2021 Hyundai Kona Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
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.
-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.
The engine has been a problem since I got the car. It used to just stop in the middle of traffic and just not drive I would have to completely turn the car off and back on in the middle of the highway. I went to Hyundai in Texas to get it fixed and they said they did so I drove it to where I live now In north carolina it broke down again the shaft gear was broken I had to drive it back to Texas for them to fix it the whole way there I was unable to turn the car off while getting gas with the chance of it not Turing back on. got it to Texas and to the dealer they said it was their problem they would fix I got the car back and seemingly thought everything was ok. this past week I was driving to work and all of the sudden on the middle of the right lane of the highway my car just started to slow down and shake a little I had gotten it to the side to pull over and I thought if I turned it off it would turn back on. it turns on but does not drive. I am a [XXX] living [XXX] in North Carolina with a car that has so many problems for it being a 2021 car. with no recall in sight I have seen this specific car on the side of the road more times than I have seen any other car. if someone does not see this as a problem and thinks it shouldn't be recalled you are the issue I need a working car to get to work so I can pay my bills without a car I have no way to make my money this car has been a problem since the get go. Im not asking for a new car I'm asking for this one to be fixed and stay fixed for it to have so many issues is insane and just not safe with the world we live in if my car doesn't start for some reason at any point and something is going wrong its dangerous. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The piston went through the top of my engine with my entire family in the car. We managed to get to a mechanic. And bring it to the dealership. We are very lucky to be alive.
About a month after purchasing my car it shut down on the highway while driving. It completely lost power so I could not accelerate or even press the brake. Only the emergency brake stopped me from going into other cars. I started the car up again and then it worked fine until about another month later it happened again. I was on an exit ramp on the highway and it lost power. Cars had to quickly go around me as I had no control of my vehicle. Neither brakes or gas pedal worked at the time and my check engine light stayed on. I then took my car to Hyundai service where they told me my car went through 2 quarts of oil in one month. They want me to drive this car another 1,000 miles knowing it’s dangerous, unsafe, a risk to me and other drivers and a fire hazard to have an engine consuming this much oil. I fear to drive this unpredictable car any more. The manager of Hyundai knows it’s unfair but must follow protocol. I just don’t understand how they can tell someone to drive a stalling car waiting for an accident to happen.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while coming to a stop, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000. The VIN was not available.
I have experienced the same issues with a known recall for my year, make and model. I am not sure why my VIN is not showing. Have records from a mechanic that there was a fire hazard. I have experienced stalling on several occasions. Could I have help getting my VIN recognized so Hyundai will help me?
The piston oil ring recall. I have had a mechanic determine I am having the exact same problem as the recalls but my VIN is not covered. Please update the recall so my repairs can be covered.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds in stop-and-go traffic, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle but almost immediately lost motive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the piston oil rings, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 96,000.
Excessive oil consumption, over 3 quarts in just 4 months, caused the engine's timing chain to fail due to low oil levels, ultimately leading to a rod punching through the engine. there is a recall for this vehicle but not mine.
Car engine is loosing/burning oil at a high rate. This could be best described as an oil ring problem that is included in other kona models but not my specific vin series
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle lost automotive. The contact restarted the vehicle immediately and was able to continue driving. The contact also became aware that the oil level was extremely low. The contact stated that after adding oil, 24 hours later the engine started making a knocking sound, and the oil level was low again. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of oil. The independent mechanic suggested that the vehicle be taken a Hyundai dealer for further diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (ENGINE); as a possible cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 87,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle started shaking abnormally and failed to idle properly. The vehicle lost power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was then steered to the side of the road where the vehicle then stalled. The vehicle was restarted after several attempts, and the oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle then stalled again. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was no oil in the engine. The contact stated that an oil change was performed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 87,845.
My car consumes a lot of oil. This is a very similar problem as the wrong tempered piston rings. All this car has used is 5W 20 full synthetic oil., which gets changed every 5000 miles. I would burn around 1 quart every 1000 miles. Dealer solution is to put in 5W 30 full synthetic oil. Got a little better but within a few months, back to burning1 quart every 1000 miles. Dealer is now saying Hyundai won’t fix the issue because car now has 116000 miles on it. This has been a problem for a while.
2021 Hyundai Kona check engine light came on while driving, within 10 minutes oil light and battery light came on and at the same time these lights came on the car stopped working. The engine stalled, leaving the car stuck in the middle of the road. The car turned off, and would not turn back on properly. The car had to be towed to a mechanic where it was discovered that the engine had no oil in it and no longer starts or runs. The car was not yet due for an oil change, there were no oil leaks found, and it seems like the engine burned the oil faster than it should have. The car was functioning properly up until the day of the event, with no issues or warning signs present. There is a recall associated with this model and year relating to engine damage, with the campaign number 21V301000, but there is no recall for this car's VIN. The car stopped driving in the middle of the road which could have easily caused a crash and now the engine needs to be completely replaced.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle in for service, she was made aware that the engine oil was abnormally low even though the oil had recently been changed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine); but the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 94,000.
