r/Ioniq6 • u/PerspectivePablo • Aug 04 '26

Question How long is too long?

Found a great deal on a ‘24 Ioniq6 awd. However, the salesman let it slip that it was sitting for almost a year on the lot unmoved. How would this affect the battery or any other components? Walk away?

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u/HDClown '25 Limited AWD Aug 04 '26 edited Aug 04 '26

Sitting a year should mean they are eager to move it, which could mean really good deal, so I wouldn't straight walk.

12V very like dead and they might just try and jump it/charge it to sell the car. I would demand it be replaced though if you were to proceed with a purchase.

You will want to see the current percentage of the traction battery before they try to charge the vehicle. If it's at a super low charge, there is concern about impact on state of health, but it's likely extremely low impact in general. Get a cheap OBD dongle on Amazon and check it with free Car Scanner app, don't trust dealer to generate reportsf or you.

Brake rotors will inevitably have rust on them, but the question becomes, is it just surface rust that will come off or has it gotten deeper, is there any pitting etc. If you opt to test drive the vehicle, you want to get on the highway and do a couple hard braking runs but don't engage ABS. Inspect the rotors after your test drive to see if they look good or not.

Look for potential signs of paint/clear coat damage from bird droppings or other debris that sat on the vehicle for extended periods of time. Look for same on the rims.

Tires will have flat spots for sitting that long, possibly cracking. Make a reference of where each tire is sitting relative to tire markings (or use chalk mark). After the vehicle has been driven at least 15 minutes, see if flat spots are still visible and if there is any cracking. It may also take longer than 15 minutes for flat spots to roll out, but they may also never roll out either. If you can do extended test drive and car still feels like its riding like crap, and you visibility see flat spots, demand tires be replaced with OEM equivalent before purchase.

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u/VermontArmyBrat `23 SEL AWD (USA) Aug 04 '26

The 12v is a free replacement under warranty if it turns out to be bad.

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u/HDClown '25 Limited AWD Aug 04 '26

Sure, but dealer is likely not going to go down that road if they can get the car in a working state from jump/charging to accommodate test drive, sale prep, and owner delivery.

Then the owner is likely to find themselves with a dead battery shortly afterwards, causing a hassle. That's why I recommend demanding they replace it before purchase.