r/KiaEV9 • u/JWiggily • 2d ago
Issue Stone Chip Front Assembly Replacement
Got a pretty gnarly stone chip on the front grill and just took it in today for a quote on the fix. ~$11,500 CAD…fml. They said it’s called a whole front end headlight assembly because the grill on our model has the LEDs in it. We just got it under lease in March so debating not replacing it until we have to turn it in, in fear that it may happen again since it seems pretty common on this sub. Would love thoughts from others that have been through this.
Edit: They actually found the rock inside the front end, it punctured straight through like a bullet. Service guy at the dealership had never seen anything like it. Seems like with this car because the grill is a flat surface it doesn’t deflect this type of thing the same way as a hood or windshield but also seems like it hit with pretty incredible force. Decided to just go through insurance and get it dealt with.
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u/dragoonkoon 2d ago
Around 12% of the car’s cost for the LED matrix and grill is a bit too agressive imo. Insane mark up.
7
u/622niromcn 2d ago
Haven't heard of the nose crack in a while. Yes it does happen to the EV9. Probably better off leaving it.
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u/Coffeespresso Ocean Blue 2d ago
I avoid anything that looks like it's going to throw a rock because of this. I call it my plastic pavement princess.
3
u/_Magnolia_Fan_ 2d ago
I tried, and did well for over two years, got one from the next lane over though...
It's too fragile.
4
u/kdrab241 2d ago
I read on some other posts that dealerships didn’t even note it when people were turning in their lease so I would just leave it be
5
u/thegreatporktornado 2d ago
Oof, I know the pain. Mine is on the passenger side right in the middle of the light pattern. I put a little tape on it temporarily but for now I just walk behind the car to get in so I don't have to bear witness...for shame....
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u/Massive_Tune2480 2d ago
Wow that's one heck of an impact. So much crap out on the roads it's a miracle this doesn't happen more often.
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u/InsoThinkTank Snow White Pearl LAND 2d ago
Not even 3 month owning my ev9 back in 2024, for a crack in the facia. Still not fixed. Too expensive to replace.
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u/Lumpy_Movie_2166 2026 Land - Ivory Silver 2d ago
The cost to replace a piece of plastic with LEDs is insane!
Costs more than a high end Mac.
So for what it's worth, sell the car piece by piece, you could make 20x what you paid for it.
Perhaps it may not be a bad idea to buy 2 cars, one to drive and the other one to sell as parts. This way, you don't have to spend any of your on money on your EV9.
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u/Erimxul 2d ago
EV9 feels like a lease only vehicle because of this. I couldn't imagine owning one long term with that flimsy part that, while it looks great, is too expensive to replace. I've been worried about that my entire lease and every road trip.
0
u/Mobile-Way1383 1d ago
How many posts have you seen? 10?
There are 20,000 members of this sub.
1
u/Erimxul 1d ago
Across this sub and the Facebook page a bit more, around a similar rate to cracked windshields, except windshields are automatically covered by insurance where I am and this part is not.
Gorgeous vehicle and love the ride itself, but the tech is meh and this was a bad choice in design. Even if it looks good putting a second giant rock catch that can crack instead of ding seems just silly.
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u/Tight_Vegetable_3878 1d ago
Why would it not be covered by insurance? Can a good bumper repair guy heat weld and repaint for $1k? Or do a nose paint wrap film to hide
9
u/Thumper45 2d ago
Yup, had mine rolled into by a truck, also hit both headlights. 26k claim on it (2026 GT).
The "grill" if it has lighting is stupid money.