Hyundai / Kia Level 2 Charger Defects Lead to Class Action
Owners of certain EV Hyundai and Kia’s have reported difficulty charging their vehicles at home because the ports can heat up and hinder full-capacity charging. So much so that a class-action lawsuit has been filed against Hyundai, claiming that its clients are entitled to damages.
The charging port and level 2 charging plug that come standard with the putative class vehicles are the cause of the problem. According to the class action complaint, the port overheats when charging at home, and some customers have complained to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it can even become hot to touch. When that occurs, the charging rate substantially drops from its normal 48-amp level to just 28-amps.
The following vehicles are named in the class action complaint:
2022 - 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5
2022 - 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6
2022 - 2023 Kia EV6
2022 - 2023 Genesis GV60.
In March of 2023, Hyundai issued a software update that was supposed to fix the issue. However, according to the lawsuit, the update just caps the car's charge rate to 23 amps, if it detects overheating. Technical service bulletin (TSB) 23-EV-003h was issued to dealers due to level 2 charger problems when an electric vehicle, “intermittently stops charging before charging completes.” But the charger lawsuit alleges the TSB never mentions how the software update will double the charging time.
"Hyundai and Kia advertised these vehicles as charging at a rate of 48 amps, a far cry from the 23-amp rate trigged by the pervasive overheating defect. Purchasers and lessors paid for this capability, and these vehicles do not perform at a level even close to what was advertised," said automotive law firm Hagens Berman, who's representing the plaintiffs.
If you're in California and you’ve taken your Kia or Hyundai vehicle to a dealership for issues regarding the battery / charging or any warranty concern, we can help you…. AT NO COST TO YOU! Valero Law, APC is a California consumer protection firm dedicated to protecting the lemon law rights of California consumers and ALL cases are taken on a contingency basis, meaning if there is no recovery, there is absolutely no fee to you! To see if you are eligible, contact us on the form below so we can review the details of your case and determine what you may be entitled to under California Lemon Law, including cash compensation or a vehicle buy back!