Kona EV owners lose compensation lawsuit vs Hyundai for battery fires

The Seoul Central District Court has favored Hyundai against 173 Kona EV owners seeking compensation for their vehicles' deteriorating reputation and devaluation due to fires caused by battery issues.

Hyundai voluntarily recalled around 25,000 Kona EV units in October 2020 to update the Battery Management System and replace the batteries if abnormalities were found, like an excessive voltage gap between cells and oscillating temperatures.

But the car owners found the recall insufficient and sued Hyundai for physical and mental damages in November 2020.

In February 2021, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport declared that some high-voltage batteries produced by the Nanjing, China, facility of LG Energy Solution Ltd. had flaws.