A driver has issued an urgent warning after the brakes on his Hyundai suddenly failed.
Gold Coast woman Emma Clarke said she “could have died” when she was forced to crash her Hyundai Kona and turn it off after the brakes reportedly stopped working.
He warned other Hyundai Kona drivers to “be on the lookout” for this potential fault.
“I was driving my car and the brakes just failed, they stopped working,” he said in a video posted on social media.
“I had to crash my car, which was not going slow, and then turn it off because I couldn’t stop it.”
Ms Clarke bought the SX2 hybrid model, which retails for between $39,000 and $52,000, in October 2023 and has had it serviced twice.
She claims that when she reported the incident to Hyundai, she was allegedly told “there was nothing wrong with the car.”
An increasing number of Hyundai Kona drivers report experiencing similar issues with their vehicles.
Gold Coast woman Emma Clarke (pictured) said she “could have died” after claiming she was forced to crash her Hyundai Kona and turn it off after the brakes failed.
“I loved my Kona until the brakes stopped working,” one posted on a Facebook group dedicated to Kona owners. “Try 8 complete brake failures,” another said, adding that Hyundai “couldn’t find a fault.”
“I’ve had constant power failures, one of them major. No fault codes have been received on any of the occasions,” said another.
While there hasn’t been a recall in Australia specifically for the Emma hybrid model, Hyundai Australia has issued a recall for Konas built between 2020 and 2022 to address an issue with the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, which could lead to a loss of traction.
In 2024, there were two recalls for some 2023 and 2024 Kona SX2 models that Hyundai said involved a relatively small number of vehicles and did not include hybrid or electric variants.
In South Korea, around 40,000 Kona electric and hybrid electric vehicles manufactured between May 2019 and November 2020 were recalled due to faulty electronic braking systems.
Additionally, a class-action lawsuit has been filed in the United States against Hyundai and its parent company Kia, alleging that certain models have engines that could catch fire, stall, seize or fail.
Pictured is the 2023 Kona Hybrid SX2 model, which retails for between $39,000 and $52,000.
A similar legal action was launched in Australia in February 2023 over the “unacceptable” risk of engine failure and fire in Hyundai and Kia cars with 1.6-litre, 2.0-litre and 2.4-litre petrol engines.
Thirteen Hyundai models manufactured between 2007 and 2024, including SUVs, sedans and hatchbacks, have been named as part of the class action lawsuit.
The 2018-20 Kona was among 13 Hyundai models listed.
A Hyundai spokesperson said: ‘Some ICE Konas were subject to two recalls on a relatively small number of vehicles earlier this year, but there have been no major incidents or issues related to those recalls.
‘As neither our customer service team nor Hyundai dealers have received a significant number of calls from customers relating to issues with the new Kona, we are confident that the vast majority of Kona customers are happy with their new cars.
“We take the safety of our customers very seriously; nothing is more important to Hyundai. If any issue arises that compromises that safety, we take immediate action.
“If any customer detects what they believe may be an issue with their Kona, we recommend they contact their local Hyundai dealer to have their vehicle checked. Alternatively, they can contact Hyundai customer services on 1800 186 306.”