2019 Hyundai Kona Reliability Report

Stalling in traffic tied to low oil and internal engine damage, including broken camshaft timing parts, recurs here, along with hesitation and surging power. Rear door latches that fail and trap passengers are a second pattern, and dealers call it common. Other reports cover a dead horn, false collision warnings with a hard jolt at speed, a sunroof shattering in cold weather, theft worries, and slow EV battery repairs.

Delayed acceleration is the main driving complaint. The car pauses for up to about 3 seconds or revs as if in neutral when pulling out, merging or passing, and dealer adjustments do not fix it. Two reports describe gasoline leaks, one from a cracked fuel pump mounting flange that left a puddle under the car. One engine lost compression and would not restart. EV owners describe long waits for a replacement battery with no parts date.

Low oil between changes is the common thread, often with no warning light until the level is already down. Owners describe knocking and clicking, hesitation, burning smells, and stalls while idling or at 45 mph. One engine suffered failed connecting rods that punched a hole in the block. Dealers sometimes find nothing wrong after a test drive. Several cars needed oil added monthly with no visible leak.

All 5 reports involve crashes. Two describe air bags that did not deploy in serious wrecks. In another, the plastic A-pillar trim broke apart on deployment and struck the driver's eye. One frontal collision at about 35 mph ended in a fire that burned until firefighters arrived, with a possible seat belt problem. Another owner found an air bag fault after a minor rear-end impact.

Brakes that intermittently fail to apply, including one crash where forward collision avoidance also did nothing, are the most serious reports. The opposite problem appears too: automatic emergency braking stops the car hard on the highway with room to spare, forcing traffic behind to swerve. Other filings describe a stiff steering wheel and no braking before hitting a pole, a surge forward while braking, and the engine dying with a shudder through the pedal.

Unintended acceleration from a stop is the most severe report here. The car sped through an intersection with the brake pressed and crashed, injuring the driver, and was totaled. Other filings describe stalls with every warning light on and a frozen tachometer at around 62000 miles, speed loss going uphill, and a broken cruise control button that required removing the steering wheel and driver's air bag to replace.

Theft drives one report: a car stolen after a broken rear window and disabled ignition, then crashed, with repairs stuck behind high claim volume. Another describes a rear spoiler that squeaks on warm days because its retaining nuts had come loose or fallen out, leaving it at risk of detaching. Peeling paint is the third complaint.