Electrical System Problems of Hyundai Kona - part 2

The hvac drainage system in my 2021 Hyundai Kona failed due to a clogged ac drain line, which led to water leaking into the cabin and mold growth. The dealer reported the drain was blocked by a spiderweb and that moisture had collected under the driver and passenger carpets. They unclogged the line, but did not inspect beneath the carpet or inside the hvac system. Soon after, I experienced musty odors, asthma flare-ups, and headaches while driving. At-home mold tests under the passenger seat and footwell came back positive. White mold was also visibly growing under the carpet. A similar issue occurred in my fiancé’s Hyundai elantra, also purchased from the same dealer. His ac drain was clogged and mold tested positive in the cabin, though his car had no smell. Our vehicles are stored in different environments, which rules out external environmental causes and points to a broader design flaw. There are Hyundai forums online confirming this same issue is not isolated to us. Even if spiderwebs were involved, a single web should not disable a critical drainage function and cause health risks. Hvac systems should be designed to resist common environmental factors like debris or insects. I am a cancer survivor (diagnosed in 2024) and must avoid environmental toxins like mold. Despite repeated outreach to Hyundai and the dealer, I was told no inspection or remediation would be provided beyond detailing, which is not sufficient for mold. Component that failed: ac evaporator drain tube confirmed by dealer: yes manufacturer inspection: no – Hyundai declined to investigate safety concern: yes – mold has triggered respiratory symptoms and makes the vehicle unsafe for passengers.

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Significant mechanical and drivetrain problems: ? loss of drive power and sluggish acceleration: reported as early as November 7, 2024 ("bumpy driving, grinding and clanking noise"), with issues worsening by January 2, 2025 ("slower acceleration, bumpier ride, metal clinking and cracking sounds"), and most severely on June 6, 2025 ("car shifts hard to the left then goes back and forth (wobble)," "greatly reduced" power, and "snapping" noises). You've had at least five repair attempts for these issues. ? vehicle shaking/wobbling: this has been a recurring complaint since November 18, 2024 ("car shakes when accelerating") and continued through multiple visits, including may 21-27, 2025 ("wobbly feeling"), June 6, 2025 (shifts "back and forth (wobble)"), and July 16, 2025 ("bounces excessively"). ? loose steering/difficulty turning: you've reported "difficulty turning" and "resistance when turning left," with a feeling of "less control" or "lack of control" while turning. This was noted on November 18, 2024, and persisted through April 14, 2025, and July 16, 2025. ? noises from underneath the vehicle: complaints include "grinding and clanking noise" (November 7, 2024), "loud noises" (November 18, 2024), and "metal clinking and cracking sounds" (January 2, 2025), and "snapping" noises (June 6, 2025). • electrical/infotainment system malfunctions: ? interior and exterior lights turning off while driving: on January 2, 2025, all interior and exterior lights turned off for approximately 3 seconds while driving. ? bluelink service and infotainment system disconnects/shutdowns: ongoing issues with bluelink service, including loss of connectivity and interruptions. • numerous repair attempts and days out of service: ?at least eight separate service visits for these issue.

See all problems of the 2025 Hyundai Kona 🔎.

The car was unable to charge using level 3 DC fast chargers, necessitating the use of a level 2 charger for an extended length of time in order to be able to return home. A Hyundai dealer replaced the charging inlet lock actuator (invoice attached).

A week after I got my 2025 Hyundai Kona limited, while trying to have the moonroof when headed into the highway since it gets too noisy if left open, the glass will touch the guard and then back away and remain fully open. However, the issue becomes more serious when it starts to rain or snow as it will remain open. In three occasions, the moonroof will not close. During a downpour, I had to use a large umbrella to avoid water to flood the car. Had I not had an umbrella or something to prevent water from getting in, the vehicle electronics could have become damaged including my personal belongings including but not limited to my sensitive medical equipment. Had I been in a snow shower, I will have gotten sick with a cold. I had reported the issue several times to different dealers and they only say it needs to be cleaned and reset. I had a sonata with the same moonroof for over three years and I never experienced such an issue.

