2022 Hyundai Kona Complaint Log

I found a lot of shaved metals when I did the oil change for the Gear Reduction. It made a lot of noises when driving or the wheel of fortune sounds whether the car is in Regenerative Braking. The sounds developed as time goes on but Hyundai failed to recall this issue. I found this has been an ongoing issue since 2019 when Hyundai make this Kona EV, but their engineers didn’t fix this type of issue and continue to manufacture the Kona EV with the same Gear Reduction Assembly and it caused a lot of noises with these shaving metals found in the oil changes. This is abnormal for a GRU to have so many metals found in the oil. Thus, it made a lot of noises. Now my car can’t even drive because of this. The GRU has been broken because of this issue that Hyundai didn’t even fix since 2019.

In January 2026, my engine light illuminated and the vehicle lost power. The dealership found a sudden loss of compression across all four cylinders, requiring a total engine replacement. This occurred without warning, only two months after a routine oil change at the same facility where no issues were reported. Despite opening a case with Hyundai corporate, there has been no progress. My research indicates that while NHTSA Recall 21V301 (Safety Recall 203) specifies 2019–2021 models, the 2022 model shares the same engine design and identical reports of stalling and compression loss. My vehicle has been at the dealership for three months with no resolution. The dealership says they are running tests requested by tech line without providing documentation of the tests or the results. Although, the initial test performed indicated that it was a compression ring issue.

The vehicle displayed a warning lamp indicating a Cooling System Performance failure. The specific defect relates to the Integrated Thermal-Management Module (ITM) and the thermostat opening prematurely, corresponding to Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P218100. This issue requires a repair outlined in Technical Service Bulletin 25-EM-007H, involving a spring installation and ECU update. This failure creates a serious safety concern because improper thermal management can cause the engine to overheat or force the vehicle into a reduced-power 'limp mode' without warning. A sudden loss of acceleration or engine stall while driving in traffic significantly increases the risk of a crash.

December 2025: Yet ANOTHER horn failure. Pressed the vehicle's horn to alert another driver that they were drifting into my lane on the highway, and it FAILED to produce the loud sound that it is SUPPOSED TO make. It needed to be replaced again for the FOURTH time. Part 96611-J9500 was replaced—AGAIN. This is a continued safety issue that Hyundai has neglected to address and fix. Spontaneous horn failure is a HAZARD. The horn is there to warn others of possible danger.

Hyundai has multiple complaints regarding Horn malfunction in the Hyundai Kona. I went to use my horn today to prevent an accident and found my horn does not work. I have checked my fuses and relays and neither are blown leading to the horn to be unable for use

I had the radiator replaced by the Ourisman Hyundai Laurel dealership on 10/1/25. Radiator replacement was under warranty. On 10/4/25car overheated while driving. I pulled the car over and called for a tow truck. Car was leaking lots of coolant. Brought it to service center at Ourisman Hyundai Laurel, they stated “the hose to the thermostat was not all the way on. Put hose on correctly no more leaking.” On 10/15/25 multiple lights came on the dashboard including the master warning light. Took car to Ourisman Hyundai Laurel again; received the car back, dealership stated “ TECH COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE LIGHTS POPPING ON DASHBOARD. UPON FURTHER DIAGNOSIS TECH FOUND THAT THERE WAS A CONNECTOR NOT GETTING THE PROPER CONTACT TO COIL NUMBER 1 TECH RECONNECTED THE CONNECTOR AND TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE FOR 5 MILES. NO CONCERNS PRESENT AT THIS TIME.” On 10/20 I brought the car in to Ourisman Hyundai Laurel again because Electronic Stability Control light as well as ABS warning light and several other warning lights came on multiple times. Ourisman Hyundai Laurel service technician said they could not duplicate the problem and there is nothing they can do. This is a safety issue because it concerns the electronic stability control and brakes.

