There are 50 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2021 Hyundai Konain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was unaware of the warning lights that were illuminated during the failure. The vehicle was unable to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the piston rings had failed and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the piston rings had failed and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 82,000.
Engine is consuming oil and developed piston slap, per the mechanic I took it to. Currently it sounds like there is gravel inside the engine and it does not seem safe to drive. The Malfunction Indicator Lamp has also come on, the codes were cleared by my mechanic but they told me it likely will return. The piston slap developed a week ago today (Thursday), the MIL started flashing 3 days later (Sunday), mechanic did the oil change on Tuesday and noted the Piston Slap at that time. All symptoms point to the issues noted in #21V-301, but my VIN is not included in that recall per the NHTSA website.
The vehicle has 82.000 miles on it, and the engine started to rattle as I entered the street to my house, and the motor quit running. I had the vehicle hauled to a repair garage for analysis, and they said the piston rings failed. The vehicle is in perfect shape except for the broken engine.
VIN: [XXX] 2021 Hyundai Kona experienced sudden engine failure at approximately 103,000 miles. The engine began knocking without any prior warning, and the check engine light came on at the same time the knocking started. The vehicle was not driven for an extended period after the issue began. There were no earlier warning indicators or drivability issues that would suggest neglect or lack of maintenance. The failure was immediate and unexpected. This vehicle had previously received Hyundai recall T8Y, which involved an ECU update related to engine monitoring and performance. Despite this manufacturer intervention, the engine still experienced sudden failure. Hyundai has denied warranty and goodwill coverage for this failure. This appears to be a premature engine failure and raises concerns about reliability and safety due to the sudden nature of the issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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 contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stop and while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled unexpectedly. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road, and the vehicle was turned off and restarted, and continued driving. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone, where it was determined that the spark plugs had failed and needed to be replaced. The spark plugs were replaced; however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The failure had occurred three times; however, the last time, the vehicle failed to restart, and there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the turbocharger and the piston rings had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 121,334
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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 driving at a slow speed or making a turn, the vehicle stalled. In addition, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine. There was an unknown code displayed on the instrument panel. Most recently, the engine started consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact was adding oil every other week to the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, no cause for the failure was found. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while the accelerator was depressed, the engine made a rough revving sound. The contact stated that at the beginning, the vehicle stalled after the contact drove over a speed bump or drove around a roundabout. The contact moved the gear shift lever to neutral(N) and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not inspected or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
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.
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 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.
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.
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026