A growing uproar is underway as some owners of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N claim the automaker is preventing them from doing even basic maintenance — like changing brake pads — through software restrictions. According to posts from one owner, trying to replace rear brakes triggered a digital lockout tied to the car’s electronic parking brake system. The owner says that in order to service the brakes, they needed to buy licensed diagnostic software and an expensive adapter — but even after paying, the access was denied.
Replacing brake pads is usually a simple mechanical job. But with the electronic parking brake on the Ioniq 5 N, the brake motor must be disengaged and then reset after maintenance. Hyundai apparently requires this recalibration to be done via its proprietary “diagnostic tool,” which isn’t freely available — it demands a license, a costly adapter, and in some cases registration as an authorized technician. Independent mechanics and DIY-minded owners argue this turns ordinary upkeep into a gated, dealer-only task.
What complicates matters further is the claim that dealers themselves don’t use the same locked Windows-based software. Instead, they are said to rely on a different, dealer-only tool — a contradiction critics see as proof the restriction is aimed more at controlling maintenance access than at technical necessity. This digital wall has raised broader concerns about what ownership means when a car’s essential functions are controlled by software.
For many car owners, the controversy underscores a deeper fear: as vehicles become more like computers on wheels, the right to repair may be slipping away. Until now, basic car maintenance — brake jobs, fluid changes, filter swaps — was something any capable owner or independent mechanic could handle. But if automakers continue to lock essential service tasks behind paywalls and proprietary tools, that tradition could vanish, along with affordability and autonomy.
Public reaction has been swift. On social platforms, Ioniq 5 N owners and EV-enthusiasts have voiced frustration. Some say they feel forced to rely on dealerships, even for simple tasks, while others see this as a warning signal for the future of EV ownership — where “owning” a car doesn’t guarantee control over how it’s serviced. The unfolding debate is already attracting attention from repair-rights advocates, who warn that software-gated maintenance could become the norm unless regulatory and legal protections are strengthened.
