2021 Hyundai Kona Engine Problems

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 5 MPH while making a turn, the vehicle stalled. Several warning lights illuminated but turned off after the vehicle was restarted. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The contact stated that several independent mechanics were notified of the failure; however, an appointment was denied due to the absence of illuminated warning lights. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or a dealer. The dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

NHTSA ID

11749283

Incident

Jul 2, 2026

Mileage

85,000 mi

Low speed hesitancy and shuddering. Car has lost power when driving at 55 mph. Car does not want to move at very slow speeds as in a parking garage. It hesitates and starts to roll backwards.

NHTSA ID

11747397

Incident

Mar 20, 2026

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. I then spent approximately $700 replacing the components with OEM parts, yet the check engine light remains on and the same issues continue. At fewer than 89,000 miles, I do not believe these are problems that should be occurring on a properly maintained vehicle. I have already invested significant money trying to repair what appears to be a larger issue, and I am left with a vehicle that is still not functioning correctly. I am requesting that Hyundai investigate this matter and provide assistance in diagnosing and repairing the underlying cause. Given the known concerns regarding excessive oil consumption and timing-related issues reported by other Hyundai owners, I believe this situation warrants Hyundai's attention and consideration for goodwill assistance. I would appreciate a prompt response outlining what steps Hyundai is willing to take to help resolve this issue. I have been a Hyundai owner in good faith, and I am disappointed that after spending hundreds of dollars on recommended repairs, my vehicle remains unresolved.

NHTSA ID

11746920

Incident

Jun 5, 2026

I purchased a 2021 Hyundai Kona in 2023. I own it outright. 2 weeks later my engine seized on the CA 118 in the middle lane & I lost steering & power. I don’t know how I made it to the side w cars doing 80. I was shaking. The dealer refurbished my engine no cost , it was due to the oil consumption problem & the piston ring issues many cars in ‘20 & ‘21 had. I had a Hyundai rep call & offer me $400 to sign off on any future engine issues w this car, & I knew this car was likely to have many other future problems after that offer. I did not accept offer. The transmission is also very jerky on surface streets. Well 2 yrs later, the engine started to seize up again today as I was on my way to a dentist appt. I don’t feel safe in this car. I am a 58 y/o woman w fibromyalgia & the stress of the power just shutting down when I’m driving makes my disease flair up terribly. I’ve had many cars & this is the only 1 I’m truly scared to drive alone in , after being stuck on a mountainside road, w no power, no steering, no one w me. I avoid driving at times, because the PTSD from the first incident is always w me . I love to drive - I had a motor home I drove across this country 6 times. I really want to sell this car, but I don’t want some other person to be in danger either. If I knew Hyundais in certain yrs had these issues, I certainly never would have purchased that particular year/model. That should be disclosed w the cars stats if it is known & actually in several class action suits. No advanced warning came on to alert me either - the engine just seized on a mountainside freeway as I was doing 68 mph. I feel lucky to be here after that.

NHTSA ID

11733095

Incident

Dec 5, 2023

I have already replaced the transmission out of pocket 7k its began to do the same thing immediately was flushed a 2nd time and told it could be the motor. Also my battery i have bought 2 new batteries in 2 yrs now to find out its a false warning.

NHTSA ID

11730099

Incident

Apr 8, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was unaware of the warning lights that were illuminated during the failure. The vehicle was unable to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the piston rings had failed and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the piston rings had failed and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 82,000.

NHTSA ID

11729419

Incident

Apr 6, 2026

Mileage

82,000 mi

VIN: [XXX] 2021 Hyundai Kona experienced sudden engine failure at approximately 103,000 miles. The engine began knocking without any prior warning, and the check engine light came on at the same time the knocking started. The vehicle was not driven for an extended period after the issue began. There were no earlier warning indicators or drivability issues that would suggest neglect or lack of maintenance. The failure was immediate and unexpected. This vehicle had previously received Hyundai recall T8Y, which involved an ECU update related to engine monitoring and performance. Despite this manufacturer intervention, the engine still experienced sudden failure. Hyundai has denied warranty and goodwill coverage for this failure. This appears to be a premature engine failure and raises concerns about reliability and safety due to the sudden nature of the issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11728953

Incident

Mar 3, 2026

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. All symptoms point to the issues noted in #21V-301, but my VIN is not included in that recall per the NHTSA website.

