2019 Hyundai Kona Complaints

ENGINE — Filed 09/11/2026

On September 11, 2026, while driving my 2019 Hyundai Kona Limited 1.6L Turbo on the highway, the vehicle suffered a sudden and dangerous loss of propulsion. The engine began vibrating violently, lost power significantly, and a strong chemical burning smell entered the cabin. I was forced to pull over immediately in traffic to avoid a catastrophic fire or highway collision. The vehicle had to be towed to McGrath Hyundai. The official dealership inspection (RO# 949326) confirmed severe internal manufacturing defects: cylinder wall scoring on cylinders 2, 3, and 4 due to premature piston ring wear, which caused massive oil fouling on the spark plugs and total ignition failure. This defect creates an immediate highway safety hazard and risk of engine fire due to oil entering the combustion chamber. Hyundai Motor America refuses to issue a safety recall for this 1.6L Gamma engine defect, leaving consumers driving unsafe vehicles with active loans.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE — Filed 07/15/2026

The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that prior to purchasing the vehicle, the contact was informed that the vehicle had been previously repaired under recall. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 – 35 MPH, and releasing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle independently accelerated. The contact stated that the dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (ENGINE). The failure mileage was 90,000.

STRUCTURE — Filed 07/20/2026

My Blue Hyundai Kona Ultimate paint is peeling from the roof. This can create a hazard if the paint chips in large pieces and flys obstructing visibility. The paint chipping is also close to the front windshield which can block the path of the wiper blades. Hyundai has acknowledged that certain year vehicles have a manufactures default of delaminated paint that could possible fly off in sheets. However, they have only recalled white colored vehicles for repair while doing nothing about other colored vehicles.

ENGINE — Filed 09/05/2026

I took my vehicle to a dealership for a recall and they refused to honor it. They made excuses and performed an unrelated service.

ENGINE — Filed 08/23/2026

Vehicle starting using extreme amounts of oil, lose acceleration and stalling while driving and making klicking noises. All symptoms point to Hyundai recall 203 (NHTSA campaign number 21V301000). Dealer and manufacturer refuse to fix it, citing lack of extended warranty and high mileage, as well as insist of oil consumption test that would require me to drive the vehicle for another 1000 miles for them to be able to determine the oil consumption. Because I don't fee it is safe to drive the vehicle, I declined the test, but was willing to allow the dealer's service employees to drive it. They refused. I ended up donating the vehicle to Kars for Kids and notified them about the situation.

POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 07/15/2026

My 2019 Hyundai Kona SE (2.0L Nu MPI/Atkinson engine) was previously subject to NHTSA Recall 21V301000 (Hyundai Recall 203) for defective piston oil rings that can chip and cause accelerated oil consumption, engine knocking, and stalling. That recall's remedy was performed under a prior owner in December 2021. In November 2025, a Hyundai dealership installed a Cylinder Noise Diagnostic System (CNDS) software update (Service Campaign 974) specifically meant to detect this defect's vibration signature before it causes engine damage. Approximately 7,000-8,000 miles and about nine months after that software update, the vehicle stalled unexpectedly while being driven on two separate occasions, with no check-engine light or other warning beforehand. A third stall left the vehicle unable to restart. It was towed to a service station, which found no engine oil and no external leak. A Hyundai dealership subsequently diagnosed cracked valves that allowed approximately 5 quarts of oil to burn through the engine, and determined the engine requires complete replacement. This is the same failure mode (oil consumption/engine damage leading to stalling) that the original recall and the 2025 software update were both meant to prevent, and the software gave no advance warning before the stalling occurred. The vehicle and dealership diagnosis are available for inspection upon request.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE — Filed 08/15/2026

The engine was spewing oil into the air filter and also out of a hose near the turbo. It was also consuming high amounts of oil, yes its available for inspection. I was driving on a busy public highway and my car lost power and would not accelerate no the problem has not been confirmed as of yet vehicle has not received official inspection yet there was zero warning lamps, messages, or any indicator of any kind that there was a problem. there still isnt

ENGINE — Filed 08/04/2026

The contact's daughter owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 40 MPH, smoke started coming from under the hood. The vehicle lost power and came to a stop in front of a convenience store, blocking the entrance. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The driver called the Fire Department, and it was confirmed that the engine compartment displayed severe heating damage. There was no fire. The firemen on the scene recommended that the vehicle be towed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the failure was a known failure and might be covered under an extended warranty program. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had seized. No electrical failure was found. The dealer initially offered to cover 95% of the cost of the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered to cover 85% of the cost of the repair, but the contact declined. The contact stated that the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software update had previously been completed on the vehicle; however, the update failed to prevent the engine failure. The manufacturer informed the contact that the extended warranty could not be applied due to a transfer of ownership to the contact's daughter. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

ENGINE — Filed 06/26/2026

The vehicle suffered a sudden, severe loss of power while driving, causing the engine to stall unexpectedly. This created an immediate hazard to myself and other motorists on the road, as I was forced to navigate a dead vehicle out of active traffic without power steering or power braking assist. Prior to the total failure, the engine exhibited severe mechanical knocking, loss of acceleration, and high oil consumption without any visible external oil leaks. This engine failure is a direct result of the manufacturing defect detailed in NHTSA Safety Recall 203 (NHTSA Campaign 21V301000) concerning improperly heat-treated piston oil rings that cause severe cylinder scuffing and engine stall. Although the software update (Campaign 974) was previously completed on this VIN, the physical defect was never mechanically repaired. The software update failed to prevent the physical, defectively manufactured components from destroying the engine. Hyundai is refusing to honor the safety campaign and replace the failed engine because the recall database incorrectly lists the recall status as "completed."

