general problems of the 2018 Hyundai Kona - part 1

The vehicle suddenly stalled while driving on the highway at normal speed without warning. The engine lost power completely, creating a dangerous situation and a risk of collision with surrounding traffic. The vehicle had to be towed to a repair shop, where the issue was diagnosed as engine failure. There were no warning lights or prior symptoms before the incident. This appears to be a serious safety-related defect. I am aware that similar engine issues have been reported in Hyundai vehicles.

The check engine light came on while driving. Vehicle was assessed by mechanic with strange diagnostic code; full oil and filter change done. Check engine light still on and engine stalled while driving on freeway. Took to dealer and was advised the car requires cvvts (which is essentially a new engine), serpentine belt and spark plugs (approx $3600). There is a known engine defect with the 2018 Hyundai but they refuse to do as a recall and refuse discounted repair on a vehicle that 8 years old with 92,000 miles. This vehicle is owned by my young adult child and I believe it is undriveable since stalling at full speed is quite dangerous.

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai koa. The contact stated that while the daughter was driving the vehicle began to sputter and jerk before stalling. During the failure the oil warning light flashed off and on. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine had failed due to carbon buildup. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA campaign number: 21v301000(engine) the contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 90,000.

The car was burning through oil every 14 -21days. Car has been jerking and taking a while to accelerate. Went to machine to see what’s going he suggested I go to the dealership because there’s no leaks visible. But added more oil so I wouldn’t go without oil there was nothing available for me to come in right away and before my appointment my car started to speed up out of nowhere then completely slowed down then jerked until I could find a safe space to pull over. Check engine came on and the code was reading a misfire. Got a tune up still reading as a misfire now just stuck at the dealership playing guessing games with what’s wrong with the vehicle.

See attached document for complaint.

My vehicle started was burning oil having to add oil frequently. Then a knocking noise started coming from the engine (2. 0 l mpi nu). It began to have trouble starting and was not accelerating properly and the check engine light came on . Within two days I brought my car to my mechanic and he stated that there was no sign of an oil leak and felt it was a deeper problem. I brought it to a Hyundai dealership and they stated that the engine needed to be replaced/rebuilt. I feel that the lack of acceleration could have been a safety issue on the highway as it could have prevented me from passing in a timely fashion or just lose all power in traffic. There is an active recall for this type of engine starting with model year 2019.

The Kona barely wants to accelerate and stalls out while driving. Even though I recently got a oil change there’s oil consumption and the oil is black as if I never got a oil change. I took it to a Hyundai dealer ship, I told them what was wrong they said it’s the timing belt. When that’s not the issue. I recently took it to a mechanic to get a third opinion and to see and fix what is wrong. He declined fixing it saying there’s more to it that is wrong and looks like there’s an engine defect and even complained that the oil was so black. I told him that doesn’t make sense because I’ve been getting my oil consistently. He couldn’t fix it. So now I’m stuck with a vehicle that barely drives and stalls out while I’m on the road and it keeps burning more oil. No one knows what is wrong with it.

Prior to 100,000 miles, I noted knocking in the engine, especially while going uphill. The knocking would appear and disappear, possibly with oil change intervals. No check engine light ever appeared. After 100,000 miles, the engine progressively began knocking, losing power, and eventually stalling on the road occasionally. I have had to put on my hazards and restart my car. One time, I was barely able to pull over to the side. Again, no check engine light ever appeared. I have several videos of the vehicle in motion with audible knocking, and almost stalling. The videos show the dashboard with no check engine light appearing. There was no sign of oil loss. No smoke. No oil stains under the vehicle. I was due for an oil change when the knocking and stalling became severe. I visited the dealer and informed them of the engine issues. They performed an oil change. And then could not reproduce the problem I experienced. Told me to come back if it happened again. This sounded odd to me given the severity of the knocking and stalling. Or it signaled to me that an oil change including refilling the oil solved the issue. Long story short. An oil consumption test was performed. The engine is consuming oil. I am scheduled for combustion chamber cleaning per the technical service bulletin, as mentioned by the service rep. I am not confident that this will fix the problem. Given that this is the same / similar engine as the recalled 2018-2021 Kona for the same / similar issue. Oil consumption.

I have gotten a oil change over a month ago and my car is still running low on oil. Sometimes my car would shut off while I’m driving on the road with cars behind me. I have gotten my car oil topped off three different times since getting my oil change. It also makes a fan like noise as well. There’s no leak at all. It’s very bizarre.

The component that failed was the connecting engine rod bearing. The engine is currently in the vehicle located at a Hyundai dealership. The connecting engine rod bearing failure came after 1 or 2 engine miss-fires. The vehicle suffered poor performance, I was unable to start the car and properly accelerate the vehicle. The vehicle has exhibited poor acceleration/ jerk acceleration since purchase. However, this incident occurred immediately during initial startup in a parked position. The vehicle rode roughly upon initial observance of this engine miss fire which led us to deem the engine and car unsafe to use. The vehicle was initially towed to an independent service center where they identified the engine missfire code. The vehicle was then towed to our frequently used independent servicer where they said the problem related to low compression in the engine possibly something internal in the engine. Next we towed the vehicle to our preferred Hyundai dealership. Hyundai confirmed the engine missfires and connecting rod bearing failure. A claim is in process with Hyundai to assess the vehicle further. The check engine light came on when the engine miss-fired initially. An earlier check engine light came on for a missfire earlier in the 2025 and earlier in 2022 and in 2023 which led to a catalytic converter replacement. While not certain, we think that low compression and poor engine performance has plagued the vehicle since purchase. The vehicle drive jerky(poor/delayed acceleration when pressing the gas) and had early catalytic converter issues prior to 50k miles.

I am having issues with my oil consumption and my car is going through a quart of oil every 1-1. 5 weeks. There have been similar recalls on the 2019 Kona’s which have the same 1. 6l 4-cylinder engine. My car is currently a little over 126,000 miles.

The contact’s daughter owns a 2018 Hyundai Kona. While the contact’s daughter was driving approximately 65 - 70 mph, the vehicle started decelerating and sputtering before the vehicle coasted to the side of the road and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was informed and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Piston ring failure. No oil in car and no leaks. P0301 code and knocking sound. Unable to drive.

The engine burns too much oil. I have to put it a quart every 2 weeks.

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).

On may 5, 2025, my 2018 Hyundai Kona burst into flames in my garage and completely destroyed my Kona, Dodge ram 1500 parked adjacent to it and my home along with its contents. Both vehicles and my home were deemed “a total loss” by the insurance company. The Kona engine compartment burst into flames after a short trip to the store. If the front door had not been locked, forcing my wife to go through the garage, we would have been unaware of the fire until it had reached the interior of the house setting off the alarms. As it was, I received smoke inhalation and a partially collapsed lung while attempting to put out the fire and while trying to put the burning Kona in neutral to push it out of the garage. The 2018 Kona is not safe as it can burst into flames under normal operation and without any warning potentially resulting in injury or death of the occupants or emergency response crews. Research indicates my 2018 Kona has no recalls; however, it has the same g4fj engine and is manufactured at the same facility as several other Hyundai models that have been recalled for fires in the engine compartment. The Hyundai veloster has a class-action settlement for engine failure & fires. Also, the Hyundai tucson has an abs module fire recall and shared electrical layout. Furthermore, australia issued a Kona fire-related recall in 2019 due to brake tube routing near the exhaust system. Fire investigators have inspected the vehicle and determined the origin of the fire is the Kona. Hyundai inspected the Kona and failed to take any responsibility nor notify other 2018 Kona owners. There was no prior warning my 2018 Kona was having any problems. The only indication was a faint burning smell my wife noticed when she got out of the vehicle to collect the mail on the day of the fire. At the time, she contributed the burning smell to the neighbors burn pile. The insurance company has removed the Kona, and it should be available for inspection at their facility.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Unknown. Ac stopped working. According to repair shop, alternator belt sliced through the aluminum housing tube and freon cannot be recharged . It needs total rebuild/reroute of ac tubing as the position and location of alternator belt is too close to the aluminum housing/tubing for cooling system. This is a bad build/design. When it’s really hot outside this is very dangerous for all passengers in this vehicle. Repairman/mechanic said he has seen this issue more and more on several Hyundai’s that came thru his shop, that he believes a common defect and has educated him as first thing to look for on a Hyundai needing ac repair. . And one can speculate there are many more, since he’s not a dealership.

Oil change was on 1/13/2023 at 33,505 miles. On 2/25/2023 at 35,366 miles after driving on the highway for about 30 mins at 65 mph, the oil light came on and car was making a loud noise as I pulled in to park. My car was parked for about 1. 5hrs at my destination. I attempted to drive home and get back on the highway when my engine stalled at about 40 mph and my engine and battery light came on. I had to pull over to the shoulder as my car would not drive anymore. My car was then towed to my house and later to the Hyundai dealer where they determined that my engine stalled due to lack of oil because my drain plug was missing. Hyundai refuses to fix this under warranty because the drain plug is missing and they are insisting this is because of the oil change place I went to nearly 2 months ago. When I went to the oil change place, they insist that they didn't do anything wrong, and if they did incorrectly put the drain plug on, my oil would've leaked much sooner than it did. There is currently and investigation with NHTSA with my exact issue where the oil drain plug still falls out, even if the person performing the oil change puts the drain plug on exactly how it should be. Directly from the NHTSA site: "apparently, the thin metal, along with engine vibrations and expansion/contraction tend to loosen the drain plug without any other intervention. Nhtsa is investigating this as a factory defect issue. " my safety was deeply put at risk as I was driving on the highway when this happened and I could've easily gotten into an accident and faced injuries. I'm stuck in the middle as the oil change place denies it is their fault and Hyundai refuses to fix under warranty strictly because the oil drain plug is missing. When I explained to them that I would've have this issue with my engine if the drain plug was present, they agreed. They are stating that it is $10,000 to repair my car and that I have to pay upfront and cannot do multiple payments.

