IllustrationI have already replaced the transmission out of pocket 7k its began to do the same thing immediately was flushed a 2nd time and told it could be the motor. Also my battery i have bought 2 new batteries in 2 yrs now to find out its a false warning.
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Kona years →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
150–25K
225–50K
250–75K
875–100K
1100–150K
1150K+
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
Service Brakes complaints
3 reportsThe braking system malfunctioned. Son was driving it, brake light came on, brakes started sinking randomly. Vehicle is very slow to get vehicle to stop and had to hit brake pedal hard to even get vehicle to slow down. Opened the hood to verify if there was brake fluid, it was low. Put brake fluid in and tested brakes, a pinhole…
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The braking system malfunctioned. Son was driving it, brake light came on, brakes started sinking randomly. Vehicle is very slow to get vehicle to stop and had to hit brake pedal hard to even get vehicle to slow down. Opened the hood to verify if there was brake fluid, it was low. Put brake fluid in and tested brakes, a pinhole was spraying brake fluid. Took to get a diagnostic of the vehicle. In addition to the pinhole leak, diagnostics showed that where the brake lines attach there is a leak at two of the components/areas, and told the vehicle would need new brake lines. We did not repair it at the place that performed the diagnostic. We are towing it to a Hyundai Dealership for inspection this week 3/21/2024. We have spoken to Corporate and were given a case number. No other inspections have taken place. Brake warning light came on last week. Malfunctioning brakes are a safety risk for everyone.
Driving 60mph on I-5 in May 2021. Dry roads, no wind. Vehicle suddenly surged (as if we ran over a speed bump at 60mph) despite there being no debris nor damage on the road surface. The surge felt like the ABS system triggered a single pulse, and then car completely turned off: no engine power, no radio power, no cabin lightning…
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Driving 60mph on I-5 in May 2021. Dry roads, no wind. Vehicle suddenly surged (as if we ran over a speed bump at 60mph) despite there being no debris nor damage on the road surface. The surge felt like the ABS system triggered a single pulse, and then car completely turned off: no engine power, no radio power, no cabin lightning power, no dash lighting nor warning lights. Toggling the ignition to accessory didn't help. I had steering authority and brake authority. With no engine power, I pulled over to the side of the road. I inspected the exterior of the vehicle and there was no damage. I entered the vehicle and I was able to restart the vehicle normally. I drove it to a dealership and described the problem, they didn't know what it could be and were 30 days out on booking appointments, so I gave up.
Official recalls
121V301000 · 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
1DP22005 · 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.