2022 Hyundai Kona Engine Problems

COMPONENT/SYSTEM: Air Conditioning (HVAC) / Climate Control System and closed-loop refrigerant lines. The vehicle and all climate control components are available for immediate inspection. SAFETY RISK: Total loss of cooling in peak summer heat (90°F-95°F+) causes cabin temperatures to rapidly exceed 110°F. This sudden heat trapped in the vehicle caused me (the driver) acute heat exhaustion, culminating in a medical fainting episode. The vehicle regularly transports my newborn baby and toddler, subjecting them to severe heatstroke risks. Additionally, an ongoing 4-year chemical refrigerant leak inside an enclosed EV cabin creates an active toxic inhalation hazard for all passengers. DEALER CONFIRMATION: Yes. The failure has been repeatedly confirmed and documented by authorized Hyundai dealerships, including Paramus Hyundai, Garvey Hyundai, and Liberty Hyundai. Technicians repeatedly measured zero refrigerant charge/pressure, performed UV dye tests, and completed major repairs including AC line and radiator rebuilds without resolving the leak. INSPECTION HISTORY: Yes. Inspected multiple times by authorized Hyundai dealership technicians under official Corporate Case Nos #42549212, #41020884, and #23781133. WARNING LAMPS/SYMPTOMS: No dashboard warning lamps or error messages ever appeared. The only symptom was the AC suddenly blowing boiling hot air as refrigerant leaked out. This failure first appeared in Summer 2022 (shortly after vehicle purchase) and has recurred every summer for 4 consecutive years despite repeated warranty repair attempts.

NHTSA ID

11753892

Incident

Jul 27, 2026

I purchased my 2022 Hyundai Kona on August 28, 2024, and I am the first registered owner. Only 48 days after purchase, the vehicle suddenly broke down without warning while stopped at a red light in [XXX] after traveling from [XXX] . The vehicle had to be towed. Since then, the vehicle has repeatedly experienced dangerous engine and timing-related issues despite major repairs, including an engine replacement, timing chain repairs, and multiple dealership inspections. The most dangerous incidents involve sudden power loss and large clouds of smoke while driving. On January 1, 2026, while attempting to pass a semi-truck on a multi-lane highway, the vehicle suddenly lagged, lost acceleration power, and emitted a large cloud of white smoke from the exhaust. This created an extremely unsafe situation because I was actively passing traffic at highway speeds and could have been struck by surrounding vehicles. I have also experienced these failures late at night on busy highways while traveling between [XXX] and [XXX] . In March 2026, the vehicle again emitted a large cloud of smoke and resumed lagging during acceleration. On April 23, 2026, Hyundai of Meridian informed me they personally witnessed the vehicle emit another large cloud of black smoke during test driving. These smoke events can reduce visibility for surrounding drivers and create hazardous roadway conditions. The vehicle has spent approximately 149 days in repair facilities, nearly 24% of the time I have owned it. Multiple dealerships documented timing chain slack, cam timing issues, and major engine concerns. Despite the recurring failures and safety concerns, Hyundai denied replacing the engine again and denied buying back the vehicle. I no longer feel safe operating this vehicle due to the risk of sudden power loss, engine failure, and smoke emissions while driving in traffic. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11738820

Incident

Oct 14, 2024

In January 2026, my engine light illuminated and the vehicle lost power. The dealership found a sudden loss of compression across all four cylinders, requiring a total engine replacement. This occurred without warning, only two months after a routine oil change at the same facility where no issues were reported. Despite opening a case with Hyundai corporate, there has been no progress. My research indicates that while NHTSA Recall 21V301 (Safety Recall 203) specifies 2019–2021 models, the 2022 model shares the same engine design and identical reports of stalling and compression loss. My vehicle has been at the dealership for three months with no resolution. The dealership says they are running tests requested by tech line without providing documentation of the tests or the results. Although, the initial test performed indicated that it was a compression ring issue.

NHTSA ID

11730758

Incident

Jan 23, 2026

I found a lot of shaved metals when I did the oil change for the Gear Reduction. It made a lot of noises when driving or the wheel of fortune sounds whether the car is in Regenerative Braking. The sounds developed as time goes on but Hyundai failed to recall this issue. I found this has been an ongoing issue since 2019 when Hyundai make this Kona EV, but their engineers didn’t fix this type of issue and continue to manufacture the Kona EV with the same Gear Reduction Assembly and it caused a lot of noises with these shaving metals found in the oil changes. This is abnormal for a GRU to have so many metals found in the oil. Thus, it made a lot of noises. Now my car can’t even drive because of this. The GRU has been broken because of this issue that Hyundai didn’t even fix since 2019.

NHTSA ID

11724172

Incident

Mar 12, 2026

The vehicle displayed a warning lamp indicating a Cooling System Performance failure. The specific defect relates to the Integrated Thermal-Management Module (ITM) and the thermostat opening prematurely, corresponding to Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P218100. This issue requires a repair outlined in Technical Service Bulletin 25-EM-007H, involving a spring installation and ECU update. This failure creates a serious safety concern because improper thermal management can cause the engine to overheat or force the vehicle into a reduced-power 'limp mode' without warning. A sudden loss of acceleration or engine stall while driving in traffic significantly increases the risk of a crash.

NHTSA ID

11712162

Incident

Jan 19, 2026

When I purchased the car with in 2 weeks epb , auto hold and auto stop all 3 lights on dashboard came on orange. Took to dealership and they fixed the problem. 4 months later now the lights are back on. The vehicle does not feel safe at pulls to the right , I have problems with my ac as well as my transmission is slipping. The car loses power when I accelerate. I believe was sold a lemon car I purchased from carmax.

NHTSA ID

11681013

Incident

Aug 11, 2025

On Saturday, [XXX], while driving on the highway, the oil plug on my vehicle suddenly fell out, causing all the oil to drain rapidly. This created an extreme safety hazard not only for myself but also for other drivers on the road. I did not notice the oil spillage until the oil light on the dash appeared. At the time, I was in the leftmost lane traveling at highway speeds, so I could not stop immediately. I had to carefully veer across five lanes of traffic and navigate out of a construction zone before I was able to pull over safely. The engine lost lubrication during this process, and I was forced to have the vehicle towed to Ed Napleton Hyundai in Hazelwood, the same dealership where I purchased and serviced the car, for inspection and repairs. This incident occurred just three weeks after I had an oil change performed at the same dealership. I have been attempting to contact the dealership for updates on the status of my vehicle and the investigation into potential engine damage for the past three days, but I have received limited information until today, when the service manager, Jerry, stated that they installed a new plug and added oil, and since it's not ticking, it's okay. However, having worked in the automotive industry for years, I know that a full teardown is necessary to properly check for damage, including inspecting the bearings, rings, cylinder walls, and turbo for signs of oil starvation. This service was not performed. Additionally, Jerry informed me that speaking to someone higher up would do absolutely nothing for me. This is not an isolated issue. Over the course of my ownership, the dealership has damaged my oil filter by over-tightening and stripping it on two separate occasions during routine maintenance, requiring me to return to the facility each time. On both instances, I had to wait an additional 2 to 3 hours while they installed replacement parts to correct their errors. These repeated mistakes have caused significant inconv INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMAT

NHTSA ID

11680145

Incident

Aug 9, 2025

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ID

11670255

Incident

Jun 30, 2025

Mileage

80,000 mi

I believe it’s a barring in the engine but it is like a knocking.

NHTSA ID

11667587

Incident

May 20, 2025

Radiator is failing between 60k and 70k miles with no check engine lights. Leaking an entire reservoir of coolant within a 24hr time period. Even when the temperature gage went above the middle mark and to the 3/4 mark the check engine light never came on.

NHTSA ID

11664708

Incident

Jun 3, 2025

Car will stop running and not start back up when stopped at a light or stop sign sometimes. I have started driving with the auto start stop off because I will be stuck at a light or stop sign because it will power off but not come back on again. This has occurred several times. The dealership told me there was no issue 11/22/24 but were willing to sell me another battery if I wanted to just replace the battery. The battery would test fine and then not and then fine again. I did price battery’s and they tested my battery at auto zone when pricing them and it tested fine with them also. They did not feel like it was a battery issue. I don’t either now since it stays on no problem when I turn off the auto start stop. There is something honestly wrong because if I leave that feature on, it will power off and sometimes stay off. The first times it happened was in November 2024 but it keeps happening. Sometimes i forget to click off the auto start stop and it will happen to me again but I shouldn’t have to turn that feature off to prevent my car from shutting down and not restarting when stopped.

NHTSA ID

11645210

Incident

Nov 20, 2024

While accelerating onto the highway, the engine backfired and suddenly lost speed, violently shaking.

NHTSA ID

11642709

Incident

Feb 10, 2025

The vehicle has lose of acceleration while driving.. On Freeway the gas pedal loses acceleration. Lift off gas it accelerates then loses acceleration again. (4 times in a row) It was a big safety issue. There was no where to pull off. I made it to the nearest exit and took backroads home. Took it to Dealership they couldn't replicate the issue. I contacted Hyundai and they had the car sent back to dealership and so far they can't replicate it. It has done this numerous times, at different times and speeds. The car is now at the dealership for the second time (since the 17 of December) There were NO WARNING LIGHTS so dealership says hard to diagnose the issues.