The horn on my 2022 Hyundai Kona has failed multiple times. It has been replaced twice already, and it has stopped working again at around 65,000 miles. This is a serious safety concern as I am unable to alert other drivers in emergency situations. The repeated failure of the horn suggests a possible defect in the electrical system or horn assembly. I am requesting an investigation into this issue.

When I purchased the car with in 2 weeks epb , auto hold and auto stop all 3 lights on dashboard came on orange. Took to dealership and they fixed the problem. 4 months later now the lights are back on. The vehicle does not feel safe at pulls to the right , I have problems with my ac as well as my transmission is slipping. The car loses power when I accelerate. I believe was sold a lemon car I purchased from carmax.

On Saturday, [XXX], while driving on the highway, the oil plug on my vehicle suddenly fell out, causing all the oil to drain rapidly. This created an extreme safety hazard not only for myself but also for other drivers on the road. I did not notice the oil spillage until the oil light on the dash appeared. At the time, I was in the leftmost lane traveling at highway speeds, so I could not stop immediately. I had to carefully veer across five lanes of traffic and navigate out of a construction zone before I was able to pull over safely. The engine lost lubrication during this process, and I was forced to have the vehicle towed to Ed Napleton Hyundai in Hazelwood, the same dealership where I purchased and serviced the car, for inspection and repairs. This incident occurred just three weeks after I had an oil change performed at the same dealership. I have been attempting to contact the dealership for updates on the status of my vehicle and the investigation into potential engine damage for the past three days, but I have received limited information until today, when the service manager, Jerry, stated that they installed a new plug and added oil, and since it's not ticking, it's okay. However, having worked in the automotive industry for years, I know that a full teardown is necessary to properly check for damage, including inspecting the bearings, rings, cylinder walls, and turbo for signs of oil starvation. This service was not performed. Additionally, Jerry informed me that speaking to someone higher up would do absolutely nothing for me. This is not an isolated issue. Over the course of my ownership, the dealership has damaged my oil filter by over-tightening and stripping it on two separate occasions during routine maintenance, requiring me to return to the facility each time. On both instances, I had to wait an additional 2 to 3 hours while they installed replacement parts to correct their errors. These repeated mistakes have caused significant inconv INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

When I first brought the car for its first service appointment (6 months after purchase), I informed the service dept at the dealership that the car seemed to accelerate itself when I was driving. They said they hit a reset button and that I shouldn't have any more problems. What I found was that the car then drove sluggishly but it did not accelerate anymore. Recently however (2.5 years into the purchase), the car started "sliding" when I hit the break pad. I took the car in again for service a few months ahead of time and they said that my car mat was wedged under the break pad and that was what was causing the car to slide when I hit the break. The car slid but also accelerated by about 5 miles, however I was able to quickly break and stop it without incident. This last service was on Friday, August 1st, and on Sunday August 3, the car slid and accelerated again - without the floor mat being wedged under the break. On Monday morning (August 4th) I called Hyundai so many times that I lost count. I was never able to speak with a service employee but I was given an appointment for a week and half later. According to ChatGPT, it is a common issue with the 2022 Kona and it should be recalled.

Horn was going in and out of working for the first few months after purchase. Now the horn does not work at all. It is not the fuse. As seeing through other complaints this is a very common problem and should be on Hyundai to fix.

For the second time in 6months, the horn has stopped working. Coastal Hyundai in Melbourne FL replaced the first horn on 1/14/2025. On [XXX], the horn has stopped working again. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My horn on my car has went out the first time and now it just went out again and it’s a manufacturing issue! Hyundai refuses to fix it because it’s not under warranty anymore! And it’s so dangerous now since I don’t have a horn again! I should have not have to fix it when it’s not my fault! And other people have the same issue with your Kona’s to! The dealership even told me that’s it’s been an issue with the horns!

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

The horn is not working. On forums for this specific car it is a common problem for this make and model. This means I cannot alert other cars or pedestrians

Radiator is failing between 60k and 70k miles with no check engine lights. Leaking an entire reservoir of coolant within a 24hr time period. Even when the temperature gage went above the middle mark and to the 3/4 mark the check engine light never came on.

I believe it’s a barring in the engine but it is like a knocking.

I have had my horn replaced three separate times at my local Hyundai dealership. It recently passed the NC vehicle inspection, but the horn failed the third time sometime after that inspection in Feb-2025. I have never had a horn EVER fail on ANY car I have owned for the past 50 years. A horn is a critical safety necessity and it is expected to work - especially in times of emergency. I was almost run off the highway, once by a semi-trailer and each time I discovered my horn had failed - it was due to my needing to use it to alert pedestrians or other motor vehicles to avoid accidents. The dealer would not reveal WHY this has failed three times except to state that they 'replaced the horn'. The dealer is the only one to have attempted an examination, diagnosis and supposed repair for this problem. There are no warning lights or other type of notification that would let me know of a horn failure. The only way to know that it had failed - was my immediate need to employ the use of the horn in an emergency - and it's silence aka malfunction at the worst possible times.

While accelerating onto the highway, the engine backfired and suddenly lost speed, violently shaking.

On February 3rd 2025, directly after putting my Kona in park, I felt it pulsing, saw the RPM dial bouncing repeatedly up and down, and the overhead lights flickering in rhythm with the vibrating/pulsing and RPM dial bounces. I recorded this incident, then turned my car off and on again at which point these observations could not be repeated - in other words, the car was acting fine. There were no other observable issues until March 1st, 2025, when these exact symptoms emerged under different circumstances. I came to an idle at a red light (with the auto-start/stop feature turned off for this drive) when the RPM bouncing, car pulsing back and forth, and lights flickering happened again. My car felt as though it was about to stall this time until, thankfully, the light turned green and I could accelerate. The issues dissipated with acceleration. I have this incident on video as well. I have a little over 63K miles on this car. I drive all day for my job, so it's used often for short trips throughout the city.

Horn stopped working for third time. Replaced by dealership twice, awaiting parts for third repair.

Car will stop running and not start back up when stopped at a light or stop sign sometimes. I have started driving with the auto start stop off because I will be stuck at a light or stop sign because it will power off but not come back on again. This has occurred several times. The dealership told me there was no issue 11/22/24 but were willing to sell me another battery if I wanted to just replace the battery. The battery would test fine and then not and then fine again. I did price battery’s and they tested my battery at auto zone when pricing them and it tested fine with them also. They did not feel like it was a battery issue. I don’t either now since it stays on no problem when I turn off the auto start stop. There is something honestly wrong because if I leave that feature on, it will power off and sometimes stay off. The first times it happened was in November 2024 but it keeps happening. Sometimes i forget to click off the auto start stop and it will happen to me again but I shouldn’t have to turn that feature off to prevent my car from shutting down and not restarting when stopped.

The vehicle has lose of acceleration while driving.. On Freeway the gas pedal loses acceleration. Lift off gas it accelerates then loses acceleration again. (4 times in a row) It was a big safety issue. There was no where to pull off. I made it to the nearest exit and took backroads home. Took it to Dealership they couldn't replicate the issue. I contacted Hyundai and they had the car sent back to dealership and so far they can't replicate it. It has done this numerous times, at different times and speeds. The car is now at the dealership for the second time (since the 17 of December) There were NO WARNING LIGHTS so dealership says hard to diagnose the issues.

On four separate occasions now, I have been driving on the highway at roughly 60 mph, no cars in front of or beside me, and nothing else obstructing the roadway, when completely out of nowhere the emergency braking activates for 3-5 seconds. Thankfully there was only a car behind me on one occasion, and they were far enough behind to not collide after my sudden braking.