I have had my horn replaced three separate times at my local Hyundai dealership. It recently passed the nc vehicle inspection, but the horn failed the third time sometime after that inspection in Feb-2025. I have never had a horn ever fail on any car I have owned for the past 50 years. A horn is a critical safety necessity and it is expected to work - especially in times of emergency. I was almost run off the highway, once by a semi-trailer and each time I discovered my horn had failed - it was due to my needing to use it to alert pedestrians or other motor vehicles to avoid accidents. The dealer would not reveal why this has failed three times except to state that they 'replaced the horn'. The dealer is the only one to have attempted an examination, diagnosis and supposed repair for this problem. There are no warning lights or other type of notification that would let me know of a horn failure. The only way to know that it had failed - was my immediate need to employ the use of the horn in an emergency - and it's silence aka malfunction at the worst possible times.

See all problems of the 2022 Hyundai Kona 🔎.

A few different days over the past few months. Driving heated seats stopped working. Check engine warning light on intermittently. Key fob not working. Multiple error codes stored in system cleared by dealer. Shut down the car screen has stayed on. Ac light has stayed on when car is off. Screen has turned off “check you back seat” upon leaving the car heard the engine still on 3x. At the gas station turned off the car, miles to zero reading 5, p park stays on, odometer reading on. As tank filling miles to zero rapidly increased from 5 to 300. I have a video of this. Been in for service multiple times. Presently at the dealer. They r unable to replicate this. They do not seem concerned about this. I feel it is a safety and operational concern. Prefer by car not be communicating even with itself while I’m pumping gas. They want me to pick up the car. I do not wish to. I have asked if miles to zero reading is supposed to increase real time I would like to see this is the manual or other documentation. Otherwise I feel it is a huge safety risk to have my car not shut down when I ask it to. What’s to say it won’t shut down while I’m driving 75mph on the freeway? thank you.

See all problems of the 2024 Hyundai Kona 🔎.

While driving the vehicle the digital dashboard for the rpm's and speedometer, infotainment center, accent lighting and all exterior lighting including tail lamps, head lights, turn signals and marker lights all powered off for approximately 2-3 seconds. During this time, the engine continued to run as if nothing had occurred. After the 2-3 seconds all affected systems that shut down turned back on and continued as if nothing had occurred. Even apple carplay had no signal reconnection time, almost like it was never disconnected in the first place. This issue appears to just shut down all outward lighting/indicator lamps and then power back up. This issue has repeated itself on 5 separate occasions over the course of the last 3 days. Took it to a dealer on the 4th day (today, March 6th), and they could not get the issue to replicate despite driving for 30 miles and having it for 3 or so hours under their care. No codes were logged, no indicator lamps showed an issue and no erratic driving or lasting effects of the power blip. Outside of the dealership this issue has not been inspected further. A contact was made with Hyundai USA in attempt to address this safety issue. No reply has been received since submitting yesterday afternoon. This issue has happened during the day as well but given the lighting conditions is not as dangerous as losing all head lamps or tail lamps at night where the driver or other drivers may be affected as they travel about the roadways in the case of merging on and off of a highway or being able to see any animals that run into the roadway.

The horn stopped working. The first time, replacing a fuse fixed it, the second time I had to go to the dealership to get the horn replaced under warranty. There were no warning lamps.

See all problems of the 2023 Hyundai Kona 🔎.

Vehicle has problems shifting between 1st and 2nd gear. Stutters and has issues accelerating. Has almost caused me to be hit while turning left against traffic. Was serviced at Hyundai dealership today and they cannot replicate the issue or find anything wrong and reprogrammed the clutch touch point engagement. It happened again on the way home.

See all problems of the 2020 Hyundai Kona 🔎.

1. Driver’s side door locked up and it is impossible to unlock from the inside of the car manually or electrically. The door cannot be manually opened up from the outside or the inside of the car. 2. My safety has been put at risk because of not being able to exit the car in case of an emergency. 3. Not yet. I have an appointment on 1/15/25 to get it looked at. 4. The car part has not been officially inspected by anyone yet. 5. No warning lamps appeared prior to this part failing.

