Transport Canada has opened a formal investigation into the Kia EV6 following a growing number of complaints from Canadian owners reporting repeated breakdowns tied to 12-volt battery failures and the vehicle’s Integrated Control Charging Unit (ICCU).
The probe adds to Kia’s difficulties as the Korean automaker has already pulled the EV6 from Canada after the 2025 model year.
According to reporting from Journal de Montréal, numerous EV6 owners—particularly in Quebec—say their vehicles have become undrivable for weeks or even months at a time while awaiting repairs. The ICCU plays a critical role in Kia’s electric architecture, managing how power is converted and distributed between the high-voltage battery, the 12-volt system, and onboard electronics. When it fails, the vehicle can abruptly lose power or enter limp mode.
Their experience is far from isolated. The Journal reports receiving roughly 20 reports from EV6 owners who have experienced ICCU or 12-volt battery failures in recent months. Notably, many of the affected vehicles were purchased after 2023 and had already undergone Kia’s recall repairs.
Drive Tesla was also able to uncover dozens of ICCU failure reports in Facebook owner groups, with some owners reporting multiple ICCU replacements.
Transport Canada confirmed it has received 11 complaints involving ICCU failures even after recall work was completed and has now launched an investigation into the issue. The agency also noted similarities between the EV6 and Hyundai IONIQ 5 architectures, as Hyundai vehicles are facing a parallel investigation for similar failures.
Kia Canada maintains that the breakdowns are not related to Quebec’s cold weather. However, it has declined to disclose how many customers are affected, citing supply constraints instead.
“Over the past 30 days, dealers have received higher demand, which has caused delays in the delivery of parts,” said spokesperson Madison Don.
In November 2024, Kia recalled 11,445 EV6 vehicles in Canada over ICCU concerns, replacing a previous recall for the same issue. Now, with the EV6 set to exit the Canadian market entirely, the investigation raises new questions about long-term support, parts availability, and confidence in Kia’s outgoing flagship EV.
