NHTSA Complaint #11395165 — 2018 HYUNDAI KONA

ON 1/13/21, VEHICLE EMITTED A BLUE SMOKE AND MISFIRED WHEN ACCELERATING FROM COMPLETE STOP FROM RURAL ROAD ONTO STATE HIGHWAY.. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CIOCCA HYUNDAI OF WILLIAMSPORT, WHERE IT HAD BEEN SERVICED 2 DAYS PRIOR. THEY REPLACED 2 SPARK PLUGS AND STATED IT WAS FINE. VEHICLE WORKED FINE UNTIL THE FOLLOWING MORNING. THE VEHICLE WAS MISFIRING DURING AN ACCELERATION FROM COMPLETE STOP AND EVENTUALLY QUIT ON ME. I WAS ON A STATE HIGHWAY AT THIS POINT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO CIOCCA HYUNDAI OF WILLIAMSPORT. THEY SERVICED IT UNTIL 1/18/21. UPON PICK UP, THEY STATED THAT THEY BELIEVED IT TO BE BAD FUEL THAT WAS CAUSING THE TROUBLE. THE FUELING STATION I EXCLUSIVELY USE HAS NO REPORTS OF BAD FUEL BESIDES MINE. THE FOLLOWING MORNING, 1/19/21, THE VEHICLE'S MAIN DISPLAY SHOWED AN ERROR MESSAGE THAT "A POSSIBLE CONDITION HAS BEEN DETECTED WITH THE ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM. PLEASE TAKE VEHICLE TO NEAREST DEALER." SEE ATTACHED FOR IMAGE OF THIS MESSAGE. CIOCCA HYUNDAI CAME AND GOT THE VEHICLE. THEY HAD IT FOR TWO WEEKS. UPON RECEIVING THE VEHICLE BACK, THEY STATED THAT IT WAS JUST AN "OLD CODE THAT WASN'T CLEARED" AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DISPLAYING ANY ISSUES. 15 MILES AFTER LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP, THAT MESSAGE REAPPEARED. ON 2/5/21, THE VEHICLE FELT LIKE IT WAS JERKING SLIGHTLY. I REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD BE OK TO OPERATE IN THIS CONDITION. ON 2/6/21, THE VEHICLE EMITTED A BLUE SMOKE DURING ACCELERATION FROM COMPLETE STOP ON SIDE ROAD. THE VEHICLE THEN MISFIRED TO THE POINT OF ALMOST QUITTING WHEN PULLING OUT ONTO A STATE HIGHWAY FROM A COMPLETE STOP. THIS COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER WHO WANTS THE VEHICLE TO COME IN TONIGHT FOR AN APPOINTMENT ON 2/10/21. HYUNDAI CONSUMER AFFAIRS HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF ALL OF THIS BUT HASN'T PROVIDED ANY COURSE OF ACTION BESIDES JUST INVESTIGATION.