2023 Hyundai Kona Complaint Log

My horn is not working again. It was replaced when I initially got the Kona in 2023. It did not work coming out of the dealership. And now again it is back to not working. This is a liability and also a danger to my children.

Dear Hyundai Motor America Consumer Affairs, I am formally escalating a safety defect involving my 2023 Hyundai Kona, VIN [XXX] , purchased [XXX]. Since the purchase, the vehicle’s horn has repeatedly failed. I have brought the car in for service multiple times, and the issue is thoroughly documented in service records and email correspondence. Despite these efforts, the defect has not been permanently resolved. A non-functioning horn is a serious safety issue. This defect is not isolated; identical horn failures in Hyundai Kona vehicles are widely documented across public Internet forums, consumer complaint sites, and owner reports, further underscoring the seriousness of this issue. Given the repeated repair attempts and ongoing safety risk, I am requesting immediate corporate-level review and a clear, permanent resolution. This matter requires prompt attention. [XXX] , service manager, informed me today that my horn was changed/serviced 4 times already. As of today, 2-10-2-26 he is ordering me another horn. Please respond in writing with next steps. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Liftgate was clicking leaving interior lights on Drained battery- had to buy new battery! NOW Liftgate wil NOT open at all.

I brought vehicle in once for horn not working to dealer. They fixed it. Seven months later in a near traffic incident horn not working. Outside temperatures were below freezing at the time. Following week outside temperatures goes above freezing & horn is working again. It appears horn has an intermittent problem.

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that the horn was working intermittently. The horn occasionally operated but had become permanently inoperable. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle hesitated before driving forward. The Engine START/STOP feature was engaged. The contact stated that the ESC warning light was illuminated temporarily. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent, but was a recurring failure. The check engine warning illuminated and remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the electric oil pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact had not informed the manufacturer about the failure. The contact researched online and associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V526000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.

Safety system that automatically puts the car in park if a door is opened while in gear failed to apply

My Kona N Line is not functioning well. Especially after driving for a longer period of time. About 60% of the time, upon letting go of my brake, the car jerks. Going from 0 - 5 mph is the worst. The car definitely hesitates many times. Again, it is when I have driven it for over 10 minutes. I took the car to a service department in El Monte, CA on 11/1. They cannot find the problem. They rode with me and it did not show at that time. They released the car to me. The Kona N has a recall but not my car, the Kona N Line. The recall is for the same problem. I am extremely frustrated. I have another appointment on Tuesday of this week to take to the Glendora service department. I don't know what to do. I am not one to complain but this is not safe. This is my fifth Hyundai. Nothing but good cars until now. Please advise. [XXX] [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The issue is the horn. On three different occasions, I've attempted to use the horn and it wasn't working. I've taken it to Hallmark Hyundai in Flowood and they've repaired and/or replaced the horn on four separate occasions. The new horn is always working when I leave the dealership, but it eventually goes out. Or it goes out for a period of time and then comes back without explanation. My most recent horn outage happened while I was driving on I-55 in Jackson MS and an 18 wheeler started shifting in my lane. I wasn't able to notify them with my horn and ended up having to drive on the shoulder to avoid a collision. This is a major safety issue and they haven't taken the time to remedy it.

I was trapped inside the liftgate of my 2023 Hyundai Kona and was unable to operate the emergency release. I had the key fob with me and the car was unlocked, but the trunk would not open from the inside. I tried sliding a standard key and a flat card into the release, but it would not engage. It was not specified that the mechanical key inside the Hyundai fob was required. The release is a small black sliding latch at the bottom of the liftgate with only a car symbol. It is recessed, not easily visible in low light, and does not glow in the dark. I also could not climb over the rear seats because the liftgate hood was sealed, so the fire department had to open the trunk to get me out. Even the operator and the fire department found the instructions difficult to determine. While this may be a rare circumstance, it could have been dangerous. I was able to get out safely, but it would be helpful if the emergency release were redesigned with clearer instructions or made more visible, such as using neon or glow in the dark markings, so that in the future it can be accessed more easily by anyone inside.

My car intermittently loses power when I’m driving and I almost got hit yesterday.

The horn is not working in my vehicle. I found this out today when I almost had someone collide with my vehicle while I was on the highway, not once, but twice. I was unable to use my horn to alert the other driver. I called Hyundai and they said it is not covered under warranty and this is a known issue with my vehicle. I have only had the vehicle for 3-4 months and this should not be happening. I cannot safely drive without a horn and if something happens to me or my vehicle and Hyundai knows its an ongoing issue with this year, make, and model, I am not sure what I can do. Please make this right.

Theres more than three issues going on. The car has shut off while driving at least 50 mph on the highway. Currently there's no safety features working on the car.

Horn keeps failing

Dear Customer Care, I am the owner of a 2023 Hyundai Kona AWD purchased brand new from Vision Hyundai West Henrietta, NY. I paid for the vehicle in full with a cashier's check totaling over $31,000. At just 64,000 miles, the vehicle has become undrivable-experiencing loud noises, jerking, and no acceleration. I was driving and car would not move. These symptoms are clearly drivetrain-related and should be covered under Hyundai's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty . When I contacted the dealership, I was incorrectly told my roadside coverage had expired at 36,000 miles, Hyundai Warranty Escalation Letters which contradicts Hyundai's stated policy of 5 years/unlimited mileage. Additionally, I requested a loaner vehicle due to the urgency and distance (I'm 80 miles away), but no one followed up, leaving me stranded and without any transportation options. I am requesting Hyundai's assistance:

The front passenger seatbelt buckle has trouble latching when buckling seatbelt.

Rear latch unlocks while vehicle is running or not running up to 30 times at once. Rear latch unlocks without key being in vehicle. This has been reported to Hyundai Motor America since August 2025. The front collision warning goes off at random times, left side departure goes off at random times.

The horn stopped working. The first time, replacing a fuse fixed it, the second time I had to go to the dealership to get the horn replaced under warranty. There were no warning lamps.

Check engine light on DTC 218100 Code Was this vehicle included in recall?

Vehicle was service at a Hyundai Dealer for routine required maintenance to continue the warranty. Less than 24 hours later I was driving my special needs, handicap daughter to breakfast and pulled into a handicap parking space and placed my foot on the brake. The pedal seemed to not have any tension and go to the floor. The emergency collision warning went off, but the brakes did not work. The vehicle jumped over a parking curb, knocking over a handicap sign, going across the sidewalk, hitting a garbage can and finally coming to a stop in a brick building.

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while pressing the horn pad, the horn failed to produce a sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the horn was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the horn had been replaced four times and was scheduled for a fifth horn replacement. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.

Horn does not work.

The horn on my vehicle stopped working. I have no idea when it stopped working but when I tried to use it after a vehicle went throw a stop sign I realized it wasn’t working. Talked to my dealership and they said ‘it’s a known problem with the horn.’

The horn has quit working - and had to be replaced - on three different occasions. I've owned the car less than two years. This has led to me being unable to warn traffic and almost caused multiple collisions.

I received a notification by email from NHTSA about a recall for our 2023 Hyundai Kona N. It states that the recall has to do with Loss of Drive Power from Fuel Pump Failure. Your recall ID 24V528 sent July 22, I phoned the dealer, Mike Murphy in Peoria, Illinois and they could not find this recall. I have an appointment with them on Oct 24 to bring in my car for an oil change and to fix a recall on the trunk lock (I was not given any info on this recall until I contacted the dealership). Since I put in my VIN # above, It did not turn up anything either. What's going on and why are you sending Recalls that have nothing to do with my vehicle (?)

While driving, my car completely turned off and the dashboard say “engine turn off”. This happened on two separate occasions. Also on separate occasions while i was driving the beep to indicate that i was too close to another car went off when i was not near another car, during that time it also emergency breaked on its own.

ALL OF THE VEHICLE SAFETY ALERTS ARE NOT WORKING. HMFUSA HAS CHANGED THE VIN NUMBER ON THIS VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP SAYS THE VEHICLE CAN NOT BE REPAIRED.

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that when starting the vehicle, the system check lights were illuminated normally; however, all the system symbols had a red "exclamation mark" next to the symbols. Additionally, the contact stated that the horn and many safety features were no longer operable. The contact stated that the Lane Departure warning, Blind Spot warning, and the radio were inoperable. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the main computer was not interfacing with the safety systems. The contact was advised by the dealer that there was no remedy for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.

