IllustrationAfter the recall was corrected, the engine light came on two months later. I noticed the car will not accelerate and now will not start. The engine rumbles on the occasion that it does start.
2019 Hyundai Kona
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Kona years
Owner complaints for the 2019 Hyundai Kona are substantially higher than the model-year median of 74.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Kona years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
220–25K
925–50K
850–75K
875–100K
10100–150K
1150K+
58 reports with mileage · 132 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine. Review the 131 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
11 crash reports4 fire reports4 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
18 reportsI took my car to the dealership to have the campaign 200 recall fixed. When my vehicle was there, they found that the battery needed to be replaced, however found that there was "front end damage to the battery" and it would fall on me as the owner to replace the battery, and once the battery was replaced, they would fix the re…
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I took my car to the dealership to have the campaign 200 recall fixed. When my vehicle was there, they found that the battery needed to be replaced, however found that there was "front end damage to the battery" and it would fall on me as the owner to replace the battery, and once the battery was replaced, they would fix the recall. (Which replacing the battery would fix in the first place). My issue is, there is no alert on my dashboard or on the app that shows that there are zero diagnostic trouble codes. My concern is that if the battery has such significant damage, there should be some type of alert or warning with this occurring. Also the fact that there is a recall that requires a battery replacement and suddenly damage is noticed on the battery. Unfortunately, it seems that Hyundai is not willing to honor their warranty and "found" a way to blame me as the owner.
Check engine light came on, then went away. Check engine light came on 2 months later, then went away. Car completely dead 1 month later without any dashboard lights warning anything. Replaced battery and car died again 1 month after installing new battery. After jumping the car, alternator test read 12 at local repair shop.
1: car stopped abruptly without vehicle lights or warnings , stopped while driving 39 mph without any warning. 2: car engine smoking -fire d/y motor seize and oil leaking 3: motor seized piston bore hole in engine block appears to be of concern with other vehicles same year same model unsafe vehicle
I was driving the vehicle. All of a sudden, all the lights went out on the vehicle. This includes the instrumentation panel, interior lights, brake lights, etc. I drove the car to a safe location and stopped the engine. I then restarted the car and everything started normally.
Speedometer is not measuring correctly to the actual speed of car. Was actually driving about 15 mph faster than found on the analog gauge without knowing. The dealer confirmed that speedometer was reading 15 MPH under the actual speed of the car. Do not now if the car component was inspected by manufacturer, police, insuranc…
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Speedometer is not measuring correctly to the actual speed of car. Was actually driving about 15 mph faster than found on the analog gauge without knowing. The dealer confirmed that speedometer was reading 15 MPH under the actual speed of the car. Do not now if the car component was inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance or others. There was no warning presented by the car of the defect. Only that my son told me that according to the digital speed signs on the street we were going to fast. the car was turned in for repair of speedometer R.O. OPENED date 26MAY20 and returned fixed on READY,12JUN20. Now I have returned the car for repair with same problem 2 weeks from today approximate. CAR still not repaired, no reply from dealer.
DURING REGULAR DRIVING THE VEHICLE LOSES POWER, WILL NOT ACCELERATE AND STALLS OUT COMPLETELY. AFTER SITTING A FEW MINUTES THE VEHICLE WILL RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE REPAIR SHOP BUT NOTHING SEEMED WRONG. WITHIN A SIX MONTH PERIOD IT AGAIN OCCURRED TWICE. ONCE AGAIN NOTHING WAS OBSERVED WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE BUT TH…
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DURING REGULAR DRIVING THE VEHICLE LOSES POWER, WILL NOT ACCELERATE AND STALLS OUT COMPLETELY. AFTER SITTING A FEW MINUTES THE VEHICLE WILL RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE REPAIR SHOP BUT NOTHING SEEMED WRONG. WITHIN A SIX MONTH PERIOD IT AGAIN OCCURRED TWICE. ONCE AGAIN NOTHING WAS OBSERVED WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE BUT THE SECOND TIME LAST NIGHT THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND THEY STATED THE ENGINE HAS LITTLE TO NO COMPRESSION. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AWAITING A DIAGNOSIS FROM HYNDAI
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 HYUNDAI KONA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM SUDDENLY ACTIVATED, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ABRUPTLY SLOW DOWN. ALSO, WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER'S SEAT HEATER ERRONEOUSLY ACTIVATED AND THE DOORS WOULD NOT AUTOMATICALLY LOCK WHEN SWITCHING TO TH…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 HYUNDAI KONA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM SUDDENLY ACTIVATED, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ABRUPTLY SLOW DOWN. ALSO, WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER'S SEAT HEATER ERRONEOUSLY ACTIVATED AND THE DOORS WOULD NOT AUTOMATICALLY LOCK WHEN SWITCHING TO THE DRIVE POSITION. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WAS NOT DETERMINED. JIM BURKE HYUNDAI (4445 13TH ST NORTH, BIRMINGHAM, AL) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.
Official recalls
121V301000 · Engine
Apr 28, 2021
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Elantra, 2019-2021 Kona and Veloster vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which could result in engine damage.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Hyundai will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. Owner notification letters were mailed August 24, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
DP22003 · Loss Of Motive Power
Opened Sep 12, 2022 · Closed Dec 12, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are susceptible to cracking. The petition itself can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11481745. On September 12, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Defect Petition (DP22-003) to evaluate the Petitioners’ request. The Petitioners have provided additional complaints within four supplemental letters dated January 31, 2023, March 21, 2023, May 23, 2023, and August 4, 2023. ODI’s evaluation included the review and analysis of the complaints and supporting information submitted by the Petitioners, as well as additional complaints submitted directly to NHTSA which referenced either the oil drain plug or a crack in the oil pan. After reviewing the available data, ODI has not identified evidence that would support opening a defect investigation into the oil drain pan assemblies of the subject vehicles. Based on a review of the available information, a loss of motive power resulting from an oil drain plug back out has not occurred between the initial sale of a vehicle and the completion of its first oil change. If during an oil change service, a technician fails to remove the existing drain plug gasket before installing a new gasket, it is likely that a proper seal between the drain plug and the oil pan will not be made. An improper seal between the drain plug and oil pan could lead to the backing out on the drain plug, resulting in the sudden loss of oil while driving. Additionally, the provided examples of oil pan cracks were localized to the immediate vicinity of the oil drain plug and/or appeared to be the result of direct-contact with a tool during servicing. There is no information to support that a vehicle-based defect exists relating to the oil pan assembly, and instead the documented incidents are related to the failure to follow the proper maintenance procedures during oil change service. In October 2023, Hyundai published a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that provided detailed instructions for oil change service on its gasoline powered vehicles, specifically highlighting the need to remove and replace the existing drain plug gasket prior to reinstalling the drain plug. After a thorough review of the material submitted by the petitioner, the information already in NHTSA's possession, and the potential risks to motor vehicle safety implicated by the petitioners' allegations, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. Therefore, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA’s reasons for denial of the petition will be published. The reference numbers for the complaints to NHTSA cited by the petitioner can be found in the petition submission documents in the public file for DP22-003. To review those complaints and the additional complaints ODI added to its evaluation which are cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.