Hyundai Ioniq 5 under investigation for sudden loss of power

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has received 30 complaints about loss of power in the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5, and is now opening an investigation that could potentially lead to the U.S. agency sending a “recall request” letter to Hyundai that could affect nearly 40,000 EVs.

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The complaints coming from the owners of the Ioniq 5 allege a loss of power, with one complainant telling NHTSA the EV went from travelling at 40 mph to 20 mph (64 km/h to 32 km/h). “No matter how hard I pressed on the accelerator, it did not go over … 20 mph,” read the complaint, which noted the incident was coupled with the dashboard reading, “speed limited to 20 mph.” The complainant also noted they needed to pull off to the side of the road, turn off, and turn the engine back on before the vehicle operated normally again.

Some consumers reported a “loud pop noise followed by a warning displayed in their dashboard” before the loss of power followed immediately after.

Aware of the complaints, Hyundai is cooperating, and has notified the NHTSA the issue is related to an overcurrent in the charging unit that can damage transistors and prevent them from recharging the battery. Hyundai will launch a service campaign and update the software in affected vehicles, replacing the charging unit if necessary.

Once NHTSA’s investigation is complete, the agency will decide whether there is a safety-related defect that requires a full recall.