RoadVitals

2021 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
5
Latest May 26, 2026
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
4
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2021 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Brakes228.6%
  • Driver assistance228.6%
  • Electrical228.6%
  • Seat belts114.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Auto Hold/EPB lights come one while driving. Deactivates cruise control of on. Turns off auto hold. Ongoing issue with many reports but no recall or dealership knowledge. Ongoing issue since purchase.

NHTSA ID 11677617 · filed Jul 31, 2025

The "Auto Hold" feature on my Hyundai Ioniq malfunctioned, displaying a dashboard warning: "AUTO HOLD conditions not met. Press brake pedal." This message randomly appears while driving or stopping, and it deactivates the Auto Hold and Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) functions. In some cases, the car rolls after stopping because the system fails to hold the vehicle. This issue compromises vehicle safety, especially on inclines or during stop-and-go traffic. It puts me, passengers, and other drivers at risk. The problem has occurred multiple times and is unpredictable. It appears to be linked to a faulty brake switch or sensor, as noted in Hyundai’s TSB 23-BR-001H. I discovered this issue is affecting many other Hyundai Ioniq owners, as seen in this discussion: [XXX] The dealer has not yet inspected the vehicle, but the symptoms match the TSB. No accident has occurred, but the safety risk is serious due to brake failure behavior. There were no visible warning lights before the issue started, just the "Auto Hold" message when the failure happens. I bought the car from a used car dealer when it had 39,000 miles. Now it has around 74,000 miles. I’m not sure if it’s still under warranty. I haven’t taken it to the dealer yet, but the symptoms match exactly what other people are reporting online. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID 11673623 · filed Jul 15, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The "Auto Hold" feature on my Hyundai Ioniq malfunctioned, displaying a dashboard warning: "AUTO HOLD conditions not met. Press brake pedal." This message randomly appears while driving or stopping, and it deactivates the Auto Hold and Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) functions. In some cases, the car rolls after stopping because the system fails to hold the vehicle. This issue compromises vehicle safety, especially on inclines or during stop-and-go traffic. It puts me, passengers, and other drivers at risk. The problem has occurred multiple times and is unpredictable. It appears to be linked to a faulty brake switch or sensor, as noted in Hyundai’s TSB 23-BR-001H. I discovered this issue is affecting many other Hyundai Ioniq owners, as seen in this discussion: [XXX] The dealer has not yet inspected the vehicle, but the symptoms match the TSB. No accident has occurred, but the safety risk is serious due to brake failure behavior. There were no visible warning lights before the issue started, just the "Auto Hold" message when the failure happens. I bought the car from a used car dealer when it had 39,000 miles. Now it has around 74,000 miles. I’m not sure if it’s still under warranty. I haven’t taken it to the dealer yet, but the symptoms match exactly what other people are reporting online. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID 11673623 · filed Jul 15, 2025

During a highway trip that was bumper to bumper traffic at approximately 15mph, the car suddenly would not accelerate while operating on gasoline (not electric). The engine revs would increase to maximum without movement from the car (as if the car was in neutral). After checking the gear lever to make sure it was still in D, tried to accelerate again and engine rev high without movement. Eventually car came to stop with brakes, and the car could move on electric power (in hybrid mode), pulled over and turned off the car to visually inspect. After not identifying anything, turned on car and operation resumed to normal and would accelerate on gas power.

NHTSA ID 11474908 · filed Jul 20, 2022

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Auto Hold/EPB lights come one while driving. Deactivates cruise control of on. Turns off auto hold. Ongoing issue with many reports but no recall or dealership knowledge. Ongoing issue since purchase.

NHTSA ID 11677617 · filed Jul 31, 2025

The contact leased a 2021 Hyundai Ioniq Electric The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, he attempted to open the driver’s side door using the key fob; however, the door would not open. The contact contacted Hyundai roadside assistance who assisted him in jumpstarting and recharging the batteries. The contact was still able to drive the vehicle. The contact stated that a couple of days later, the vehicle failed to start after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the mechanic switch that applied the emergency brake was not completely closed and kept the electrical circuit for the emergency brake activated causing the two batteries to drain. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that they would reimburse him for the vehicle rental expenses under the condition that he surrendered his rights to pursue reimbursement for the vehicle repair expenses. The failure mileage was approximately 3,400.

NHTSA ID 11453602 · filed Feb 23, 2022

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Seat belts

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

Installing a car seat and the belt buckle failed. The plastic part split and no longer holds the belt together. This was under regular pressure with standard leverage that the car seat design calls for. Nothing was ever on top of the buckle and it is not damaged in any other way at all other than the failure. They refused to replace it via warranty.

NHTSA ID 11740246 · filed May 26, 2026

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .