2022 Kia EV6 Recalled Over Electrical System

Here’s the short version: Kia is recalling a small group of EV6 and EV9 electric vehicles because the high-voltage battery cells inside them may catch fire. That fire can happen while you’re driving or while the car sits parked in your garage. If you own one of these, that’s not something you sit on until it’s convenient.

What’s actually failing

The problem is inside the traction battery — the big high-voltage pack that powers the whole car. According to the filing, some of these battery cells were built with misaligned electrodes.

In plain English, the electrodes are the positive and negative layers packed tightly inside each cell. They’re supposed to line up with a separator between them keeping them apart. When those electrodes are misaligned, you get the conditions for an internal short. An internal short in a lithium battery is the scenario nobody wants. It can build heat, and heat in a cell can run away into a fire.

The dangerous part here is that it doesn’t need you to be driving. Kia’s filing states the fire can start while the vehicle is parked or in motion. That’s why this one carries real weight. A defect that only acts up under hard driving is one thing. A defect that can light off in your driveway overnight is a different level of concern.

The safety risk, straight from the filing, is that a fire increases the risk of injury.

What the filing says

This is NHTSA recall campaign 26V431000. Kia received the recall on July 2, 2026, and its internal number for it is SC375.

The affected vehicles are:

• 2022–2024 Kia EV6
• 2024 Kia EV9

Here’s a detail worth sitting with: the total number of vehicles NHTSA lists as affected is just 8. That’s not a typo. This is a very small, targeted recall — likely a specific batch of packs that share the manufacturing defect. Small count, serious potential consequence.

Kia’s remedy is a full fix, not a patch. Dealers will replace the entire high-voltage battery system assembly, free of charge. That’s the biggest, most expensive component in an EV, so a free replacement is exactly what you should expect and accept.

Until that repair is done, Kia is telling owners to do two things:

1. Park outside and away from structures — meaning not in your garage and not up against your house.
2. Limit your charge to a maximum of 80%.

Both of those instructions tell you something. Parking away from structures is about limiting damage if a fire starts. Capping the charge at 80% is about keeping the cells at a lower stress state, which reduces the odds of a thermal event. Take those instructions seriously. They aren’t suggestions.

Owner notification letters are expected to go out August 7, 2026. The VINs involved will become searchable on NHTSA.gov starting July 17, 2026.

What this means if you own one

If you’re in one of these — a 2022 Kia EV6, 2023 Kia EV6, 2024 Kia EV6, or 2024 Kia EV9 — here’s how to handle it.

1. Run your VIN. Starting July 17, 2026, you can check your specific vehicle at NHTSA.gov using campaign number 26V431000. With only 8 vehicles named, most owners of these models won’t be affected — but the only way to know is to check your own VIN. Don’t assume, and don’t rely on the model year alone.

2. Follow the park-outside guidance now. If your VIN is on the list, park outside and away from any building until the fix is done. This is the single most important thing you can do to protect yourself and your property. Keep the charge at 80% or below like Kia says.

3. Don’t ignore warning signs. Any warning light tied to the battery, a hot smell, or unusual behavior from the pack — treat it as urgent. With a known fire risk, you don’t wait to see if it clears up.

4. Get the battery replaced when the repair is available. This is a free full battery assembly replacement. Schedule it as soon as your dealer can do the work. You have the right to that repair at no cost under the recall.

5. Document everything. Keep your notification letter, note the dates you contacted the dealer, and hold onto any repair paperwork. If you have to wait for parts on a battery this size, that record matters.

If you have questions before your letter arrives, Kia customer service is at 1-800-333-4542. Reference recall SC375.

The honest take

Eight vehicles is a tiny recall, and the odds are strong that your EV6 or EV9 isn’t one of them. That’s the reassuring part. But the nature of this defect — a battery fire that can happen parked or driving — means you don’t want to guess. Check your VIN when the list goes live, and if you’re on it, follow the interim instructions to the letter until you get the new battery.

Give Kia credit for the remedy: replacing the whole high-voltage battery pack for free is the right fix, not a software band-aid. The only thing you own here is the follow-through. Verify your VIN, park smart in the meantime, and get the repair done.

Source: NHTSA recall campaign 26V431000