2020 Hyundai Kona Reliability Report

Sudden engine failure and stalling at any speed, often without warning lights, lead this mixed group. Two crash reports involve unwanted acceleration while parking and false automatic emergency braking, with one injury. A forward collision sensor error can jab the brakes and force a downshift. Other reports include a driver's door that will not unlock from inside, an air conditioning drain that sprays water onto the pedals, a failed backup camera, a dead horn, and a muffler pipe that fell off.

The car wanders between lanes at highway speed and needs constant correction, according to several reports. Others describe the car pulling unexpectedly during a lane change. An electric power steering warning light can flash intermittently, and dealers have been unable to duplicate it or pull a trouble code. A growling noise when turning the wheel led to a steering column replacement under warranty in one case. One crash report and one stalling complaint are also filed under this category.

Unwanted hard braking in freeway traffic is the most serious pattern. Automatic emergency braking or brake support locks the wheels when the driver is already slowing, and following vehicles have had to swerve onto the shoulder. One Kona Electric lost braking at 45 mph after a regenerative brake failure warning. Another report describes the brakes releasing below 10 mph, letting the car lurch forward, which a dealer technician confirmed. A constant scraping noise when braking also appears.

Heavy oil use with no warning light shows up again here. Owners report knocking, tapping, or pinging, and dealers find the oil extremely low. Two reports involve a turbocharger diagnosed as faulty, including one at about 65,000 miles, and in one case the knocking continued after the turbo was replaced. Most of these cars were not repaired at the time of filing, and owners describe being sent away to run oil consumption tests.

False collision warnings trigger braking with nothing ahead, sometimes at highway speed, up to 70 mph. In some cases the car also gets stuck in 4th gear or goes into a fail-safe mode with a sharp loss of power, and the driver must pull over and restart. The problem recurs, in one case weekly, and repeat dealer visits have not fixed it. Some drivers turn the system off every time they start the car.

Sudden acceleration while pulling into a parking spot caused two crashes, with 4 people injured. In one, the car struck a house even though the driver braked. In the other, it jumped a curb and hit a store wall. A third report describes a loss of power that left the driver unable to accelerate and forced them off the road. The number of reports is small, but the outcomes are severe.

Airbags did not deploy in two side-impact crashes, and 4 people were injured. In one, the side curtain airbags stayed stowed and a passenger was severely hurt. In the other, the car was broadsided at an intersection by a driver who ran a red light. The driver's airbag deployed but the passenger airbag did not, and the passenger suffered head injuries including a brain bleed. Only two complaints exist, but both involve hospital-level injuries.