2019 Hyundai Kona Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2019 Kona most often describe engine trouble: oil being consumed faster than expected, a knocking sound, and the vehicle stalling or losing power. Complaints also cover a shudder or hesitation when accelerating from a stop or into traffic, and stalls that occur at low speed or when the air conditioning is running. Many of the engine reports are tied to a 2019-2020 engine recall, with several owners saying parts were unavailable or that a dealer declined the recall repair.

1. 1
   Engine

   Engine failure and knocking with heavy oil use

   • 125 complaints (63%)
   • median 71,000 mi at 4.8 yrs old (44 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $5,000 (median of 7 quotes)
   • filed 2020–2026

   Complaints describe a knocking or clanking sound from the engine, often with the check engine light on, sometimes followed by the vehicle losing power or stalling. Owners frequently mention the oil level being far below where it should be even after a recent oil change, or an oil consumption test that the dealer asked them to run over repeated 1,000-mile intervals. In several reports a dealer or independent shop concluded the engine needed replacement; some owners link the failure to recall 21V301000, and a few say the recall repair was refused or parts were not available. Reported across a wide mileage range, mostly roughly 25,000 to 120,000 miles, often without other warning signs beforehand.

   Recall 21V3010002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the oil level and condition on a cold engine, look for a fuel or burning smell, and listen for knocking at idle and under light load. Ask the dealer whether recall 21V301000 applies to the VIN and whether it has been completed, and request any oil consumption records.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The vehicle suffered a sudden, severe loss of power while driving, causing the engine to stall unexpectedly. This created an immediate hazard to myself and other motorists on the road, as I was forced to navigate a dead vehicle out of active traffic without power steering or power braking assist. Prior to the total failure, the engine exhibited severe mechanical knocking, loss of acceleration, and high oil consumption without any visible external oil leaks. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11750800, filed 2026-07

   “The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure reoccurred three times while driving that same day. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11441998, filed 2021-11, 37,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Stalls or loss of power while driving

   • 68 complaints (34%)
   • median 72,000 mi at 4.0 yrs old (26 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2020–2026

   Many owners describe the vehicle shutting off or losing motive power while driving at everyday speeds, with or without warning lights, and then restarting after being shifted to park or left a few minutes. Several reports note this happening while merging, turning, or accelerating, and some say a dealer could not reproduce the problem. A few complaints describe grayish smoke or a burning odor at the time of the stall. Spread from a few thousand to over 100,000 miles, with no clear pattern; multiple owners describe repeated occurrences over time.

   Recall 21V3010002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether a stalling or low-oil event has ever been diagnosed, and look for stored codes with a scan tool during a test drive. A long test drive that includes merging and stop-and-go traffic is useful, since many owners report the stall is intermittent.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “As I was coming to a stop light I pressed my brake pedals I felt a shudder through the brake pedal and my car died. This occurred three times in a short. Of time. This occurred three times in a short. Of time I was on a highway and it was very disconcerting I was able to finally get it back home.”

   NHTSA complaint #11348676, filed 2020-08, 15,200 miles

   “During regular driving the vehicle loses power, will not accelerate and stalls out completely. After sitting a few minutes the vehicle will restart. The vehicle was taken to the repair shop but nothing seemed wrong. Within a six month period it again occurred twice. Once again nothing was observed wrong with the vehicle but the second time last night the car was brought to the repair shop and they stated the engine has little to no compression. The vehicle is currently awaiting a diagnosis from hyndai”

   NHTSA complaint #11394461, filed 2021-02, 15,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Hesitation or delayed acceleration from a stop

   • 22 complaints (11%)
   • median 4,958 mi at 1.3 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2018–2026

   Owners describe pressing the accelerator and getting little or no response for a second or more, sometimes with the engine revving as if in neutral before the vehicle moves. Complaints mention this most around low-speed starts, pulling out of a turn, or merging into traffic, and several say a dealer reset the transmission or driving computer without resolving it. In some reports a fuel injector or wiring harness was replaced, and one owner was told the fuel injectors were the cause. Mostly reported at low mileage, often within the first few thousand miles of ownership.

   What to check: During the test drive, try several slow starts from a stop and a rolling acceleration onto a highway ramp, and note any delay or surge. Ask whether any transmission or fuel system repairs or software updates have been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “A couple hundred miles after purchasing a new KONA, I had started having acceleration issues going from a dead stop into first gear .as the car starts to go, this is under 5 MPH, the car then hesitates as if someone is hitting the brakes. I have almost been rear ended several times due to this. It is a sporadic issue. I have had it into Hyundai 3x now for this. All 3 x Hyundai states they can not repair unless it happens while test driving . Of course this has not happened. So they have reset my driving computer 2x hoping it will stop. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11340900, filed 2020-07, 300 miles

   “Little to no acceleration when gas pedal is depressed while in motion. Loss of power would suddenly occur. Transmission would no longer shift properly. This has occurred twice since newly purchased may 31, 2019. Fuel injector wiring harness was replaced after the first occurrence. Problem could not be duplicated after the second occurrence.”

   NHTSA complaint #11254395, filed 2019-09, 4,354 miles

Buying note. The 2019 Kona's complaints center on the engine, so a compression and oil consumption check plus confirmation of recall 21V301000 status for the VIN are worth doing before purchase. Because several owners report intermittent stalling that dealers could not reproduce, a longer test drive than usual is useful.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.