2018 Hyundai Kona

WAS DRIVING HYUNDAI KONA DOWN THE FREEWAY. I SMELLED A BURNING SMELL, I SAW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BLINK ONCE. THE CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE AND I STARTED PULLING OVER TO THE SHOULDER. STOPPING ON THE SHOULDER, I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. I EVACUATED THE CAR AND WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, FLAMES WERE PRESENT. IT WAS BETWEEN 2-3 MILES START TO FINISH.

BLIND SPOT WARNING ⚠️ APPEARED LIKE THIS FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. THE SYSTEM TURNED OFF FOR NO REASON AT 5000 MILES, THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE OR SINCE. I WAS IN CRUSE CONTROL BUT THIS WAS NOT AFFECTED. THE SYSTEM CAME BACK ONLINE BY ITSELF AN HOUR LATER. I TRIED REPEATEDLY TO GET IT TO COME BACK ON MYSELF BUT IT DID NOT WORK. CLEAR WEATHER, NO TRAFFIC OR OTHER ISSUES. I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY.

WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT 98 % OF ONCOMING DRIVERS FLASH THEIR LIGHTS AT ME TO INDICATE THAT I HAD FORGOTTEN TO DIM MY LIGHTS WHEN IN FACT I DID NOT HAVE MY HIGH BEAMS ENGAGED. I TOOK THIS ISSUE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHICH DID IT'S BEST TO FIX THE PROBLEM BUT WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT IT. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I FOUND THAT THERE WAS INDEED AN ISSUE WITH THE LED LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE. I DISCOVERED THAT HYUNDAI ENGINEERS HAD RECONFIGURED THE PROJECTOR BEAMS TO CORRECT THE ISSUE ON ALL CARS BUILT AFTER MAY 2018. HYUNDAI WAS TOTALLY DISMISSIVE IN SPITE OF THE FOLLOWING. THE 2018 HYUNDAI KONA HAS RECEIVED THE TOP SAFETY PICK+ RATING, BUT THE RATING ONLY APPLIES TO VEHICLES BUILT AFTER MAY 2018. TO MAKE SURE THAT THE KONA'S HEADLIGHTS ARE UP TO PAR, HYUNDAI MADE CHANGES TO THE KONA'S AVAILABLE LED PROJECTOR HEADLIGHTS TO LIMIT GLARE FOR ONCOMING DRIVERS. THE LED HEADLIGHTS, WHICH ARE AVAILABLE ON THE LIMITED AND ULTIMATE TRIM LINES NOW HAVE A GOOD RATING. PRETTY MUCH IMPOSSIBLE TO SAFELY DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AT NIGHT.

I OWN A 2018 HYUNDAI KONA SEL PURCHASED IN MARCH 2018 FROM KEARNY MESA HYUNDAI IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. I BECAME AWARE THAT THE INITIAL KONA SE AND SEL'S SUBMITTED TO THE INSURANCE INSTITUTE OF HIGHWAY SAFETY (IIHS) FAILED FOR INSUFFICIENT HEADLIGHT ILLUMINATION. I FURTHER UNDERSTAND THAT HYUNDAI INSTITUTED CORRECTIVE ACTION AND RESUBMITTED THE KONA TO THE IIHS IN MAY 2018, WHICH PASSED AND RECEIVED A 5-STAR RATING. I CONTACTED HYUNDAI TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY DID TO CORRECT THE DEFICIENCY, AND CAN MY CAR BE FIXED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CORRECTION WAS PROPRIETARY, AND THEY CANNOT TELL ME WHAT WAS DONE. I ASKED THEM IF THEY COULD NOTIFY POWAY HYUNDAI, SO THEY CAN CORRECT THE DEFICIENCY. THE ANSWER WAS NO. THEY ADVISED ME THAT THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION DIVISION. NOT KNOWING WHO THEY ARE I ELECTED TO CONTACT YOU. HYUNDAI INTRODUCED THE CAR FOR SALE IN FEBRUARY 2018 AND MADE A MAJOR ENGINEERING CHANGE IN MAY TO CORRECT AN APPARENT SAFETY ISSUE AND THEY HAVE NOTHING TO THE CARS WHICH WERE MADE FROM FEBRUARY TO MAY2 018 TO CORRECT THE ISSUE.

I AM REQUESTING INVESTIGATION INTO EXCESS GLARE FROM LED HEADLIGHTS ON THE KONA LIMITED MODEL, YEAR 2018 FOR THOSE MANUFACTURED PRIOR TO JUNE. EXCESSIVE GLARE ORIGINATES FROM THE LED LIGHTS AND RESULTS IN CONSISTENT "BRIGHT BEAM" FLASHES FROM ON COMING DRIVERS, AS THEY THINK YOU HAVE YOUR BRIGHTS ON. THIS RESULTS IN BLINDING AND UNSAFE CONDITIONS WHEN DRIVING ON NARROW ROADS FOR BOTH DRIVERS. HYUNDAI APPEARS TO HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE ISSUE AS THEY REDESIGNED THE LED HEADLIGHTS MID YEAR. JUNE AND LATER MODELS DO NOT HAVE EXCESS GLARE. THIS APPEARS TO BE SUPPORTED BY IIHS.ORG AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: HTTPS://WWW.IIHS.ORG/IIHS/NEWS/DESKTOPNEWS/IMPROVED-HEADLIGHTS-HELP-HYUNDAI-KONA-EARN-TOP-SAFETY-PICK-AWARD WHEN CONTACTING HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SUPPORT TO SEEK REPLACEMENT LIGHTS, THEY CLAIM TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE CHANGE MID YEAR AND DIRECT YOU TO THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE CONTACTED TWO LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALERSHIPS AND NEITHER CLAIMS TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MID YEAR CHANGES AND HAVE NOT YET OFFERED ANY ASSISTANCE IN ADDRESSING THE ISSUE. HYUNDAI SHOULD BE REQUESTED BY NHTSA TO CONTACT KNOWN EARLY YEAR OWNERS OF AFFECTED KONA LIMITED MODELS WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO GET THE ISSUES ADDRESSED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 HYUNDAI KONA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT "BLIND SPOT HAS BEEN DISABLED" ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. SHORTLY AFTER, THE BLIND SPOT MONITORS TURNED OFF AND FAILED TO WORK. THE CONTACT HAD TO TURN THE VEHICLE ON AND OFF FOR THE BLIND SPOT MONITORS TO WORK PROPERLY AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO KUNES COUNTRY HYUNDAI OF QUINCY (207 N 36TH ST, QUINCY, IL 62301) WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A GLITCH, BUT THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,100. *TT OFF THEN ON. CONSUMER STATED SAFETY FEATURE OF BLIND SPOT TECHNOLOGY SHOULD BE ON AT ALL TIMES BUT "BLIND-SPOT" FEATURE WAS DISABLED.*JB

3RD TIME NOW CONCERNING BCW (BLIND COLLISION WARNING) SHUTTING OFF AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS , NO GRIME/MUD/SNOW/BAD WEATHER TO BE THE BLAME. THE SYSTEM JUST SHUTS DOWN AUTOMATICALLY LEAVING A ORANGE SAFETY TRIANGLE ILLUMINATED ON DASH. BUTTON WAS NEVER TOUCHED EVEN IF IT WAS THERE WOULD AGAIN BE NO ERROR MESSAGE AND TRIANGLE. THIS TIME SYSTEM STAYED SHUTDOWN FOR LONGER THAN 15 MIN MILEAGE 11442 9-10-18. THIS HAS BECOME MORE OF NUISANCE AND MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN.