Digital Side Mirrors Become Vexing Issue for Hyundai Ioniq 5 Owners

In the UK, Hyundai Ioniq 5 buyers can get side-mirror cameras as standard when they choose the Namsan Edition level of equipment. Even though they are attached in the same place on the A-pillar and extend outward just like a normal glass side mirror, the South Korean manufacturer says they are more aerodynamic. Owners who have them also like them.

They do have one big advantage, and that is the cameras' ability to see better than human eyes when it's foggy, rainy, or when the sun is shining too strong. Moreover, you can adjust the brightness of the OLED displays with weirdly thick bezels. Good implementations like what Hyundai did with the Ioniq 5 or what Honda did with the cute Honda e also eliminate any lag. You won't have to worry about seeing an oncoming vehicle or the curb too late.

Talking about design, Audi probably did it best. It integrated the displays above the door handles, and the bezels are barely noticeable.

Couple those advantages with an extra digital rear-view mirror and a 360-degree camera system, and you won't wait for the rear windshield to defog or worry about parking in tight spaces or near the curb.

But what these digital side mirrors aren't is cheap. This solution to a problem that doesn't exist will set owners back approximately £1,200 ($1,530) per digital side mirror without installation. Still, if you can stomach such a replacement, these virtual mirrors do come with a few advantages, as we mentioned above.

Unfortunately, you can't really make use of the perks that come with the pricey digital side mirrors when the optic sensors can't see what's behind you.

An Ioniq 5 owner explained on Reddit that they noticed something iffy going on with the image quality. It just wasn't crystal clear anymore. They looked at the virtual mirror and noticed something resembling a dot of moisture. They tried cleaning it at first but quickly realized that the hazy picture was because of the condensation that had formed inside both housings.

Some could blame it on the moody weather and shifting temperatures, but this issue isn't unique, recent, or unheard of. Many other Ioniq 5 Namsan owners complained about the same thing last summer. Some notified the relevant bodies about this, while others immediately contacted their dealers.

A couple of disgruntled owners stated that dealerships weren't willing to accept this situation as a problem that should be fixed for free. They claimed that there was no issue.

Other authorized sellers recognized the need for a solution and ordered new digital side mirrors at Hyundai's expense, according to owner feedback published on IoniqForum.

Normally, condensation shouldn't happen because the camera is sealed and the chamber is filled with dry gas or desiccated air. But amateur or professional photographers will tell you that the seals can leak over time, allowing moisture to form.

A handy solution is to blow some warm-dry air over the piece of glass protecting the optical sensors. Ioniq 5 Namsan owners might want to carry a blow dryer with them because the EV doesn't have a rear wiper. The fancy side mirrors become paramount when it's raining or the rear windshield is foggy. The good news is that a rear wiper will be added to the upcoming refresh.

When writing, there's no known fix other than a complete replacement. However, Hyundai has reportedly paused selling the Namsan trim in the UK. Affected drivers are looking into escalating this problem and intend to turn it into a recall that could force the automaker to apply a fleet-wide fix at no cost to buyers.