Based on completely different platforms, the family-sized EV9 and the compact Niro EV have been hit with a recall concerning the differential gear bolts within the gear drive unit. As it happens, four units of the EV9 and a further four units of the Niro EV may have been produced with improperly torqued bolts. However, don't blame Kia for it.
The finger should be pointed at Hyundai subsidiary Hyundai Transys of South Korea, which specializes in transmissions, axles, four-wheel-drive systems, and seats for the Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis brands. Affected vehicles were produced from November 2022 to May 2023 for the Niro EV and October 2023 through December 2023 for the larger EV9.
It should be noted that suspect gear drive unit assemblies bear different part numbers, with the Niro EV's GDU dubbed 36501-0EDA0 compared to 44000-18MD0 for the EV9's GDU. According to documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the aforementioned condition was remedied in production in May 2023 and December 2023, respectively. Affected owners will be informed of Hyundai Transys' mistake by first-class mail on or about May 17, 2023.
Meanwhile, Kia dealers nationwide have been instructed today, April 19, to replace the gear drive unit assemblies. The biggest problem with loose bolts within the GDU is damage to the reduction gear while driving, which eventually leads to the differential locking up and/or a loss of motive power, therefore increasing the risk of a crash.
Back on March 11, the Kia Corporation in South Korea informed Kia North America of two complaints from outside North America of abnormal noise from the gear drive unit while driving. The preliminary investigation results were also provided, and returned parts revealed improperly torqued bolts within the GDUs.
Photo: Kia
Kia Corporation also conducted a test of a Niro EV with artificially loosened differential gear bolts, resulting in damage to the housing. At the beginning of April 2024, the Kia Corporation further confirmed differential lockup and the loss of motive power. Fortunately for Kia's North American division, no crashes or injuries have been reported in relation to loosened differential gear bolts.
Instead of waiting for the recall notifications to arrive by first-class mail, owners can take matters into their own hands in four ways, beginning with a call to the Kia customer service or the NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline. Getting in touch with the nearest dealer or running the 17-character VIN on Kia's website are the other two ways of telling whether your vehicle has been recalled or not.
Refreshed in 2021 for the 2023 model year, the Niro EV is Kia's most affordable battery-electric vehicle in the United States as of April 2024. It starts at $39,600 as opposed to $34,390 for the Niro Plug-In Hybrid and $26,940 for the Niro Hybrid. The all-electric version is much obliged to deliver 253 zero-emission miles (407 kilometers) on a full charge.
EV9 is the most expensive Kia that money can buy nowadays, with the entry-level specification costing $54,900 sans destination charge. The highlight numbers are 304 miles (489 kilometers) of driving range and 5,000 pounds (2,268 kilograms) of a max towing capacity as opposed to 5,500 pounds (2,495 kilograms) for the NA V6-powered Telluride.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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