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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

Vehicle Speed Control complaints

4 reports
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35,000 miles · Dec 11, 2024
Engine And Engine CoolingVehicle Speed Control

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle started accelerating slowly. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. There was an abnormal dinging sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning lights illuminated. The vehic…

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The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle started accelerating slowly. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. There was an abnormal dinging sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the battery needed to be replaced, and the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The mechanic recommended additional testing. The contact declined the additional diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

NHTSA ODI #11630098

Mileage unknown · Feb 24, 2023
Electrical SystemEngineVehicle Speed Control

My car has approximately 14,000 miles on it and was purchased brand new. It still has 1,000 miles to go before the next servicing. Saturday I when driving approximately 40 miles an hour, the engine suddenly cut off and the car stopped in the middle of the road. I was able to start the car and drive for approximately 15 minute…

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My car has approximately 14,000 miles on it and was purchased brand new. It still has 1,000 miles to go before the next servicing. Saturday I when driving approximately 40 miles an hour, the engine suddenly cut off and the car stopped in the middle of the road. I was able to start the car and drive for approximately 15 minutes before it slowed to 3mph and shut off again. I called the dealership where I purchased it and explained what happened. Initially they said they had not serviced the car in a year. I let the car sit for a day then checked all the fluids. The coolant level was fine and so was the oil. Monday, it cut off twice on my way to work. I drove to the nearest dealership and left it there. I had to rent a car as no loaners are available. It has been at the dealership for 5 days. They thought they fixed but when they test drove it, the car cut out again. Later that day, I received an email from Hyundai Blue link with an Automatic DTC Notification that a possible condition has been detected with my Engine Control System.

NHTSA ODI #11508959

Mileage unknown · Feb 10, 2023
EngineVehicle Speed Control

Vehicle will not go out of 3rd gear when on the interstate. The vehicle will go pass the redline and hit the fuel cut off and will not accelerate. Have to slow the car down and attempt to speed up again. Vehicle has almost been in accident multiple times due to almost being rear ended because can not get the vehicle up to speed.…

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Vehicle will not go out of 3rd gear when on the interstate. The vehicle will go pass the redline and hit the fuel cut off and will not accelerate. Have to slow the car down and attempt to speed up again. Vehicle has almost been in accident multiple times due to almost being rear ended because can not get the vehicle up to speed.

NHTSA ODI #11506590

Mileage unknown · Dec 8, 2021
Vehicle Speed ControlCrashFireInjury

The contact’s father owned a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while her father was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was stuck and the seat belt did not lock the contact’s father into his seat during impact. The vehicle crashed into a traffic light pole, went uphill, and then flipped before stoppin…

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The contact’s father owned a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while her father was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was stuck and the seat belt did not lock the contact’s father into his seat during impact. The vehicle crashed into a traffic light pole, went uphill, and then flipped before stopping. The air bags deployed, but the steering wheel air bag caught fire. The contact’s father was able to exit the vehicle. The contact’s father suffered fractured back, chest, ribs, and lumbar spine injuries, as well as head injuries with a brain bleed. The contact’s father was transported to the hospital by ambulance. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a police tow yard and deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI #11443128

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.