zoominbc
Active Member
I started having air conditioning problems (no cold air) in January and its been a painful saga on the way to getting it fixed. This information may help others with similar issues. In any case my 2019 Kona has been in the shop 5 times since January. Fortunately it was fixed under extended warranty and it cost me $100 total. My dealer has a $10k AC analyzer but is unable to detect slow refrigerant leaks and relied on dye in the system to show up any leaks. In total the refrigerant was filled 4 times and in each case except the last it emptied totally within 3 days of service. The first and second services replaced O rings and the 3rd replaced all the hard lines. These 3 services required the removal of the front bumper. The 4th service replaced the Schroder valves but did not get to the root of the problem. The 5th service required the removal of the dashboard to get access to a bulkhead fitting and this has resolved the problem I had.
In total the Kona spent 20 days in the shop and leaked refrigerant into the air 4 times. I understand that some shops use nitrogen to pressurize the system and this would be better for the environment. The dealership provided a loaner car three times and one of those was a brand new 2025 Kona Ultimate. Also all three loaners were electric and I did appreciate that effort.
I understand that this is not a common problem with the Kona AC system but I suggest if anyone needs AC service that they get the dealer to keep the car for several days if a slow leak is suspected.
In total the Kona spent 20 days in the shop and leaked refrigerant into the air 4 times. I understand that some shops use nitrogen to pressurize the system and this would be better for the environment. The dealership provided a loaner car three times and one of those was a brand new 2025 Kona Ultimate. Also all three loaners were electric and I did appreciate that effort.
I understand that this is not a common problem with the Kona AC system but I suggest if anyone needs AC service that they get the dealer to keep the car for several days if a slow leak is suspected.
