Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Hyundai Kona - part 1

My car was taken in as a part of recall bulletin 203 for improperly heated piston rings treated pistons rings that result in premature engine failure and possible fire on 12/5/25. The knock sensor test was performed and the ksds software was installed. On 3/12/26 my daughter who was on the way home from a trip called because her checking engine light started flashing and the engine was knocking. We had it towed to Hyundai and they are denying service under the recall stating improper codes yet one of the codes is p1327 ksds detection which is related to the rod bearing failure the car currently has. They are trying to make me pay $4600 out of pocket plus the tow bill when this is directly related to the recall.

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Vehicle struggling to accelerate and rolling back when brake is not being used. It stays at a few miles per hour even with full pressure on the gas pedal. A mechanic reviewed and stated the problem was due to low compression in the engine, causing the pistons to misfire. This issue has happened a total of 5 times and has almost caused other vehicles to crash into me due to sudden loss of speed and not being able to accelerate fast enough to properly get to safety.

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I found a lot of shaved metals when I did the oil change for the gear reduction. It made a lot of noises when driving or the wheel of fortune sounds whether the car is in regenerative braking. The sounds developed as time goes on but Hyundai failed to recall this issue. I found this has been an ongoing issue since 2019 when Hyundai make this Kona ev, but their engineers didn’t fix this type of issue and continue to manufacture the Kona ev with the same gear reduction assembly and it caused a lot of noises with these shaving metals found in the oil changes. This is abnormal for a gru to have so many metals found in the oil. Thus, it made a lot of noises. Now my car can’t even drive because of this. The gru has been broken because of this issue that Hyundai didn’t even fix since 2019.

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The vehicle has 82. 000 miles on it, and the engine started to rattle as I entered the street to my house, and the motor quit running. I had the vehicle hauled to a repair garage for analysis, and they said the piston rings failed. The vehicle is in perfect shape except for the broken engine.

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My 2020 Hyundai Kona (VIN: km8k62aa3lu561277) has a persistent engine stalling safety defect that matches recall 203 (22-01-042h, NHTSA campaign 21v301000 – nu 2. 0l atkinson engine inspection and replacement). The recall addresses improperly heat-treated piston oil rings causing cylinder bore scuffing, accelerated oil consumption, abnormal knocking, and potential engine stall while driving (increasing crash/fire risk). I first brought the vehicle to corona Hyundai for repeated stalling while driving. They performed the recall vibration inspection and software update (campaign 974), stated the test passed, and declared the vehicle "fixed", safe and "good-to-go" immediately after pickup, the stalling returned worse: approximately 60-80 miles later on I-5 near the leucadia exit (four-lane high-speed highway), the engine completely stalled at 65 mph while merging for an exit. This caused vehicles and semi-trucks behind me to swerve dangerously and very nearly collide with me. The vehicle stalled four more times on the way to my destination in encinitas. I then took it to the nearest dealer, carlsbad Hyundai for safety reasons. They performed the vibration inspection again, which also "passed," yet the real-world symptoms would continue unchanged: accelerated oil consumption (I monitor the dipstick and refill regularly), sputtering, knocking noises, and complete engine stalls (dozens of incidents, especially on local roads and turns). The vehicle remains undrivable due to imminent stall risk while moving and putting myself, my passengers and other commuters at high risk of severe injury or death. Both dealers and Hyundai customer care (case #42349744) have refused further action, stating the vibration test passed, they cannot duplicate the concern, and no additional claim can be submitted for engine replacement. Hyundai's TSB 22-01-042h requires only the vibration inspection; engine replacement is authorized if "no pass" – no separate oil consumption test or monitored drive.

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Kona. While the contact’s son was driving the vehicle on the highway at an undisclosed speed, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine and the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The gear shifter was shifted into neutral(n) and restarted; however, the engine failed shortly afterwards, and the vehicle was unable to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with piston rings failure and low engine oil. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, where it was confirmed that the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 21v301000 (engine); however, the recall repair was already performed. The approximate failure mileage was 108,000.

Was driving when the car seemed to lose power and would not accelerate and started shaking. Check engine light came on and got it read, the code indicated a misfire and other errors. There was no one local to fix it as we were out of town. So we replaced the plugs that were indicated and noticed how badly damaged they were. Vehicle started to drive better before stalling out again and replacing the rest of the plugs. Was able to get it home and seemed to be driving normally but then we noticed it has an oil leak now. We have to keep a religious check on the oil because of the amount leaking and the fact the car isn't giving us a low oil warning. We took it to the dealership and they said we needed a new engine and it was just outside the power train warranty. All of this occurred our 78,000-80,000 mile mark. The dealer would not even change the oil before of how bad the leak was. This car was for our teenage daughter and its not safe for anyone to drive. I believe the dealership knew this car had issues, we bought it pre-owned and have only had it 6 months.

The cars engine vibrates when accelerating and hesitates. It is always dangerous to stall after hitting the gas. This issue causes many near accidents. It began to vibrate at less than 70k. It has 90k now. These engines have had issues and mine is no exception. They should recall this engine as it's dangerous. Top of the line and poop.

The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle, with the low engine oil warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while checking the dipstick, the contact became aware that the engine oil level was low. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

Known problem of oil consumption . 1 week used 3 quarts . Wife driving down road oil light. Engine light seconds later engine seized at 55mph. Lucky to drift off road.

Many times a year, without warning, vehicle dash lights turn off and light up like a christmas tree, followed by fca warning sound and lights going off, and a loud mechanical thud. Lose engine throttle going highway speeds. This can occur at nearly any speed without warning. Car must be powered off and back on to get normalcy. This puts me, everyone in the car and everyone on the highway at risk. Dealership was not able to reproduce or pull error codes.

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.

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The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine was shutting down while on the way to work, with a knocking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 21v301000 (engine); however, the dealer refused to perform the recall repair, because there were other failures with the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,902.

The vehicle displayed a warning lamp indicating a cooling system performance failure. The specific defect relates to the integrated thermal-management module (itm) and the thermostat opening prematurely, corresponding to diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p218100. This issue requires a repair outlined in technical service bulletin 25-em-007h, involving a spring installation and ecu update. This failure creates a serious safety concern because improper thermal management can cause the engine to overheat or force the vehicle into a reduced-power 'limp mode' without warning. A sudden loss of acceleration or engine stall while driving in traffic significantly increases the risk of a crash.

I was traveling on the interstate when my car began to slow down and the rpms kept going up. I pulled over on the side of the highway and turned the motor off. I waited 10 minutes and started the car again thinking it was just a misfire. The motor began making weird noises and shaking. My engine like came on the dashboard display reported major malfunction get help. I was told by my mechanic that I was lucky the car did not catch on fire. He determined that pistons 1 and 3 were misfiring. He said it was being flooded with fuel. I have complained about the excessive burning of oil and that there must be an issue. Several have been recalled but not specific car.

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 engine and related crankshaft components failed. The vehicle experienced complete engine shutdown while driving and later multiple no-start conditions. The vehicle has been inspected and repaired multiple times by an authorized Hyundai dealership and remains available for inspection upon request. -the engine shut down unexpectedly while driving at highway speed, resulting in loss of power and the need to coast and pull over. This created a risk of rear-end collision and loss of control in traffic. Subsequent failures left the vehicle unable to start, creating risk of stranding in unsafe locations. -yes. The authorized Hyundai dealership confirmed engine-related and crankshaft-related issues and performed repairs on multiple occasions. Despite these repairs, the problem has recurred. -the vehicle has been inspected and repaired multiple times by an authorized Hyundai dealership. -yes. The check engine light illuminated prior to multiple failures. In at least one instance, the dealership stated the light was a history code and no active issue was found. Within days, the vehicle experienced another complete failure and became inoperable.

Vehicle started to stall at low rpms. While idling at red lights, engine would stall and go into limp mode. All safety features, such as forward collision would stop working. Car would need to be turned off and restarted for a temporary fix. No engine lights would come on. Car inspected by dealership and cannot figure out what the cause is. VIN comes up saying that my car is not part of the recall.

The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 45 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle shut off. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The mechanic related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 21v301000 (engine); however, the vehicle was towed to a dealer and the dealer declined to honor the recall repair due to sludge in the oil cap. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,220.

The car's engine stuttered after pressing on gas pedal when engine is cold. When pressing on gas pedal from idle position at stop sign, engine does not switch from 1st -> 2nd gear.

Vehicle safety complaint narrative on Saturday, December 6, 2025, I brought my 2019 Hyundai Kona to millennium Hyundai in hempstead, new york, the dealership where the vehicle was purchased, for evaluation due to engine safety concerns. While driving the vehicle, we heard a knocking sound coming from the engine. One week earlier, on November 29, 2025, we brought the vehicle to our local mechanic after noticing the noise. The mechanic advised that the engine oil level was low and refilled the oil. Despite this, the knocking sound continued. Due to ongoing concerns about potential engine failure and because the vehicle is still under warranty, we scheduled an appointment with millennium Hyundai for further diagnosis. The knocking noise raised serious safety concerns. On December 6th, we contacted the service manager, who advised us that the pistons were bad and they would need to replace the engine. On Monday, December 8th, we called the dealer and they then told us, that before any work could be done, that we would have to do an oil change for $90, drive the car for 1,000 miles and come back for an oil consumption test for $600 before they could make the repairs under the warranty. We are submitting this complaint to report a potential safety defect related to engine performance and reliability in the 2019 Hyundai Kona, as unexpected engine failure could pose a significant safety risk and, their requirement that we have to drive an unsafe car for 1,000 miles could be dangerous to the driver, passengers, and others on the roadway.