STRUCTURE — Filed 07/08/2026

First notice was exterior top railing coating wearing down after just 3 years of having car. Notified dealership of this issue and was stated that my car was out of warranty. (Now 7yo) Exterior Paint is peeling off hood; exposing primer layering, as well as in some spots, the main body itself. This is a known defect caused by factory laquer coating and of which dealership states they STILL will not cover repair.

ENGINE — Filed 05/20/2026

My 2019 Hyundai Kona has been burning oil, I’ve done great upkeep on it, including topping the oil off in between services. This is because it obviously has been burning oil, well recently it started stalling, then starting/turning it over has been acting up. The RPM’s have not been stable at all an I’ve ran two diagnostic test on it, they came back as a “camshaft error” I can’t remember the exact code at the moment. However the mechanics I have questioned said it’s probably from the oil pressure being messed up from the oil burning up. Whether it be the sensor not regulating properly or the engine itself not getting enough lubricant. I have heard from others with Hyundais an it’s not just Kona’s, people are saying they burn through their oil fairly quickly compared to other cars they’ve had. With that being said, the car now stalls in traffic and the check engine light came on finally, that’s when we first ran diagnostics. Which I have had diagnostics ran at one place I go to for oil changes, a one at a Meineke, and soon to be a third at Autozone because I need to get the exact code again. I’m worried because my mom an I have been sharing this vehicle and the stalling makes it dangerous, it can be put in neutral and restarted but I have a service appointment with a dealership to see what they can do, however I feel this is happening from something caused straight from the manufacturer, not improper care or overuse. So I’m filing a complaint because if you stall while crossing traffic and could not restart, or know how to restart it, you could get in a wreck. This all seemed to start happening as well right after the vehicle rolled over 100,000 miles, go figure right? An if you needed to inspect this happening it would not be hard to do, all you would have to do is turn over the engine, then drive it for a bit an it will eventually stall, an you could also see the RPM’s bouncing and the noises it makes.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE — Filed 06/13/2026

The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced excessive oil consumption. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH on the highway, the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to pull over to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving into a parking lot. The battery warning light illuminated on several occasions. Additionally, the contact stated that the check engine and low oil pressure warning lights were intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone and to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the piston oil ring failure had caused low oil pressure, which resulted in the timing failure. The failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (ENGINE). The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure but denied a loaner vehicle or towing assistance to the dealer located 75 miles away. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.

AIR BAGS — Filed 03/20/2026

I am reporting this for my daughter, [XXX] , while she's recovering on pain meds. She is the owner and driver of the car. no passengers in this 1-car accident. the weather and road conditions were terrible. car skidded of side of road into a ditch. When the airbags deployed, the plastic frame on the drivers side A-pillar broke and exploded out towards the driver. it appears the sharp edge of the broken plastic frame struck driver in left eye, slicing it cornea area of her eye causing a ruptured globe. thankfully, she has no other injuries. the plastic frame on the passenger side A-pillar did not break when it's airbag deployed. reporting by [XXX] . please contact me at [XXX] . [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 02/07/2026

While stopped our 2019 Kona EV at a traffic light with my foot on the brake, the car spontaneously accelerated and crashed into the car also sitting at the light about eight feet in front of us. If there wasn't a car in front of us, we would have gone through a busy intersection at very high speed. The front end of the car was destroyed and both airbags deployed. The car was towed to a collision center and is considered: "Totaled" . We tried to get it inspected for the computer system to confirm what happened, but there was no interest by any party. There was no pre-warning or issues with the vehicle before this happened. The incident happened about ten miles from our house, and we had been driving it for about 15 minutes. The temperature outside was extremely cold at about 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

AIR BAGS — Filed 06/16/2025

I would like to file a complaint regarding a major problem with our 2019 Hyundai Kona. We currently have Case #[XXX] opened with Hyundai Corporate Customer Care [XXX] ) but are having major problems getting this air bag issue resolved as it is currently an “unrecalled vehicle,” but having the same issue with air bags as a very recent recalled vehicle list and there is a current class action lawsuit. The car was in a minor rear end accident when major air bag issues were discovered not due to the accident. We were told to file a supplemental claim with our insurance company but as to no surprise to us it was denied because it had nothing to do with this car’s air bag issues. I have included the timeline and pertinent info on this car. It is currently outside the warranty period by date only. The vehicle has less than 58,000 miles on it. The vehicle’s air bag light was not illuminated until after the accident otherwise we would have resolved the issue right away The car has been at Hyundai Glassman in Southfield, Mi., for over 2 months while we have tried to get this resolved as the repair estimate is close to $9000.00. Please review attached. Thank you! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 05/12/2024

Driving on the highway [XXX] ) during rain. Traffic moving stop and go slow. Before I knew what had happened, my car hit the back bumper of a Chevy Suburban. My car gave no auto warning, the windshield wipers barely worked, and I believe the electric systems had stopped. Radio and air-conditioning. [XXX] My car bumper and grill were messed up. And I received pain in my right shoulder. The Suburban had a trailer hook-up jammed inside my front bumper grill; my vehicle received all the damage. The other driver's vehicle had no harm. My vehicle damage to the car was over a thousand dollars. And I was left with a shoulder injury. Car insurance paid for the damage to my 2019 Hyundai Kona SUV's all-wheel drive, with me paying a portion. After work was completed, all the electrical systems, including air conditioning, lights, wipers, and radio, didn't work. Fuse work was checked and found, but no power was getting into the system to operate functions that required electricity. The car started up, but the side lights but not the front lights, air conditioning, and the issue of tight steering now. The car tech stated they only installed a new bumper, and the grill did not work on the areas that are now not working. Tech said the lights and wipers were working but are not working now. Driving the vehicle will be limited based on these issues. The fuses appear good, but no power is getting into the box that powers the various items that are not working. I believe this car is a Lemon, and the dealership was aware of these issues and never told me the car had recalls. According to the internet, the tech who replaced my bumper stated that these issues are what the 2019 Hyundai Kona vehicle. Today (7-22-24), I drove my car from the auto shop with a new bumper and with hesitation and fear because the wipers and lights were not working, the air conditioning was out, and it is about to rain. The tech stated they were working earlier but are not working now. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ENGINE — Filed 05/12/2024

The contact owned a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while stopped at an intersection, he observed smoke emanating from the engine compartment. The vehicle was steered into a parking lot where he opened the hood and he observed flames coming from the engine. A police report was filed. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was taken to a salvage lot. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,000.

AIR BAGS — Filed 09/25/2023

The air bags didn’t deploy

ENGINE — Filed 07/01/2020

Your website states I am not in a recall but indeed I have been under recall 302, now 974, and another one currently. The dealers have lied and falsified records. My new Kona with less than 31000 miles is burning more than a qt of oil weekly on average, knocks loudly, looses power, and now I'm finding burnt labels on the booster vac lines. The dealer states I was under recall 203 in 2020 for "vibration inspection" ABSOLUTELY NOT I was seen for recall 203 bad piston rings with less than 12k miles. Now for the SECOND time I'm told it's not safe nor advisable by Hyundai to park my vehicle in my driveway or garage due to fire risks of my car. The car is worth 30-45% lower value than retail due to issues. Hyundai has lied non stop, the dealers have lied non stop, and no one cares. I also have over 5k in wrap warranties that are not valid anymore due to abnormal oil consumption and the dealer will not allow me to remove the packs. It's all BS Now involved in a rear end collision not at fault. Hit at 40mph at a dead stop. It destroyed the rear collision system and bars as well as sensors but not one air bag deployment or safety feature. Almost 8k in repair and over 3 weeks in shop. In one of the safest vehicles nationaly

STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 11/07/2021

My vehicle was stolen in November of 2021, (many have been in Milwaukee). I had a steering wheel lock (they had broken the back rear window in April 2021 in a thwarted attempt to steal, and the police recommended this), and the vehicle was parked under security cameras. They broke the window, disabled the ignition and took it for a ride and crashed it. My vehicle repair has not been completed due to the high volume of thefts, and delay by insurance companies making claims. It is now February 8, 2022.

AIR BAGS — Filed 11/15/2021

I was in a bad wreck on November 15th 2021 about 8pm I have pictures of car and air bags did not deploy was wondering because I thought as much damage they should have

ENGINE — Filed 09/02/2021

The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph a knocking noise and burning odor was present coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the engine had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The VIN look-up confirmed the vehicle was listed in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 21v301000 (engine).The failure mileage was 70,000.

ENGINE — Filed 07/27/2021

The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21V301000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would jerk. The dealer was made aware of the recall and failure but informed the contact that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 82,285. Parts distribution disconnect.

SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 02/28/2020

THE CAR BREAKS DOES NOT GET APPLIED INTERMITTENTLY, I HAD A FORWARD COLLISION. THE FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE / WARNING DID NOT WORK. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AT A BUSY STREET WITH SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME THE BREAK DID NOT GET APPLIED, THE FIRST TIME THE ROAD AHEAD WAS CLEAR.

AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 11/08/2019

UPON COLLISION (FRONT END) AT ABOUT 35 MPH THE VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES AND CONTINUED TO BURN UNTIL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SHOWED UP. IN ADDITION, THERE MAY BE AN ISSUE WITH THE SEAT BELT MECHANISM. DRIVER'S CLAVICLE WAS FRACTURED AND DISPLACED UPON IMPACT.