Mike McCormick was driving his Ioniq 5 on a Florida highway when he encountered traffic and had to brake suddenly. A water bottle in the rear cup holder dislodged, falling onto the floor. Water from the bottle then flowed into the connectors of the underfloor wiring system. Within minutes, multiple warning lights appeared on the dashboard. The turn signals stopped working, and when McCormick got the car home, he couldn't turn it off.
McCormick contacted a Hyundai dealership to inspect his two-year-old electric vehicle. The dealership determined that water ingress had damaged the underfloor and under-seat wiring systems, requiring full replacement. This repair cost totaled 11,882 USD. The damage was attributed to "external impact," not a technical or manufacturing defect, meaning the case was not eligible for support or warranty coverage.
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The interior of the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Photo: *Hyundai* |
Consequently, McCormick contacted his insurance company, State Farm, to claim coverage. However, State Farm denied the claim after an investigation, asserting that the wiring damage occurred over a long period, not from a single incident like the spilled water. This left the owner without any support from either the manufacturer or the insurer, forcing him to pay the entire cost himself.
Separately, WFTV 9, reporting on the incident, cited another Ioniq 5 owner who received a bill for tens of thousands of USD due to frayed under-seat wiring. The station suggested that the placement of wiring clusters under the seats and floor makes these components vulnerable to water, humidity, or compression from above if not adequately protected.
Beyond wiring issues, some owners of the high-performance Ioniq 5 N variant have reported difficulties replacing brake pads themselves. The vehicle requires specialized software and tools, valued at thousands of USD, to perform the procedure correctly. While some unofficial solutions are shared on forums, they carry risks of voiding warranties or causing further damage.
By Ho Tan (according to Carscoop)
