2021 Hyundai Kona Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2021 Hyundai Kona most often describe engine trouble: the vehicle shutting off while driving, losing power, or developing knocking noises, frequently in connection with an oil consumption problem. Many complaints reference recall 21V301000 covering piston oil rings on 2.0L engines, and some owners say the recall repair part was not yet available. A smaller group describes transmission hesitation or unintended low-gear engagement when pulling away from a stop.

1. 1
   Engine

   Engine stalls or loses power while driving

   Mentioned in 31 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the vehicle shutting off unexpectedly at highway and city speeds, sometimes with a check engine light and sometimes with no warning at all. Several report restarting after one or more attempts, while others say the engine would not restart and the car had to be towed. According to complaints, dealers diagnosed engine failure, low compression, or failed piston rings and in many cases said the engine needed replacement; some owners report long waits for parts. A number of filings reference recall 21V301000 on the 2.0L engine, and some owners say the repair part was unavailable or their VIN was not covered. Reported across a wide range of mileage, from under 5,000 miles to over 100,000, with many between roughly 8,000 and 90,000 miles.

   Recall 21V301000

   What to check: Ask whether recall 21V301000 was completed and whether the engine has been replaced or inspected for piston ring wear. Before buying, check the oil level and look for a recent oil change record, and listen for knocking or ticking at idle and on startup.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “After loud explosion sound, the engine stalled 3 times recently while driving and today. No brake, hard steering wheel, and almost bumped the car front of me. I took my car to a dealer last week and they said no fix despite of safety recall. Without any warning, first it happened 3 weeks ago.”

   NHTSA complaint #11421351, filed 2021-06

   “The engine failed at 12,034 miles. I was at the stop light right before the bay bridge and my life and others were severely put at risk. Had I been on the bridge when the engine seized it would have meant imminent death. The Hyundai dealership said they expected it because engines on the 2021 Hyundai Kona have been recalled. This vehicle was supposed to be fitted with a safety light warning the driver of an imminent fire or engine failure after 2019 but that didn’t happen.”

   NHTSA complaint #11453449, filed 2022-02
2. 2
   Engine

   Excessive oil consumption and piston ring wear

   • 29 complaints (24%)
   • median 47,500 mi at 4.0 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners report the engine using or losing oil much faster than expected between changes, in some cases with no visible leak and no warning light. Complaints describe adding oil every week or two, dealers topping off the reservoir at short intervals, and knocking or ticking noises that develop once the level drops. Several owners say a mechanic traced the problem to the piston oil rings or low compression, and some describe engine replacement as the recommended repair. Reported from as low as a few thousand miles up into the 80,000-100,000 mile range, often noticed between routine oil changes.

   Recall 21V3010002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the dipstick level and ask for oil change records showing how often oil was added between services. A service bulletin describes an inspection and combustion chamber cleaning procedure for engines diagnosed with higher-than-expected oil consumption, so ask whether that work was done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I am writing to express my frustration and concern regarding my 2021 Hyundai Kona, which currently has only 88,754 miles. My vehicle has been experiencing excessive oil consumption along with an ongoing check engine light. The diagnostic trouble codes are P0017 and P0011. In an effort to resolve the issue, I have had both the intake and exhaust VVT components replaced and the oil changed. When the problem persisted, my mechanic advised that Hyundai OEM parts were required. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11746920, filed 2026-06

   “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. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11728721, filed 2026-04
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Hesitation or unintended downshift from a stop

   • 15 complaints (13%)
   • median 96,000 mi at 4.0 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2021–2026

   Owners describe a delay or lack of engagement when accelerating from a stop or a rolling stop, with the engine revving and the vehicle hesitating for a few seconds before moving. Some reports describe the transmission dropping into a low gear on its own, producing high engine speed and, in a few cases, a stall shortly after pulling away from a light. According to the complaints, dealers were sometimes unable to find a stored code or advised the driver to come to a complete stop before accelerating. Most reports come from vehicles between roughly 16,000 and 96,000 miles, often in stop-and-go or intersection situations.

   What to check: During a test drive, accelerate gently from a full stop and from a rolling stop and note any delay, revving, or harsh engagement. Ask whether the transmission fluid was serviced and whether any dealer diagnostic was performed for a shifting complaint.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When slowing down to a stop and im not completely stopped and then step on the gas the vehicle makes a winding noise and has no transmission engagement for several seconds so if im in s turning lane or even going forward when a street light turn green, there's been dozens of times where this happened and i need to let off the gas pedal slowing me down while e everyone else is gaining speed making them to jam on their breaks. I let the dealership know and their answer was just come to a complete stop, i was like during a green light? …”

   NHTSA complaint #11540924, filed 2023-08

   “the bcw tends to go on every time the vehicle is driven on a rural two way road to town, approx. less than 20 miles. been to dealership for the problem with the bcw ,paid for diagnostic and scanned for codes ,none apparent.the dealership did minimal calibration without realalinig the sensor. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11527785, filed 2023-06
4. 4
   Forward collision avoidance

   Forward collision warning and blind spot alerts activating

   • 12 complaints (10%)
   • median 50 mi at 0.5 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2021–2026

   Owners report the automatic emergency braking engaging without an obstacle ahead, at both low and highway speeds, and describe close calls with traffic behind. Others describe the blind spot collision warning light coming on partway through a drive on rural two-lane roads, with dealers performing only a basic calibration or telling owners the behavior is normal for the system. One complaint describes a rear-end collision after an unexpected stop. Reported on vehicles with as little as a few thousand miles, typically on ordinary road and highway driving rather than in unusual conditions.

   What to check: Ask whether the forward camera and radar have been recalibrated or serviced, and check the owner's manual section on how the blind spot system behaves on two-lane roads. Note during a test drive whether warning lights appear unexpectedly.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “We bought the car in July and owned it 70 days and 1,530 miles. The Automatic Emergency Breaking engaged several times without any reason. Sometimes at lower speeds <40 and sometimes on the freeway >60. The last time was at 20 mph in a school zone and we were rear ended because of the unexpected stop. We had several near misses on the freeway, but the cars behind us managed to avoid us. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11435237, filed 2021-10

   “The Blind Spot Collision Warning (BSCW) light comes on 10 minutes into a drive (we live in a rural area and drive two lane roads for at least 25 miles before multiple lanes). I have had the car in for service on the system twice before learning that this is built into the system. Others are having the same problem, (see the two Hyundai Kona forum links below). I've spent about $600 trying to solve a problem Kona already knows existed (see p. 5-52 of the 2021 Kona owner's manual). …”

   NHTSA complaint #11710179, filed 2026-01

Buying note. The engine is the main thing to look at on this model year: confirm whether recall 21V301000 was completed, review oil change and top-off records, and have a pre-purchase inspection check compression and listen for knocking. A transmission and driver-assist check on the test drive is also worth the time.

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.