Hagens Berman (HB), a legal firm known for class-action suits against automakers, has filed a class-action lawsuit against Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. The lawsuit alleges that these brands have been selling vehicles with defective charging ports, misleading customers about achievable charging times. The suit was filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California, with claims that the charging ports overheat, resulting in failed charging sequences and a "protracted and burdensome charging process" for owners.
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The focus of the lawsuit revolves around the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, Kia EV6, and Genesis GV60 models. Customers were led to believe that charging with a Level 2 home charger would take between five to seven hours, but in reality, the charging times are significantly longer. For instance, one plaintiff reported that it takes 20 hours to fully charge a 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5, which is far from the advertised charging rate of 20% per hour.
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The legal firm claims that these automakers were aware of the charging port issues but continued to sell the vehicles anyway. Hyundai issued a software patch that was intended to address the problem but, according to the lawsuit, the patch actually worsened charging rates, leaving customers with less than half of the promised charge. Owners of these vehicles must constantly monitor the charging process, as the charging session automatically expires when the port overheats, which can occur in as little as 45 minutes. Hagens Berman is seeking a jury trial and demanding various forms of compensation, including punitive damages, as a warning to other automakers. The lawsuit aims to hold the South Korean manufacturers accountable for not delivering on their promises and causing serious disruptions in the lives of car owners who rely on their EVs for daily activities.
