2018 Hyundai Kona Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 42about this part
- Share
- 56%of 75 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 54,000miles
- Trend
- RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 42 complaints about the engine of the 2018 Hyundai Kona, 56% of the 75 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 54,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 7 a fire, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11300596, filed 2020-01, 29,000 miles“My husband and I were driving uneventfully down a highway for about an hour and pulled over for no other reason but to get gas. We have a high tech blue link system and only 17k miles on the car. There were no lights or warnings at all. Just after parking at the gas pump the engine started smoking and quickly burst into flames. The car filled up with smoke and we were able to get out without a scratch, but my husband had to jump back into the burning vehicle to push it away from the pump. …”
NHTSA complaint #11388862, filed 2021-01, 17,000 miles“On 1/13/21, vehicle emitted a blue smoke and misfired when accelerating from complete stop from rural road onto state highway.. Vehicle was taken to ciocca Hyundai of williamsport, where it had been serviced 2 days prior. They replaced 2 spark plugs and stated it was fine. Vehicle worked fine until the following morning. The vehicle was misfiring during an acceleration from complete stop and eventually quit on me. I was on a state highway at this point. The vehicle was towed to ciocca Hyundai of williamsport. They serviced it until 1/18/21. …”
NHTSA complaint #11395165, filed 2021-02, 54,000 miles“I have gotten a oil change over a month ago and my car is still running low on oil. Sometimes my car would shut off while I’m driving on the road with cars behind me. I have gotten my car oil topped off three different times since getting my oil change. It also makes a fan like noise as well. There’s no leak at all. It’s very bizarre.”
NHTSA complaint #11697786, filed 2025-11“I purchased a 2018 Hyundai Kona, and it has had one major issue after another. It burns an excessive amount of oil, the engine misfires, and now the turbocharger is failing. I’ve already spent approximately $2,300 repairing the air conditioner and engine, and I can’t afford thousands more in repairs.”
NHTSA complaint #11751885, filed 2026-07Related service bulletins
- 11038458Oct 8, 2026Some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning procedure…
- 11038456Oct 7, 2026Certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures…
- 11031400Apr 18, 2026Some vehicles may exhibit difficulty starting in cold weather. This bulletin provides the procedure to perform an inspection on the starter magnetic switch for potential freezing…
- 10143794Jul 18, 2018If you are servicing an applicable vehicle with a ?Check Engine Light on? and one or more of the DTC listed below, follow the repair procedure and replace the input/output speed…
Engine: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 10% |
| 2025 | 2 | 7% |
| 2024 | 9 | 17% |
| 2023 | 8 | 12% |
| 2022 | 33 | 33% |
| 2021 | 80 | 67% |
| 2020 | 109 | 67% |
| 2019 | 138 | 70% |
| 2018 | 42 | 56% |
Other parts of the 2018 Hyundai Kona
25 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
11 complaintsElectrical system
8 complaintsFuel system
4 complaintsEngine cooling
3 complaintsExterior lighting
3 complaintsForward collision avoidance
3 complaintsBody and structure
3 complaintsVehicle speed control
3 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
3 complaintsAir bags
2 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2018 Hyundai Kona
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology