2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 Pricing and Specs

What has happened is that the gas struts that are designed to help you raise the weight of the tailgate and then hold it in place have lost some of their gas. As such, they’re no longer able to support the weight of the tailgate and that’s why it’s randomly falling to earth, risking trapping your hands or other body parts in the process.

The solution is to replace the struts. These are available from parts stores and plenty of online sellers and shouldn’t cost too much. They're not difficult to fit yourself, but a mechanic wouldn’t charge too much to fit them either. Once they’re fitted, the tailgate should be perfectly safe to use again.

Many cars also use these struts for the bonnet, too, and they’re a common failure. Just make sure you get the precise strut for your make and model as they vary in length and in how much weight they’re designed to support.

If you’re lucky, the problem might be as simple as a blown fuse that controls these circuits. So that’s where to start checking. The instrument panel lights and rear fog lights in the Hyundai are on separate circuits, so you’ll need to locate both fuses. Start with the internal fuse box located low down on the dashboard near the steering column. The inside of the cover will have a map of which fuse does what, but don’t forget there’s also a second fuse box under the bonnet.

If the problem is not a blown fuse, or the fuse blows again once you’ve changed it, you’ll probably need to services of an auto electrician to figure out where the power is going and what’s the cause. A poor earth somewhere on the car or a short circuit are two likely culprits.

CarsGuide tested the Kona Hybrid late last year (you can check out the review and video here) and came to exactly the same conclusion: That the car was great around the city, but lacked a bit of overtaking oomph at highway speeds.

This will not be a problem for many owners who will possibly never need to overtake on a country road, but for those who do, perhaps there are better choices out there.

Your comparison with the petrol Captiva is a valid one, too. On paper, this car had plenty of urge, but the power was all stacked way up in the higher rev ranges and required some forward planning when overtaking.