NHTSA ID

11728721

Incident

Mar 26, 2026

I am reporting a persistent and unresolved excessive oil consumption issue that I began to notice at approximately 61,000 miles. I follow all routine maintenance and oil change schedules, but my car has returned to the dealership I purchased from (only owner), three times for this specific problem. - First Visit (64,074 miles): I shared my observations of excessive oil consumption to the dealership, they stated there was an oil leak at the timing cover and oil pan. They repaired the leaks, however this did not resolve the consumption issue. - Second Visit (65,273 miles) - The oil change done by Mobil at 75,238 miles, before I brought my car in for the third time to Hyundai for the consumption issue, documented that my oil level was at the 'Low'(L) level, this is the case each time I get an oil change around 3,000 miles - The third time bringing my car to Hyundai my mileage was at 78,913, less than 3,000 miles since my last oil change. Before making the appointment my cars engine sounded like it was running rough so we took a look at the oil level, which was at L - The first two times I did the 1000 mile oil test, Hyundai reported that my oil level remained above Full when I returned for a check, shortly after, within an additional 2000 miles, my dipstick would show L. The third reading is TBD.

NHTSA ID

11727138

Incident

Oct 4, 2024

The vehicle has 82.000 miles on it, and the engine started to rattle as I entered the street to my house, and the motor quit running. I had the vehicle hauled to a repair garage for analysis, and they said the piston rings failed. The vehicle is in perfect shape except for the broken engine.

NHTSA ID

11726081

Incident

Mar 10, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed or making a turn, the vehicle stalled. In addition, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine. There was an unknown code displayed on the instrument panel. Most recently, the engine started consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact was adding oil every other week to the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, no cause for the failure was found. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while the accelerator was depressed, the engine made a rough revving sound. The contact stated that at the beginning, the vehicle stalled after the contact drove over a speed bump or drove around a roundabout. The contact moved the gear shift lever to neutral(N) and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not inspected or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ID

11723139

Incident

May 15, 2025

Mileage

60,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stop and while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled unexpectedly. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road, and the vehicle was turned off and restarted, and continued driving. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone, where it was determined that the spark plugs had failed and needed to be replaced. The spark plugs were replaced; however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The failure had occurred three times; however, the last time, the vehicle failed to restart, and there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the turbocharger and the piston rings had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 121,334

NHTSA ID

11722878

Incident

Oct 9, 2025

Mileage

121,334 mi

Was driving when the car seemed to lose power and would not accelerate and started shaking. Check engine light came on and got it read, the code indicated a misfire and other errors. There was no one local to fix it as we were out of town. So we replaced the plugs that were indicated and noticed how badly damaged they were. Vehicle started to drive better before stalling out again and replacing the rest of the plugs. Was able to get it home and seemed to be driving normally but then we noticed it has an oil leak now. We have to keep a religious check on the oil because of the amount leaking and the fact the car isn't giving us a low oil warning. We took it to the dealership and they said we needed a new engine and it was just outside the power train warranty. All of this occurred our 78,000-80,000 mile mark. The dealer would not even change the oil before of how bad the leak was. This car was for our teenage daughter and its not safe for anyone to drive. I believe the dealership knew this car had issues, we bought it pre-owned and have only had it 6 months.

NHTSA ID

11720602

Incident

Feb 26, 2026

The cars engine vibrates when accelerating and hesitates. It is always dangerous to stall after hitting the gas. This issue causes many near accidents. It began to vibrate at less than 70k. It has 90k now. These engines have had issues and mine is no exception. They should recall this engine as it's dangerous. top of the line and poop.

NHTSA ID

11717883

Incident

Feb 13, 2026

Known problem of oil consumption . 1 week used 3 quarts . Wife driving down road oil light. Engine light seconds later engine seized at 55mph.lucky to drift off road.

