Long-Term 2022 Kia EV6 Service Update: Fun with tires and software upgrades

It’s almost time for the long-term wrap-up on our 2022 Kia EV6 GT-Line, but before then, we took it to the local dealership for a tire swap and a pair of software updates. Software updates have been a consistent theme throughout our couple visits to the service center, as Kia has had one or more each time we show up.

The first “upgrade” for our long-term EV6 was described to us as a VCU software upgrade that adjusts the car’s emergency parking brake behavior. Now, our EV6 automatically engages the parking brake when you put the car in Park. It’s certainly a small update, but worth noting for those who own an EV6. The second update concerns an issue with temperature units randomly switching from Fahrenheit to Celsius when using remote functions, like the app that connects with the car. We didn’t notice any such switching of units when exercising the app, but now it should never exhibit such an error.

Those software updates took a couple of hours to complete, which seems like a long time at the dealer, and it certainly is. We spent a lot of extra time with the dealer for this service appointment, too, on account of some tire snafus. You see, one of the original all-season tires picked up a nail right before we swapped onto winter rubber. When the time came to switch back to the all-seasons post-winter, we needed a new tire and ordered one through the Kia dealer that would be performing the work. Right before we left for our service appointment, we got a call saying that they accidentally installed our tire on a different EV6 the previous day and would need to order another one. Lovely!

A few days go by, and then Kia informs us the tire is in, so we bring the EV6 back in for the tire swap and software updates. Unfortunately, the tire portion of this job would not go smoothly either. All four all-season tires (including the one new one) go on, but the tech doing the job accidentally broke one of the tire pressure monitoring system sensors while doing so. Not the end of the world, but it meant that we would need to return, because the dealer didn’t have any TPMS sensors for the EV6 in stock at the time. A few more days go by with us driving the EV6 around shouting TPMS system faults at us, and then we go back in for the end of this saga. The dealer installs the new sensor, and we’re sent on our merry way.

Predictably, none of this was cheap. The big 20-inch original equipment Continental CrossContact tire (to replace the one with a nail in it) was $310. Add labor for the tire swap and tax into the equation, and we walked out with a $510.51 bill. As you’d expect, the dealer paid for and installed the new TPMS sensor it broke for free. However, anyone paying for such a service out of pocket would’ve paid $263.55 for the part and labor.

Keep a look out for a long-term wrap-up of our year in the Kia EV6, as we’re gathering our final thoughts on this delightful EV.

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