Hyundai Kona driver details 'scary' ordeal behind the wheel

Gold Coast woman Emma is one of many customers who claim they've experienced significant problems with their new Hyundai Kona cars.

Carly Bass
·Senior News Reporter
Updated ·5-min read
Left: Emma Clarke after brakes stopped working on her Kona. Right: Inside Emma Clarke's new Hyundai Kona car.
Emma claims the brakes on her 2023 Hyundai Kona suddenly stopped working while she was driving. Source: TikTok/Emmaclarke2

A frightened Hyundai driver claims her car's brakes "stopped working" suddenly while driving, forcing her to crash her car to stop before switching it off. The young woman is one of many who claim they've had endless technical faults with their new or near-new Hyundai Kona vehicle, however when complaining about the issues, she and others were apparently told there's nothing wrong.

Emma, from the Gold Coast, purchased the Hybrid SX2 model, which ranges between $39,906 and $52,989, in October, 2023. There is also a Kona petrol model and a fully electric one. She said the incident was "scary" and believes she "could have died" and is prompting others to "please be aware".

But despite her claims and many others, Hyundai Australia said the company "is not aware of any major issues" with the newer models when contacted by Yahoo News Australia. It's apparent other Kona models have also had issues, and were the subject of earlier recalls by Hyundai.

Detailing her ordeal on social media Emma said, "I was driving my car and the brakes just went, they stopped working. I had to crash my car, which wasn't [going] slow, and then turn it off because I couldn't f**king stop it".

She's now desperate to find other Kona owners who've experienced similar issues with the hope it could help get her car fixed. Since buying the car "brand new" she claims she's had it serviced twice — and it is apparently due for another. But she was allegedly told by Hyundai there's "nothing wrong with my car".

Have you also had trouble with your car? We’d love to hear about it! Carly.bass@yahooinc.com

A 2023 Hyundai Kona hybrid stock image. Source: Google Images
The Gold Coast woman drives a 2023 Hyundai Kona hybrid, like the one shown in this stock image. Source: Google Images

To her surprise, the comments were flooded with messages from other owners who say they've also had trouble. A quick search on social media will present a range of complaints from unhappy Hyundai customers claiming they too have experienced similar technical problems.

While not all specific to the 2023 Hyundai Kona hybrid model, the problems appear to exist among a range of Kona models spanning different years and varieties. Claims from owners suggest the problems also affect the petrol as well as hybrid models.

On Tiktok, there are dozens of issues specific to "Hyundai Kona problems" across the world, while on Facebook there are specific groups dedicated to issues associated with Hyundai Kona cars, with thousands of members collectively — many of which are from Australia.

"I loved my Kona until my brakes failed to work," one posted in a dedicated Facebook group. "Try 8 complete brake failures," another claimed, adding Hyundai "couldn’t find a fault".

Others have reported "the worst customer service" and a "dismissive" attitude when attempting to find a resolution. "I have had ongoing electrical failures, one major electrical failure. No fault codes every single time," another said.

One woman claimed two of her windows stopped working shortly after purchasing her Hyundai Kona in 2019. "Funny thing is my two friends also have the same car and the same thing has happened to them," she said. "It seems to be a pattern with these cars".

Another said their 2019 model was "plagued with issues". Yahoo News Australia attempted to contact several Kona owners to discuss their issues.

While there has been no recall in Australia for Emma's specific hybrid model, Hyundai Australia did issue a recall for some Konas built between 2020 and 2022 to deal with problems with the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission which could cause a loss of drive. This year there were an additional two recalls on some 2023 and 2024 versions.

Meanwhile, in South Korea, about 40,000 Kona electric and hybrid electric vehicles produced between May 2019 and November 2020 were recalled "due to faulty electronic braking systems".

In the UK, there were multiple reports of the 2024 Hyundai Kona model experiencing "loss of power" suddenly, posing a risk to drivers. It appears the hybrid model was not impacted by this recall.

And in the US, a class action lawsuit was mounted alleging certain Hyundai and Kia (owned by parent company Hyundai) models have engines which are prone to seizure, stalling, failure, and possibly catching fire. Claims suggest that some of those who bought or leased these vehicles were unfairly denied repairs under warranty.

A similar action thought to impact as many as half a million Australian cars is still underway after being lodged in February 2023, according to Drive.com.au. The class action covers certain Hyundai and Kia cars powered by 1.6-litre, 2.0-litre, and 2.4-litre petrol engines — and includes a mix of sedans, hatchbacks and SUVs. The 2018-20 Kona was among the 13 Hyundai models listed.

In a statement to Yahoo News Australia, Hyundai Australia insists the company "is not aware of any major issues with the new SX2 model Kona, either with the hybrid, internal combustion engine (ICE) or EV (Electric Vehicle) variants".

It's understood the company is referring to the 2024 and not the 2023 model which Emma owns.

"Some ICE Konas were subject to two recalls on a relatively small number of vehicles earlier this year, but there have been no incidents or major issues related to those recalls," a spokesperson said.

"As neither our Customer Care team nor Hyundai dealers have received a significant number of calls from customers related to issues with the new Kona, we are confident that the overwhelming majority of Kona customers are happy with their new cars."

Hyundai has also been hit with complaints of defective paint jobs on many i20 models, mostly white vehicles, leaving some customers up for thousands in repairs.

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