Battery Backorder? Since Nov '21

[SeattleLou]

Is anyone else on here awaiting a warranty battery? My 2016 EV+ has been at the dealership since before Thanksgiving, 25% SOH, with no schedule for replacement on the horizon. Both dealership and Kia Consumer Assistance have the same info - that is to say, none. Am I alone? Any word out there in the forum world on Kia building replacements? Supposedly I am "in line" for a brand-new (not reman) battery.

 

[Calaveras]

I am in the same boat. It has only been 6 weeks, but no contact and no follow up yet.

 

[SeattleLou]

My latest update (today) was the same as previous - no schedule, still on backorder. Meanwhile, my car just sits sadly outside at the dealership. Should I take it home and use what little battery I have? Kia says they need to hold onto it to keep it under warranty...

 

[IanL]

If it means you lose the warranty and a free new battery, I would recommend not taking it away.

 

[EVDee]

I'd ask your dealer why everyone else didn't have to do that but you do? Frankly if the warranty work has been approved - they don't need your car until the part arrives. So unless they found the battery pack to be unsafe, go get your car.

My latest update (today) was the same as previous - no schedule, still on backorder. Meanwhile, my car just sits sadly outside at the dealership. Should I take it home and use what little battery I have? Kia says they need to hold onto it to keep it under warranty...

 

[EVDee]

I'd ask your dealer why everyone else didn't have to do that but you do? Frankly if the warranty work has been approved - they don't need your car until the part arrives. So unless they found the battery pack to be unsafe, go get your car.

My latest update (today) was the same as previous - no schedule, still on backorder. Meanwhile, my car just sits sadly outside at the dealership. Should I take it home and use what little battery I have? Kia says they need to hold onto it to keep it under warranty...

Edit: Maybe more important, ensure they aren't lying about how far along your car is in the process. Mine was pending approval forever until I wore them out by stopping by Mon-Wed-Fri for a couple weeks only to be pushed off to corporate who basically couldn't understand why the dealership hadn't done their part because they had approved it weeks ago..

 

[BEC]

Yike! I guess I'm glad mine is holding around 70% SOH and seems to have flattened out in its deterioration, so the car is still usable.

Is yours the white one sitting outside at Kia of Puyallup?

 

[biffidum]

My battery replacement was approved and ordered from the factory on Oct 13 2021. I have less than 25% SOH but I am driving it around. Still no ship date for a replacement battery. I got head office involved and they confirmed that there is no indication of when a new battery is coming. I'm thinking COVID supply issues strike again! This will likely take many more months. I'm thinking of negotiating a new Soul out of the deal...

 

[SeattleLou]

Edit: Maybe more important, ensure they aren't lying about how far along your car is in the process. Mine was pending approval forever until I wore them out by stopping by Mon-Wed-Fri for a couple weeks only to be pushed off to corporate who basically couldn't understand why the dealership hadn't done their part because they had approved it weeks ago..[/quote]

It did not take long (maybe a week) for warranty approval. And now I recall that under certain conditions (heavy braking downhill, for example), the entire vehicle will shut down, and I have to restart. So I think that brake issue may be battery related, or at least they said a new battery is needed and related. Not exactly sure how, but it is listed on the work order.

 

[SeattleLou]

My battery replacement was approved and ordered from the factory on Oct 13 2021. I have less than 25% SOH but I am driving it around. Still no ship date for a replacement battery. I got head office involved and they confirmed that there is no indication of when a new battery is coming. I'm thinking COVID supply issues strike again! This will likely take many more months. I'm thinking of negotiating a new Soul out of the deal...

Yes, mine is also approved and ordered from the factory, since around Thanksgiving. It certainly could be a negotiation chip on a new one, would love to hear your thoughts on that. Negotiate prior to arrival/installation of battery? Used car values have been pretty high the past several months, maybe more so now for EVs given current oil prices...

 

[SeattleLou]

Yike! I guess I'm glad mine is holding around 70% SOH and seems to have flattened out in its deterioration, so the car is still usable.

