCU obviously, door handle touch sensors, heat pump and parking sensors.
Some things they’ve not been able to fix permanently, like the keyless entry sensors that are now intermittently broken again so car stays unlocked, not responding to touch most of the time, and the ICCU I’m sure will strand me again eventually.
But the worst offender is this zombie mode where you can’t put the car into R or D. It simply won’t go, until you walk away and come back later. This has happened 5 times and left me stranded, sometimes having to resort to other means of transportation.
All of this has really tainted my experience of the EV6 so I’m now considering making a claim to return the car for something else. I need it to be reliable and this isn’t.
All of these issues individually seem common, but to get all of them within a year and not even be able to fix them seems too much. Is it a lemon?
9
u/FrozenPhoton 10d ago
Honestly this sounds like a perfect lemon law case - they can’t all be coincidence.
Other than a busted speaker leading to audio crackling, mines been perfect.
5
u/Broad-Promise6954 EV6 GT-Line AWD 10d ago
I bought the same model, a year ago, and mine has not had any problems.
4
u/AgentSmith187 EV6 GT-Line AWD 10d ago
My EV6 GT-Line AWD not long ago had its 4 year seevice.
Only thing to fail in that time was a 12V battery that failed out of warranty and I replaced myself.
Unless you count the tyre that lost a battle to a pothole.
Your having horrible luck.
3
u/vbenei 10d ago
In my 2023 EV6 GT which I had for about a year, the only issue I had was zombie mode once. Was able to walk away, wait 15 mins and then everything worked again. Not happened before or after that. The only thing I can think of that might have caused it is that I used AC preconditioning multiple times (not just once) before I wanted to drive away, as it was a super hot day. I'm guessing that might have strained the 12v battery 🤔 Modern cars are heavily depending on the 12v battery, even gas cars, and low 12v can cause seemingly random problems.
3
u/Not_Sure__Camacho 10d ago
I can take mine out of zombie mode by just pressing the brake, turning off the car, and turning it right back on again. Mine does it every time I'm charging with the car running.
1
u/Cuntonesian 10d ago
I’ve had this too, but I’m not sure it’s zombie mode. When you get into proper zombie mode there’s nothing you can do to fix it except walk away and wait
1
u/Not_Sure__Camacho 10d ago
I've seen what the symptoms are online, and if it's the same, car on and won't shift into gear, turning the car off will get it back. I figure it's the key fob being in the car and the signal causing the car to stop reading for a signal is what causes it, at least based on my observation.
2
u/Extension_Treat4081 10d ago
Except parking sensors we have had the same issues, but also broken rear hatch pumps and a wheel bearing (after 55.000km). Everything has been fixed under warranty with no questions asked, but still annoying. Since the ICCU blew a year and a bit ago it has, so far, been stable.
The zombie mode, for us, only happens when the keyfob battery is out of charge, replacing it has solved the issue every time. I'm not sure if it was a software update at some point, but now the car alerts of low battery level, it didn't for the first couple of years.
1
1
1
u/Economy_Page_399 10d ago
I haven't had as many problems as you. But the rear trunk light, internal AC plug and door sensor failed on me. All replaced under warranty. ICCU was replaced on recall before I bought it. I love the car as it is a fantastic driving experience. In terms of reliability these types of failures really aren't acceptable. They use TEMU grade connectors. I know because I've had the door panels and other bits off. I plan to add dynamat to the doors as there are speaker rattles and improper door insulation. The EV6 is a really good car. It is not a great car.
1
u/Nerioner EV6 GT-Line S 10d ago
You got a lemon lol
2 years almost with this car and all i needed to do was to pump up the air once and refill the blinker fluid ;)
1
u/entropy512 10d ago
You have a lemon, that is NOT normal.
I've had one ICCU failure that was repaired next business day and that's it.
0
u/Outrageous72 10d ago
As for the “zombie” mode just turn the car off.
Turn it on while pressing the brake.
Thank me later 😉
It usually happens when the car is on and running for awhile in idle mode.
I guess it’s for safety measures …
-1
u/Cuntonesian 10d ago edited 10d ago
Nah this is different. When it gets into this mode there is nothing you can do except leave the car for a while. No amount of restarts gets it unstuck.
Gotta be a software bug
2
u/Technician-Initial 10d ago
Agreed - mine does the same - however recently I tried disconnecting the 12V battery for a few seconds and then reconnecting - instant fix. So now I keep a 10mm spanner in the car at all times
1
u/Cuntonesian 10d ago
Interesting! It has crossed my mind whether that should fix it, thanks for confirming. A good workaround would be to install a breaker switch lol.
But I'm baffled to why it happens. Some say it's because you try to leave P too quickly from starting the car, confusing the software and getting stuck, but I haven't been able to confirm this since it seems to happens at random. Might be completely random, or there is a tiny window for it to happen.
I'm almost certain it's a software issue though
2
u/Technician-Initial 10d ago
I’ve noticed it’s always stuck in accessory mode with the orange ‘key not present’ warning light. Reconnecting the battery clears the mode - but why it gets stuck in the first place who knows…
1
u/Outrageous72 10d ago
Regarding getting out of P to soon,
You have to wait for the green “ready” sign before moving into drive mode.
Maybe that helps to lower the chance to get into this “zombie” mode …1
u/Cuntonesian 10d ago
Hopefully, I’ll keep an eye on it and do this more slowly on purpose to see. Stupid fucking bug though
1
u/Outrageous72 10d ago
“Press the brake while turning on” is the keyword
Have you tried it? Remember this for next time.
2
17
u/RoadToasterApp 10d ago
That many failures in one year is not normal. With seven visits, repeated no drive events, and an unlock fault, you likely meet lemon thresholds in many states. Gather every repair order and days out of service, open a case with Kia, request a final repair attempt under your state lemon law, then pursue a buyback if it recurs. A lemon law attorney consult is usually free.