Source
r/KonaEV•
iconboy

Very close to buying a 2019 Kona EV Ultimate and had some questions

Hello people. I am very close to buying a 2019 Kona EV Ultimate. I live in Canada (Waterloo specifically) and I am going to Toronto today to take a look at the car and if everything goes according to plan, probably sign some paper work too. I know this year of kona EV had a recall on the battery, but the guy at the used car lot says that he spoke to Hyundai and the agent told him that yes there were recalls, but they didn't apply to every unit and this specific unit was not affected. I asked him for the VIN number which he provided and i ran it through the hyundai recall website.

vin: KM8K33AG4KU046726

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https://preview.redd.it/m93cw2zbkcka1.png?width=1214&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=36437e03b21c26801982f7082abf03ce2498e7c7

https://preview.redd.it/2s86x3zbkcka1.png?width=1164&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=4e58cf3d29dc2bf3d0024c9b469ef6023051e2ec

https://preview.redd.it/4p8yu5zbkcka1.png?width=1166&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=26c6550795786b34300e8259bcd60172b44ce7cd

https://preview.redd.it/2hm3s7zbkcka1.png?width=1176&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=9ff88c20805b863f458cd15c183a40d2546d0a87

i dont know if im reading this right, but to me it looks like it has 3 recalls and it has to be this unit, right? because I put in a specific vin number.

I have tried to attach screen caps to this post, but I dont know if they will post properly so I will copy and paste the relevant text....

Status

Complete

Date Repaired

2021-03-02

Recall Number

R0175 (01D076)

Transport Canada Number

2020477

Kona Ev Battery Management System Update

Recalls Status : Complete

Description

Issue: On certain vehicles, there could be problems with the high-voltage battery that cannot be detected by the battery management system (BMS). As a result, the high-voltage battery could short circuit after it is fully charged. Safety Risk: A short circuit in the battery could cause a fire. Corrective Actions: Hyundai will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer for an inspection. The high-voltage battery will be replaced, if necessary. The dealer will also update the BMS software to better detect battery problems. Hyundai recommends that you should park your vehicle outdoors, and away from other vehicles or buildings until the recall repairs are completed.

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Status

Complete

Date Repaired

2021-03-02

Recall Number

R0178 (01D102)

Transport Canada Number

2020593

Integrated Electronic Brake (Ieb) System

Recalls Status : Complete

Description

Issue: On certain vehicles, an abnormal sensor signal to the Integrated Electronic Brake (IEB) system could cause a sudden reduction in braking performance. If this happens, a brake warning light will turn on in the instrument cluster. Safety Risk: Reduced brake performance can cause extended stopping distances and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Hyundai will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to update the IEB system software.

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Status

Complete

Date Repaired

2022-04-05

Recall Number

R0183 (11D043)

Transport Canada Number

2021109

Battery Replacement

Recalls Status : Complete

Description

. Issue: On certain electric vehicles, there could be a problem inside the high-voltage battery. As a result, the high-voltage battery could short circuit while the vehicle is parked, charging, or driving. Note: Vehicles that had a battery replacement after completion of Hyundai recall R0175 (Transport Canada Recall No. 2020-477) do not require repair under this recall. For the Hyundai Ioniq, only certain all-electric models are affected by this recall. Safety Risk: A short circuit in the battery could cause a fire. Corrective Actions: Hyundai will notify owners by mail and provide you with instructions for what you should do. This recall will be completed in steps. Hyundai will first instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to lower the battery charging limit. You will also be provided with instructions for how to do this yourself using the vehicle's infotainment system. Hyundai recommends that you should park your vehicle outdoors, and away from other vehicles or buildings until this step is completed. The second step of this recall will be to replace the high-voltage battery. Hyundai will notify you when a replacement battery is available for your vehicle.

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This information definntly means that the recalls were done on this car right? or can it still mean that there were general recalls and it didn't affect this unit?

Its 35k CND with 108k km on it. im just apprehensive mostly about the battery. I tried calling a local Hyundai service dept and they either hung up on me or told me they would call me back and never did. If anyone could shed some light on this I would greatly appreciate it. Also any thoughts on the deal. The sales guy says they post this about a week ago and didnt exactly pressure me to buy it right away, but I have a feeling that he thinks it can be sold soon. I had my eye on a couple of other deals that were similar and they got scooped up right away.

Do you guys think it would still be worth it if the battery wasnt changed, but I can try and get hyundai to change it later after buying it?

Posted Feb 25, 2023, 2:41 PM UTC · edited

218
Pinkheadbaby•

Congrats!! I love my 2019 with now 89000 miles on it. Battery was replaced @ 65000 miles. No complaints about Hyundai either. All was handled easily & quickly. Good luck with yours

3
Bug2000•

I just sold my 2019 Ultimate back in December with 78,000 kms on it and live in Southern Ontario. A great car, I highly recommend.

