Kia EV6 vs Tesla Model Y
Head-to-head reliability comparison from 7,458real NHTSA consumer complaints. Year-by-year breakdown, shared problems, crash & fire rates.
Which is more reliable, Kia EV6 or Tesla Model Y?
Verdict from 7,458 NHTSA complaints
Kia EV6 wins this comparison overall. Kia EV6 comes out ahead on 3 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 196% lower complaint rate. The Tesla Model Y edges ahead on complaints per 10k sold.
Head-to-Head Metrics
Lower is better on every metric. Bar length = relative magnitude. ✓ = winner.
Tesla Model Y wins by 129%
Kia EV6 wins by 196%
Kia EV6 wins by 133%
Kia EV6 wins by 37%
NHTSA Crash Test Ratings
Official NCAP star ratings — government crash test data. Most recent rated model year.
Kia EV6
2025 model yearTesla Model Y
2025 model yearSource: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Lower star = higher injury risk in that crash type.
Complaint Rate per 10K Sold — Year by Year
Lower line = fewer complaints relative to vehicles sold that year. Crossovers reveal which model improved (or got worse) over generations.
Most Reported Problems
Top component complaints for each model. Identical bar lengths = both have the same recurring issue.
Year-by-Year Head-to-Head
Lower is better. Click either model column to see that year's full breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kia EV6 vs Tesla Model Y — the most common buyer questions, answered from NHTSA data.
Which is more reliable, the Kia EV6 or the Tesla Model Y?
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Kia EV6 wins this comparison overall. Kia EV6 comes out ahead on 3 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 196% lower complaint rate. The Tesla Model Y edges ahead on complaints per 10k sold. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation via VinItel.
Should I buy a Kia EV6 or a Tesla Model Y?
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On reliability data alone, the Kia EV6 is the safer bet — but the actual condition of the specific car matters far more than the model average. Check the VIN of any vehicle you're considering for accident history, title issues, and odometer rollbacks.
What problems do the Kia EV6 and Tesla Model Y share?
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Top complaints for the Kia EV6: Electrical Faults, Fuel System, Transmission / Drivetrain. Top complaints for the Tesla Model Y: Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking, Brakes. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
Which has fewer NHTSA complaints, the Kia EV6 or the Tesla Model Y?
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Across all model years, the Kia EV6 has 753 NHTSA complaints and the Tesla Model Y has 6,705. Normalized for sales volume (complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold), the Tesla Model Y has the lower complaint rate. Raw counts can mislead — a 2× more popular model will naturally collect 2× more complaints. Detailed normalized comparison: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/compare/kia/ev6/vs/tesla/model-y
Which is safer in a crash, the Kia EV6 or the Tesla Model Y?
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Crash-involvement rate from NHTSA complaints: Kia EV6 4.6% vs Tesla Model Y 13.6% — the Kia EV6 has the lower crash rate. NHTSA NCAP star ratings (frontal, side, rollover) for both models are also shown on the comparison page. Note: the per-VIN history matters more than the model average — a salvage-title car of any model carries higher crash exposure than the median.
Does the Kia EV6 or the Tesla Model Y have more fires?
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Fire-involvement rate based on NHTSA complaints: Kia EV6 0.30% vs Tesla Model Y 0.70%. The Kia EV6 has the lower reported fire rate. Fire complaints are a relatively rare but important safety signal — they often correlate with electrical-system or fuel-system defects. Check specific recall campaigns at vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/kia/ev6 and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/tesla/model-y
What years of the Kia EV6 are worse than the Tesla Model Y?
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The comparison page renders a year-by-year head-to-head table — for each model year (where both models have data), it shows complaint count or per-10K rate side by side and marks which model fares better that year. Buyers cross-shopping a specific model year should always check the year-level VinItel pages: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/kia/ev6/{year} and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/tesla/model-y/{year}.
Where does this Kia EV6 vs Tesla Model Y comparison data come from?
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All complaint, crash, fire, and fatality data comes from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) consumer-complaint database — the same source insurance regulators and the federal government use. NCAP star ratings come from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. Sales-volume normalization (per 10K sold) uses US annual vehicle sales. Data refreshes every 6 hours. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
Related Reliability Comparisons
Other head-to-head matchups buyers cross-shopping the EV6 or Model Y also look at:
Comparison data refreshed 2026-05-04 from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.·Source: NHTSA ODI
A model average can't see the car you're buying.
Even the Kia EV6 has cars with hidden accidents, salvage titles, and odometer rollbacks. Check the VIN before you buy — full report $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Deep-dive into either model: