2021 Hyundai Ioniq
The 2021 Hyundai Ioniq is sold in the U.S. as an electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid large hatchback with 4 EPA-rated configurations. Its longest-range version, the Ioniq Electric, is EPA-rated at 170 miles with 133 MPGe combined efficiency. NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year so far (Safety Signal A). Owners have filed 20 complaints, most often about the electrical system.
Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Range | kWh/100mi | Charge (240V) | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ioniq Electric | Electric | FWD | 100 kW AC PMSM | 145 | 121 | 133 MPGe | 170 mi | 25.4 | 5.8 h | $550 |
| Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid | Plug-in hybrid | FWD | 1.6L 4-cyl + 45 kW IPMSM | 52 | 51 | 52 (76 MPGe blended) | 29 mi electric | 28 | 2.2 h | $1,300 |
| Ioniq Blue | Hybrid | FWD | 1.6L 4-cyl + 240V Li-Ion | 58 | 60 | 59 | — | — | — | $1,150 |
| Ioniq | Hybrid | FWD | 1.6L 4-cyl + 240V Li-Ion | 54 | 56 | 55 | — | — | — | $1,200 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 43879, 43725, 43571, 43570.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ioniq Electric | 10 / 10 | Federal Tier 3 Bin 0 / California ZEV | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | SmartWay Elite |
| Ioniq, Ioniq Blue, Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid | 7 / 10 | California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | SmartWay |
Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.
The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.
Specifications filed with NHTSA
Source: NHTSA vPICDimensions Exterior
| Body style | Hatchback/Liftback/Notchback |
| Doors | 5 |
| GVWR class | Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less) |
Engine Basics
| Cylinders | 4 |
| Displacement | 1.6 L |
Engine Output
| Horsepower | 104 hp |
Fuel Economy
| Fuel | Gasoline |
Seating
| Seat rows | 2 |
| Seating capacity | 5 seats |
Transmission
| Drivetrain | FWD/Front-Wheel Drive |
| Transmission | Automatic |
| Transmission speeds | 6 |
Driver assistance
Standard: Adaptive cruise control, Anti-lock brakes, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking, Rear cross-traffic alert
Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: Blue, Limited, SE, SEL). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.
Dimensions & weight
Source: Transport Canada| Length | 176.0 in |
| Width (body, without mirrors) | 71.7 in |
| Height | 57.1 in |
| Wheelbase | 106.3 in |
| Track, front | 61.4 in |
| Track, rear | 62.2 in |
| Curb weight | 3,020–3,371 lb |
| Weight distribution, front/rear | 54/46 |
Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 3 configurations: Electric 4-door Hatch, Hybrid Essential 4-door Hatch, Hybrid Preferred/Luxury4Dr Hatch. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2021 Hyundai Ioniq is in the years where high-voltage electronics and module repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
What to check before you buy →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (0)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseNo NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2021 Hyundai Ioniq. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them.
These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
NHTSA defect investigations
Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds closed
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 mat
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005 · the investigation’s page →
Hear about a recall before the letter does
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2021 Hyundai Ioniq, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2021 Hyundai Ioniq
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Find parts for this Ioniq →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database0 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported
27 per 10,000 built · Hyundai reported 7,470 Ioniq built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2021: 2 · 2022: 8 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2026: 2
Most-cited components
In owners' own words
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
VEHICLE SAFETY HAZARD: ACTIVE HIGH-VOLTAGE ISOLATION FAULT (DTC P0AA6) WITH DECEPTIVE DEALER/MANUFACTURER BYPASS & CONCEALMENT. On April 15, 2026, the dealer scanned my 2021 Ioniq EV and uncovered DTC P0AA6 (Hybrid/EV Battery Voltage System Isolation Fault), which denotes a catastrophic high-voltage leak into the chassis.
The "Auto Hold" feature on my Hyundai Ioniq malfunctioned, displaying a dashboard warning: "AUTO HOLD conditions not met. Press brake pedal." This message randomly appears while driving or stopping, and it deactivates the Auto Hold and Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) functions.
Installing a car seat and the belt buckle failed. The plastic part split and no longer holds the belt together. This was under regular pressure with standard leverage that the car seat design calls for. Nothing was ever on top of the buckle and it is not damaged in any other way at all other than the failure.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid. The contact stated that upon depressing the accelerator pedal, there was an abnormal ratting sound coming from the vehicle, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The contact stated that the check engine and oil warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel.
During a highway trip that was bumper to bumper traffic at approximately 15mph, the car suddenly would not accelerate while operating on gasoline (not electric). The engine revs would increase to maximum without movement from the car (as if the car was in neutral).
Auto Hold/EPB lights come one while driving. Deactivates cruise control of on. Turns off auto hold. Ongoing issue with many reports but no recall or dealership knowledge. Ongoing issue since purchase
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Reported by Hyundai itself: 1 death-or-injury claim on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 2 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 13 per 100,000 built. Every Ioniq model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAPNHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsMost often about: Electrical System, Engine, Steering, Visibility/Wiper, Air Bags.
- 26-EM-016H TSB Service bulletin2026-10-08 · Engine
- Some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning procedure for vehicles diagnosed with this condition. All internal combustion engines consume some engine oil during normal operation, depending on driving conditions and mileage, and this procedure should only be performed when dee
- 26-EM-015H TSB Service bulletin2026-10-07 · Engine
- Certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures for vehicles exhibiting this condition. All internal combustion engines consume engine oil as part of normal engine operation. Oil consumption rates may vary based on mileage, operating conditions, driving habits, and mainte
- 9C5 OL Service campaign2026-09-09 · Fuel/Propulsion System
- Hyundai has determined that certain Kona Electric and Ioniq Electric vehicles are eligible for a BMS software update. This update to the BMS software improves the system’s diagnostic capability.
- 11032523 Other2026-04-10 · Air Bags
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN). These inflators were not supplied, approved, or authorized by the vehicle manufacturers and have primarily been found in vehicles that previously experienced a crash and
- 11032522 Other2026-04-10 · Air Bags
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN), that have been identified in U.S. vehicles following prior crashes, theft, or non‑certified airbag replacements. These inflators are not approved for use, may
- 25-BD-012H TSB Service bulletin2025-11-06 · