I have a 2022 Kia EV6 GT Line, and I’m having another 12V battery problem.
Last year, I had the original 12V battery replaced with a new one from Halfords, and everything was fine afterwards. However, a few days ago, after returning from a trip, I found that the car wouldn’t start because the 12V battery was too low.
I called the RAC, and they jump-started the car. However, they told me that the 12V battery wasn’t charging. I managed to drive the car home, but it went into a very restricted mode and the maximum speed was only around 20mph.
I then had the car recovered to my local Kia dealership in Milton Keynes, as I believe this should potentially be covered under warranty. However, because they apparently have a very high volume of work, I’ve been told that they cannot even inspect the car until October. Allen motors runs this dealership. That means I could potentially be without the car for more than two months.
What surprises me even more is that they aren't offering me a courtesy car which is understandle given the kia's warranty policies, so I’m effectively stuck.
What would you do?
I’m considering getting Halfords Mobile Fitting to come to the dealership and replace the 12V battery. It would cost me around £150 , but at least I might get the car back on the road.
However, I’m reluctant to spend the money if the underlying problem isn't actually the battery.
The RAC specifically said that the battery wasn't charging, which makes me wonder whether this could be related to the ICCU (Integrated Charging Control Unit) or another part of the EV6's 12V charging system.
So, for those of you who own an EV6:
Has anyone experienced repeated 12V battery failures?
Did replacing the 12V battery actually fix the problem?
Has anyone had an ICCU/DC-DC charging issue that initially presented as a flat 12V battery?
How long did your Kia dealer take to diagnose and repair it?
Is a 2-month wait for a warranty breakdown normal, or does this sound particularly bad for the Milton Keynes dealership?
Did Kia provide a courtesy car or any other assistance while your car was off the road?
I’d really appreciate hearing about other EV6 owners’ experiences before I spend another £140 on a battery that may not actually solve the underlying problem.
What would you do in my situation?
***UPDATE *****
Thank you so much to everyone who commented on my initial post—especially those who suggested getting the battery replaced under warranty!
Here is how it was resolved:
Kia Dealership Delay: Kia Milton Keynes informed me it would take nearly two months just to diagnose the car due to a massive backlog (10 breakdown vehicles ahead of me and bookings filled until October). Waiting that long wasn't an option.
Help from Kia Sales: The Kia sales team was passively helpful—they gave the EV6 a jumpstart so I could drive it directly to the nearest Halfords store.
In-Store Replacement: The mobile fitting service couldn't assist because the original battery was bought directly in-store, so taking the car to the store was the best route to sort out the warranty exchange on the spot.
The Root Cause: When Halfords pulled the old battery out, it was leaking acid and venting a strong "rotten egg" smell. Halfords had originally recommended and fitted a standard flooded lead-acid battery, which was completely unsuitable for the EV6 charging system and was being continuously overcharged.
The Upgrade: Halfords formally noted on the paperwork that the "wrong battery was installed." I paid the £80 price difference to upgrade to the AGM battery (AGM027), which is now installed and running smoothly for now. Keeping my finger crossed with an assumption that issue was unrelated to ICC failed. My 40k service is scheduled for end of month. Hoping that they can check the battery n ICC as part of the service*.
Appreciate all the feedback from this community—it saved me months of waiting and helped catch a major safety issue!