On 10/4/2024 I was driving my 2022 Hyundai Kona SEL (61, 492 miles on odometer) with a cruise control set at 75 mph for my morning commute into work. I was approx 15 miles away from my house and at least 7 miles away from my place of employement. Suddenly and without warning the engine revved to beyond 4500 RPM and shut off. The lights on the dashboard all lit up and a message flashed on the screen stating engine cut off, turn off car and restart. I was surrounded by several cars at this time. I was able to navigate to the shoulder of the 2 lane road I was on and bring the car to a stop. When I tried to turn the car back on it would not. I had the car towed to the dealership. First they had to replace the battery as they stated there was not even enough juice in the battery to update the onboard computer for diagnostic. Then, after a week of waiting, I called and was informed that the engine was deak (advisor used the phrase "the engine when clunck"). As of today, 11/12/2024, I do not have a full diagnosis for the engine failure as the dealership has yet to inform me even though I have submitted multiple requests through various means. Service advisors states that the engine will be covered under the CPO warranty. At the time of the incident, the engine had not given any indications of any issues (like noices, stalls, etc). My sister had driven the car two days before and said it was driving fine. I had had the oil changed a week before and the tech did an inspection at that time and all parts were in working/good condition.

August 2024: Horn malfunction/failure. Pressed the car's horn, and it FAILED to produce the loud sound that it is SUPPOSED TO make to warn others of possible danger. It continued to not work and needed to be replaced for the third time. Part 96611-J9500 (Horn Assembly) was replaced for the THIRD time on this vehicle.

At Carmax in Hillside I'll about 3 weeks after I bought this used 2022 Kona the engine check light came on with code p2181. Cool system code. Possibly the thermostat is not working properly.13399 miles on August 9 2024

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the sunroof fractured without impact. The contact stated that the fractured glass fell onto the contact while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a defective sunroof glass. The contact was informed that the sunroof needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the sunroof glass needed to be ordered, and there was a 10-day waiting period before the parts would be delivered. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. The VIN was unavailable.

I purchased this 2022 Kona used with 12,000 miles in April 2024. On 4 occasions it has failed to start. When starting the vehicle with push button I only heard a series of clicking. There was no other sound made while trying to start the car. My husband had a remote jumper and attached it to the battery as directed on the jumper, then pushed the start button. The vehicle started immediately. The vehicle then ran normally. I episode occurred after the vehicle sat while we were away for 2 weeks on vacation. Again, using the remote jumper, the vehicle started immediately. Another occasion, the vehicle was driven that day and when attempting to move the car from the driveway into the garage, it once again failed to start. Just a series of clicking sounds. Application of the remote jumper once again started the car immediately. On the 4 th occasion (XXX) I was stopped at a traffic light waiting for the right turn arrow to appear. It was raining hard. The vehicle cut off (as it normally does when idling while stopped) then the dashboard went dead. The safety flashers would not work nor could I restart the car. This time there was no sound or clicking. I exited the vehicle in heavy rain and traffic, got the remote jumper from the trunk, raised the hood in the rain and heavy traffic and proceeded to attach the jumper to the car battery. The car started immediately. This last occasion of the vehicle shutting down was extremely dangerous. As I stated it occurred in a heavy rain in a very congested and heavily traveled city road. Visibility was poor due to the weather and lack of safety flashers (Toledo, Ohio at the corner of [XXX] ). I was fearful standing outside the vehicle with so much traffic. I was blocking the right turn lane so people behind me were not happy. I am [XXX] and unable to push it to the side of road. I believe that intersection has a left turn lane, 2 straight lanes, and the right turn lane. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while at a stop light, the accelerator pedal was depressed while starting to make a left turn and the vehicle shut off. The vehicle rolled to the shoulder. The shift to park or neutral message was displayed. The vehicle was shifted to neutral and restarted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who failed to retrieve a fault code. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 43,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while at a complete stop and would restart independently while shifting into park(P). There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, a chime sounded, and the message "Think About Taking a Rest" was displayed. The dealer was notified of the failure via email. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,842.

