I’ve read through all the 12V battery discussions, but I need some guidance on what to do next. I’m in month 3 of a 2-year lease on a new 2024 GT-Line AWD. I’ve been loving the car, but at 2,000 miles, the 12V battery died twice in 3 days (had to jump-start it both times). The dealership diagnosed a failed battery and replaced it after 3 days.
I brought the car home with the new battery on a Thursday, charged it fully overnight, and then drove 70 miles to the airport on Friday. The car sat from Friday night until Monday night. When I returned, the brand-new 12V was dead again, and I had to jump-start it to get home.
So, what should I ask the dealership to do now? I’ve heard of them holding onto cars for long periods to check for parasitic power drains, but I’m not sure if that’s the best option. The car shows all updates and recalls as completed.
It’s possible the dealer didn’t actually replace the battery and just deep-charged it, then billed Kia for the replacement. I’d recommend going to Walmart or an auto parts store and having the battery replaced with an AGM battery. It’ll cost around $180, and you’ll likely resolve the issue. Check out this video on EV6 12V replacement and make sure whoever replaces the battery doesn’t skip the fuse tab step.
I think there’s a bigger problem, maybe another recall. I’m in a similar situation and have started contacting the BBB, my state’s Attorney General, and the NHTSA. I’ve been through 4-5 AGM batteries in 8 months (including one from AutoZone), so even if the dealership lied, one I personally installed was definitely AGM, and it still failed after two weeks. I’ll keep updating as I go through the process.
Yep, it’s actually five if you count the original one. I’ve kind of lost track. The service records are in my car, which is currently either being towed or sitting at the dealership.
@jessicah
Thanks for sharing. I’m wondering if they’ll try to blame it on the 3rd-party app from my power company. I’ve already disabled it and had them delete my car and charger from their system. Did they make you rule out any apps?
I had a different issue with Kia Connect, and it took months to resolve. Finally, I filed a complaint on the KiaUSA website, and within 2 hours, I got a call, and they fixed the issue. Different problem, but it shows they can respond quickly if you go through the right channels.
A bit off-topic, but I’m curious—what are you using to jumpstart your EV? I’m about to get an EV6 or Ioniq and want to keep something in the trunk just in case.