NHTSA ID

11632461

Incident

Nov 16, 2024

On 10/4/2024 I was driving my 2022 Hyundai Kona SEL (61, 492 miles on odometer) with a cruise control set at 75 mph for my morning commute into work. I was approx 15 miles away from my house and at least 7 miles away from my place of employement. Suddenly and without warning the engine revved to beyond 4500 RPM and shut off. The lights on the dashboard all lit up and a message flashed on the screen stating engine cut off, turn off car and restart. I was surrounded by several cars at this time. I was able to navigate to the shoulder of the 2 lane road I was on and bring the car to a stop. When I tried to turn the car back on it would not. I had the car towed to the dealership. First they had to replace the battery as they stated there was not even enough juice in the battery to update the onboard computer for diagnostic. Then, after a week of waiting, I called and was informed that the engine was deak (advisor used the phrase "the engine when clunck"). As of today, 11/12/2024, I do not have a full diagnosis for the engine failure as the dealership has yet to inform me even though I have submitted multiple requests through various means. Service advisors states that the engine will be covered under the CPO warranty. At the time of the incident, the engine had not given any indications of any issues (like noices, stalls, etc). My sister had driven the car two days before and said it was driving fine. I had had the oil changed a week before and the tech did an inspection at that time and all parts were in working/good condition.

NHTSA ID

11624680

Incident

Oct 4, 2024

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while at a stop light, the accelerator pedal was depressed while starting to make a left turn and the vehicle shut off. The vehicle rolled to the shoulder. The shift to park or neutral message was displayed. The vehicle was shifted to neutral and restarted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who failed to retrieve a fault code. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 43,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID

11593070

Incident

Jun 5, 2024

Mileage

43,000 mi

While driving on a freeway, the drain plug fell out, dumping all of the oil onto the road. The vehicle had been serviced by just one facility and I had only had this brand new vehicle for 7 months when this occurred. This incident put the driver, any passengers, and anyone on the road nearby at risk. The drain plug loss was verified by a Hyundai certified service facility and then I was asked to tow it to the Hyundai certified facility that performed all of the services. I was told that Hyundai Motor America sent representatives to inspect the vehicle at both facilities along with the service staff at each facility. I have not been informed of anyone else inspecting the vehicle such as law enforcement or insurance representatives. There were no warning lamps or messages or symptoms prior to the drain plug falling out. There was no evidence of any oil leak, either. There were warning lamps immediately afterward. Blue link sent me a message as soon as the vehicle was turned back on after being turned off. The message said "a possible condition with your engine control system has been detected with your 2022 Hyundai Kona..." My 2022 Hyundai Kona is still sitting at the Hyundai certified repair facility over two years later. I had to hire a lawyer to try to get this situation rectified. No one wants to accept the responsibility for the drain plug falling out of my vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11581381

Incident

Jan 5, 2022

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while at a complete stop and would restart independently while shifting into park(P). There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, a chime sounded, and the message "Think About Taking a Rest" was displayed. The dealer was notified of the failure via email. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,842.

NHTSA ID

11580428

Incident

Apr 1, 2024

Mileage

19,842 mi

My Check Engine light came on and stayed steady (not blinking). The Cause for it is Unknown to me. I took it to the Dealership and they scheduled me to bring it in 3 days later, 3/12/24, to determine if it was something simple or if would take up to a couple days to fix. They assured me that if the light remained steady, I would be fine to drive the car. If it began blinking, then bring it back in. If the fix would take a day or more, they don't do loaner cars so I'd have to rent one (no cars to borrow and Ubers don't take wheelchairs). Approximately an hour after I arrived on 3/12 (I had to wait for my car), they gave me my car back. They had to order a part that was on back order that could take weeks or months to arrive. The part had something to do with preventing the engine from overheating, but I was not to worry so long as the Check Engine light stayed steady. They then asked how many miles I typically drove each day, "just around town, right?" I answered, usually, but that I was currently taking medical treatments for the next two weeks which involved around 70 miles roundtrip plus my usual daily miles. The Service person winced at that. They then told me that if the car overheated, to not worry, just pull over until it cooled off, and if it didn't, just use the Roadside Assistance service, then bring the car to the Dealership and they'll give me a loaner car (?!?) until my car could be repaired. A bit in shock, I left. After thinking about it, I find the Dealership's handling suspicious. 1) They didn't give me any paperwork. In all previous interactions, they've given me paperwork even if I've only had my fluids topped up. 2) If a back ordered part could take up to months to come in, it seems most likely to me that the scarcity is due to huge number of customers needing the part, not a supply-chain issue. I am disabled and in a wheelchair, so need my car to take care of myself. I hope everything is actually okay. If not, please help.