Stalled out
I bought this car for my daughter we bought used low miles in May 2023. She got her first oil change in August 2023, in November on her way back to college her car seized up and stop working on the highway. Dealership said missing oil plug. Had to replace with new engine. Insurance company drops us, and new insurance is double. Second oil change July 2024. I noticed oil spots on my new driveway, she takes to dealer, again oil plug gone and hole in oil pan. This is crazy!! If I wouldn't have seen the oil spots on driveway she would have blown up anothe engine. She parks on gravel lot, can't see oil drips. Internet full of these stories. I can't afford this car. Thousands of dollars in increased insurance, driveway repair, car repair, not to mentoin the anxiety. This car has doubled insurance rates, ruined two paver driveways, and over $1000 each time in repairs. This needs to be fixed. This is dangerous. I spoke to dealership and there only advice was to bring to dealership for oil changes. This company needs to recall this defect with the oil plug/pan
While driving on the interstate highway the engine stopped. The circumstances surrounding the failure matched those for Kona VINs that were recalled.
Told previous recall on engine was not needed on this vehicle while vehicle has same stalling issue that caused previous recall on engine. On july 5 2024 engine locked up nearly creating a wreck. Previous recall clearly is wider spread than hyundai is admitting. Now my car that is 8000 miles out of warranty needs an engine they claimed was not affected by previous recall but has same issue and originally fell under previous recall.
My vehicle was purchased in late June 2023 with Remainder of Hyundai Factory Warranty promised. A few months ago I started hearing a ticking noise from the motor and on 3 different occasions almost stalled while stopped at a traffic light. I took it to CMA's Hyundai of Lynchburg and upon inspection was told I need a new motor due to finding possible aluminum on the piston head of cylinder 4. There was a previous recall on 2021 Hyundai KONA Motors due to faulty piston rings. I am wondering if the defect in my motor may be related. I was told I could not leave/drive my vehicle for my own safety. So my vehicle has been at the dealership since mid-December, 2023. They state the warranty is void.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, he observed white smoke emanating from the rear of the vehicle. Additionally, on several occasions, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power and did not accelerate as intended. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that an unknown software needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. Lastly, the contact stated that while turned off the vehicle would not turn on. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
9/13/2022 I took my vehicle in to the dealer stating the vehicle felt like it was going to stall. I was told there was no code found so they couldn't do anything, passed off as nothing wrong. On 4/1/2023 the vehicle stalled while pulling into a parking lot and a car behind me had to honk because it was going to hit me. I took the vehicle to dealer, they kept it two days, I was told it could not be created, no code found. 7/30/2023 the vehicle stalled on me four times, again I left it at the dealer for two days, vehicle was down 3 qts of oil. Oil consumption test started. During all this I had two open cases with Hyundai corporate. One was closed without my knowledge and the second my case was denied for any kind of help, no engine replacement or vehicle repurchase options provided to me. I was told I could open a case with the BBB which I currently have. I am waiting to hear what is happening with that currently. The vehicle continues to run extremely rough and sluggish, everytime I brake or slow down, I'm afraid it's going to stall. One time previously it did stall on me while driving on an overpass of a business street and I was afraid someone was going to hit me from behind. It's hard to drive a vehicle that everytime to put your foot on the brake or slow down you are afraid it's going to stall and someone is going to hit you from behind. That is a safety risk. When the vehicle has stalled it has been at different speeds, in different instances, like I said, slowing down, braking, pulling in to a parking lot and just driving straight.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35-45 MPH, there was a ticking and knocking sound coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle lost motive power, stalled, and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to the NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine). The manufacturer was contacted but provided no additional assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 23,700.
I purchased the vehicle on 6/29/23, mileage at purchase was 38,126. Per CarFax ,this vehicle had an oil change at 38,026 miles (at Turnersville Hyundai). I drove this vehicle to Maryland and while there it had stalled 3 times, each time when I was going very slow. I came home to find out that in under 1,000 miles of driving since the last listed oil change, I had burned 2 quarts of oil. Took car back to Turnersville Hyundai where they kept if for 4 days and said they were doing an Oil Consumption Test and Hyundai was notified. There is no way two quarts of oil should burn up while driving under 1,000 miles.
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The 2021 Hyundai Kona has 48 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.