{"id":"2021_hyundai_kona","make":"Hyundai","make_slug":"hyundai","model":"Kona","model_slug":"kona","year":2021,"url":"/hyundai/kona/2021/","pts":["bev","gas"],"configs":[{"id":43747,"model":"Kona Electric","pt":"bev","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (A1)","cyl":null,"displ":null,"eng":"","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":132,"hwy":108,"comb":120,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":27.0,"range":258,"range_city":0,"range_hwy":0,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":9.0,"charge240b":0.0,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"150 kW AC PMSM","fuel":"Electricity","vclass":"Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD","co2":0,"fe_score":10,"ghg_score":10,"fuel_cost":600,"save_spend":8250,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"HYX","modified":"Wed Feb 02 00:00:00 EST 2022"},{"id":42593,"model":"Kona FWD","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (AM7)","cyl":4,"displ":1.6,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":true,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":28,"hwy":32,"comb":30,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD","co2":303,"fe_score":6,"ghg_score":6,"fuel_cost":2100,"save_spend":750,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"HYX","modified":"Thu Sep 24 00:00:00 EDT 2020"},{"id":42594,"model":"Kona FWD","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (S6)","cyl":4,"displ":2.0,"eng":"","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":27,"hwy":33,"comb":30,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD","co2":300,"fe_score":6,"ghg_score":6,"fuel_cost":2100,"save_spend":750,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"HYX","modified":"Thu Sep 24 00:00:00 EDT 2020"},{"id":42601,"model":"Kona AWD","pt":"gas","drive":"All-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (AM7)","cyl":4,"displ":1.6,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":true,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":26,"hwy":29,"comb":27,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD","co2":324,"fe_score":6,"ghg_score":6,"fuel_cost":2300,"save_spend":-250,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"HYX","modified":"Thu Sep 24 00:00:00 EDT 2020"},{"id":42602,"model":"Kona AWD","pt":"gas","drive":"All-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (S6)","cyl":4,"displ":2.0,"eng":"","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":25,"hwy":30,"comb":27,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD","co2":326,"fe_score":6,"ghg_score":6,"fuel_cost":2300,"save_spend":-250,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"HYX","modified":"Thu Sep 24 00:00:00 EDT 2020"}],"vclass":"Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD","segment":"Compact SUV","epa_certified":true,"recalls":[{"campaign":"22V941000","component":"ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY:THERMAL MANAGEMENT:FLUID/COOLANT","mfr":"Hyundai Motor America","reported":"2022-12-16","owner_notified":"2023-03-22","units":853,"summary":"Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Kona EV vehicles.  The Electric Power Control Unit (EPCU) may have been improperly sealed and may leak coolant internally.","consequence":"Coolant contacting the EPCU circuit board may cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.","remedy":"Dealers will inspect and replace the EPCU, as necessary, free of charge.  Owner notification letters were mailed March 22, 2023.  A second notice will be sent once the final remedy is available.  Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.  Hyundai's number for this recall is 239.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"239","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":["bev"],"severity":"high"},{"campaign":"21V301000","component":"ENGINE","mfr":"Hyundai Motor America","reported":"2021-04-28","owner_notified":"2021-08-24","units":158493,"summary":"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":"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.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"203","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"critical"},{"campaign":"20V748000","component":"SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:ELECTRIC:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE","mfr":"Hyundai Motor America","reported":"2020-12-01","owner_notified":"2021-01-25","units":8176,"summary":"Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Nexo Fuel Cell and 2019-2021 Kona Electric vehicles.  The Integrated Electronic Brake (IEB) system may detect an abnormal sensor signal and as a result, may significantly reduce braking performance.","consequence":"Reduced braking power could lengthen the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.","remedy":"Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the IEB software, free of charge.  The recall began January 25, 2021.  Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.  Hyundai's number for this recall is 199.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"199","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":["bev"],"severity":"minor"}],"recall_count":3,"critical_count":1,"park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"score":74,"grade":"C","complaints":{"count":141,"crash":3,"fire":4,"injured":3,"deaths":0,"comps":[["Engine",80],["Unspecified",25],["Electrical System",21],["Power Train",14],["Vehicle Speed Control",6],["Forward Collision Avoidance",5]],"by_year":{"2021":27,"2022":24,"2023":17,"2024":19,"2025":29,"2026":25},"excerpts":[["2026-02-22","Electrical System","On February 3, 2026, while driving in a high-traffic turning lane, my Hyundai Kona Electric vehicle suddenly lost propulsion and would not accelerate. The vehicle shut down without warning and could not be restarted. Traffic was building behind me, creating a safety hazard. I felt unsafe due to surrounding vehicles exp\u2026"],["2025-07-19","Electrical System","Hyundia has had my car in for the SAME recall 4 to 5 times . 6 total weeks this time around. The \"\"refill inverter coolant\" light kept coming back on . The last time I got it home it had more issues than when I took it in and wouldn't even catch a charge . (EV) They fried my compassitor trying to fix the inverter coola\u2026"],["2025-06-26","Electrical System","The car was unable to charge using level 3 DC fast chargers, necessitating the use of a level 2 charger for an extended length of time in order to be able to return home. A Hyundai dealer replaced the charging inlet lock actuator (invoice attached)."]]},"investigations":[{"action":"DP22005","component":"ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM","opened":"2023-01-27","closed":"2023-08-07","campaign":"22V063000","subject":"Pedestrian alert sounds","summary":"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 matt"}],"ncap":[{"desc":"SUV AWD","overall":5,"frontal":5,"side":5,"rollover":4,"rollover_risk":0.136,"seats":5,"fcw":"Standard","ldw":"Standard","aeb":"Optional","esc":"","backup_cam":"","variant":null},{"desc":"SUV FWD","overall":5,"frontal":5,"side":5,"rollover":4,"rollover_risk":0.141,"seats":5,"fcw":"Standard","ldw":"Standard","aeb":"Optional","esc":"","backup_cam":"","variant":null}],"popularity":59,"headline":{"range":258,"mpg":30,"ncap":5,"complaints":141},"presskit_trims":[],"generated_at":"2026-09-11 06:27 UTC","sources":["EPA fueleconomy.gov","NHTSA recalls","NHTSA complaints","NHTSA NCAP","NHTSA investigations"]}