This week, recall notices were issued from Hyundai and Kia due to a software error in the Shifter Control Unit which, in affected vehicles, could disengage park and allow vehicles to roll. This could happen because of “a voltage fluctuation when a vehicle is off and in park, which could interrupt the signal from the Shifter Control Unit to the parking mechanism.”
According to the separate notices, a total of 19,743 Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 EVs are being recalled due to this issue (10,729 Hyundai EVs and 9,014 Kia EVs), as both cars share the E-GMP platform and there is “significant component and software sharing between the two models.”
Hyundai Ioniq 5
Hyundai also reportedly informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that the 2023 Genesis GV60 and G80 EV also use the same parking mechanism; however, these EVs haven’t yet gone on sale in the US, so no recall is required.
In light of the recall, owners of the affected vehicles will be informed when to take their cars to dealerships to have the Shifter Control Unit software updated. Until their vehicle receives the update, owners are advised to park their vehicles on level ground whenever possible.
Although this is a seemingly simple fix that will be offered free of charge, owners may be disappointed that this particular software update couldn’t be deployed over-the-air. Notably, Tesla has a long track record of addressing issues over-the-air, rather than requiring customers to come in to have their EV physically serviced.