Is yours the white one sitting outside at Kia of Puyallup?

No, it's in Seattle. But I know there's at least one down there! And yes, it's probably in the same boat as me.

 

[biffidum]

Yes, mine is also approved and ordered from the factory, since around Thanksgiving. It certainly could be a negotiation chip on a new one, would love to hear your thoughts on that. Negotiate prior to arrival/installation of battery? Used car values have been pretty high the past several months, maybe more so now for EVs given current oil prices...

My first and polite foray into a trade-in ended badly. The dealership offered me $15,000CDN which is pretty much what they are selling for on Kijiji. Considering the initial investment that is horrible and unacceptable. If I don't even get a ship date by mid summer I will have my lawyer write a letter and propose a trade plus cash solution that is more in line with a fair resolution. There are new Soul EVs on the lot, so they can't say there aren't any batteries around.... they just have us in a low priority cue.

 

[Mdbuilder]

Is anyone else on here awaiting a warranty battery? My 2016 EV+ has been at the dealership since before Thanksgiving, 25% SOH, with no schedule for replacement on the horizon. Both dealership and Kia Consumer Assistance have the same info - that is to say, none. Am I alone? Any word out there in the forum world on Kia building replacements? Supposedly I am "in line" for a brand-new (not reman) battery.

I started this process back towards the end of October. I was down to about 40 miles of range. Anyway, there was no news for months. At some point, maybe January the dealer still had no news but the Kia customer care contact said it was scheduled for production. Early February she reported it was waiting for a port date. 10 days ago she called on the phone and said it was in Los Angeles. Wed. Last week the dealer called and said it arrived and they are doing the install this week.

My dealer gave me regular updates the it was still listed as backordered but at all times the Kia customer care person was the better info source. First to report scheduled for production. Etc. The day she told me it was in the port the dealer reported still backordered :lol: .

 

[SeattleLou]

I started this process back towards the end of October. I was down to about 40 miles of range. Anyway, there was no news for months. At some point, maybe January the dealer still had no news but the Kia customer care contact said it was scheduled for production. Early February she reported it was waiting for a port date. 10 days ago she called on the phone and said it was in Los Angeles. Wed. Last week the dealer called and said it arrived and they are doing the install this week.

My dealer gave me regular updates the it was still listed as backordered but at all times the Kia customer care person was the better info source. First to report scheduled for production. Etc. The day she told me it was in the port the dealer reported still backordered :lol: .

Thank you! Very good to hear, and was told last week by Kia customer care, "I have been inquiring almost daily at this time; at least 3x in the past 2 days for further information and will continue to do so. Yes, I have seen at least 1 other that was delivered, however, it did take some time as well."

This is the FIRST info I've received besides the weekly "backordered, no schedule" since November. So apparently they don't all get the same information. That's a little frustrating.

 

[SeattleLou]

My first and polite foray into a trade-in ended badly. The dealership offered me $15,000CDN which is pretty much what they are selling for on Kijiji. Considering the initial investment that is horrible and unacceptable. If I don't even get a ship date by mid summer I will have my lawyer write a letter and propose a trade plus cash solution that is more in line with a fair resolution. There are new Soul EVs on the lot, so they can't say there aren't any batteries around.... they just have us in a low priority cue.

Right? That's the frustrating part, they are building batteries and cars. But you nailed it, low priority. I'm kinda wondering if they're building the same OEM battery for warranty supply, or if it's more economical for them to adapt present battery tech to simplify supply chain? Maybe I'm just desperate and hoping an improved battery pack is coming for me to appease the wait... Thank you for your thoughts and good luck!

 

[Mdbuilder]

I started this process back towards the end of October. I was down to about 40 miles of range. Anyway, there was no news for months. At some point, maybe January the dealer still had no news but the Kia customer care contact said it was scheduled for production. Early February she reported it was waiting for a port date. 10 days ago she called on the phone and said it was in Los Angeles. Wed. Last week the dealer called and said it arrived and they are doing the install this week.

