Most common 2018 Hyundai Kona problems
Share of the 75 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Hyundai Kona complaints by model year
Best Kona years: 2025. Years to avoid: 2020. Compare all years →
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2018 Hyundai Kona:
Loss of Motive Power
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021.
What 2018 Hyundai Kona owners say
Engine & cooling all 44 →
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, there was a loud clunking sound coming from the engine bay, followed by grinding gear sounds. The vehicle lost drive power, causing the driver to coast over to the side of the road, where the vehicle eventually stalled. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the timing belt had failed, and the cam gear rod had sheared off inside the exhaust camshaft, which caused the timing belt to jump and the cam chain tensioner to fracture. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. …
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop, the contact heard a loud knocking sound coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, a diagnostic result was not disclosed; however, the dealer stated that the oil needed to be changed. The vehicle was not repaired, and the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to another dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle would not be repaired under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Transmission & drivetrain
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. The car would not go when I was giving it gas and would make a whirring noise when trying to accelerate across the freeway until I could pull off to the shoulder. It was extremely dangerous and I could've been hit by someone especially a semi-truck as it was sudden and I was in the left hand lane. …
My engine started shuddering and stalling out on me. This was very dangerous as the car would stall out at street lights and intersections. The check engine light only came on after the car stalled out and has not stayed on during the times that it stalls out. When I went to get a mechanic to check it out they said that they had seen many Hyundai and Kia cars that had the same issues. The issue was oil consumption. It was consuming oil faster than it should have, even though I was regularly getting my oil changed. This lead to a problem with my pistons. Now the engine needs to be replaced. But Hyundai won't cover it because there is no recall on it and the power train warranty only last for the first owner. Is there any way we can request for a new recall on this vehicle as it is clearly a problem that Hyundai is having.
Electrical system
We had parked our 17 year old son's car in the upper parking lot of our baseball field. While parked, the engine smoked, then spontaneously caught fire. The police arrived on sceere!!!! We totally cannot comprehend that this even happene, along with our fire department who was able to put out the pretty massive engine fire, along with some of the front being damaged as well. Our son had been driving this car to our high school and also the high school baseball field, with pretty packed lots. It unbelievable to even imagine if this happened thned to a pretty new car (22,000 miles on it). We are so very grateful that this did not happen while our 17 year old was in the car! This is truly needs to be looked into. Thank you.
I was sold a car with 1 unprepared safety recall and 22 technical service bulletins. In addition to was previously salvaged sue to collision, hail, flood and fire. The vehicle also was a 2019 made into a 2018. When the ecm was reprogrammed the new vin was wiped clean and altered. [redacted]
2018 Hyundai Kona engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6L 4-cyl turbo | 7-speed dual-clutch | FWD | 28 / 32 / 30 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 27 / 33 / 30 |
| 1.6L 4-cyl turbo | 7-speed dual-clutch | AWD | 26 / 29 / 27 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 25 / 30 / 27 |
EPA ratings. Class: Small SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2018 Hyundai Kona a good car?
There isn't enough complaint history for the Kona to compare model years reliably. So far owners have filed 75 complaints with NHTSA.
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Hyundai Kona?
The engine & cooling — 44 complaints, 59% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (11) and electrical system (8).
How many recalls does the 2018 Hyundai Kona have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2018 Hyundai Kona. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Hyundai Kona?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2025. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2020. See the full Hyundai Kona years comparison.
At what mileage do 2018 Hyundai Kona problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 17,000 miles; 71% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.