Ioniq 5 Owner's Viral Complaint: A PR Practitioner's Perspective

A feature that should have provided convenience has instead led to problems for a Hyundai Ioniq 5 owner. Influencer Aa Juju, who runs the Instagram account @makanlurrrr, expressed disappointment after the electric car he bought in cash experienced several issues, including when used for parallel parking.

In a video posted on social media that has been viewed millions of times, the man whose full name is Julian Adityo Suwardi said that from the outset he had informed the sales staff of his need for parallel parking. He claimed he was told that the Ioniq 5 could be used for parallel parking. However, after using the car, he encountered a number of problems.

As a result, complaints about Hyundai’s technology and the service provided by its sales staff became the target of criticism. The peak of the backlash came from the response of the salesperson and his supervisor when Aa Juju conveyed his complaint for the umpteenth time directly to their dealership in the Fatmawati area of South Jakarta. The spotlight was largely directed at the supervisor, named Widay Markus, who was deemed defensive and unresponsive to the customer’s complaint.

Responding to the issue, a Hyundai product user and public relations practitioner, Bima Marzuki, said the case should serve as an important lesson for automotive companies.

In his view, product knowledge among sales staff, their communication, and after-sales service must be managed properly. According to him, problems can escalate when customer complaints are not properly channelled through official channels.

“First, if we look at this case, it stems from a complaint that was not properly channelled because of the salesperson’s lack of in-depth product knowledge, which ultimately disappointed the customer,” Bima said when contacted by Republika.co.id on Friday (21/8/2026).

Bima noted that the rapid development of vehicle technology over the past five years has made the understanding of sales staff increasingly important. Moreover, sales staff are the ones who directly hear customer needs and explain product capabilities before a transaction is made.

According to him, information provided by sales staff often sticks more than information in brochures. This is because not all customers read all the technical information about a vehicle before buying.

“Most customers will not read the brochure. Most customers will remember what was said and promised by the salesperson,” said Bima, who used a Hyundai Santa Fe for quite a long time.

For this reason, the CEO & Founder of Media Buffet PR reminded of the importance of preventing overpromising in the sales process. Sales staff must understand in detail the capabilities and limitations of a vehicle so that the information provided to customers does not create expectations that are difficult to meet.