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 believe that I’m leaking oil somewhere and that it’s due to the recall with the piston oil rings that’s on my car.

The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a knocking sound coming from the vehicle with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 21v301000 (engine); however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 94,634.

Over the last 2 1/2 months the car has shut off approximately 5 times while driving, without warning. Most instances have been while pulling into a parking lot, but one time (so far) it shut off while trying to back into my driveway. I'm fearful it will happen while on the freeway. I took it to the dealer, but there wasn't a fault code so they refused to look at it unless I left the car with them to drive, and wanted to charge me $45/day for a rental so I could get back & forth to work until it happened again while they were driving it.

The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, with a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the vehicle shutoff while idling. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. Later, while idling at a stoplight, the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The vehicle was eventually towed to the local dealer, who confirmed that the connecting rods had failed and punctured a hole in the engine. 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 VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 21v301000 (engine). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 94,000.

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.

Vehicle suddenly began shutting off upon braking and/or acceleration at any speed, idling very hard, and/or barely starting or dying immediately after starting and making a very loud whining noise while driving on an interstate. A mechanic ran a diagnostic test on it and determined that it was a p1327 code and recommended it be taken to dealership for full engine failure. This particular code was known by Hyundai to occur on certain models and years, including Kona 2019-2021, as early as 2022 and while a recall campaign was initiated, no recall to date has been issued. No warning indicators on dash occurred in advance or even after the vehicle began malfunctioning (I. E. , no check engine indicator, etc. ). Vehicle is available at dealership upon request.

My Kona n line is not functioning well. Especially after driving for a longer period of time. About 60% of the time, upon letting go of my brake, the car jerks. Going from 0 - 5 mph is the worst. The car definitely hesitates many times. Again, it is when I have driven it for over 10 minutes. I took the car to a service department in el monte, CA on 11/1. They cannot find the problem. They rode with me and it did not show at that time. They released the car to me. The Kona n has a recall but not my car, the Kona n line. The recall is for the same problem. I am extremely frustrated. I have another appointment on Tuesday of this week to take to the glendora service department. I don't know what to do. I am not one to complain but this is not safe. This is my fifth Hyundai. Nothing but good cars until now. Please advise. [xxx] [xxx] . Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stop and while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled unexpectedly. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road, and the vehicle was turned off and restarted, and continued driving. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to auto zone, where it was determined that the spark plugs had failed and needed to be replaced. The spark plugs were replaced; however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The failure had occurred three times; however, the last time, the vehicle failed to restart, and there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the turbocharger and the piston rings had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. The contact became aware of NHTSA campaign number: 21v301000 (engine); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 121,334.

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.

My vehicle turns off while driving, which has almost cost mine and my child's life twice on the highway and once inside a roundabout. It often happens after acceleration and slight braking soon after, rpm goes to zero and a few dash lights come on. I am completely unable to accelerate, have to coast to a full stop until I can brake and put it into park and then push to start again. I'm sure you can see how absolutely life threatening this situation is when it happens in moving traffic! I have replaced spark plugs, ignition coils, all fuel injectors, camshaft sensor. The mechanic cannot get it to replicate the problem when he has it as it does not happen every time but I see that this is a common problem with Hyundai. After all above repairs, this problem persists and I have no direction as to how to remedy this, but driving this vehicle now has me completely anxiety ridden and terrified for my life.

The engine shut down when the car stops at a red light or stop sign. There are metal shavings in the oil due to issues with the pistons.

Ignition, speed and driving halts. I've had this Kona repaired a couple years ago and it took about 6-8mos to get my vehicle back, the this year 2025 the vehicle again is giving me problems. I thought of applying the lemon law however the week of the 6-8months being in the repair shop, I got the vehicle back, and the owner(mr. Crisostomo was very kind and understanding) so it made me be more patience nonetheless there's only so much he could do if he is not the one repairing the vehicle. I was offered carpets for my patience yet still have not gotten them and feel like a bother when I call to inquiry about them and it's not the service manager that I talk to , I feel otherwise. That could just be me, however I know good customer service if it's presence. For the actually year, I would need to check emails and records. But it's probably the year after so 2022 ( almost certain) now, this year, 2025. . I see that there is a recall that the dealership did not inform me. The vehicle is paid of last year, because I was going to relocate but that had changed. I found out about the recall cause my dad had died and step mother is using my other car so I'm using the Kona much more that 3 days a week. I keep dying out in one (1) day. . I died out twice. So I checked if there's a recall and there is. I would like my vehicle repurchased or credit for the amount purchased or I like a Jeep 2 door ( is fine) as a recovery vehicle, thank you.