NHTSA Complaint #11618793 — 2024 KIA EV9

Vehicle Information: 2024 Kia EV9 Light Long Range Mileage: 850 miles Issue Summary: I am reporting a serious safety concern with my 2024 Kia EV9 Light Long Range. Within the first three weeks of ownership and with less than 900 miles on the odometer, I experienced multiple instances of the vehicle entering "turtle mode" while driving at high speeds on the freeway. This mode significantly reduced the vehicle’s speed without warning, creating a dangerous situation. Incident Details: While driving at 80–85 MPH on a California freeway with my family, my 2024 Kia EV9 LLR suddenly entered "turtle mode" without warning, drastically reducing speed to 30–40 MPH. I had to quickly activate hazard lights and navigate to the shoulder. At the time, the battery level was around 15%, and I initially thought it was a low battery issue. However, the following day, after fully charging the vehicle, the issue recurred with approximately 82% battery remaining. Over the next few days, this happened a total of four times while driving at freeway speeds. On the fourth occurrence, the vehicle shut down completely after coming to a stop and would not respond to acceleration until multiple restart attempts. Current Status: The vehicle has been towed to the dealership by Kia Roadside Assistance. The service team is currently investigating the issue and has opened a case with Kia corporate, but no diagnosis has been provided at this time. Given the severity of this recurring issue, I have also opened a buyback/refund request with Kia corporate. Safety Concerns: This defect presents a severe safety risk, as the sudden loss of speed while driving at high speeds on a freeway could easily result in a rear-end collision or other accidents. The inability to accelerate or maintain control over the vehicle creates an extremely dangerous situation, especially in high-traffic environments. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this issue to ensure the safety of other Kia EV9 owners.