My Check Engine light came on and stayed steady (not blinking). The Cause for it is Unknown to me. I took it to the Dealership and they scheduled me to bring it in 3 days later, 3/12/24, to determine if it was something simple or if would take up to a couple days to fix. They assured me that if the light remained steady, I would be fine to drive the car. If it began blinking, then bring it back in. If the fix would take a day or more, they don't do loaner cars so I'd have to rent one (no cars to borrow and Ubers don't take wheelchairs). Approximately an hour after I arrived on 3/12 (I had to wait for my car), they gave me my car back. They had to order a part that was on back order that could take weeks or months to arrive. The part had something to do with preventing the engine from overheating, but I was not to worry so long as the Check Engine light stayed steady. They then asked how many miles I typically drove each day, "just around town, right?" I answered, usually, but that I was currently taking medical treatments for the next two weeks which involved around 70 miles roundtrip plus my usual daily miles. The Service person winced at that. They then told me that if the car overheated, to not worry, just pull over until it cooled off, and if it didn't, just use the Roadside Assistance service, then bring the car to the Dealership and they'll give me a loaner car (?!?) until my car could be repaired. A bit in shock, I left. After thinking about it, I find the Dealership's handling suspicious. 1) They didn't give me any paperwork. In all previous interactions, they've given me paperwork even if I've only had my fluids topped up. 2) If a back ordered part could take up to months to come in, it seems most likely to me that the scarcity is due to huge number of customers needing the part, not a supply-chain issue. I am disabled and in a wheelchair, so need my car to take care of myself. I hope everything is actually okay. If not, please help.

Horn stopped working. Fuses are good.

Horn needs replacing. No bodily damage was done.

JANUARY 2024: HORN FAILURE. Pressed the car's horn, and it FAILED to produce the loud sound that it is SUPPOSED TO make to warn others of possible DANGER. It continued to not work and needed to be replaced. Part 96611-J9500 was replaced AGAIN.

Horn fails in very cold weather. When the horn is depressed/pushed down on, no sound is produced. The first and second incident caused it to stop working completely. During the THIRD incident, repeated pressing of the horn would eventually produce a weak sound that would eventually grow louder. This compromises safety because the horn cannot be counted on to alert others to imminent possible danger/collision. The dealer confirmed it twice and replaced the horn twice. The first incident was remedied by replacing the horn fuse. The vehicle gave absolutely no warning or symptoms that the horn was going to fail to produce any sound. Incident dates: 12/25/2022, 02/26/2023, and 01/18/2024

This car has had 8 dct codes. Oil pump replaced, thermostat replaced, radiator replaced, horn replaced, thermostat housing and thermostat replaced again, ignition wires replaced, oil sensor replaced. Most issues happened before car was 1 years old. Car is always fixed free of charge at dealership. Car was shaking if I went over 20 mph

Coolant Leak. Integrated Thermal Management started Leaking at around 16,000 Miles. Part replaced 12/14/23. Leaks continues

The horn stopped working less than a year after I bought the car brand new. The dealer finally agreed to repair/replace it in Feb 2024. Less than a year later it is not working again. A horn is important for alerting other drivers to impending collisions. It also leaves me without a panic button, another important safety feature.

As I was backing out of my driveway, I noticed my camera started flashing a green screen and a message appeared intermittently with the flashing green screen saying ‘no camera signal try again later. This lasted the entire time I was backing up including once I shifted into drive then it disappeared. I feel that this is a safety risk to others who may be walking or driving by me if I am unable to use the camera. Clearly I don’t rely completely on the back up camera as I still tend to look at my surroundings as I back up. I am not even certain if someone was behind me if the warning would even work when the camera is acting up. I have not reported the problem to the dealer yet but I will first thing in the morning. The vehicle has not been inspected yet. The warning messages are described in the first paragraph. Today is first time this has happened. I have a video of this but was not able to attach it.

