10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
7,091 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2020 Hyundai Kona engine problems

engine problem

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2020 Hyundai Kona Owner Comments (Page 1 of 4)

problem #69

Apr 082024

Kona

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The vehicle shut down while I was driving approximately 40 mph on a major throughway out of town. I was unfamiliar with the area and had to quickly pull over into a resident's driveway. I immediately shut the vehicle down and tried to restart it. It would not turn over, so I waited a few minutes and tried again. The engine then made a noise that almost sounded like "I quit" and would not make any noise when I turned the key after that. I called a local tow company who towed it to Firestone Complete Auto Care which was the nearest open garage. After they ran their diagnostic, they said that the engine had seized and that there was no oil in the reserve. I never had any engine lights light up on the dashboard until the second the car stopped working, when they ALL came on. My mechanic friend says that these engines have computers that time stamp when the warning lights come on, so it will be interesting to know if they use that information. I have contacted Hyundai customer service and because we are not the original owners of the vehicle, they said the powertrain/engine is not covered under the 5 year/60k mile warranty from Hyundai. We do have an extended warranty through a 3rd party company, but they are giving us a difficult time too. We are still waiting to hear if they will cover the replacement of the engine. This is a HUGE safety risk because my vehicle gave no advanced warning that it was needing service/maintenance and just stopped functioning while I was driving. If I had been on a different street or in the middle of a turn, it could have resulted in injury/death of occupants of the vehicle. My oldest son is also just starting to drive. If he were driving this vehicle when this occurred, he may not have known what to do and could have been stranded in the middle of a busy highway, where an accident could have been imminent.

- Lancaster, NY, USA

problem #68

Feb 032024

Kona

  • miles
Loss of power to speed unable to acceleration had to pull over

- Wappingers Falls, NY, USA

problem #67

Oct 122022

Kona

  • 104,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact drove to her destination and while shifting the vehicle into park (P), the vehicle was shaking violently. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who determined that the engine was losing compression and referred the contact to a dealer. The contact drove the vehicle for several weeks more due to scheduling at the dealer. The contact observed that the vehicle was consuming oil at an excessive rate. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was constantly illuminated, and the vehicle was intermittently stalling. The contact drove the vehicle to a dealer who determined that the cam shaft and timing belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact retrieved the vehicle and the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the vehicle was stalling, and the check engine warning light was constantly illuminated. The contact returned the vehicle to the same dealer who diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the piston oil rings in engine cylinder #3 were cracked and damaged the cylinder and the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was notified by the independent mechanic of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine). The contact contacted the manufacturer and was informed that the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.

- Perry, OH, USA

problem #66

May 102023

Kona

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

In May 2023 after washing and vacuuming my car, it would not start. The battery appeared dead. I waited and tried periodically, and after about three tries, It started. This happened a couple more times, but always restarted and appeared to recharge. I did not drive the car from June - October, and asked my son to start it periodically while I was away. He tried in Mid June and battery was dead and had to be jumped. The same thing happened in Aug and Sept. Unfortunately, by the time I returned and could get in into Hyundai, it had been 38 months since my purchase. in October the battery seemed to be okay, but the horn did not work. Also, the windshield washer only trickled out and then nothing came out. I made appointment as I had also had a recall on the safety/theft issues. In November, Hyundai of Bradenton, Florida's Serviceman, Mark told me that I needed a new battery which was no longer under warranty and they replaced the horn as it was covered. He said the windshield washer unit was clogged. I chose not to pay $340 for a battery and $80 to unclog windshield washer unit from them. I just feel something is off. On my drive home, the radio came on without prompt. I turned it off, and it came back on seconds later. I turned it off again, and it stayed off. My car is immaculate, and covered when not in use. There is definitely and issue. My Kona only has 21,000 miles on it. Thank you for helping me with this. Please advise. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Bradenton, FL, USA

problem #65

Sep 022023

Kona

  • 72,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "Service Oil Change" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who discovered metal shavings in the engine oil. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine was faulty and 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 vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 72,000.

- Mckinney, TX, USA

problem #64

Aug 112023

Kona

  • miles
In December 2022 at 10,000 miles my engine would make knocking noises when idle and hesitate to excelerate before jumping, i took it to dealer and there was no oil on the dipstick. None of the warning lights ever Came on. They started an oil consumption test, did a chamber cleaning on the engine and finally after 3 months and 3,000 extra miles they tell me i need a new engine/ ridiculous a new car with 10,000 miles does this!!

- Union, NJ, USA

problem #63

Nov 102021

Kona

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Came off the frwy and stopped and once I got back and accelerated the car began to make metal grinding sound from the engine drove immediately to the dealership that was less then quarter of a mile away. I left it over night and was told the next day it was not safe to drive at all and there was no loaner cars or rental service. 5 days later a loaner was provided. There was no warning light or alert sound for me to know there was something wrong. The car could had stopped on the frwy and caused a major accident. The dealership determined the short block needed to replaced and took action to have it covered under warranty. The car had 13,500 miles on it at the time and 30 days later a new short block was installed and completed with no extra warranty.

- Indio , CA, USA

problem #62

May 012022

Kona

  • 61,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that on several occasion while driving at various speeds or coming to a stop, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. The vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be serviced under TSB 22-01-043H (Engine Monitoring Logic) and the mechanic was made aware of the failure; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that the failure was recurring and that the Forward Collision Avoidance warning light was illuminated without any vehicles nearby. The contact stated that the vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the camshaft sensor and exhaust sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to a second independent mechanic, who confirmed the diagnosis. The vehicle was then taken to Big Star Hyundai (18100 Gulf Fwy a, Friendswood, TX 77546), where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer awaiting the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 61,000.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #61

Dec 122022

Kona

  • miles
For the last 2 weeks I-??ve been hearing weird engine noises. Like metal pieces being grinded. The car has issues accelerating. Will not change gears properly causing the car to redline on the tachometer. Just today I hear noises a lot more frequently and as I-??m driving and coming to a slow turn the car stalled out on me. I quickly put the car in park and started the car and it started back up. But now I feel a loss in power In the car. The car stalled on me more than six times. Every time I came to a complete stop the car would stall. So every stop sign and red light the car was stalling. The car is still under warranty but I do hope this can be resolved. I know it-??s the engine that-??s definitely having internal mechanical issues and transmission as well. Also the 2 lower headlights are also out as well. This is with the car having 34705 miles only. Wast expecting to have this many issues. I have a video of the car stalling out as well and another showing a rough idle on the car.

- Vernon Rockville, CT, USA

problem #60

Dec 022022

Kona

  • miles
My car has been burning oil and knocking and I repeatedly took it back to the dealer with concern that these symptoms are similar to a recent recall on Hyundai Kona engine due to engine failure. Recently I had an inspection (which passed) and as I was driving away from the dealer the engine light came on and I took the car back and the mechanics told me the car is in engine failure! Engine failure can result in dangerous stalling seizing of engine, oil leaks and fires according to the recall information. It is inconceivable to me that my car (2020 Kona) is not included in this recall when I am having the same issues, and this has gone on for three months during which myself and my family (and other drivers on the road) were in danger.

- Canasera, NY, USA

problem #59

Nov 042022

Kona

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

After two years of driving, car seemed to start having engine noises. Felt like loss of acceleration? The vehicle stalled twice after noticing this when in a slower speed. No engine warning light or oil malfunction light ever came on. Our local mechanic said the car was close to being out of oil. Never any evidence of oil on the ground or any type of odor. Dealer was informed of the issue on Nov 9. They said no appointment available until Dec 1, I said the car does not seem safe to drive. Then they changed appointment to Nov 21. No loaner available. Not sure how long this will take to fix if a lot of people are having this type of issue. The car is two years old and with only 12000 miles. We don't go on extensive trips. Mostly drive around town, some highway driving. The servicing was done at dealer at about 6500 miles, they also did something for a "software" recall. And they indicated the next servicing due as 16000 miles. I'm reading some horror stories online, as when there's a problem Hyundai tries to get out of doing the work under their 10 yr warranty. Never, ever had a car that "might need a new engine" (dealer's words) after 12000 miles. Unsafe! Not sure I even trust a "new engine."

- Hackensack, NJ, USA

problem #58

Sep 252022

Kona

  • 18,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, she heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact than noticed that the checking engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and the oil warning light flashed twice on the instrument panel. The contact was able to pull into a service station and had the vehicle towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that whenever the last oil change was performed, the drain cap was not replaced, causing severe damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the failure was not similar to the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 18,000.

- Amelia Court House, VA, USA

problem #57

Feb 182022

Kona

  • miles
My vehicle has a damaged cylinder bore due to the safety recall about the Hyundai 2020 Kona Piston problem. My engine light keeps going on and off-?? My issue is that Hyundai has caused the defect and my vehicle is on verge of breakdown, the problem I have is that they can only fit my car in for service in a months time-??so I have to drive for another month with a possibility of breakdown.

- Montgomery , AL, USA

problem #56

Aug 142021

Kona

  • miles
This vehicle was under recall by Hyundai ( campaign 203 ) For defective piston oil ring. Since day one of owning the vehicle I would notice oil level low by at least a 1/2 quart ( I would top off). After Several trips to the dealer they installed software to detect vibration and it passed. So they said just run it until it dies only then we can replace the engine. Hyundai has since removed car from recall lookup list. Went to 2nd dealer and I'm going through a oil consumption test. They found it uses.4 to.5 quarts ( 2 more tests due). They say this is normal and they probably will not be able to fix the excessive oil consumption. I have a 2020 Kona with 10,000 miles that can't make it through the oil change cycle with out using oil the oil. I don't know what to do at this point Hyundai is not Honoring the recall. They are trying every trick in the book to avoid their obligations.

- Derry, NH, USA

problem #55

Mar 292021

Kona

  • miles
Leased 5/24/2020. Poor mileage. Told had to break in. On 3/24, 3/29 and 3/30, 2020, car stalled out in traffic. Called for service and given date 3 weeks later. Called Another dealer and got appt. for next day.Spoke to Hyundai Ca. (Sonia) and got case number(1811 5897). On 4/2/2020Blue Link advised to take to dealership, that there was a problem with Engine Control System.The service report was written up that customer states check engine light on.We told them that the car stalled in traffic(very dangerous), but they wouldn-??t write that up. They state that they repaired the car and no code was found. An recall was mailed to house. Made appt for 11/15/2020. Had engine rings recall, they said they did an Atkinson Engine Insp.On 12/6/2020 we received from Blue Link a notice for a possible condition with Engine Control System. At the same time notice appeared car stalled, again in traffic.Called Hyundai Ca. Talked to a Jordan who started another case number, 1905 7159 and he contacted Centereach Hyundai and we had an appt for 12/8/2020. They had to keep the car which meant we were without a car. On 12/16/2020 Centereach gave us a loaner which we were very appreciative of. The car was finally repaired and given back to us on 12/31/2020. Engine was replaced or rebuilt. We had car in for recall on 11/15/2020 and nothing showed up on Engine. Yet on 12/08/2020 they say the engine noise was caused by faulty bearing and piston slap, did a test and found a passing result. They continued to diagnosis and found scoring on all cylinder walls an indication of piston slap to be confirmed, submitted all proper paper work, photos and video evidence to Hyundai for engine approval. After reading in the newspaper about troubles with Hyundai I felt I should write as we could have numerous times accidents with the stalling of car. Hyundai did not acknowledge and repair car right the first time. It was a dangerous situation.

- Centereach, NY, USA

problem #54

Dec 142021

Kona

  • miles
...three times in one week (twice with me, and once with my wife), while driving in traffic the engine shut down completely, and we had to coast off the road to restart the engine...could easily have been deadly...I have tried to contact my dealer, but continually on hold...have left message for call back...afraid to drive car...

- Bernalillo, NM, USA

problem #53

Nov 012020

Kona

  • 5,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while starting the vehicle he heard an abnormal sound. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated he needed to add a 1? quart of oil to the engine. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where an unknown test was completed however, the result was not yet provided. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

- Piketon, OH, USA

problem #52

Nov 052021

Kona 4-cyl

  • miles
2020 Hyundai Kona. Consumer writes in regards to engine failure. The consumer stated the vehicle was taken to the dealer due to a noticeable leak and to have the recall repair completed. The dealer did not perform the recall stating the vehicle passed the test therefore, did not need to be repaired. The consumer was concerned about the safety of the vehicle.

- Wharton, NJ, USA

problem #51

Oct 262021

Kona

  • 12,448 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Kona. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, knocking noises were heard and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer performed an oil change and oil consumption test after every thousand miles on three separate occasions. The first time the vehicle consumed half a quart of oil. The second and third times, the vehicle consumed a quart of oil. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle had passed the engine vibration test and the recall was not repaired. The failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 12,448.

- Sparta, WI, USA

problem #50

Feb 192021

Kona

  • 500 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that the vehicle had been consuming oil every 500 miles. The contact stated he received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer inspected the vehicle and advised the contact that they would not replace the engine as the vehicle had passed the software vibration test. The dealer advised the contact to continue to take the vehicle in for oil changes. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 500.

- Derry, NH, USA

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