Hyundai Ioniq 5 Owners, Don't Forget To Check and Change Your EV's Blue Coolant

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is pretty well-known in the US, but it has yet to reach the same level of popularity as Tesla's Model Y. However, the existing tens of thousands of owners must know about an essential service operation regarding the two-coolant implementation – they must be replaced at certain intervals, according to the owner's manual.

It is a feature not found on other EVs built on the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). For example, the Kia EV6 or the Genesis GV60 do not have such a system.

The stylish crossover uses the standard, cheap coolant that is pink and has a separate circuit for the low conductivity one that is blue. Depending on the Ioniq 5 you bought, the vehicle requires between 6.6 and 7.2 quarts of pink coolant. The blue type must be refilled with at least 9.9 quarts of liquid, but the rear-wheel-drive Ioniq 5 with a heat pump uses the most low-conductivity coolant – 12.6 quarts.

For the 2021 and 2022 model year Ioniq 5s, the complete replacement of the blue coolant is recommended at every 40,000 miles interval. For the 2023 model year units, the automaker dropped the threshold to 35,000 miles intervals. This decision puts this service operation under the automaker's complimentary maintenance program, meaning you won't have to pay for the first check and refill. The program covers the three years of use or 36,000 miles of driving, whichever comes first.

It's important to know the configuration of your Hyundai EV. Most service advisors still need to get used to performing this maintenance operation, and you can avoid any miscommunication by knowing your car's configuration and what service it might need. Moreover, the South Korean brand recommends Ioniq 5 buyers check their vehicles' coolant levels monthly.

Some buyers who have already had this service operation performed on their vehicles report various quotes. Some said they had to pay around $700, while others showed $250 invoices, proving that dealerships are still getting the hang of it. Customers may be receiving a cost estimation for a full flush. But upon inspection, the technician may discover such an operation is unnecessary. All they end up doing is topping up the liquid with a jug or two of coolant.

Hyundai designed the Ioniq 5 with the "N" version in mind. This newly-launched version of the crossover is more capable and requires improved heat control if it's often put to the test. Thus, it makes sense to have more coolant to prolong the battery's life and keep the motors running without overheating.

Also, it's important to remember that the Ioniq 5 boasts 800V architecture, which enables impressive charging speeds of up to 350 kW per hour. So much power transfer needs some serious cooling.

Plus, telling owners that they must schedule this service from time to time is a great way of mitigating any coolant leaks, an issue that has plagued some early Ioniq 5s. It is not, as some think, a new way to keep dealerships that see shrinking oil change revenue happy.

But if you feel like doing this yourself, we found genuine pink and blue Hyundai coolant online in one-gallon jugs for around $40 to $50.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that Tesla has designed the Model Y (built on 400V architecture) differently, and the Ioniq 5 rival does not need its battery coolant replaced for the life of the vehicle. But it might be better to disguise a simple system check as a fluid replacement than end up having to replace expensive battery packs or motors because they overheated.