Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2019 Hyundai Kona owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21V301000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would jerk. The dealer was made aware of the recall and failure but informed the contact that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 82,285. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph a knocking noise and burning odor was present coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the engine had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The VIN look-up confirmed the vehicle was listed in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 21v301000 (engine).The failure mileage was 70,000.
The contact owned a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while stopped at an intersection, he observed smoke emanating from the engine compartment. The vehicle was steered into a parking lot where he opened the hood and he observed flames coming from the engine. A police report was filed. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was taken to a salvage lot. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,000.
Your website states I am not in a recall but indeed I have been under recall 302, now 974, and another one currently. The dealers have lied and falsified records. My new Kona with less than 31000 miles is burning more than a qt of oil weekly on average, knocks loudly, looses power, and now I'm finding burnt labels on the booster vac lines. The dealer states I was under recall 203 in 2020 for "vibration inspection" ABSOLUTELY NOT I was seen for recall 203 bad piston rings with less than 12k miles. Now for the SECOND time I'm told it's not safe nor advisable by Hyundai to park my vehicle in my driveway or garage due to fire risks of my car. The car is worth 30-45% lower value than retail due to issues. Hyundai has lied non stop, the dealers have lied non stop, and no one cares. …
The contact's daughter owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 40 MPH, smoke started coming from under the hood. The vehicle lost power and came to a stop in front of a convenience store, blocking the entrance. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The driver called the Fire Department, and it was confirmed that the engine compartment displayed severe heating damage. There was no fire. The firemen on the scene recommended that the vehicle be towed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the failure was a known failure and might be covered under an extended warranty program. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had seized. No electrical failure was found. The dealer initially offered to cover 95% of the cost of the repair. …
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the AWD warning light illuminated and was reset each time the vehicle was restarted. The contact also stated that over a couple of months, while downshifting, stopping, or decelerating, the vehicle stalled on several occasions. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the Check Engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was then taken to an AutoZone, where a handheld diagnostic machine retrieved diagnostic trouble codes: P0017 (crankshaft) and P0171 (system too lean), and it was observed that the oil reservoir was empty. Two quarts of oil were added to the vehicle. The contact stated that after being serviced, the vehicle was idling high and stalled while driving at unknown speeds on several occasions. …
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle vibrated and lost motive power. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and the engine seized. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that on another occasion, while his wife was driving 75 MPH, the vehicle vibrated, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving 75 MPH, an abnormal sound was coming from the engine. …
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced excessive oil consumption. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH on the highway, the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to pull over to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving into a parking lot. The battery warning light illuminated on several occasions. Additionally, the contact stated that the check engine and low oil pressure warning lights were intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone and to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the piston oil ring failure had caused low oil pressure, which resulted in the timing failure. The failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (ENGINE). …
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would not properly accelerate. On several occasions the vehicle loss motive power, stalled, and would not immediately restart. The cause of the failure was not determined. The dealer was not able to duplicate the failure. In addition, while driving approximately 60 mph the cruise control could not be manually deactivated by the cruise control switch. The vehicle was stopped and shut-off. After restarting the vehicle, the cruise control was deactivated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who reprogrammed the adaptive control values and the failure was remedied. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. Additionally, the tire monitoring system erroneously indicated that the air pressure was low. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. …
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle with the check engine warning light illuminated. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the contact discovered that the engine oil was low, and the contact added oil to the engine. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine). The contact continued to investigate the failure and discovered that the vehicle was previously repaired before owning the vehicle. The contact reached out to several dealers and the manufacturer about the issue; however, no assistance was provided. The contact continued to speak with the manufacturer, and the manufacturer agreed to have an oil consumption test performed on the vehicle. …
Related recalls
Engine
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Elantra, 2019-2021 Kona and Veloster vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which could result in engine damage.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Hyundai will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. Owner notification letters were mailed August 24, 2021.
NHTSA investigations
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.
Engine complaints in other Kona years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2019 Hyundai Kona?
NHTSA has 142 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2019 Hyundai Kona, 72% of the model year's 196 complaints. The component named most often is engine › oil/lubrication › sump/tank › drain plug (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2019 Hyundai Kona engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 21V-301 (engine, Apr 28, 2021). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2019 Hyundai Kona engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 3 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.