One of the great things about electric cars is their ability to deliver 100 percent of their generous torque outputs from just off idle. Well, it’s great for us drivers, but not so great if you’re a driveshaft trying to deliver all that twist to the pavement.

The same snappy response that makes Kia’s EV6 and even the smaller Niro EV feel usefully urgent from a stoplight or when trying to pass a slower moving car has been causing problems for the running gear in some 2023 and 2024 models. Ordinarily, the driveshafts would be more than man enough to cope with the torque generated by an electric motor, but it turns out that the shafts on some cars weren’t properly heat treated during the manufacturing process, and are susceptible to breaking when you mat the right pedal.

An NHTSA recall notice says 1,243 vehicles are affected, the problem being restricted to 1,039 examples of the 2023 EV6, plus 204 Niro EVs built for the 2023-24 model years. In the case of the Niro, whose single motor is mounted up front, it’s the left-hand shaft that’s likely to break under pressure, while on the EV6, with its rear-mounted motor, it’s the rear inner shaft that’s going to pop.

advertisement scroll to continue

Review: 2024 Kia Niro EV GT-Line Is Expensive But Extremely Efficient

Kia Nero EV And EV6 Driveshafts Can’t Handle Their Instant Electric Torque

Unlike some other recalls we’ve covered recently, this one is definitely not the kind that can be fixed with an over-air update. So Kia will notify owners on March 29 and start getting the problematic EVs into dealerships to swap the dodgy driveshaft out, free of charge. In the meantime, if you’re driving one of these EVs, best treat that throttle pedal like there’s an egg hiding underneath rather than pretending you’re Eddie van Halen stomping between effects in front of 50,000 fans.