Kona crowned "most unreliable EV"

electriceddy

electriceddy

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Yep, its Consumer Reports "punch in the face" with 41 points and a 1 out of 5 reliability rating.
" Consumer Reports states the Hyundai is predicted to be “much less reliable than the average new car” based on data from the 2020 and 2021 Kona EV models with its permanent-magnet synchronous motor ranked as the model’s weakest reliability aspect."

My guess is none of these owners changed the GRU oil;)
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Didn't read it. Wanted me to close my add blocker. Not gonna happen! I would have thought that type of motor is common to all Hyundai/Kia EVs. So Ionics and EV6s are also unreliable?
 
I suppose the point is that few EVs have this sort of unresolved, persistent problem. The slow pace of KIA response to known TSB (for this same problem) lead me to sell off my 2019.

The onus should not be on new car buyers to get warranties honored.
 
I want you to know KiwiMe that I am super observant and technologically thingumy! Ask my wife! Thanks for the laugh...
 
I am knocking on the wood, no problems as so far with my Kona EV. Was manufactured during last days of January 2020. Also battery was not part of recall.

Otherwise Consumer Reports is jumping all over the place with its reports from year to year. One year the same car is the worst, next year this same car is among the best ...
Brings a question of statistical relevancy of their studies, were they able to collect big enough sample of data.
 
Ginginova said:
Otherwise Consumer Reports is jumping all over the place with its reports from year to year. One year the same car is the worst, next year this same car is among the best ...
Brings a question of statistical relevancy of their studies, were they able to collect big enough sample of data.
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It's the tabulated repair data, that doesn't compile much in the first two years. Such is Science, when the verified data conadicts your early position, a retraction gets issued.
 
The actual Consumer Reports ... report... is paywalled. From what I gather, though, the ratings are based on owner surveys rather than actual gathered service data. (Not sure how they'd even gather that data if not for owners self-reporting though)

My takeaway from this is that the EV ratings reflect user experience, which is not necessarily all on the vehicle. For example, how many people's opinions have been tainted by poor DCFC infrastructure performance? If a DCFC doesn't work, does that count against the car's reliability?
 
Genevamech said:
From what I gather, though, the ratings are based on owner surveys rather than actual gathered service data. (Not sure how they'd even gather that data if not for owners self-reporting though)
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That's correct - 300,000 CR members are polled. Vehicles are from two previous years. Verification is requested on claimed repairs.


Genevamech said:
My takeaway from this is that the EV ratings reflect user experience, which is not necessarily all on the vehicle. For example, how many people's opinions have been tainted by poor DCFC infrastructure performance? If a DCFC doesn't work, does that count against the car's reliability?
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That's a good question.
Has anyone read the article to confirm this?
 
Bruce M. said:
I lost faith in Consumer Reports years ago, after buying a dishwasher they highly recommended that turned out to be a piece of junk. My Kona -- fully mine now that the lease is done -- has been trouble-free other than a couple fleeting electrical gremlins.
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That's anecdotal "evidence".
Your driving (sea level, warm Temps, shorter distances) cannot be considered typical.

Those of us that had a drive motor fail, to get stonewalling by Hyundai/KIA sang a different tune.

When a company issues a TSB - it detected a serious problem.
When a customer base can't get company to honor internal directives, it's unsustainable.
 
Nissan had an issue with their 3L diesel blowing up, it never stopped people buying them and most are still running today.
What is really required is to know how many gearboxes have actually failed and as yet no one knows if the issue has been dealt with.
The battery issue was rectified, so one would assume if there is an inherent fault in the gearbox, or gearbox/motor module as a whole it will be sorted. They are still selling the vehicle, there is a TSB on the issue and from reports a different motor has been installed.
I would guess if the issue was ongoing and couldn't be rectified, they would have just dropped the Kona EV and stuck with the Ionic until the replacement Kona is ready for release.
Time will tell, but if all the gearboxes fail, Hyundai will have to repair or refund, much the same as diesel gate with VW.
 
Keith Dowey said:
They are still selling the vehicle, there is a TSB on the issue and from reports a different motor has been installed.
I would guess if the issue was ongoing and couldn't be rectified, they would have just dropped the Kona EV and stuck with the Ionic until the replacement Kona is ready for release.
Time will tell, but if all the gearboxes fail, Hyundai will have to repair or refund, much the same as diesel gate with VW.
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The problem is that Hyundai/KIA as a history of slow walking repairs and acting only under direct NHTSA order.

I doubt the number of afflicted drive trains is very large, and the number of catastrophic failures is smaller still - however the glacial pace of repairs to acknowledged problems is unacceptable.
 
Jim Matthews said:
The problem is that Hyundai/KIA as a history of slow walking repairs and acting only under direct NHTSA order.

I doubt the number of afflicted drive trains is very large, and the number of catastrophic failures is smaller still - however the glacial pace of repairs to acknowledged problems is unacceptable.
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In Australia Hyundai has a pretty good reputation, it was one of the reasons I actually went with the Kona.
Hopefully there are not any issues with mine.
 
Jim Matthews said:
That's anecdotal "evidence".
Your driving (sea level, warm Temps, shorter distances) cannot be considered typical.

Those of us that had a drive motor fail, to get stonewalling by Hyundai/KIA sang a different tune.

When a company issues a TSB - it detected a serious problem.
When a customer base can't get company to honor internal directives, it's unsustainable.
Click to expand...

I did not claim that my experience reflected all owners. Clearly some have had problems. Personally, I had problems with another product that Consumer Reports recommended. Your mileage may vary.
 
22kona said:
In Australia Hyundai has a pretty good reputation, it was one of the reasons I actually went with the Kona.
Hopefully there are not any issues with mine.
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I suspect it was comfined to the 2019 batch.

If yours is still quiet after 50,000 km it will probably be fine.
Mine was noisy from day one.
 
Jim Matthews said:
I suspect it was comfined to the 2019 batch.

If yours is still quiet after 50,000 km it will probably be fine.
Mine was noisy from day one.
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I have done 5,000km in 4 months and the warranty here is 5 years unlimited km, so it should be well past 50,000km by the time the warranty runs out. I'm hoping to give it to my daughter in 5 years, so fingers crossed.
 
22kona said:
In Australia Hyundai has a pretty good reputation …
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Same with ours, all dealers can service EVs and there are few complaints. I wonder if it’s related to the fixed prices for new cars which avoids dealers having to struggle for business due to consumers playing them against each other?
 
Well if my experience was included - but I don’t think the review I sent was recorded at CR but rather another survey like J D Powers - it would have supported their findings. 10 days after i purchased the vehicle in Nov of 2022 a notice came up on the screen advising me that it had “detected a problem in the electrical system.” And to take it for service right away. After weeks at the dealer told me the battery needed to be replaced. That took over 3 months for them to get the battery and install. Got the car back first week of March ‘23. Then it happened again in mid July ‘23 and it took ANOTHER 3 months to get another new battery and install it. I never got an explanation either time of what was wrong or why it happened. When it works I like it pretty well, but the anxiety of what will happen isn’t really worth it.


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
 
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