Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 EV under investigation by NHTSA for power issue

Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 electric vehicle (EV) is currently being investigated by the U.S. National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA).

According to the organization, 30 consumers have complained about “a loss of motive power,” causing the NHTSA’s Office of Defects to investigate the problem. Ioniq 5 owners report hearing a “loud pop noise” before the Ioniq 5 loses power and forward motion.

“Many consumers report a loud pop noise followed by a warning displayed in their dashboard and immediately experience a loss of motive power that ranges from a reduction to a complete loss of motive power. ODI conducted several owner interviews confirming a range of loss of power and varying time intervals between the warning message and loss of power,” said the NHTSA in its filing.

According to the NHTSA, no crashes, fires, injuries, or fatalities have been caused by the problem. Hyundai says the power failure is related to the Ioniq 5’s Integrated Control Charging Unit (ICCU) that fuels its main battery and its low-voltage 12V battery.

In a statement to the Associated Press, Hyundai said that the company is “fully cooperating” with the investigation. It is launching a service campaign in July to update affected vehicles’ software and will repair or replace ICCUs when necessary.

Beyond the NHTSA’s report, there are several Reddit threads where Ioniq 5 owners have reported experiencing the ICCU issue. For what it’s worth, my Ioniq 5 now has 22,000km, and I’ve yet to encounter the ICCU issue.

Hyundai Canada has confirmed that the ICCU service campaign will launch in Canada. The automaker sent MobileSyrup the following statement:

“Hyundai Motor America is fully cooperating with NHTSA’s preliminary investigation (PE23-011) into a condition related to the Integrated Control Charging Unit (ICCU) in model year 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 vehicles. Hyundai values its cooperative relationship with NHTSA and have engaged in frequent, open and transparent dialogue with the agency on this topic.

We are addressing this concern in Canada as well – Hyundai is launching a service campaign in July that will update the affected vehicle’s software and replace the ICCU if necessary. Canadian Ioniq 5 owners will be contacted in the coming weeks with information and instructions.”

In other Ioniq 5-related news, Hyundai recently confirmed plans to release an update related to the EV’s ‘i-Pedal’ mode/regenerative braking and the SUV’s brake lights not turning on until it’s almost at a complete stop. The update will release in Canada in July.

Update 06/20/2023: The story has been updated with information from Hyundai Canada regarding the ICCU update’s release here.

Update 06/19/2023 7:01pm ET: Hyundai Canada confirmed the Ioniq 5’s brake light update will launch in Canada in July.

Source: NHTSA Via: Associated Press