Hyundai Ioniq, Kia EV6, Genesis EVs recalled for 12-volt battery fail

An issue with the charging control unit in most Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis electric vehicles can stop charging the 12-volt battery, resulting in the inability to drive the cars, the NHTSA disclosed on Monday. 

Hyundai and Genesis issued one recall, while Kia issued a separate recall for the same problem. The automakers are owned by the Hyundai Motor Group in South Korea, but operate independently in North America. 

In all cases, the Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) can take on too heavy of an electrical load that can damage its components. Most problematically, it can open the ICCU fuse, which then disables charging of the 12-volt battery. If this happens, the driver may notice a series of audible and visual warnings in the instrument cluster. Then the vehicle will enter into a “fail-safe” mode that reduces propulsion power from the motors over time, estimated to last up to 45 minutes. Other systems such as braking and power steering remain operable. 

If the car continues to be driven in the “fail-safe” mode and the driver ignoring the warnings in the cluster, all motive power can be cut. The trigger to overloading the ICCU can arise from overcurrent or overvoltage at the end of a DC fast-charging cycle, or from too much thermal loading when driving. 

Hyundai and Genesis EV recall

While Hyundai knew of no known injuries or crashes resulting from the issue, it confirmed 618 incidents in the U.S. attributable to the issue. The Hyundai and Genesis portion of this recall affects 98,878 electric cars. Those models include:

2022-2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5

2023-2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6 

2023-2024 Genesis GV60

2023-2024 Genesis GV70 Electrified

2023-2024 Genesis G80 Electrified

Owners can expect notification by mail as early as May 14, 2024, and will be advised to bring their EV into a Hyundai or Genesis dealer to have the ICCU software update. The service center will also check and replace the ICCU fuse, if necessary. 

Not only will the repairs be covered by warranty, but the brands will provide reimbursement for “out-of-pocket expenses incurred to obtain a remedy for the recall.” That may include rental car costs. 

The updated software was implemented March 5, and it prevents overcurrent by reducing the voltage at the end of fast-charging. The update also reduces the thermal load component during charging and driving by tweaking the operating threshold of the electric water pump. 

For more info, contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460 or visit Hyundai’s recall page. 

Kia EV6 recall

Kia also knows of no injuries or crashes related to the issue, and it acknowledged 34 reports in the field of the loss of motive power. The Kia recall affects 48,232 units:

2022-2023 Kia EV6

 

2024 Kia EV6 (manufactured through Feb. 7, 2024)

Kia EV6 owners can expect notification by mail as early as April 29, 2024, and will be advised to bring their EV into a Kia dealer to have the ICCU software update. The service center will also check and replace the ICCU fuse, if necessary. For more info on the Kia recall, call Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542 or visit Kia’s recall website.