2023 Hyundai Kona: What to check before buying

The horn goes silent without warning. This is by far the most common complaint, and it often shows up between about 7,467 and 12,000 miles. Some cars have had the horn replaced up to four times, and it failed again each time. In a few cases a new fuse brought it back for a while. Several drivers found out during near-collisions. Other reports describe the radio screen going black, false tire pressure warnings, a backup camera that stays on, a rear latch that unlocks by itself, and a battery that died at 3000 miles.

The main pattern is a sudden loss of drive power. Cars stop accelerating on the highway, rev without moving, jerk from a stop, or shut down shortly after starting. Some show a transmission control system warning and need a tow. Several of these events happened at interstate speed. Kona N owners report a flashing check engine light, code P132600, and limp mode after a car wash or rain. Reports run from nearly new cars to 64,000 miles. Other filings are about waiting months for parts for a pending safety repair, and one owner describes a fire hazard.

With cruise control set, the car slows down on its own, for example from 71 to 65 mph, and sometimes surges back without warning. This can happen in the passing lane with traffic close behind. Dealers report several Konas with the same problem and no fix. Other drivers say the RPMs climb under throttle but the car does not speed up, so passing is risky. One car with less than 2,000 miles dropped into neutral at 70 mph and needed a new transmission.

The brakes fail to stop the car, and two of the three reports involve crashes, with two people injured. In one case the pedal went to the floor less than 24 hours after a dealer service, and the car hit a building. In another, the car could not stop on the highway and rear-ended another vehicle. A separate problem shows up in damp weather: the rotors corrode overnight, and the brakes grab hard on a light pedal touch, which raises the risk of being rear-ended.

The automatic emergency braking hits the brakes when nothing is ahead. One car locked up and skidded at about 20 mph on a dry, empty road. A related complaint says the system cuts the throttle for 2 to 3 seconds when pulling across lane lines into traffic, which leaves the car stalled in the path of oncoming vehicles. In the reverse case, one crash report says the system neither warned nor braked before the car hit the vehicle ahead.

Water exposure causes a knock sensor fault. After a car wash or driving in rain, the check engine light flashes, code P132600 is stored, and the engine drops into limp mode with reduced acceleration. Owners call this common and a safety problem because power drops right away, sometimes while pulling into traffic. A separate complaint describes an oil leak that drips every day starting after the first oil change. The dealer found nothing wrong, and the leak continued.

The car pulls to the right even after two dealer alignments, done at around 5000 and 8000 miles. A more serious report describes the steering jerking the car through a sudden S-shaped swerve at 60 mph. A red warning appeared on the screen, and the driver had to fight the wheel to stay in control. Another complaint says the car jerks and jumps when pulling out and turning, with suspension noise, which makes it hard to steer.

All of the driver-assist safety alerts stop working, according to both reports. One owner says the car also shut off at about 50 mph on the highway, along with other unresolved problems. In the other case the dealer said the car could not be repaired, and the owner reports the VIN was changed. There are only two complaints, so no wider pattern is clear, but both describe a complete loss of safety features, not a single bad sensor.