Lemberg Law is investigating widespread consumer complaints about 2024 Hyundai electric batteries draining. Reports refer to batteries that have to be replaced, those that are unsuccessfully recharged, and others that dealers deem to be unfixable. However, there is no solution in sight.
Don’t be stuck with a lemon. You have legal rights to cash, return or buyback.
The law makes Hyundai pay legal fees.
We've fixed thousands of lemon problems. Message or call 844-928-4443 today.
What’s Happening with Battery Draining in the 2024 Kona EV?
Owners of the 2024 Hyundai Kona are expressing considerable concern relating to battery drain. Some say that it drains 2-3% overnight or over a few days and nights. Others report batteries draining completely in less than 24 hours. Either way, it is a major problem.
Complaints on the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) website and discussions on several forums and Reddit describe what owners are experiencing. Many of these incorporate varied suggestions and personal explanations of why there is any sort of battery drain. They also share dealership responses that range from denial that there is a problem to agreements that the automaker must decide on a resolution.
While there is no mention of a recall of any kind for faulty batteries, there is a fire-related recall and a technical service bulletin (TSB) that relate to battery problems. These are worth mentioning, since they may play a role in the electric battery drain problems owners are experiencing.
Battery Related TSB
Issued in September 2023, TSD 23-EE-010H updates previous battery diagnosis function bulletins that apply to a whole lot of other 2021-2023 Hyundai vehicles. These include Elantra, Ioniq 5 and 6, Sonata, Santa Fe Hybrid, Tucson, and, of course, 2024 Kona vehicles.
The Global Diagnostic System (GDS), commonly used for testing vehicle battery health and performance, is prescribed when any of these vehicles have a 12V battery that is “significantly discharged (dead battery).” It involves attaching a jumper/booster box to the battery when the ignition is on. The GDS test may request a new five-minute vehicle run (engine run, ready on) battery charge performance test. If so, the test will confirm “the battery sensor history with significant discharge, and may provide a result of R03 if a charging defect is found with the battery.”
According to the TSD, the GDS-M diagnoses battery-related faults including:
Internal short circuit
Battery deterioration
Malfunction of electronic parts
Insufficient battery charge
Normal battery
Charging defects
This battery diagnosis uses the battery sensor history saved for the last 30 days, and ICU diagnostic communication to track battery state of charge (SOC) and current parasitic draw history.
Importantly, the results of the specified tests may lead to approval of claims for battery replacement and/or a battery diagnostic inspection. According to the TSD, R03 will detect a charging defect. R01 detects some sort of internal defect in the battery, and R02 identifies battery deterioration. In all three cases, the battery must be replaced.
Battery Recall
Issued on December 26, 2023, NHTSA Campaign Number 23V901000 warns that an engine compartment fire may result from a battery-related short-circuit in 10,984 2024 Kona vehicles with 1.6T-GDI engines. However, the safety recall report maintains that only 1% of these vehicles are likely to be affected.
The problem is that the vehicles included in the recall contain 12-volt positive battery cables that could become damaged during a frontal crash if they chafe against the engine control module bracket and cause an electrical short.
By October 29, 2024, most, but not all of the vehicles affected by the recall had been “remedied.”
What Are Owners Experiencing?
Despite the fact that Hyundai identified a potential problem of battery drain in the 2024 Hyundai Kona’s electric batteries, the barrage of complaints continues.
Here are some of the most telling complaints and comments. There are too many to include them all.
NHTSA Complaints
A complaint to the NHTSA dated October 17, 2024, from an owner in Kentucky tells how the battery of a seven-month-old Kona with only 700 miles drained and died! The complaint states that the owner “woke up one morning with a “totally” dead battery. The internet is full of incidents such as mine — new Konas with dead batteries. The dealer could not give me a service date until one month later. Car is still at the dealer…”
In a complaint related to the recall mentioned above, more than a year after it was implemented, owners weren’t able to have their vehicles fixed. An owner from Texas states in an NHTSA complaint dated February 28, 2024, that the recall repair was still not available! There isn’t a report on file with the NHTSA that states when the recall became available. However, by April 30, 2024, a little more than 58% of the vehicles on the recall list had either been repaired or inspected and found not to be in need of repair
Forum Comments
Reporting battery drain in a car leased for four months, a member of the Hyundai Kona Forum states that the dealership couldn’t solve the problem. “Dealer keeps recharging (the) battery and checking for parasitic electronics with no success. States that it’s not (the) battery. In the meantime, (I) do not have reliable transportation… consumers always get stuck in the middle…. paying each month with no resolution in sight.”
Another member experienced battery drain three times. The dealer said it was normal and told him “to drive the car more and use a battery tender.” Hyundai said the car wasn’t eligible for a buyback, “even though I never brought up the idea of one. I asked them to please check into the battery drain.” They also said it was the first time they had heard about the problem. “Waiting for interest rates to come down, and I will be trading it in.”
There are many more with similar experiences. An owner of a Kona with less than 1k miles found it was “completely dead.” After it had been jump-started, the dealer said the battery had a bad cell, and replaced it. But the problem recurred a week later. “I couldn’t even unlock the door with the fob. I had to use the mechanical emergency key.” Next, they replaced the main fuse box, because of a short. That didn’t work either.
Some owners have had better luck. “I am having the same problem with my Kona after 3 dead batteries and 4 charges, I gave it back and filed a claim for the lemon law. Hyundai gave me a free rental car to drive until there is a resolution or a new car. Mine was bought in July 2024. Please check with your dealership.”
Social Media Discussions
A conversation starter on Reddit states that a newly leased 2024 Kona N Line had its battery die twice in one week. This happened after it had been sitting unused for two days. “The key fob didn’t work to get into the car, so I assumed the key fob was dead, but I was wrong. Roadside assistance jumped the car and I drove it to my dealership where they performed tests on it to conclude that the battery wasn’t able to hold a charge (bad battery). They told me nothing was draining the battery, so a new battery would be fine.” But the new battery wasn’t fine! After leaving the vehicle for another two days, the new battery was dead. This time, the dealership had no suggestions. “I’m looking for any advice from anyone who has experienced something similar that I can pass along to my service advisor.”
One response was from someone who had the same experience when the Kona had about 6k on the clock. “They couldn’t jump-start the battery because it was completely dead (mind you I had used it the day before). He said something was draining too much power from the battery. I took it to the dealer and they switched out the batteries and checked out the car and said everything was fine.” This owner was lucky. “I’m almost at 10k and it hasn’t happened again, thankfully.”
This one, not so much! “This is becoming a common issue and is being discussed on Hyundai Forums. Many people, including myself, are waking up to dead batteries. So far Hyundai is unable or unwilling to admit there is a problem and even if they admit it, it’s a very difficult problem to solve. It’s happened to me twice.”
Battery Drain? What You Can Do
If your 2024 Hyundai Kona has issues with the electric battery, Lemberg Law wants to hear from you. Please call our Helpline or fill out a contact form and we’ll get back to you asap. We need as much information as you can supply so that we can assess your case and determine whether you are eligible to join our new class action investigation.
You won’t have to pay a cent for our input because the law says Hyundai must pay the legal bills for all lemon law cases.
About the Author:
Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