The recalls you have listed I had done on my car, they were all programming , except mine also had the battery replaced. It's easy to tell by looking at the car if the battery has been replaced or not as the battery hangs down a bit below the body of the car. If it is aluminum in colour, the battery has been replaced on the 2019. If it is black in colour across the side wth just the aluminum on the bottom and edges, it is original.

Hyundai knows by lot numbers and by testing if the battery requires replacement. As the recall has been done already, they have already decided if they will replace it or not so I can't see you changing their mind. Based on the recalls you posted, I'm pretty sure they didn't and won't put in a new battery.

Personally, I'd have no issues buying a 2019 with the original battery if it was not one requiring battery replacement. Price looks decent depending on how the body and interior are.

2
iconboyOP•

Thanks for your insight, what do you think of paying 35k for it? Ppl have been telling me the market is really hot now so expect prices to be higher. Im worried about how much more km I can put on the battery before it gets to the end of its like, which I believe is 8 to 10 years?

1
Bug2000•

I sold mine for $40k 2 months ago privately so that price seems good to me. There are people with 2019's with 250,000+ kms on them who have had zero issues. End of life of the battery is hard to know for sure, but Hyundai is really good with thermal management and I'd expect it to last many years and quite likely longer than 10 years if not abused.

3
iconboyOP•

Omg thank you so much you are putting my mind at ease. What was your trim level? Did you ever change the transmission fluid?

1
Bug2000•

Mine was an Ultimate, sold the car to my brother and his wife with the original gear reduction fluid still in it. I loved the car, it was very reliable, just sold it for a larger EV (EV6) as my needs changed.

1
Casey515•

Sounds high to me. I own the same car and I’d get max $20k (US) if I traded it in. What warranty are they offering? The best part about a 2019 was lifetime warranty on the battery - they are only offering 8 yrs on new ones.

1
iconboyOP•

Remember if you traded it in at a dealership they would probably give you less than what is worth because they want to make money too. Also keep in my the 35k CND I paid is like 26k usd. I'm not sure about any warranty this place was giving, it wasn't a Hyundai dealership just a used car sales place that had mostly EVs.

1
Casey515•

Ah. True, but it feels like a big difference. I think the warranty goes with the car, though. I’ve kept most of my ICE vehicles for 10+ years/200k+ miles - my concern with a limited battery warranted EV is what do you actually have in year 9 if the battery fails?

1
iconboyOP•

So you can't tell if the battery has been replaced based on the vin number and images I've attached?

1
Bug2000•

Mine had the same 3 recalls done but had the battery replaced.

Looking at the battery from the side of the car should confirm if it's been done or not. Pic below is of the original battery. The battery case on the side has black across it. Replacement batteries have no black across them and were aluminum in colour.

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https://preview.redd.it/741lfsxjbeka1.jpeg?width=1283&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=13b9e5ca7665fab89a41cd8c8a13a6552134fd25

1
Bug2000•

Here is the only pic I have that shows the replaced battery.

https://preview.redd.it/jze4c46pdeka1.jpeg?width=1831&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=9c3207aa43a8627455b093faf8f8a39a5e30e7d8

1
iconboyOP•

Thanks again for the picture. I used it to verify that the battery was indeed switched. I took it for a test drive a fell in love with it. Is getting certified and plates on Monday. I wanted to go Monday morning but my kids has a dentist appointment (stupid responsibilities!).

2
Bug2000•

Awesome, glad it helped. Enjoy your new car!

1
Kiwi_eng•

I'm going to suggest that it's good that it seems the car has had all recalls applied (as my 2019 has) but it's not clear if the battery has been replaced from those docs. The end result is that Hyundai considers the car "passed" and whether that required a new battery is primarily their business. My replacement was done with zero paperwork provided, not even for the loaner car. The warranty of course is unchanged.

But as it's been mentioned, it's a breeze to determine that as the replacements are missing the blacked-out edges on the aluminium housing. It can easily be spotted by viewing the car at the sides from a few metres back.

You haven't mentioned build date which would have been helpful but assuming it's the original battery the only other info I can offer is that the few Konas with higher than expected loss of health have been in hot parts of the world. The SoH can be viewed with a simple OBD dongle and free phone app.

Regarding the gearbox, if it's lasted this long it's going to be fine BUT be certain there are no knocking noises present on overrun at lower speeds. If you buy the car get the oil changed as soon as convenient because it will certainly be black.

1
iconboyOP•

Thanks for the reply! Went to go see the car today and it was silver so NEW BATTERY! HOORAYY! I drove it and fell in love immediately. Have the downpayment and signed some paperwork. Is going to be certified and plated (green Ontario plates woohooo!) On Monday so I might be able to drive it home Monday or Tuesday! I'm so excited, haven't been this excited for a car in a long time.

3
Kiwi_eng•

Congrats on that! It should be great!

1
iconboyOP•

didnt realize how slow the charger that comes with it is. Im scrambling to find an electrician that can run a NEMA 14-50 plug from my fuse box in the basement to the garage., I got one electrician that quoted me $1200 CND and said it was mostly because the breakers used in my fuse box are hard to find new and epxensive and he has to use 2, does this seem expensive to anyone else?

1