The 2019 Hyundai Kona has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 158,493 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 243 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 20, 2026.
Recall campaigns
ENGINE21V3010002021-04-28158,493 affected
Defect
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.
Consequence
A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
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. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.
Complaints by component
ENGINE
126
2crashes3fires1injuries
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
20
3crashes1fires1injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
17
2crashes3injuries
POWER TRAIN
17
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
9
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
7
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
6
1crashes3injuries
AIR BAGS
5
5crashes1fires2injuries
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
4
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
4
1crashes
Total complaints243
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“First notice was exterior top railing coating wearing down after just 3 years of having car. Notified dealership of this issue and was stated that my car was out of warranty. (now 7yo) exterior paint is peeling off hood; exposing primer layering, as well as in some spots, the main body itself.…”
“The vehicle suffered a sudden, severe loss of power while driving, causing the engine to stall unexpectedly. This created an immediate hazard to myself and other motorists on the road, as I was forced to navigate a dead vehicle out of active traffic without power steering or power braking assist.…”
“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…”
“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 (2019 kona) is subject to recall 203 (piston ring/bore defect). On xxx puente hills hyundai refused the mandatory physcial inspection, instead attempting to charge $1,100 for 'leak repairs.' an independent inspection by valvoline on xxx confirmed the engine is dry with no leaks, proving…”
“Vehicle (2019 kona) is subject to recall 203 (piston ring/bore defect). On xxx puente hills hyundai refused the mandatory physcial inspection, instead attempting to charge $1,100 for 'leak repairs.' an independent inspection by valvoline on xxx confirmed the engine is dry with no leaks, proving…”
“My 2019 hyundai kona has been burning oil, i’ve done great upkeep on it, including topping the oil off in between services. This is because it obviously has been burning oil, well recently it started stalling, then starting/turning it over has been acting up. The rpm’s have not been stable at…”
“96,247 mi engine knock and complete oil loss within 3,000 miles of last oil change symptoms consistent with nhtsa recall 21v301 (hyundai recall 203) and warranty extension txxm coverage”
Defect investigations
InvestigationDP22003 Opened 2022-09-12 · closed 2023-12-12
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…
InvestigationDP22005 Opened 2023-01-27 · closed 2023-08-07
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2019 Hyundai Kona as of
July 20, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.