2018 Hyundai Kona problems
NHTSA has received 117 complaints about the 2018 Hyundai Kona, and 38% of them involve engine. Next are drivetrain & axles (9%) and electrical system (7%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 117 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 39% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 14 and 19
- Injuries and deaths
- 24 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 17,000 miles 35 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 18 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 4 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 7 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 0 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 3 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 2 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 1 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 35 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 17,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 90,000 miles (11 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 14 complaints mention a crash; 19 complaints mention a fire; 24 injuries reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 97% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2018 ranks 7th most-complained-about out of 8 model years of the Hyundai Kona with enough data (64 complaints in that window).
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
I was sold a car with 1 unprepared safety recall and 22 technical service bulletins. In addition to was previously salvaged sue to collision, hail, flood and fire. The vehicle also was a 2019 made into a 2018. When the ecm was reprogrammed the new vin was wiped clean and altered. [XXX]
Was driving hyundai kona down the freeway. I smelled a burning smell, I saw the check engine light blink once. The car went into limp mode and I started pulling over to the shoulder. Stopping on the shoulder, I noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood. I evacuated the car and within a few minutes, flames were present. It was between 2-3 miles start to finish.
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while her daughter was driving at undisclosed speeds, the engine warning light illuminated. There was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined there was knock in the cylinder. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that the cam was overworked and both cams had overproduced. Additionally, there was a misfire in cylinders number 1, 2, and 4.