Forward Safety Mode is the default setting on every time you start the vehicle and this mode when entering from side streets or any strip center or lane into on coming traffic lanes the vehicle senses you crossing the road lines and kills the Accelerator ! When trying to enter onto the main road even if you allow enough time to accelerate to pull out onto main road : The vehicle thinks you are off raod or in some sort of danger and kills the accelerator and if you think fast enough after the 2-3 second delay you can floor the accelerator and the vehicle will then start picking up after a dangerous delay that can get someone t-boned and very serious accident if not possible death. Its a very dangerous function. Note: I manually go in and turn this forward safety to warning only or off. I use the warning but the real problem is you have to do this upon every start after turning the engine off. I think this needs to be seriously looked into.If you dont turn to warning setting and go to say pull out of a store onto the highway and dont leave enough time to avoid on coming traffic and or you freeze due to no accelleration you are in deep trouble and maybe an accident !! Or Death..

MY HORN STOPPED WORKING LAST JULY AT 7467 MILES, AND STOPPED WORKING AGAIN INJUNE AT 10,000 MILES

This has happened 3 times and I’ve only owned the car since Sept 2023, the first time was Feb 4 2024, then Feb 28th and March 11, 2024, when I am trying to accelerate I push on the gas and the rpm’s will go higher but the car doesn’t gain any speed.so when trying to pass a vehicle I can’t because it will do this and it’s dangerous, I do have a video of this

The horn has failed; will not produce sound. The fuse has tested good for continuity. Many online threads offering the same horn failure from Hyundai but no recall, at this point. This is in direct violation of Florida statute 316.27...Horns and warning devices. I have a dealer appointment made.

After a routine service visit, the vehicle’s braking and speed‑control systems began to behave abnormally. The ABS/ESC control module was replaced or reprogrammed without documentation, and immediately afterward the vehicle’s braking feel, speed‑control behavior, and forward‑collision warning timing changed noticeably. These changes created a safety risk because the vehicle no longer responded in a predictable way compared to its original performance. The affected components are available for inspection upon request. The issue was reproduced multiple times under normal driving conditions. Braking response became inconsistent, and the speed‑control system no longer behaved as it did before the service. The timing and behavior of forward‑collision alerts also changed compared to pre‑service operation. These changes created unpredictability in traffic, especially during following‑distance adjustments, stop‑and‑go situations, and sudden‑braking scenarios. The dealership did not provide technical documentation or explanation for the module replacement or configuration changes and did not acknowledge the change in system behavior. The manufacturer’s customer service reviewed the case but did not provide technical findings. An independent service center could not verify the original configuration because the manufacturer did not provide the Manufacturer Build Sheet. The vehicle has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives. No warning lamps or dashboard messages appeared before or after the issue. The only indication of a problem was the sudden change in braking, speed‑control, and forward‑collision system behavior immediately after the service visit.

Had left Costco and while driving away down road to intersection, the 2023 Kona SEL abruptly locked the brakes and briefly skidded, as it displayed Emergency Braking Activated message on display. I had crossed a dotted line to enter a left turn lane at about 20 mph to make a turn which should not have triggered the AEB-there wasnt anything in front of me whatsoever except empty road, the roadway was dry and unobstructed. I maintained control of the car after being surprised by the brakes locking up for a second or two without any warning. I have not experienced this before after driving the Kona for little over a year and a half, with 22, 000 miles. I experienced repeated phantom braking problems with a 2120 Mazda Cx30 I previously owned; the Kona braked harder into a brief skid but shorter in time than the CX30. This was more dangerous!

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while pressing the horn to avoid an accident, it was discovered that the horn was inoperable. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was informed of the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 12,000. The VIN was not available.

Horn stopped Working out of nowhere.

Hyundai is making it very difficult to get the safety recall fixed, Roadblocks in every step, The worst customer service, Just delaying at every little step, Unbelievable, Took several months to find a fix, then several weeks to get an appointment, only to find that they will order the part, several more weeks go by, then i need start the apppointment process again and wait for 4 more weeks..got to be kidding

Horn is not working. When the horn is pressed from the driver's seat, no noise is made. Checked fuse in engine fuse box compartment. 15A fuse is ok (not blown, etc). Checked with spare 15A and that did not work either. Reported problem to dealership and they plan to investigate and repair. Google search indicated this is not the first Hyundai Kona to have this issue. This should be more looked into by regulatory boards.