I was driving up an incline when I overheated, causing smoke to come out of the transmission case. The vehicle suddenly stopped in the middle of the road, which could have caused an accident or fire. Regarding the transmission, I opened the hood to let the vehicle cool down for an hour.

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the “Engine Off – Shift to Neutral” was displayed and an audible sound was heard. The contact was able to pull over and shut off the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and operated normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 37,600.

Pirelli P Zero 235 / 40 R19 96Y Purchased a 2022 Hyundai Kona N on 7/23/22. At 8ooo miles all 4 tires are cracking on side wall and tread area. Hyundai said those tires are not to be driven on if the outside temperature is 40 degrees or lower. We currently live in Joplin Missouri. When we purchased the vehicle we were not informed about the situation with the tires and temperature. The warranty on the Hyundai website stated the tires should last for 30,000 miles. All 4 tires need to be replaced, if we knew about this issue we would have made arrangements, prior to the purchase, to have different tires placed on the vehicle. We feel that we have been taken advantage of due to the lack of information on Hyundai’s part. On 4/7/23 I contacted Hyundai and was told to take the vehicle to a Hyundai dealer and have the tires inspected. On 4/10/23 we took the vehicle to the Hyundai dealer and they inspected the tires and recommended that they be replaced and they would send a complaint to Hyundai. The service manager at Fletcher Hyundai, Zeb Nageotte 417-434-1601, said he has never seen anything like that before in that little time.

Transmission failed, to start with it wouldn’t go into reverse, then while trying to drive in forward it stalled and shut everything down with a code message going across the screen a possible condition with your transmission control system has been detected.a full check system is recommended to be done soon.please contact your local dealership to make appointment. Had to have car towed to dealership transmission would not operate at all.

Check engine light- sensor, rear trunk won't lock - sensor

February 2023: horn failure. Pressed the car's horn, and it FAILED to produce the loud sound that it is SUPPOSED TO make to warn others of possible danger. It continued to not work and needed to be replaced. Part 96611-J9500 was replaced.

I was rear ended waiting for the car in front of me to turn. Driver was going between 33-40 on a residential. My air bags did not deploy.

My daughter left our house in our 2022 Hyundai Kona on Friday, 1/13/23, to head back to college which is 5 hours from home. A little more than an hour down the road after leaving our house, she said that the car started sounding strange, so she called her mother. At this time, she was on a two lane country road with no safe options or areas to pull over. My wife advised my daughter to continue driving until she found a safe place to pull over. As she continued onwards, she came to a stop sign in the countryside and the car died on her. She restarted it and was able to continue her trip. Several miles later a light came on, but she was still not to a safe area. By the time she got to a safe place, other lights had come on, and the car died in the parking lot. The car would not restart so we called a tow truck to take the Kona to the nearest Hyundai dealership which is where it sits today. Upon inspection, the Hyundai dealership discovered that the drain plug was missing from the oil pan which caused the oil to drain and ultimately led to catastrophic engine failure. The engine needs to be replaced at a quote of $9753.08. The Kona’s last oil change was on 10/19/22 at 8,630 miles and was done a third party oil change facility. The mileage on the Kona when delivered to the repairing Hyundai dealership is 13,775. No engine lights or oil change needed indicators were on before our daughter began her trip on 1/13/23. I contend that this is a known issue with Hyundai engines based off of internet research that indicates that the NHTSA is actively investigating this exact issue of the drain plug falling out and causing catastrophic engine failure. This situation is a safety issue because the engine could have seized while in motion on a two-lane country road causing a wreck.

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated he noticed that there was water inside the driver’s side taillight assembly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer confirmed that they were aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 7,750.

Two times on a highway, the car engaged the automatic emergency brakes when the driver was driving straight forward. We were not turning, breaking, or accelerating and there were no cars close to our car