See all problems of the 2019 Hyundai Kona 🔎.

The cars battery drains to the point that it will not start or allow entry into the vehicle. This happens when vehicle is sitting and not running. All lights, screens, etc. Are off when this happens also.

Twice my car wouldn't come on at all. The first time they put a new battery in even though I had it only 2 weeks and it's a 2024. The second time was today. The engine would not come on. My inside lights were blinking but the car wouldn't start. The lights went out on the inside but when I went outside the car, my outside light were blinking real fast. This lasted for about 15 minutes and then they went dead. The whole car was dead and had to be towed to the dealership.

Car will stop running and not start back up when stopped at a light or stop sign sometimes. I have started driving with the auto start stop off because I will be stuck at a light or stop sign because it will power off but not come back on again. This has occurred several times. The dealership told me there was no issue 11/22/24 but were willing to sell me another battery if I wanted to just replace the battery. The battery would test fine and then not and then fine again. I did price battery’s and they tested my battery at auto zone when pricing them and it tested fine with them also. They did not feel like it was a battery issue. I don’t either now since it stays on no problem when I turn off the auto start stop. There is something honestly wrong because if I leave that feature on, it will power off and sometimes stay off. The first times it happened was in November 2024 but it keeps happening. Sometimes I forget to click off the auto start stop and it will happen to me again but I shouldn’t have to turn that feature off to prevent my car from shutting down and not restarting when stopped.

As I was driving home, my Kona started slowing down until it totally stopped. I tried the the gas pedal again but it didn’t move, electrical was on, no warning lights. I turned my Kona off, turned it back on again and drove the rest of way home. I was lucky I was on an empty road no other cars behind me as I drive everyday to and from work. I called Hyundai dealer next morning about the problem ,he did asked if I had heard a knocking sound. I said yes ,the week or so I heard a knocking sound twice but not for long, seemed to have disappeared. I didn’t want to drive the car to the dealer afraid it would stop on the highway so I had it towed. Service person said he would check if it is under warranty but there is no recall on my Kona.

The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that the vehicle was equipped with alarms set to sound off and send a text notification when the vehicle was accessed without the key, key fob, or remote access being activated. Later, the vehicle began displaying additional electrical issues. The contact stated that the instrument panel would illuminate intermittently and display different warnings and systems being activated; however, the contact was unable to recall what the lights that were displayed. While driving on a forked road, the lane assist feature prevented the vehicle from being able to veer left, keeping the vehicle driving straight. The contact used excessive force to steer the vehicle to veer towards the left. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired for any electrical failures. The contact received notice of a recall for the software regarding the theft prevention system, needing a software update. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, and the remedy was completed. While attempting to accelerate after being idle at a red light, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact turned off the vehicle, waited for a while, and then restarted the vehicle, at which time the contact was able to continue driving. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, who diagnosed that the software update caused the battery to drain quickly. The battery was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer opened two cases for the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 9,500.

7 months old Kona with 700 miles on it. Woke up one morning with a "totally" dead battery. The internet is full of incidents such as mine--new Konas with dead batteries. The dealer could not give me a service date until one month later. Car is still at the dealer. . .

August 2024: horn malfunction/failure. Pressed the car's horn, and it failed to produce the loud sound that it is supposed to make to warn others of possible danger. It continued to not work and needed to be replaced for the third time. Part 96611-j9500 (horn assembly) was replaced for the third time on this vehicle.

Transmission need to be replaced.

