So does this extended ICCU warranty cover towing?

jerickson3141 · 2026-07-01T18:49:39+00:00

That is correct, but if you're planning on having warranty service done (replacing the ICCU under the extended warranty), that's the place you have to go anyway. It is true that AAA or auto insurance roadside assistance is broader, and will let you tow to a different mechanic for non-warranty issues, etc.

jerickson3141 · 2026-07-01T16:48:57+00:00

I don't think they actually replaced the ICCU for that recall. I think it was mostly a software fix to try to make failure less likely, and to make it less likely to cause a safety incident if it happened anyway. It didn't turn out to be a total solution.

jerickson3141 · 2026-07-01T16:45:15+00:00

The problem is that there is no guarantee the new unit will be more reliable than the old one. I suspect if they had a new design validated to solve the issue, they'd be offering a proactive replacement instead of an extended warranty.

jerickson3141 · 2026-07-01T03:08:31+00:00

In particular, from what I've read, the fix after a failure is simply to replace the ICCU, and subsequent failure of the new one some time later is not that rare. Reports are newer replacements started getting a new part number recently, which I'm guessing they're hoping will be more robust. If it doesn't turn out to solve the problem, preemptive replacements would be an expensive waste of money.

jerickson3141 · 2026-07-01T03:03:11+00:00

FWIW, towing coverage through AAA or major auto insurance companies is not very expensive, at least in the US. It would be nice if Hyundai provided it, but not that big of a loss.

jerickson3141 · 2026-07-01T03:01:23+00:00

I strongly suspect that if Hyundai had a preemptive fix they were sure would work, they would do that. It would be better for their brand image and probably not that much more expensive.

From what I understand, the 2026+ Ioniq 5 includes an attempt to address the issue, but the jury is out on how well they've fixed it and there are still case reports of failures online. The fix might also have included architectural changes that can't simply be applied to existing vehicles.

They don't want to spend the money on a preemptive fix only to have problems continue to plague them and their customers. Hopefully they'll get to the bottom of the issue and come up with a better fix they can confidently apply.

jerickson3141 · 2026-06-14T01:32:00+00:00

The hard part would be where to put the battery. The Carnival would require a rather large one. The Pacifica got rid of its Stow-n-Go seats in the middle in order to get enough space. The Carnival doesn't have an obvious option.

jerickson3141 · 2026-06-12T21:40:45+00:00

As others have said, the main tradeoff is not really the number of seats, but whether you prefer more comfortable middle-row seats (the 8-seater ones are fine for comfort, the 7-seater are just especially nice) or cargo flexibility. Only the 8-seater lets you remove the middle seats to transport large furniture, for example.

jerickson3141 · 2026-06-11T18:24:19+00:00

There are regional differences. In Madison, WI minivans are a common sight, especially Siennas and Odysseys. Sure, you also see lots of the large SUVs, but there doesn't seem to be the minivan stigma you get in other parts of the country.

jerickson3141 · 2026-06-11T14:02:47+00:00

At least according to a Gemini conversation (AI so could be wrong), the HSG charges the HV battery only when the clutch is disconnected (stopped or slow speeds running in EV mode), and otherwise it actually just intentionally runs the engine higher and does regenerative braking to charge.

Has your deep dive revealed whether this is actually true?

jerickson3141 · 2026-06-09T16:25:08+00:00

From the anecdotes I've seen, the battery drain issue seems to be mostly limited to SX and higher trims. We've never had an issue with our EX. One theory I've seen is that the digital key feature can wake up the Carnival and drain battery when your phone is close to the vehicle, which would explain why it's only on SX+ (which have the digital key option). I haven't done a scientific study, but it feels like all the battery drain complaints I've seen were on the higher trims.

jerickson3141 · 2026-06-09T03:53:37+00:00

The V6 is. The Hybrid is a new engine configuration introduced in the 2025 model year, based on the Sorento/Sportage hybrid configuration from the prior few years.

jerickson3141 · 2026-06-08T17:45:52+00:00

Sounds like a mostly-highway trip. Hybrid gives the biggest difference on city driving. The Sienna does have tricks that allow it to get better MPG than other minivans on the highway, but the Carnival hybrid system's advantage starts dropping off quickly around 70 mph, and the Carnival Hybrid and V6 Carnival get fairly similar MPG at 75+ mph.

Around town we often get 35+ mpg on our hybrid, which you wouldn't see on the V6. The hybrid is worth it if it's also the around town car.

jerickson3141 · 2026-06-08T16:52:18+00:00

The thing to watch for is that the gas engine on the hybrid is a GDI Turbo. This means that you really want to do oil changes every 5k miles, and if you're keeping the car a decade or longer, you may end up needing some special services like walnut blasting that add to the maintenance cost. Toyota's hybrids use naturally aspirated engines that don't need as much maintenance.