NHTSA ID

11577782

Incident

Mar 12, 2024

Coolant Leak. Integrated Thermal Management started Leaking at around 16,000 Miles. Part replaced 12/14/23. Leaks continues

NHTSA ID

11560690

Incident

Dec 7, 2023

Check engine light- sensor, rear trunk won't lock - sensor

NHTSA ID

11512379

Incident

Mar 8, 2023

My daughter left our house in our 2022 Hyundai Kona on Friday, 1/13/23, to head back to college which is 5 hours from home. A little more than an hour down the road after leaving our house, she said that the car started sounding strange, so she called her mother. At this time, she was on a two lane country road with no safe options or areas to pull over. My wife advised my daughter to continue driving until she found a safe place to pull over. As she continued onwards, she came to a stop sign in the countryside and the car died on her. She restarted it and was able to continue her trip. Several miles later a light came on, but she was still not to a safe area. By the time she got to a safe place, other lights had come on, and the car died in the parking lot. The car would not restart so we called a tow truck to take the Kona to the nearest Hyundai dealership which is where it sits today. Upon inspection, the Hyundai dealership discovered that the drain plug was missing from the oil pan which caused the oil to drain and ultimately led to catastrophic engine failure. The engine needs to be replaced at a quote of $9753.08. The Kona’s last oil change was on 10/19/22 at 8,630 miles and was done a third party oil change facility. The mileage on the Kona when delivered to the repairing Hyundai dealership is 13,775. No engine lights or oil change needed indicators were on before our daughter began her trip on 1/13/23. I contend that this is a known issue with Hyundai engines based off of internet research that indicates that the NHTSA is actively investigating this exact issue of the drain plug falling out and causing catastrophic engine failure. This situation is a safety issue because the engine could have seized while in motion on a two-lane country road causing a wreck.

NHTSA ID

11502925

Incident

Jan 13, 2023

Around 8,000 miles, mid-drive my check engine light came on and immediately the ability to speed up became very shotty. I have a 2022 kona n-line. I could put my foot on the floor and it would take forever to get up to speed if at all. It was very here and there and seemed to have a mind of its own when it would do this. I’ve had it into the shop 5-6 different times since then to have it addressed and I’m still having issues with it. They replaced some valance, the solanoid, and just recently completely replaced the entire turbo system to try and fix the problem. It seems to have helped, but I still have this ongoing clicking sound since this started when the car downshifts it seems like, that has yet to be diagnosed. It’s not a normal car sound at all and nobody seems to even notice this sound I mention every time I take it in. I’ve read similar stories with this same model of car, yet there’s no active recall on it. I’ve been dealing with this for months and it’s aggravating the amount of time I’ve put in to trying to fix this. I travel for work which only makes things so much more frustrating to work around.

NHTSA ID

11499187

Incident

Jul 14, 2022

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that there was bad fuel in the vehicle. The failure reoccurred and the vehicle was taken back to the same dealer who reset the codes. The failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with a cylinder misfire. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 5,500.

NHTSA ID

11496797

Incident

Aug 6, 2022

Mileage

5,500 mi

22’ Kona N DCT Base US spec. 5,600 miles est (2nd Kona) Fuel used: Shell Premium Outside Temp: 76F/Dry-Clear Sky. This is my 2nd Kona N, this is the 4th experience I’ve had with my Kona N’s. Towed the first on Vin# [XXX] to dealer, engine stalled after refueling during a road trip. 6/7k miles. Misfire. No replaced parts, car started acting normal. Then I traded it in for another Kona N in June 22’. The vehicle in normal mode is fine. I believe. Switching from N Mode is where the engine starts misfiring and runs on 3,2cyl puffing out white smoke. Leaving me stranded. The codes all show via car touch screen, and OBD reader/history. All electronics perform properly, including active safety features. I am Hyundai affiliated but I do not know how to relay the message. All of the Kona N/Elantra N/Veloster N DCT. Need software updates. It’s a bug, I honestly think. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID

11492512

Incident

Nov 6, 2022

While on the highway the transmission completely stopped shifting and stayed in first gear and would only rev up the engine when the accelerator was applied. I was able to get up to 50mph and slowly make my way to the dealership where I bought it 2 months ago. I turned the vehicle off went inside to talk to the service center where I was told that it'd take 2 to 3 days to even get my car in to get looked at and they did not have any loaners to give me. I still had to work and couldn't take time off so I went back to my car and restarted it after a few minutes and it drove regularly.

NHTSA ID

11490818

Incident

Oct 25, 2022