I purchased this 2022 Kona used with 12,000 miles in April 2024. On 4 occasions it has failed to start. When starting the vehicle with push button I only heard a series of clicking. There was no other sound made while trying to start the car. My husband had a remote jumper and attached it to the battery as directed on the jumper, then pushed the start button. The vehicle started immediately. The vehicle then ran normally. I episode occurred after the vehicle sat while we were away for 2 weeks on vacation. Again, using the remote jumper, the vehicle started immediately. Another occasion, the vehicle was driven that day and when attempting to move the car from the driveway into the garage, it once again failed to start. Just a series of clicking sounds. Application of the remote jumper once again started the car immediately. On the 4 th occasion (today 6/25/24) I was stopped at a traffic light waiting for the right turn arrow to appear. It was raining hard. The vehicle cut off (as it normally does when idling while stopped) then the dashboard went dead. The safety flashers would not work nor could I restart the car. This time there was no sound or clicking. I exited the vehicle in heavy rain and traffic, got the remote jumper from the trunk, raised the hood in the rain and heavy traffic and proceeded to attach the jumper to the car battery. The car started immediately. This last occasion of the vehicle shutting down was extremely dangerous. As I stated it occurred in a heavy rain in a very congested and heavily traveled city road. Visibility was poor due to the weather and lack of safety flashers (toledo, ohio at the corner of monroe st and secor Ave). I was fearful standing outside the vehicle with so much traffic. I was blocking the right turn lane so people behind me were not happy. I am 70 years old and unable to push it to the side of road. I believe that intersection has a left turn lane, 2 straight lanes, and the right turn lane.

While driving, my car completely turned off and the dashboard say “engine turn off”. This happened on two separate occasions. Also on separate occasions while I was driving the beep to indicate that I was too close to another car went off when I was not near another car, during that time it also emergency breaked on its own.

The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Kona. The contact was away from the residence for several weeks, and after returning, while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact called for roadside service who was also unable to start the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer. The dealer determined that the battery had failed and needed to be replaced, along with the battery terminals and electrical wiring harnesses. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had started to exhibit electrical failures. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the instrument cluster failing to boot up properly. Additionally, the contact became aware that the fan was blowing air independently. The contact had taken the vehicle to another dealer. The contact was advised by the dealer that the vehicle needed to remain at the dealer for a week for further testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 941.

6/17/2024 12 volt battery was dead; ev was fully charged 6/16/2024 using level 2 charger in my home garage. Aaa charged the battery; I drove to crossroads Hyundai loveland, CO and asked to have the converter to the main battery checked; this was not done. Crossroads checked the battery via cadex with "good battery charge" as result. No other diagnostic work was performed. 8/26/2024 12 volt battery again depleted; aaa charged twice 11:06 am (recharge and retest ) and 3:51pm (bad & replace). I drove again to crossroads Hyundai which claimed battery test showed good battery. Technician found a draw dropped after pulling fuses f6 multi media and f16 memory. Techline at Hyundai was contacted and tech was instructed to install junction box for fuses (91950-k4061 junction box assembly I/pnl 91). The car was undriveable on the crossroads lot until part received and replaced 9/20/2024. 9/24/2024 when I arrived to pick up the car, the service advisor told me the door was left ajar after car wash, causing draw on battery; the battery was damaged by continued discharge due to strain from parts replaced. Hyundai agreed to replace the battery at no charge to customer. There were no warming lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to 6/17/2024. My safety, as a senior and woman is at risk if the car was stranded in a parking lot or other area outside of my home garage.

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that when starting the vehicle, the system check lights were illuminated normally; however, all the system symbols had a red "exclamation mark" next to the symbols. Additionally, the contact stated that the horn and many safety features were no longer operable. The contact stated that the lane departure warning, blind spot warning, and the radio were inoperable. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the main computer was not interfacing with the safety systems. The contact was advised by the dealer that there was no remedy for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.

Driving on the highway (rt50 east) 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. 5-12-24 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.

Car will restart after it is turned off and left for awhile. Transmission will jerk hard while in gear and driving.

When operating the vehicle, all the electrical systems will just cut power for 1-2 seconds. The infotainment, gauges, and headlights will all go completely black, speakers will stop, everything. All electrical power cuts. This happens when driving the car, day or night and happened now 6 times in the last few months. Hyundai dealers say nothing is wrong. If driving at night, it will cause no visibility of the road since the headlights and taillights turn off when this happens. Numerous people are experiencing this issue with the same model and getting told nothing is wrong. Safety is hugely at risk as this can cause an accident very quickly with no visibility with the car going dark. The vehicle has been taken to the dealer several times with no luck of tracking down the problem. No warning lights, fault codes, or messages are associated with this issue with the vehicle either.

