A Tale of Two Dealer Visits

My wife called me from the Hyundai dealer where she brought in her MY22 Ioniq 5 for its second dealer checkup since the vehicle’s purchase. ?She said they wanted to rotate the tires and perform two software updates and that it would take two hours.? I drove down to join her and see what was up.

I joined my wife at the dealer because two hours seemed like a long time for a couple of software updates.? The technician printed out the details and in the documents I could see a number of updates that addressed issues that had popped up in news stories and Web forums that follow the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

One software update was described as “DTC P19A9096 Check for ICCU & Fuse Replacement & ICCU (Intelligent Charging Control Unit) software update (Recall 257).”? The recall effects the Ioniq 5 (NE1) (my wife’s car), the Ioniq 6 (CE1), and the Ioniq 5 (NER) robotaxi.? The problem relates to a DC/DC converter input voltage sensor fault.? “When a fault occurs, the vehicle may enter a reduced power mode while various warning lights, an audible chime will sound, and large messaging in the vehicle’s instrument cluster will appear and instruct the driver to stop the vehicle.”? This was corrected with a software update and a new fuse.

The second software update was for updating the Vehicle Control Unit with more notable changes including:

Brake light logic update for regenerative braking – The Ioniq 5 was widely criticized for failing to illuminate the red tail lights when in regenerative braking mode.

i-Pedal mode operation logic update

12V battery saver logic update allows charging from EV battery as low as 10% SOC when parked.? The Ioniq 5 update includes these earlier items that Ioniq 6 had included from start of production.? – There had been several reports of Ioniq 5 12V batteries failing.

EPB (Electronic Parking Brake) auto engagement when shift into Park/auto disengagement shift out of Park when shifting to D or R while brake pedal is engaged

DTE (Distance to Empty) strategy - Will be interesting to see how these calculations change.

Snow road surface performance

Airconditioning performance during AC slow charging

Enhance charging sequence

For both software updates the technical service bulletin states: “The service campaign can only be performed at Ioniq certified dealers;” and “To avoid any potential damage to Ioniq vehicles, this recall can only be performed at Ioniq certified dealers.”

In the end, the visit may have taken a couple hours, but it was entirely free, just like my wife’s first visit to this dealer.? It did leave us both wondering whether an over-the-air update might have solved the problem without a dealer visit.

Most auto makers have mastered the demands of updating telematics control units (TCUs) and infotainment systems over the air. What remains elusive for most of the industry is the mystical full-vehicle update capability routinely performed by Tesla.

My second dealer visit, for my MY22 BMW X3 was less eventful but nevertheless enlightening.? I thought the owner app, BMW emails, the in-dash display, and Web portal were telling me it was time for a visit.? I was inclined to comply because I had been noticing a worrying level of tire wear on my expensive run-flat Bridgestones.

I first tried to drop in without an appointment, but the dealer was too busy.? I went online and scheduled a drop off for 7 a.m. in a few days.

Unlike the Hyundai dealer – which is not set up to ingest large numbers of vehicles – my BMW dealer has a three-lane vehicle check-in area which is usually packed with four vehicles in each lane in front of a long counter manned by technicians checking people in.? When you drive in you are then expected to stand by your vehicle until you are advised to approach the counter.

While you wait you notice a technician checking out your tires.? This tech is from Dealer Tire, a third-party service provider to the dealer.? My dealer was acquired by Lithia Motors a few years ago.

The Dealer Tire technician will normally approach you while you wait to let you know whether it’s “time” to replace your tires.? In my case, the tech handed me a document showing 3-4mm of tread left on each of my tires with the ominous note: “REPLACE SOON.”

On the flip side of the Replace Soon document was a quote for $2,124.81 for tire replacement, four wheel alignment, and shop supplies (before promotional $150 rebate).? The news that my tires needed to be replaced soon was anticipated, though the price tag was not.? Then something magical happened.

I approached the scheduling technician behind the counter.? I told him that I thought BMW was telling me it was time to bring my vehicle in.? He went and checked and told me that the only message that had been sent to me was a reminder to come in soon, but that my next oil change wasn’t due for another 2,500 miles.

In essence, between the tires being almost ready for replacement and my oil being almost ready to be changed, I really didn’t need my car to be serviced for another couple months.? To his great credit, the technician at the counter suggested that I come back in a couple months – delaying that $2,000 dent from being delivered to my wallet.

In the end, that was two dealer visits with $0 out of pocket.? That’s what I call some successful customer relationship management.