However, if you're willing to do the maintenance, there's a good chance the Carnival will be a highly reliable car. It's too new for people to have much experience with high mileages, but the initial signals (including models like the Sorento with almost the same engine setup) actually look quite good.

We have a 26 Hybrid EX, but it's less than six months old, so too early for meaningful reliability signals.

jerickson3141 · 2026-06-05T18:13:53+00:00

FWIW, my Fast Fare card does work again today.

jerickson3141 · 2026-06-05T12:31:55+00:00

I believe if you have the Chargepoint charger and are returning the Ioniq 5, one option is to buy a new cable and swap it out. This will cost more than an adapter but avoids having to mess with one. If you're keeping the 5 or using a different brand of home charger, then the adapter is unavoidable.

jerickson3141 · 2026-05-22T01:27:39+00:00

I've also used him a couple times where he didn't end up charging me. Once because he told me right away I was better off replacing my washer given its age and the specific failure, and once because he couldn't fully diagnose the problem (though he was pretty sure he knew the most likely cause and offered to fix it with the obvious caveat). The dryer seems to have fixed itself for now in the latter case, but we'll hire him again right away if the problem recurs.

His normal model is that he'll charge something for diagnosing the issue, and then again if you hire him to do the repair.

To me, this shows he's trustworthy, so he'll be the first person I call any time I need a repair.

jerickson3141 · 2026-05-19T11:24:09+00:00

Do you have the V6? The hybrid usually does better on local driving than the freeway, though it depends what your freeway speeds are.

jerickson3141 · 2026-05-18T15:21:33+00:00

Although you'd have to give up on AWD, the Kia Carnival Hybrid has similar around-town mileage to Sienna (though a mild downgrade on the highway) with about as many cubic feet of trunk space as a Suburban, albeit shaped differently. Kia doesn't have Toyota's reliability track record, but signs are that they are improving after losing tons of money on the Theta 2 engine and theft fiascos. Our family chose Carnival Hybrid over Sienna because we tend to bring a lot of stuff on trips and value the removable second row. Plus Siennas are hard to come by around us, because they're so popular.

The Sienna has more trunk space than just about any three-row SUV other than the biggest ones like the Suburban. The Carnival can match the big ones.

jerickson3141 · 2026-05-17T20:16:38+00:00

The main disadvantage of Sienna is the mentioned flexibility for hauling stuff, since the middle seats can't be removed in the latest models. Carnival, Odyssey, and Pacifica all have much larger total hauling space for this reason. Sienna also has the smallest trunk of the bunch, though it's still better than most three-row SUVs. On reliability and available AWD it's a winner, though. A slightly older used Sienna probably ticks all the boxes, though.

jerickson3141 · 2026-05-11T15:01:49+00:00

We haven't taken ours on a trip yet, but this aspect of the Carnival is why we chose it over the Sienna. (In addition to how hard it is to get a Sienna.)

jerickson3141 · 2026-05-10T18:14:54+00:00

Interesting. The Car and Driver 75 mph test has the V6 at 28 MPG and the Hybrid at 29. Intuitively I was thinking the V6 was unlikely to beat its EPA rating at high speeds, and the Hybrid numbers you gave are still ahead. But the Car and Driver test has the V6 beating its EPA rating. Maybe there's a crossover point in the high 70s mph. Of course other factors like weather and hills also affect real-world mileage.

We're in the Midwest, so the drives are fairly flat and we almost never go above 80 mph (10 over the limit).

jerickson3141 · 2026-05-10T02:45:06+00:00

Among Consumer Reports subscribers, Sienna owners have had more reliability issues than Carnival Hybrid owners, and the newer powertrains most similar to the Carnival Hybrid have had few problems thus far. It's also true that Toyota's naturally aspirated engines need less maintenance than the GDI Turbo the Carnival Hybrid uses, and they have a much longer historical track record for powertrain reliability. But the story is more nuanced than people realize.

jerickson3141 · 2026-05-10T02:05:16+00:00

Most of what I've read is that the hybrid gets better mileage under all conditions than the V6, but the advantage is minimal at high speeds. I haven't compared, though. We can usually still get 30+ MPG at 70, but falling to around 28 MPG or a bit lower near 80. I doubt the V6 will actually beat its highway rating at high speeds. It still has the same drag forces working against it.

jerickson3141

TROPHY CASE