My dealer gave me regular updates the it was still listed as backordered but at all times the Kia customer care person was the better info source. First to report scheduled for production. Etc. The day she told me it was in the port the dealer reported still backordered :lol: .

Thank you! Very good to hear, and was told last week by Kia customer care, "I have been inquiring almost daily at this time; at least 3x in the past 2 days for further information and will continue to do so. Yes, I have seen at least 1 other that was delivered, however, it did take some time as well."

This is the FIRST info I've received besides the weekly "backordered, no schedule" since November. So apparently they don't all get the same information. That's a little frustrating.

This was 11/22: Dear Customer,

The battery ETA is still showing no date. Will update again once available.

This was 12/21: Dear Customer,

The battery is still showing in production. . Will update again once available.

At which point I said to myself - in production sounds like progress!!

On 2/8/22: Dear Customer,


The battery order is pending port date and location. Should be part of the next shipment received.

On 3/9 she called to say it had landed in LA.

Delivery to the Dealer on the East Coast was 3/24

 

[MassDeduction]

Yes, mine is also approved and ordered from the factory, since around Thanksgiving. It certainly could be a negotiation chip on a new one, would love to hear your thoughts on that. Negotiate prior to arrival/installation of battery? Used car values have been pretty high the past several months, maybe more so now for EVs given current oil prices...

My first and polite foray into a trade-in ended badly. The dealership offered me $15,000CDN which is pretty much what they are selling for on Kijiji. Considering the initial investment that is horrible and unacceptable. If I don't even get a ship date by mid summer I will have my lawyer write a letter and propose a trade plus cash solution that is more in line with a fair resolution. There are new Soul EVs on the lot, so they can't say there aren't any batteries around.... they just have us in a low priority cue.

There are new Soul EVs on the lot?! Here in Victoria BC, there's a 4-6 month waiting list to get a Soul EV!!!!

 

[Mdbuilder]

I started this process back towards the end of October. I was down to about 40 miles of range. Anyway, there was no news for months. At some point, maybe January the dealer still had no news but the Kia customer care contact said it was scheduled for production. Early February she reported it was waiting for a port date. 10 days ago she called on the phone and said it was in Los Angeles. Wed. Last week the dealer called and said it arrived and they are doing the install this week.

My dealer gave me regular updates the it was still listed as backordered but at all times the Kia customer care person was the better info source. First to report scheduled for production. Etc. The day she told me it was in the port the dealer reported still backordered :lol: .

Thank you! Very good to hear, and was told last week by Kia customer care, "I have been inquiring almost daily at this time; at least 3x in the past 2 days for further information and will continue to do so. Yes, I have seen at least 1 other that was delivered, however, it did take some time as well."

This is the FIRST info I've received besides the weekly "backordered, no schedule" since November. So apparently they don't all get the same information. That's a little frustrating.

It is Friday now, I'll be picking the car up this afternoon. Evidently the new pack was not a ready to install pack but a complete set of cells so they had to open up the old one and swap all the cells in. GOM reads 101 miles @ 100% charge, sounds good to me

 

[Calaveras]

Congratulations Mdbuilder,
It gives the rest of us hope.
I Took my car into two dealers. The first that just reset the battery and delayed everything for a few months sent me a letter this month that [due to the increase in demand and price for fuel efficient cars] they would like to buy my EV from me. My wife wants me to try to get an offer so we can skip the warranty replacement issue. I declined because I am still driving it everyday avoiding spending $6 per gallon for gas and what would I replace it with? If they offer me $13K it would cost me $19K to buy the same thing. At least with mine I have the hope of a 100 mile battery in the future...

 

[Mdbuilder]

Glad to have it back for the daily drive, it'll save me driving my small cargo van which uses a tank per week. $35-$50. I can even charge it at work for free most of the time, as long as I catch the charger free before the leaf gets there and uses it as a parking spot after charging :?