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, the oil and battery warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle would not accelerate as needed. The contact pulled over on the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted but the vehicle would not accelerate as needed. The contact became aware that there was no oil in the engine. Additionally, there was oil leaking underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that due to the oil leak the engine seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the warranty had expired. The failure mileage was 35,300.

The car stalls out and I have to now replace the entire engine. There has been recalls for this exact issue on other years of this car but not on this one.

According to the garage piston ring failure causing engine damage and oil consumption. Vehicle shut off while excelling on a high traffic route. Vehicle has been in the garage since 1/13/23. As of today 2/1/23 still awaiting news of engine replacement.

8/29/20002, the abs brakes system and fuel injection system 10/31/2022, battery 11/8/2022, car stalled on the freeway 11/9/2022, car stalled on the freeway 11/19/2022, timing control and camshaft position sensors 12/2/2022, engine fire, the smell of burning plastic 1/9/12, grinding noise near the right rear tire. I can provide the invoices under separate cover .

Vehicle engine randomly stalls when slowing down, at intersections, and while driving down the road in traffic. The lives of my children and I were directly put at risk by narrowly avoiding collisions due to the engine stalling. There are multiple lights that come on when engine stalls including the check engine light, and a car with a key, as well as several others. I have contacted the manufactures due to other vehicles of the same make model and year being under a recall for the exact same issue of engine stalling. Manufacturer is failing to acknowledge that the engine stalling is a serious safety concern, as seen in the same make model and year model vehicles. Manufacturer unwilling to help reconcile issues without me paying upfront for towing, repairs, and getting my own rental/loaner vehicle. I was referred to a dealership who told me it was my responsibility to ensure that the vehicle made it to them for an inspection, no towing, no loaner or rental vehicles. I am approximately 8 hours away from home at this time and unable to drive the vehicle at this time. Reference number for call with manufacturer. Reference for call #19850095.

We had parked our 17 year old son's car in the upper parking lot of our baseball field. While parked, the engine smoked, then spontaneously caught fire. The police arrived on scene, along with our fire department who was able to put out the pretty massive engine fire, along with some of the front being damaged as well. Our son had been driving this car to our high school and also the high school baseball field, with pretty packed lots. It unbelievable to even imagine if this happened there!!!! we totally cannot comprehend that this even happened to a pretty new car (22,000 miles on it). We are so very grateful that this did not happen while our 17 year old was in the car! this is truly needs to be looked into. Thank you.

I purchased my Hyundai Kona sel 2. 0 new. I have maintained this vehicle exactly by owner's manual using only synthetic oil. This auto ran good for 110000 miles with no indicator lights present on the dashboard. After a personal trip I began to experience stalling issues without any warning or indicator lights or messages. This auto stalled a total of 10 times without warning almost causing rear end collisions. I just barely got the vehicle home. When I just made it into my driveway a loud noise emitted from engine and auto then stalled again. Next day my mechanic came over who is ase certified. He proceeded to hook up a computer to check for codes. No codes were present in its history or report. I cannot drive this vehicle safely on the highway and it sits idle in my driveway. I phoned dealer and response by major Hyundai of stroudsburg PA where I purchased vehicle new was sorry there are so many people ahead of you and we are having parts problems. We have no loaner vehicles available, and we cannot even look at your vehicle until March 16th. This would be 19 days after my call to bring auto in for service. There is no way a person should have this type of problem with an automobile when records and service were followed per manual for the mileage indicated. Technical service bulletin # 21-em-004h sent to dealerships indicates this model may need bearing clearance test procedures to be performed on the engine. I was never notified by dealership or Hyundai motors of this adjustment when published March 2021. Nhtsa id # 11430714 describes the exact same problems my vehicle is experiencing by another consumer. I am requesting remedy by the dealership and respectfully ask that this problem be addressed in an orderly fashion. I am now out transportation with a vehicle I owe two- and three-quarter years payment on.