[Robnobob]

Here's a can of worms for you: As been reported in other threads (here and on the Hyundai IONIQ forum) that there is a possible defect in the disconnect mechanism which is causing a whirring/grinding sound from the front drive unit. Speculation is that some part is out of tolerance which is causing the GRU to not be fully disconnected. What are your thoughts on this?

Tom, the EV tech at the dealer, believes the shaft is too long and is unable to completely disengage from the disconnect. He did tell me that the mechanical design of the disconnect is very similar to the syncro design of a manual transmission and because of that design will have a very long life, assuming the shaft is correct!

 

[Robnobob]

So does he think this is the case for all AWD models and, if so, does this mean it's got recall potential?

That's what he believes the AWD cars will have a recall. But he did qualify his statement as "I'm just the technician" and not an engineer!

 

[Robnobob]

Copy that. Welp, I haven't experienced the noises yet knocks on wood so I'll just keep driving, keep my ears open, and watch for a recall. Thanks!

You bet! I'll let everyone know in the thread what I find out whenever my car is finished getting parts thrown at it!

 

[Robnobob]

No technician is allowed to dig inside of front propulsion unit yet. So let's not make big horror stories about this. Kia engineering is collecting them and giving as new assembly to replace if this needs attention. So they do teardown and investigation. There are EV6 vehicle's with over 20k miles without any issues with front propulsion units. This could be just low % of units that have failed so far. This are common issues with every other EV manufacturers. If and when there is need for recall it will be taken care of by Kia.
So enjoy your time and vehicle.

Agreed! Even though my propulsion unit has been replaced (or about to be replaced) twice, I'm still enjoying it. As of right now I just hear the noise. I'm not experiencing any drivability issues. I'll just keep patiently working with the dealer until this is resolved. Thank you for the perspective.