Battery replacements are starting

Thanks again. That gives me an idea of current delivery times. Dealer saw our car and asked permission back right around 7/13. I think permission was only granted in the last 10 days. So we'll see.

On another note, I got an email today offering the $200 gift card:

 

when d

When did you reduce to 80% ? Legal,gift cards aren't allowed to expire in Ontario.

 

I thought that too at first but I think they're talking about the link to download the e-card expiring, not the card itself. I hope.

 

Simplistic chain of events:-everything has gone smoothly
April 12, 2021 After many important safety recall notices: Bluelink reduced charging rate to 80% setting
June 19 Received in writing by mail a decent buyback offer
July 16 appointment to check battery & confirmed it had been reduced to 80% charging. Ordered new battery
August 9 Received call that new battery was in
August 17 Have appointment to replace battery (not their first) They will need 3 days and have promised a loaner
NJ 2019 ultima

 

I just dropped off my 2019 at the dealer to have the battery replaced and saw these battery packs lined up to be installed. The car should be ready to pick up tomorrow. They claim they'll "fully charge" it before I pick it up. It'll be interesting to see what their definition of fully charged is.

 

Kona EV Ultima 2019
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Dropped my car off this a.m. at 7:45 to have the battery replaced. Was given a loaner of a new Elantra gas full for three or four days.
Received at call from Hyundai dealer at 1:42 saying my car was done and charged to 100%.
I picked it up the same day!!! almost could have waited. WOW
NJ

 

Maybe that is why they want it for four days. My dealer said it only takes a few hours to replace the battery. He said if I bring it in the morning it will be ready by the afternoon.

 

Can you tell me what dealer you went to? My dealer is telling me they won't order the battery because the software update didn't generate a specific code.

 

I could be wrong, but I don't know that taking it to another dealer would change the story. All the dealer does is run the software. They pass the results up to the company who makes the decision as to what to do with the information. So the issue may be with Hyundai of America more than a specific dealer.
2019 Konas have a lifetime battery warranty. I guess you could ask that the battery be scanned for error codes on some annual basis to check that the situation does not change. Also, since this situation could impact the resale value of your vehicle, it might be worth reaching out to Hyundai to get an official letter that details the problem and the steps taken to ensure this doesn't apply to your vehicle, and how the warranty is affected or passed on to future buyers. Then keep that letter with your Kona documents. Other than that, looks like you're through the process and can go about enjoying your EV.

 

Eat your heart out Tesla Had my battery replaced yesterday Today I charged it to 100% and came up 327 miles!!!

 

OH! Sorry, I 'lied' It only came up 317 miles, but still great, right?

 

I received a call yesterday (August 17) from the dealer saying that they had a new battery for our 2019 Kona EV Limited. I took the car in immediately and got it back this morning (August 18) with a new battery. I asked about the actual repair time, and the technician said that the allocated time was 3.4 hours. They can do only one car at a time because the procedure requires that they have both a vehicle lift that has open space underneath the vehicle, and a custom battery lift. He also said that 2019 vehicles are getting new batteries, and 2020 vehicles will get repaired and refurbished batteries that were removed from 2019 vehicles. In terms of fairness, this is the opposite of what I would have expected, because 2019 owners appear to be getting a much better deal. Maybe that's because 2019 Kona EVs have lifetime battery warranty, whereas 2020 vehicles do not.

As returned to me, the battery was only at about half-charge. I would imagine that the new batteries are shipped to the dealer with a low charge on them and it's up to the dealer to charge the battery after installation. I picked the car up soon after the dealer told me that the battery had been replaced and they didn't have time to charge it fully. Six months before we bought the car, I had solar panels installed on the roof of our house with enough panels both for household use and to charge an EV, so the variable cost of electricity is zero. The fact that the battery was only at half charge did not concern me.

 

Here is a 39 month old battery, still topping up:

 

thank you for your thoughts! Pretty sure the warranty only applies to the original owner. I like your advice about getting a letter from Hyundai, but making that happen could prove to be very difficult.

 

Hey Jennifer, I can certainly relate. I would certainly be in your mindset if all these other 2019s around me are getting serviced and mine was not. I'd really like to know specifically what is the test is, why my car passed where 'everyone else' failed, and the error bars. I don't think that clarity has been made available, but I have not looked into it as deeply as others. FWIW, Turnersville Hyundai in NJ is moving a lot of Kona EV's. I got mine there, but they're too far away from me to go to for service. Based on their volume I'd guess that they would be well aware of the ins and outs of what is going on. So they might be another place to call for additional information. Good luck!

 

Appreciate your comment. The dealer did tell me that there was a transmitter (?) that leads to the battery that was tested and none of the battery cells indicated error codes during testing. Without an error code they say the battery is not eligible for replacement. I went back a second time to tell them that customer service said I could have a new battery. The dealer explained that they are not authorized to prove agreement to the replacement, only the warranty department is. And the warranty department will not authorize it without either an error code or an engine light on the dash. I'll try talking to Turnersville Hyundai, thanks!

 

Battery replacement complete!

My Hyundai dealer turned my car (2019 Ultimate) around the same day and returned it 100% charged. I've got to admit that I love having the 100% range back! When I tell non-EV owners what the range is they're always shocked. This is one efficient little EV!

With all the people retuning their cars, I'm surprised how painless this experience had been for me. The car didn't explode. The battery software update didn't brick the car. The 12V battery didn't fail. The transmission hasn't self-destructed. I must admit that every time I powered it up I did wonder whether today would be the day when it wouldn't start. But no, the car has been 100% reliable. I'm looking forward to more carefree miles and range. Thank you, Hyundai.

 

Huge news report this morning about ALL CHEVY BOLTS (2017 - 2021?) being Recalled for FIRES with their LITHIUM Batteries. 170,000+ vehicles. ALL being replaced.

 

They better keep their grubby hands off my Kona battery!