Rodent damage found during 1-year maintenance. This is an increasing problem that is under-reported. Damage was found before any wires were effected, however, the wiring was exposed and would have caused a malfunction had this not been detected by technician. 1. Automakers across the board are using cheaper, soy-based elements to wrap wiring and customers are having to deal with the result of subpar parts. 2. With automakers increasing the time allowed between oil changes, customers are given a false sense of functionality in the vehicles they drive. 3. Automakers that advertise "free maintenance" should not be allowed to limit maintenance to once per year or every 5,000-8,000 miles, as more prudent inspection would prevent customers from unknowingly having their cars devoured by rodents.

The vehicles horn randomly decides not to work. The horn has been replaced once, but the same wiring was kept the same. The vehicle is going back after a few months due to horn malfunction again.

The rear door Latch opens while vehicle is moving and I've have taken it to service and they don't know what failure is al about.Its a manufacture failure.

While driving on the highway on an extended trip my cruise control dropped its speed from 71 to 65 without warning. On one occasion it happened while I was in the passing lane with a lot of traffic behind me. It created a very dangerous situation before I could get into the right lane. Another incident was when again I was driving along, no one in front of me, beside me or behind me and the speed dropped once again. Had I been in traffic who knows what would have happened. I have turned the automatic breaking system off because while on a trip I was in the right lane when a car cut me off. The breaks went on and the car went totally out of control! I have filed a complaint with Hyundai and after waiting 8 weeks for a call regarding my case number they refuse to acknowledge that it is a manufacturing issue. I have had the vehicle into the dealer 3 times and they have not been able to replicate it by driving around the area, but have not taken it out on the highway at a higher speed which is when it occurs and when one would use the cruise control. I have only 9,000 miles on the car at this point and no remedy in sight.

Horn no longer works when pressed at 11,396 miles. Manufacturer will not offer loaner vehicle. Vehicle is not safe to drive without horn. Manufacturer does not seem to care that it's broken and will not expedite the repair process. I will have to drive this vehicle for approximately a month with no horn. My safety is put at risk as I cannot warn other drivers of impending danger and cannot warn other drivers they are about to hit me. The manufacturer has not yet inspected the vehicle. The inspection will take place on August 21st. There were no warning indications before I attempted to use the horn and it didn't work. It's possible that the horn has been broken for a while.

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Kona. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V526000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact called another local dealer, Hyundai West (10611 W Arthur Ave., West Allis, WI 53227), and was informed that parts might be available in two to three weeks after being taken in for service. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Car stopped accelerating on the highway and held me at 40mph. This happened twice. Then before being able to get it in for service while driving the car made a loud bang and came to a rolling stop again on the highway and the transmission control system alarm went off and the car would not move. Had to get towed off the highway and in a rental now. This was a brand new 2023 hyundai kona sel limited.

Car pulls to the right since I had it..the dealer did a alignment twice already but it still pulls to the right..they did a alignment at around 5000 miles and again at 8000 miles but it still does it.

The vehicle was purchased brand new. After the first recommended oil change interval, the car has leaking oil daily. A complaint of the leak made to the dealer at 2nd oil change. Dealer stated they found nothing wrong. Car still leaks oil even after subsequent oil changes at prescribed service intervals. We now have to place a pan underneath the vehicle while it’s parked in the garage to catch the daily oil leaks. Very frustrating and very concerning that a brand new car is leaking oil.

Radio stopped working. Screen went blank. Looks like a loading screen and then nothing. Radio does not come on at all

Been waiting six months for Hyundai part to fix a fire hazard. They knowingly installed a defective part during manufacturing of the vehicle. A scared to drive the car knowing it can catch fire at any moment. Hyundai refuses to compensate in any way.

We were diving on the interstate and the RPMs went up all the way up and after it came back down the car wouldn’t respond anymore and came to a stop while on the interstate putting my family safety at risk! There were no notifications before the car came to a stop while on the interstate but when we pulled over to the shoulder we tried to start the car again and then the Check engine light came on saying there was issues with the transmission control system. We had the car towed to Hyundai of Metairie on 5/28/23 and notified Hyundai of everything that happened. We were assigned a case# from Hyundai on 5/30/23. We were later contacted by the Hyundai case manager on 6/9/23 and the Service department letting us know that a new transmission will need to be installed on a brand new car we only had for 33 days at the time of this incident!