2020 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid problems

“While attempting a slow right turn from a complete stop at an intersection, I heard a loud thunk sound followed by an immediate loss of power steering response. The steering wheel spun freely with little resistance while the front tires did not respond proportionally. I was able to safely pull over. Upon restarting the vehicle it produced an abnormal wheezing sound suggesting additional mechanical stress. At the time of the failure the vehicle had approximately 40,000 miles, which I believe represents a premature failure for a safety-critical steering component. The vehicle was brought to a Hyundai dealership for inspection. The dealer pulled diagnostic fault codes, found none, performed a 20-minute test drive, and returned the vehicle stating they could not find anything wrong. No physical inspection of the steering components was performed. The failure condition — a slow full-lock turn from a complete stop — was never specifically replicated during the dealer's test drive. The problem has not been confirmed or repaired by the dealer. The vehicle is available for inspection. My safety and the safety of other drivers was put at risk by the sudden and unexpected…”

“The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Ioniq. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH a sudden booming sound occurred near the front passenger’s side of the vehicle. After stopping to inspect the vehicle it was discovered that the front driver’s side wheel well and bumper dislodged and was rubbing against the front passenger’s side wheel. The contact was able to adjust the damaged body part from rubbing against the wheel and continued to drive the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,650.”

“The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid. The contact stated that while idle, releasing the brake and pressing the accelerator, the vehicle would jolt forward before accelerating. The failure would occur intermittently and had become progressively more pronounced. There were no warning lights illuminated. During the most recent occasion, the vehicle jolted forward so aggressively that it caused the contact to have whiplash. The contact had to refrain from work due to the whiplash symptoms sustained, such as neck pain and nausea. The vehicle was taken to the dealer twice, and the dealer was not able to diagnose the cause of the failure. The dealer was able to experience the failure described when inspecting the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed the vehicle was not covered under warranty or recall. The manufacturer filed a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.”

“The Hyundai Ioniq was designed with a dual clutch system for the electric motor and gas motor. This was done to disengage and engage either separately when necessary for low power, regen braking, etc. However, this design heavily impacts the behavior of the brakes and safety of the vehicle overall. When the brakes are applied, the ECU will turn off the gas engine to conserve gas in regen braking mode. Additionally, the ECU will downshift the transmission. Downshifting the transmission and disengaging the gas engine become an issue because conducting both actions removes significant resistance in braking. Causing the vehicle to lurch when the downshift occurs while also increasing stopping distance. This downshift can be felt when braking as both loss of brake power and vehicle lurch. The system also does not account for this brake power loss by increasing brake booster response.”

“The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Ioniq. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH with the adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist features activated, the check engine warning light suddenly illuminated and the steering wheel seized causing the driver to lose control of the steering and the vehicle crashed into a concrete barrier. After restarting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was no longer illuminated and the vehicle operated as normal. No injuries were reported and no police report was taken. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 37,859.”