Automobile manufacturers Hyundai and Kia will be asking owners of certain 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 and 2022 Kia EV6 vehicles, to return to their dealerships for a problem affecting the parking brake mechanism. A software error in the Shifter Control Unit (SCU) may disengage the parking mechanism and allow the vehicle to roll away.

Hyundai and Kia first became aware of the problem in April/May 2022 after reports about warranty claims involving some Ioniq 5 and EV6 vehicles in Korea. The vehicles allegedly unexpectedly rolled away after being parked on an incline with the ignition off. Further investigation into the incidents found voltage fluctuations in the electrical system that could affect the command signal from the Shifter Control Unit (SCU) to the parking actuator. The result would be a momentary disengagement of the parking pawl.

According to the safety report, the subject vehicles are equipped with a shift-by-wire system with a shifter control unit and parking pawl actuator motor. If a voltage fluctuation occurs when the vehicle is off and in Park, the signal from the SCU to the actuator may be affected. The problem could result in the temporary disengagement of the parking mechanism and a potential vehicle roll away.

Owners will be asked to return to the dealerships to have the Shifter Control Unit software updated. Drivers are recommended to use the Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) when parking their vehicles until the software update has been performed. Hyundai’s number for this recall is 228 and the NHTSA campaign number is 22V-324. Kia’s number for this recall is SC236 and the NHTSA campaign number is 22V-332.

If you are experiencing repeated problems with your vehicle, it could be a lemon. If you have any questions about your rights and the California Lemon Law, please call our office at 888-395-3666 and get some great Lemon Law advice!