NHTSA ID

11716502

Incident

Feb 3, 2026

Over the last 2 1/2 months the car has shut off approximately 5 times while driving, without warning. Most instances have been while pulling into a parking lot, but one time (so far) it shut off while trying to back into my driveway. I'm fearful it will happen while on the freeway. I took it to the dealer, but there wasn't a fault code so they refused to look at it unless I left the car with them to drive, and wanted to charge me $45/day for a rental so I could get back & forth to work until it happened again while they were driving it.

NHTSA ID

11714551

Incident

Nov 13, 2025

-The engine and related crankshaft components failed. The vehicle experienced complete engine shutdown while driving and later multiple no-start conditions. The vehicle has been inspected and repaired multiple times by an authorized Hyundai dealership and remains available for inspection upon request. -The engine shut down unexpectedly while driving at highway speed, resulting in loss of power and the need to coast and pull over. This created a risk of rear-end collision and loss of control in traffic. Subsequent failures left the vehicle unable to start, creating risk of stranding in unsafe locations. -Yes. The authorized Hyundai dealership confirmed engine-related and crankshaft-related issues and performed repairs on multiple occasions. Despite these repairs, the problem has recurred. -The vehicle has been inspected and repaired multiple times by an authorized Hyundai dealership. -Yes. The check engine light illuminated prior to multiple failures. In at least one instance, the dealership stated the light was a history code and no active issue was found. Within days, the vehicle experienced another complete failure and became inoperable.

NHTSA ID

11708210

Incident

Jan 1, 2026

My car consumes a lot of oil. This is a very similar problem as the wrong tempered piston rings. All this car has used is 5W 20 full synthetic oil., which gets changed every 5000 miles. I would burn around 1 quart every 1000 miles. Dealer solution is to put in 5W 30 full synthetic oil. Got a little better but within a few months, back to burning1 quart every 1000 miles. Dealer is now saying Hyundai won’t fix the issue because car now has 116000 miles on it. This has been a problem for a while.

NHTSA ID

11691130

Incident

Oct 1, 2024

The piston went through the top of my engine with my entire family in the car. We managed to get to a mechanic. And bring it to the dealership. We are very lucky to be alive.

NHTSA ID

11690311

Incident

Sep 17, 2025

About a month after purchasing my car it shut down on the highway while driving. It completely lost power so I could not accelerate or even press the brake. Only the emergency brake stopped me from going into other cars. I started the car up again and then it worked fine until about another month later it happened again. I was on an exit ramp on the highway and it lost power. Cars had to quickly go around me as I had no control of my vehicle. Neither brakes or gas pedal worked at the time and my check engine light stayed on. I then took my car to Hyundai service where they told me my car went through 2 quarts of oil in one month. They want me to drive this car another 1,000 miles knowing it’s dangerous, unsafe, a risk to me and other drivers and a fire hazard to have an engine consuming this much oil. I fear to drive this unpredictable car any more. The manager of Hyundai knows it’s unfair but must follow protocol. I just don’t understand how they can tell someone to drive a stalling car waiting for an accident to happen.

NHTSA ID

11688351

Incident

Aug 26, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while coming to a stop, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID

11683392

Incident

Aug 27, 2025

Mileage

86,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds in stop-and-go traffic, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle but almost immediately lost motive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the piston oil rings, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 96,000.

NHTSA ID

11682248

Incident

Aug 19, 2025

Mileage

96,000 mi

The piston oil ring recall. I have had a mechanic determine I am having the exact same problem as the recalls but my VIN is not covered. Please update the recall so my repairs can be covered.

NHTSA ID

11682204

Incident

Aug 8, 2025

I have experienced the same issues with a known recall for my year, make and model. I am not sure why my VIN is not showing. Have records from a mechanic that there was a fire hazard. I have experienced stalling on several occasions. Could I have help getting my VIN recognized so Hyundai will help me?

NHTSA ID

11682180

Incident

Aug 8, 2025

Excessive oil consumption, over 3 quarts in just 4 months, caused the engine's timing chain to fail due to low oil levels, ultimately leading to a rod punching through the engine. there is a recall for this vehicle but not mine.

NHTSA ID

11676914

Incident

Jul 25, 2025