Virtual Engine Sound System (VESS) Reverse Chime is too loud

boborambow said:

I just got a 2021 Niro EV, same issue, it is crazy loud. I measured mine at 87 db with my apple watch.

I reached out to Kia and they confirmed it cannot be changed yet:
"The alert volume cannot be modified at this time. As the vehicle manufacturer, we value customer feedback and consider this information paramount to our success. We will ensure your input is provided to the appropriate levels within Kia America. This information is collected and reviewed so that we may continue improving vehicle performance and customer satisfaction."

I second the general consensus that we should all reach out to Kia. Hopefully they can do a software update to lower the volume.

It is super easy for me to unplug it with my hands. But it seems unsafe to me since it kills the whirring sound at low speeds too.

I also just submitted a complaint to my states attorney general. They have helped me in the past so maybe they will have some input.

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Kia replied back to the Attorney General. Here's a snippet of their response:

The Virtual Engine Sound System (VESS) generates an engine sound for the purpose of pedestrians being able to hear
the vehicle while at low speeds. The VESS feature is a federally required warning sound for all electric vehicles and is an
overall safety benefit. Understandably, the noise level can be distracting for drivers and those surrounding the moving
vehicle. This complaint of extremely loud noise has been made aware to us as a company and the issue has been
reported to those in Korea.
Although the customer may disagree with how the vehicle is designed to function, this does not mean that the vehicle is
defective. The manufacturer is entitled to choose how they design their vehicle(s). A material is not defective or
underperforming under your warranty because a better, stronger, more durable, or suitable material could have been
used. Additionally, all vehicle dimensions and measurements are made solely at the discretion of the manufacturer and
are not warranted to be suitable for one person or anyone else who uses one person’s vehicle (see page 10 in the
Warranty & Consumer Information manual).

So I guess there is hope they might provide some update in the future. But nothing officially they will do right now.

Here is what I could find on the mandate:
Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid And Electric Vehicles - Final Environmental Assessment (nhtsa.gov)

As far as I can tell, it requires full compliance as of September 2020. I read that to mean anything built after that date.

There's a summary chart on page xii.
Total Minimum Sound Level Anticipated to Result from the Individual Minimum Sound Requirement
Reverse – 50-53 dB(A)

Anticipated Manufacturer Exceedance of Requirement to Ensure Compliance
4 dB

So the government is anticipating a manufacturer be 54 - 57 dB when going in reverse. I measured mine at a consistent 81 dB from the driver seat with the window down and 87 in front of the car. The AG sent this all to Kia. But the government never set a maximum. So they are free to do whatever they want.

I've heard the Teslas and they just make a spaceship sound going forward and the same sound going backwards. For some reason the Kia makes the nice spaceship sound going forward but the annoying bong going backwards. But they have to know that this info is circulating and it can affect future sales. So I'm hopeful they will do something.

wmp999 said:

Did anyone ever figure out how to muffle the speaker? I really don't want to disable the system entirely, safety isn't bad, but hearing loss is.
I test drove several cars, and nearly didn't buy the Kia just because of the volume. The others (all PHEV) all had much quieter, and even adjustable-volume, backup beepers.
thanks
WMP

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@enirogus Yes, I muffled my 2021 PHEV VESS backup beep by about 60% by injecting clear outdoor silicon caulking into the square drain hole at the bottom of the speaker grill. I taped off all the grill slots with electrical tape, except the drain hole and the top grill slot. Then injected caulk in from the bottom until it began to appear at the top. Leave for 15 mins, peel tape off, cleanup any over flow with Q-tips, then wait 24 hours for it to cure. It should be drivable after 12 hours if you’re letting it sit overnight. But goes from gummy bear consistency to rubbery after 24 hours.

This approach should work for anyone with an open air grill, like HEV-PHEV. I’m sure would work for older VESS with the amp behind the glovebox too since the waterproof speaker is likely the same.
the nice thing is you don’t have to take anything apart, and it still makes an audible backup beep, but much kinder to the neighbors. The space choir hum at low speeds sounds more like an high speed fan now, but not too loud.

I'm new to the forum because my problem with the VESS backup beeper hasn't been resolved even though I have complained to my dealer and to Kia Customer Service. I absolutely HATE the volume of the backup beeper on my 2022 Kia Niro EV! It is SO LOUD that I have had to change the way I drive and severely limit my driving at night because I have to back up into my garage, the acoustics of which amplify the sound. Looking at the noise ordinance for my town, the beeper exceeds the allowable volume for nights and weekends... or would if it were on a construction vehicle. City planners never expected a construction backup beeper to be placed on a personal car! I live in California where we have lots of electric vehicles. Kia is the ONLY one with excessive backup noise!

So, I propose two things: first, a poll asking how many owners dislike the volume of the VESS backup beeper; and, second, if the poll shows that more than 50% of owners dislike the volume, we petition Kia to create a change (computer program?), available at request at our dealers, that would turn down the backup volume to that of the forward running volume. What do you think?