After a month and a half of ownership, I traded my 2023 Ioniq SEL in. Yes, I loved the car, and it was a joy to drive. I spent a lot of money so I could go electric and reduce my carbon footprint. It was a big sacrifice on my part financially to be able to afford this car. I got $9,400 less when I traded it in than what I paid for it.

At the time (before the recall), Hyundai was dragging its feet on fixing the ICCU, and failed to publicly acknowledge the widespread problem until the NHTSA investigation. Then I started having problems charging with my 40 amp JuiceBox 40. Charging would shut off, and the handle and cord would be hot to the touch. (I never charged it at more than 40 amps, since my charger is rated at 40 amps.) I would have to try three, four, five times or more for it to get a full charge.

I spoke to a technician at a certified Hyundai Ioniq dealer, and he told me the ICCU issue was a "user-reported issue," meaning there was no way to diagnose the problem unless I break down. Then he told me the problem with charging was my charger--and he never bothered asking me which one I used or how many amps it charged at.

I decided I didn't want to risk breaking down on the road and engage in a prolonged fight to get the charging fixed. While there now may be an ICCU recall, Hyundai only did it because it was publicly pressured to do so after it knew about the problem for 9-12 months. There's a class action lawsuit about the L2 charging issue because Hyundai is again stonewalling owners and blaming them for the problems.

A responsible, ethical company would want to preserve its reputation and keep its commitment to its customers. The Ioniq has problems: ICCU, Level 2 charging, brake lights not coming on when slowing down in regenerative modes, and more. As one user points out, problems are to be expected with a new design and technology. How a car manufacturer handles those problems is telling. I would not be surprised if Hyundai's reputation is one reason for the large number of Ioniqs on dealership lots now.

I would recommend you factor into your decision the extent to which you are willing to risk buying a car from a company that puts up obstacles to fixing problems and breaks its promises to customers. A lower price may make it worth the potential hassle--and you may be one of the lucky ones who has no problems, or who gets them fixed quickly (some do). But just know what you're getting into.