2018 Hyundai Kona Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 11about this part
- Share
- 15%of 75 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 41,500miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2018 Hyundai Kona, 15% of the 75 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 41,500 miles. 1 a fire, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
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“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 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 2026-07“The DCT(Dual Clutch Transmission) has always been an issue since I purchased the vehicle. Anytime I would be going at a slow pace in a drive-thru or traffic on the freeway the car would jolt and shake. I brought my car to a Hyundai dealership in 2021 at 36,000 miles and was told this was normal with the transmissions provided by Hyundai and there was no need to worry. Now, at 72,000 miles I was driving down CA-60 when my car transmission died. …”
NHTSA complaint #11693601, filed 2025-10“My vehicle started was burning oil having to add oil frequently. Then a knocking noise started coming from the engine (2.0 L MPI NU).It began to have trouble starting and was not accelerating properly and the check engine light came on . Within two days I brought my car to my mechanic and he stated that there was no sign of an oil leak and felt it was a deeper problem. I brought it to a Hyundai dealership and they stated that the engine needed to be replaced/rebuilt. …”
NHTSA complaint #11712531, filed 2026-01Related service bulletins
- 10241874Aug 17, 2023Hyundai has launched an anti-theft software upgrade and window decal campaign (Campaign 993), combined with an anti-theft steering wheel lock campaign (Campaign P32), in response…
- 10213721May 19, 2022Certain vehicles (listed below) equipped with 7-speed Double Clutch Transmissions (DCT) may exhibit abnormal vibration at low speeds. This bulletin outlines the procedures for…
- 10176195May 21, 2020If you are servicing an applicable vehicle with the following symptoms and DTC, follow the Service Procedure on Page 3. ï· Check Engine light on ï· DTC P0880/P088000 - TCM…
- 10174807Apr 17, 2020The automatic transmission warranty repair policy authorizes in-dealership repairs of the following components for both OEM (new) and remanufactured automatic transmissions:
- 10174800Apr 9, 2020If you are servicing an applicable vehicle with a âCheck Engineâ light on and one or more of the DTC listed below, follow the repair procedure and replace the oil pressure…
- 10172225Feb 20, 2020If you are servicing an applicable vehicle with a âCheck Engineâ light on and one or more of the DTC listed below, follow the repair procedure and replace the related…
- 10170899Jan 2, 2020This TSB provides a procedure to diagnose and repair a transaxle for the following Incorrect Ratio DTC (transaxle clutch slipping more than 200 rpm in gear).
- 10170511Dec 17, 2019If you are servicing a vehicle with a transmission slipping concern, follow the Service Procedure shown below and perform a stall test. This TSB provides a procedure to test each…
- 10163279Jun 4, 2019This TSB provides a procedure to diagnose and repair a transaxle for the following Incorrect Ratio DTC (transaxle clutch slipping more than 200 rpm in gear).
- 10161750May 8, 2019This bulletin provides a procedure to transfer pressure data to the ECU/TCU using GDS Mobile. This procedure is necessary to reduce the TCU learning time and improve the shift…
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 10% |
| 2025 | 4 | 14% |
| 2024 | 3 | 6% |
| 2023 | 10 | 15% |
| 2022 | 18 | 18% |
| 2021 | 14 | 12% |
| 2020 | 20 | 12% |
| 2019 | 19 | 10% |
| 2018 | 11 | 15% |
Other parts of the 2018 Hyundai Kona
42 complaintsOther or unknown
25 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 Nov 1, 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