Hyundai Kona Complaints (2018)

75 consumer complaints on file.

#11673219July 13, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE
my Kona sputters when I put it in gear EVERY TIME. I have purchased gas at several stations so getting bad gas in the tank cannot be an issue. I’ve also had to replace the coil packs twice within 6 months. December 2024 and July 2025
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672420July 10, 2025
ENGINE
Purchased in cash at Dan O'Brien KIA for 22,000. This dealership in Concord NH (Owner) was charged w/embezzlement soon thereafter & was found guilty & fined. My cash purchase was never given to Hyundai nor was the promised 10 year powertrain warranty which was told to me from the salesman on the day of purchase in 2019. My 2.0 engine is knocking (undriveable) w/74 ,000 miles. Because Hyundai received no information on my purchase, I was never notified of recalls or class action suit recently won. I spoke to Hyundai (Case #[XXX]) & was told to take it to Irwin Hyundai for a diagnostic at $189. I'm told it does not meet an engine replacement YET it's doing the same exact issue affecting this very engine. I'm told it would cost me $11000. to replace. I'm [XXX], [XXX] & have no money to pay this amount, plus the car is literally listed for the same value give & take a few thousand $$ in value. I was lied to by the salesman about the warranty & had to find out myself there was a warranty but it went no further than my sales agreement which notes there's a warranty w/no explanation as to what it is. I'm now in a crisis: no car, & i just put $600 of tires on & it was inspected a week ago, quietly running - the tech had to ask if it was running as it was that quiet. What steps do I have to resolve this nightmare for engines failing & being told sorry your loss for nothing I have done wrong? If more information is needed I can get it. Dan O'Brien did inspections oil changes & repair work if needed (brakes etc). My email is [XXX]. phone [XXX] secondary or [XXX] primary. Somehow my phone switched to the secondary # & I'm trying to get it back to primary but it's a new phone & I have to figure it out. Please help me. Should I find a lawyer? So upsetting. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11659463May 7, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
My engine started shuddering and stalling out on me. This was very dangerous as the car would stall out at street lights and intersections. The check engine light only came on after the car stalled out and has not stayed on during the times that it stalls out. When I went to get a mechanic to check it out they said that they had seen many Hyundai and Kia cars that had the same issues. The issue was oil consumption. It was consuming oil faster than it should have, even though I was regularly getting my oil changed. This lead to a problem with my pistons. Now the engine needs to be replaced. But Hyundai won’t cover it because there is no recall on it and the power train warranty only last for the first owner. Is there any way we can request for a new recall on this vehicle as it is clearly a problem that Hyundai is having.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11654624April 14, 2025
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My car started making a noise back in Dec/2024. I scheduled an appointment with Quirk Hyundai in Braintree, Ma on Dec 11, 2024, and paid for a diagnostic the service center came back that it was the oil pan leaking so on this date I had that repaired that same day total cost was $254.76. Please note that my car was under warranty at this time. On [XXX], I brought my car back to Quirk Hyundai in Braintree because the noise had returned and was intermittent, and passenger side makes loud noise when riding over bumps and the car was shaking when driving pass 65 MPH. When I had the diagnostic done on 03/29/2025 the service center came back and said it was the mismatch tires that were put on my car by an outside provider (townfair tire) and that I needed 4 new tires, oil changes, mount and balance tires and four wheel alignment which cost me $959.08. Three days later while driving home from work the noise returned and my car ept shutting off one me. I went to AXP North in Randolph MA on 04/08/2025 (had to make an appt) for a second opinion diagnostic and they told me that my car will need a new engine as the one now is failing. I called Quirk Hyundai back on 04/08/2025 and told them this and they asked to bring the car back so they can recheck my car for misdiagnosis. So, on 4/09/2025 I called Quirk Hyundai for an update the failed engine was confirmed, and now because my car is 40 miles over the warranty it cannot be fixed by Hyundai. This car is a 2018 and should last me longer than 2025. My car is only 8 years old and I have cared for the car whenever it needed maintenance. I need someone to please call me to discuss further at [XXX] . I need a new engine and Quirk Hyundai will not cover the cost despite my several attempts to have this noise resolved when care was under warranty. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11647216March 9, 2025
ENGINE
My 2018 Hyundai Kona has been dealership serviced since buying it and it had about 115,000 miles on it when these issues began. Vehicle started to burn oil twice as fast as every time i would bring it into the dealership for the routine oil change, they would ALWAYS tell me that I had no oil in it. Therefore, I started to carry a quart of oil in the trunk and fill it up every 3 weeks or so. This went on for a few months until I started to notice a power problem while driving it on the highway on a trip. Tried to pull over at the next stop and then the car began shaking uncontrollably and engine shut off and would not start again. Took it to the dealership and they said your engine is shot and you're going to have to either buy a new car or put a new engine in it. I have seen many complaints and reviews about people having these same issues with the 2018 models. I know that there were a lot of recalls for the 2019 with these same issues with the incorrect heat tampered pistons causing these exact issues that the many of us 2018 owners have had. Please do the right thing and look into this. There are too many people having these same issues and this was my only means of transportation at the time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11636522January 17, 2025
ENGINE
Motor started burning oil at the rate of .5 quarts per week and a few months later vehicle failed to accelerate, had major vibrations and hesitation. Piston rings had failed. Verified by dealer. No other symptoms. Numerous problems with same motor reported by others and repair services. Has been recalled in Australia for same issues.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11632679December 27, 2024
ENGINE
Felt a large shudder/vibration go through the whole car while on the highway and lost some power. The check engine light came on immediately after so we took it to a mechanic. Diagnostics came back as Hall sensor and cam shaft timing errors. It was found that the timing chain had slipped a tooth. Additionally, one of the pistons was found to have significantly lower PSI than the rest (105 vs 140) which they said is indicative of a pending total engine failure. A recall was issued for the 2019 model for this exact issue and symptom but Hyundai has said it doesn’t apply to our situation. Hyundai quoted 12-17 thousand dollars for a new engine. The car has 87 thousand miles and is less than 6 years old.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11622442October 29, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
with no known contact with anything, shark fin antenna cover of hyundai kona blew off at highway speed. this was unknown at the time, but upon further consideration, concern that the detachment could have damaged another car or caused to swerve. dealer, warranty refuse to replace. multiple reports of similar occurrences exist in hyundai forums.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11621568October 23, 2024
ENGINE
Vehicle was traveling down the highway with cruise control on and suddenly proceeded to not maintain speed and lost the ability to accelerate and shake in the middle of the interstate. Check engine light came on after this and we were able to limp it off the highway onto the ramp. No warning lights, no over heating, or any signs were given prior to this incident to give the impression this vehicle would stop operating. My family's safety was put at risk as it lost speed suddenly on the interstate in the middle of traffic and could have caused other cars to hit us as we slowed and tried to get over to access the ramp. Vehicle was towed and inspected at a local mechanic and was informed there was oil burned on the spark plugs and cylinder 1 and 3 had little to no compression.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11621176October 22, 2024
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while her daughter was driving at undisclosed speeds, the engine warning light illuminated. There was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined there was knock in the cylinder. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that the cam was overworked and both cams had overproduced. Additionally, there was a misfire in cylinders number 1, 2, and 4. There was a power imbalance test performed, which determined that cylinder #3 was the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,745.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11615303September 18, 2024
ENGINE
While trying to accelerate on a on ramp onto the interstate, I felt my engine begin to knock. I pulled over and was able to get the car to drive home. The next morning my car would not turn over. I had it towed to my mechanic. They said it was bone dry of oil, I have always had it regularly serviced. They diagnosed it with engine failure. I’m just above the 60000 mile warranty at 63000 and Hyundai refuses to honor the warranty or help with the engine failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11612418September 3, 2024
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
At approximately 10,000 miles the tread is separating from the tire
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11586869May 3, 2024
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop, the contact heard a loud knocking sound coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, a diagnostic result was not disclosed; however, the dealer stated that the oil needed to be changed. The vehicle was not repaired, and the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to another dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle would not be repaired under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11580606April 2, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
After turning my car off and opening the door radio does not shut off. The radio stay on. And backup camera does not work. You have to keep un hooking the battery.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11575287March 4, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
My vehicle suffered a tire blowout on [XXX]. It was determined to be caused by ripped beading on the inner and outer part of the tire. It was also said that the damage to the tire occurred at time of initial install by improper mounting and balancing of the wheels and tired. The tires were 235/55/r17 Kelly A/S Edge M+S tubeless radial Tires manufactured in Mexico. The tires were placed on vehicle by the dealer. My safety was put at risk because 1) the tires were not manufacture recommended OEM tires. 2) No warning indicator Illuminated on the dash to indicate the tire was losing pressure. The vehicle then a month 1/2 later caught fire. Prior to the fire several warning malfunction indicators Illuminated. In addition to what was apparent electrical haywire, causing alarm sounds ( beeping), flashing lights, and warning indicators illuminating throughout the dash. The vehicle is said to be a 2018 hyundai kona petrol. Although at time of purchase and fire was equipped with a lithium ion 20h battery. I was told an inspection was done in August of 2021 by Hyundai Motor of America after fire and being towed to the local hyundai dealer, however to date 3/2024 am still denied the report and gave never been allowed to have it. The fire said to have been caused by audio installation faulty wiring to a subwoofer secured in the back of the vehicle which coincidentally was also stolen due to the repair dealer facing to secure the vehicle during repairs. The repair facility provided a work order that only listed 2 parts replaced which were two main wiring harnesses. In addition to the wire harnesses that the repair dealer is said to have replaced, there were other documented changes and replaced parts not mentioned, listed or detailed on any repair order. The original lithium ion battery had been replaced. Two- 50v main relay fuses in the relay box located in the engine compartment had been replaced. Prior to fire read HMML, after repairs read PBD01. PRT.1OF3 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF I
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11575295March 4, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, WHEELS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Prt. 2continued. The TPMS sensors had been replaced, which leads me to believe that at time of tire blowout did not function Although the subwoofer was stolen from vehicle the wiring to the subwoofer was said to have caused the fire and remained intact and connected to back of the original stereo equipment. A new subwoofer was purchased and the same wiring used to plug into from before fire and the subwoofer/stereo/wiring all worked just fine. One would assume the wiring would be fried and not work properly, however it didn't at all. This lead to me investigating the vehicle on my own after not being covered under warranty and all responsibility left on me to fix the vehicle. The "2018 hyundai kona" I was sold poses numerous safety risks for every driver on the road, not just the unfortunate consumers that purchase them for the following reasons. The vehicle is affixed with a vin sticker stating the manufacturer is HMC. Hyundai motor company of Korea with a final assembly in Korea. Has a manufacture date of [XXX] and self certified by manufacturer to comply with all US fmvss and anti theft protection required at time of manufacture date. The car to date has not undergone safety crash testing performed by NHTSA. NO substantially similar vehicle is US to compare ratings to, it being 1st of its kind. The sticker also lists vehicle as passenger car, however according to manufacture rated class c and over 4,000 lbs and a Truck/SUV for classification purposes. Although sold in the US as AWD, is listed as 4×4 elsewhere. Lithium ion batteries are not standard for non hybrid or electric vehicles. No import documentation is attached to the vehicle. The hyundai kona was not placed on list of vehicle eligible to import by the NHTSA until 2020. MINE SAID TO BE REGISTERED IN WASHINGTON STATE IN 2018. The vehicles original window sticker lists part cartent as required however is not listed on the parts content list provided by the NHTSA ad required until 2020. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFOR
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11575302March 4, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The 565 and 566 required to be submitted by manufacture prior to sale in US lists the vehicle manufacturer in korea, describes vehicle as a truck and weight recorded at over 33000 lbs. The vehicle has had no safety Inspections and a rather loose self certification process allows the oversight and quality assurance that the vehicle did meet fmvss and all FMVSS requirements. Simply taking a manufactures word for it does not protect innocent consumers and endangers every driver on the road. The vehicle was driven on a fully capable scale and weighed 3, 126lbs fully loaded. The vehicle has a WMI of KM8, when a WMI search on the NHTSA website through manufacture information list only the Sonata as KM8 and decodes the vin KMH in the US not KM8. The window sticker lists a port of entry as PT, however again 0 import documentation is found. The Washington State DOL states the vehicle was manufactured in the US and shipped to the dealer. However the only US hyundai manufacture plant in the US was HMMA and they according to 555 and 566 submittal do not manufacture the Kona. The kona is not listed as manufactured by any US Hyundai rather Hatci is listed as a parent company and has a submittal of a 565 and 566 listing the Kona as a truck but was not submitted until 2023. Again my vehicle was said to have been registered in washington state in 2018. A recorded conversation I had recently with NHTSA safety hotline, NHTSA representative can be heard stating not every vehicle is tested due to lack of funding. That's not safe. I have a right to know the vehicle I am driving is fit for the road. When asked why the crash testing safecar program was created, NHTSA states to ensure safe cars for consumers when the website states it allows for incentives to be offered to manufactures to produce these safer vehicle. There is no requirments to ensure that they do. And if the car isn't randomly selected to be tested, the NHTSA does not ensure it does but takes the manufacturers word
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11569371February 1, 2024
AIR BAGS
I had a car collision last [XXX] when the car ahead of me made a sudden stop in the [XXX] . I was in the fastest lane when it happened and I was not protected at all because the airbag did not deploy. It resulted to pain due to contusion on my chest wall, pain on my sternum contusion on my right knee and neck strain. My insurance covered for the repair. Hyundai has told me after I asked them to check on the car that they are not going to investigate as to why the airbag did not deploy. I feel very unsafe driving it. I am very traumatized. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11553132November 2, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
I was sold a car with 1 unprepared safety recall and 22 technical service bulletins. In addition to was previously salvaged sue to collision, hail, flood and fire. The vehicle also was a 2019 made into a 2018. When the ecm was reprogrammed the new vin was wiped clean and altered. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11548762October 6, 2023
ENGINE
Pulled into driveway and saw smoke coming from engine. Popped hood and saw engine block was on fire. Quickly closed the hood and called 911. Within a few minutes the car was completely engulfed. I just had the car serviced a few days earlier and prior to that i had the 60k mile maintenance service done. There was around 63k miles on the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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