Our long-term 2022 Kia EV6 GT-Line goes in for its first service

We’ve had our 2022 Kia EV6 GT-Line long-term tester for half a year now, and the EV just went in for its first notable service appointment. Yes, electric cars need service, too.

Kia’s normal maintenance schedule calls for service every 12 months or 8,000 miles, whichever comes first. Our tester is quickly approaching the 8,000-mile mark, so we decided to get it in to the local dealer. Now, there were several motives for this service. For one, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 winter tires we procured for the EV6 just arrived, and we wanted to get them mounted. The only real action item Kia suggests at 8,000 miles is to rotate the tires — beyond this, it’s just inspection of various wear bits — so a new set of rubber leaves that problem solved. We’ll report back on the EV6’s winter performance with these Blizzaks once Michigan decides to bless us with some snow — it’s been an unseasonably snow-less year so far.

In addition to the winter tires, the Kia Access app recently informed us of an open recall on our EV6. It’s one we wrote about last year, and it affects both the EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5. The recall states that a voltage fluctuation could occur while the vehicle is off and in the parked position that could ultimately result in the temporary disengagement of the parking mechanism and potentially cause the vehicle to roll away. Our EV6 always stayed put when parked, but one software update later, and it’s sure to stay that way. As far as recalls go, this one was about as painless a process as could be, as the dealer updated the car’s software while it mounted and balanced the new tires.