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2021 Hyundai Kona

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2021 Hyundai Kona do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 74.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

29 reports with mileage · 87 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 77 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

2 crash reports3 fire reports3 injury reports

Lane Departure complaints

3 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jan 11, 2026
Lane Departure

The Blind Spot Collision Warning (BSCW) light comes on 10 minutes into a drive (we live in a rural area and drive two lane roads for at least 25 miles before multiple lanes). I have had the car in for service on the system twice before learning that this is built into the system. Others are having the same problem, (see the tw…

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The Blind Spot Collision Warning (BSCW) light comes on 10 minutes into a drive (we live in a rural area and drive two lane roads for at least 25 miles before multiple lanes). I have had the car in for service on the system twice before learning that this is built into the system. Others are having the same problem, (see the two Hyundai Kona forum links below). I've spent about $600 trying to solve a problem Kona already knows existed (see p. 5-52 of the 2021 Kona owner's manual). Of course I hadn't read the entire manual, but I feel the service technicians should have. I will attempt to put a more detailed description in the files below. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11710179

Mileage unknown · Jun 19, 2023
Electrical SystemLane Departure

the bcw tends to go on every time the vehicle is driven on a rural two way road to town, approx. less than 20 miles. been to dealership for the problem with the bcw ,paid for diagnostic and scanned for codes ,none apparent.the dealership did minimal calibration without realalinig the sensor. the vehicle will automatically downsh…

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the bcw tends to go on every time the vehicle is driven on a rural two way road to town, approx. less than 20 miles. been to dealership for the problem with the bcw ,paid for diagnostic and scanned for codes ,none apparent.the dealership did minimal calibration without realalinig the sensor. the vehicle will automatically downshift causing the vehicle lurch which is totally unsafe.this began at 6000 miles.no obstructions to sensors as per dealer inspection.a brand new suv awd never been offroad ,or any collision whatsoever.reading forums leads me to believe it occures quite often to this particular vehicle.i called the local global representative and have a case number of 21601680, i thank you for your prompt response to this issue.

NHTSA ODI #11527785

Mileage unknown · May 9, 2022
Electrical SystemLane Departure

I’ve had this car since end of September 2021. The blind spot monitor on the right side of the vehicle lights up and beeps at random times, even when there is nothing in the blind spot itself. Happens mostly while driving on the highway.

NHTSA ODI #11463808

Official recalls

1

21V301000 · Engine

Apr 28, 2021

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Elantra, 2019-2021 Kona and Veloster vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which could result in engine damage.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Hyundai will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. Owner notification letters were mailed August 24, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.