My Ioniq 5's ICCU failed and Hyundai's doing a terrible job fixing this problem

Summary

The speaker shares frustrations and experiences with Hyundai and Kia electric vehicles, particularly related to issues with 12-volt battery management and the failure of the ICCU. While skeptical about the effectiveness of the current solutions, the speaker remains hopeful that the manufacturers will address these problems. They highlight challenges with parts availability, dealership diagnostics, and the impact on customer satisfaction. Despite the setbacks, the speaker continues to appreciate the car and encourages Hyundai and Kia to improve their battery management and parts availability to earn back goodwill.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker is discussing issues related to Hyundai/Kia's 12-volt battery management and their failure to effectively address long-standing problems.
• 😀 There is skepticism about the 12-volt battery not wearing much if kept topped up, despite what the manufacturers suggest.
• 😀 Hyundai/Kia have a known issue with their 12-volt battery management system, which might be related to software problems, but there is some hope for a fix.
• 😀 The speaker mentions buying the cheapest Walmart battery to replace the 12-volt, knowing it may not last long but being easy to replace.
• 😀 The speaker's car was sitting at the dealership for a month waiting on a part (ICCU failure), and it's unclear whether the 12-volt battery was disconnected during that time.
• 😀 There is a frustrating comparison with the speaker’s brother’s experience at another dealer, where they refused to diagnose his car until they replaced the 12-volt battery, adding unnecessary delays.
• 😀 Despite all the issues, the speaker still likes their car and would recommend it if Hyundai and Kia fix the 12-volt battery management and add manual battery preconditioning.
• 😀 There is a belief that Hyundai and Kia will eventually solve the problems and explain what went wrong, but they’ve been in the dark for too long.
• 😀 Hyundai and Kia’s strategy for solving the 12-volt battery issue has not been effective, with parts being backordered even though new cars are still being produced.
• 😀 The speaker urges Hyundai to slow down production slightly to prioritize getting more parts (ICCU) to dealerships, as this would help rebuild trust and goodwill with customers.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the video script?

The main issue discussed is the 12-volt battery management system and ICCU (Integrated Charging Control Unit) failures in Hyundai and Kia electric vehicles (EVs), as well as the frustrations with the dealer service experience.

Why is the speaker skeptical about the 12-volt battery management system?

The speaker is skeptical because, based on their understanding of lead-acid battery chemistry, keeping the battery topped up in charge should prevent significant wear. The speaker believes that Hyundai and Kia's handling of the 12-volt battery management seems flawed, especially since it's been a long-standing issue.

What role does software play in the 12-volt battery management issue?

The speaker suggests that the 12-volt battery management issue is largely a software problem, with the way Hyundai and Kia are handling it potentially contributing to the failures, although they remain hopeful that the situation will be addressed in the future.

What decision did the speaker make regarding their 12-volt battery replacement?

The speaker decided to replace their 12-volt battery with the cheapest Walmart battery, acknowledging that they don't know how long it will last but considering it an easy and low-cost replacement option.

What is the issue with the ICCU that the speaker experienced?

The speaker experienced an ICCU failure, which led to their vehicle being stuck at the dealer for a month while waiting for the necessary part. They suspect that the dealer may not have properly disconnected the 12-volt battery during the diagnosis process.

What did the speaker find problematic about their dealer’s service?

The speaker found the dealer's service problematic because they didn't properly diagnose the issue initially and took a long time to fix it. In contrast, their brother's dealer was more focused on replacing the 12-volt battery before diagnosis, causing unnecessary delays.

How does the speaker feel about Hyundai and Kia’s handling of the situation?

The speaker is frustrated by Hyundai and Kia’s handling of the issues, especially the lack of transparency and the ongoing parts backorder. They feel that Hyundai could improve customer goodwill by slowing down production to address these parts shortages.

What is the speaker’s outlook on Hyundai and Kia’s future actions regarding the battery management issue?

The speaker remains cautiously optimistic that Hyundai and Kia will eventually fix the issues, improve the software, and provide clear explanations about the problem. They believe the issue will be resolved but are disappointed by the slow progress.

What does the speaker suggest Hyundai and Kia should do to improve customer relations?

The speaker suggests that Hyundai and Kia should slow down production by about 10% to focus on fixing the current issues, such as the ICCU shortage, and ensure that parts are available to dealers. This would help improve customer goodwill.

Would the speaker recommend the car to others despite the ongoing issues?

The speaker still likes the car and would recommend it if Hyundai and Kia address the 12-volt battery management issue and the ICCU failures. However, due to the current problems, they are more cautious in making a recommendation at this time.