Vibration … at my wits end
I’m at my wit’s end.
I’ll attach a video. Please turn the sound on and let me know honestly: does your EV9 do this too, or is this as abnormal as I think it is?
My EV9 has had a vibration since it was brand new. I first brought it in at around 4,000 miles. The vehicle now has almost 32,000 miles, and today it’s going in for the 9th service visit for the same issue.
Over that time I’ve been to 3 different Kia dealerships.
What has been done so far:
2 wheel balances
1 road force balance
2 alignments
Inspection of the original foam-filled tires (foam was intact)
Replacement of all 4 tires with new tires that do not contain foam
The dealerships have all acknowledged that they can feel the vibration to some degree, usually I the center console, but their answer is basically: “It’s normal” or “We don’t have a fix.” Some of their techs say they can’t replicate which I find hard to believe.
There is absolutely no way this is normal.
The vibration is most obvious in the center console, but it’s also present in the steering wheel, seats, floorboard, and headrest. If I rest my head against the headrest on the highway, the vibration is enough that my head visibly jiggles and I can’t comfortably keep it there.
I’ve owned nearly 25 vehicles over the years (cars have been a hobby of mine), ranging from old beaters to newer vehicles, and I’ve never experienced anything like this unless there was an underlying problem. A 30-year-old Toyota doesn’t do this, but somehow a $60,000 brand-new EV9 does?
The most frustrating part is that I feel like I’m screaming into a void. Nobody at Kia seems interested in doing anything beyond another balance or alignment.
Yesterday’s repair order literally states:
“Advised customer that Concord Kia does not have a remedy.”
I pursued a buyback claim through Kia and it was denied because they said there were not enough repair attempts. I spoke with a lemon law attorney, and their concern is that because the dealerships have mostly performed balances, alignments, and tire replacements, Kia may argue those were routine maintenance items rather than actual repair attempts for a defect.
So I’m stuck in this bizarre situation where I can’t get Kia to diagnose the problem, but I also can’t build a stronger lemon law case because nobody will do anything beyond tires and alignments.
I’ve now opened a BBB Auto Line case and am hoping that goes somewhere.
I know a lot of other EV9 owners have reported similar highway-speed vibrations, and I’ve seen everything from tire-related fixes to buybacks. The problem is that there doesn’t seem to be a consistent answer so I don’t know which direction to push kia in.