The rear passenger side door and trunk were unable to be opened resulting in a problem getting my children out of the back seat. The locks would not open with the fob or manually. If I were to get into an accident, I/emergency personnel would have not been able to get my children that are in a car seat out quickly as they would have to either go through the front seat or cut the door off. The car dealership did replace components on 04/27/24 and it has been working as it should as of this time of reporting.

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that the vehicle would stall while at a complete stop, and would restart independently when shifting into park (p). There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 65 mph, a chime sounded, and the message "think about taking a rest" was displayed. The dealer was notified of the failure via email. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,842.

1. Component or system failed or malfunctioned: the primary component that has consistently failed or malfunctioned is the air conditioning (ac) system. The ac unit does not adequately cool the vehicle's cabin, especially in hot weather. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request; it has been previously inspected by authorized Hyundai dealerships. 2. How safety was put at risk: the malfunctioning ac unit poses a significant health and safety risk, particularly due to the presence of a [xxx] infant who frequently rides in the vehicle. Driving in a hot car without effective cooling can lead to heat-related distress for a young child. There is also a concern that this persistent issue may indicate a broader manufacturing defect, potentially warranting a safety recall. 3. Problem reproduced or confirmed by dealer/service center: yes, the problem has been repeatedly reproduced and confirmed by an authorized Hyundai dealership. Paramus Hyundai has examined this specific ac issue on four separate occasions during the last summer, and a fifth visit is now scheduled/imminent. Despite these multiple service attempts, the issue remains unresolved. 4. Inspection by manufacturer, police, insurance, or others: the vehicle and its ac component have been inspected multiple times by an authorized Hyundai dealer (paramus Hyundai). The manufacturer, Hyundai motor America, is aware of this ongoing issue, as evidenced by two formal customer service cases: an older case (case number: [xxx]) handled by customer service specialist raghad, and a more recent, open case (case number: [xxx]) handled by customer service specialist simran. The repeated advice given for the new case is the same as previous attempts, indicating a lack of definitive resolution despite manufacturer involvement through their customer service channels. 5. Warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms: no specific warning lamps or messages have appeared on the vehicle's dashboard related to the information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information.

We just had our 2020 Kona updated from the dealer with major software and recall updates. Since that point the car has been draining from the 12volt battery on it's own and killing the charging circuit for the battery. It has caused us to have to jump start the car and not be able to keep the 12 volt charged which runs all of the environmentals and car systems. Unless you have a jump pack with you, you have to jump it after every stop. I have tested the battery and it is fine but the system needs a high end initial draw and is not getting it. I have contacted the dealer but they are saying it is not their problem. This needs government address, as it is the same issue in the NHTSA recalls or hybrid and ev sonata and ioniq 5 models.

The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Kona. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v901000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced the failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Horn stopped working. Fuses are good.

Car kept stalling and electrical system was off . .

I was stopped at a stoplight about to get on the highway to go to work when my headlights turned off, music turned off, infotainment & cluster screen turned off, & all the backlit buttons went dark. Approximately 2-3 seconds later, everything turned back on as if nothing happened. The engine did not stop running. It was like all electrical to the car got turned off for a couple seconds. I was so glad that it didn’t happen while I was on the highway going 70mph. There are so many other people who have a 2024 Kona & have experienced the same thing per reddit forums & facebook groups. Luckily I have only had the one occurrence & it was within the first 500 miles (less than a month!) of owning my car. I now have 14k miles on it, but so many other people are having the same issues & it’s terrifying. What if this issue were to happen at night with poor lighting in a construction zone? Hyundai doesn’t seem to know what the issue is & has no fix for it. I have not taken my car in to be looked at because it’s a total waste of time with the many reports of others who have taken the car back to the dealership for them to run diagnostics & there be nothing found wrong with it.

Horn stopped working out of nowhere.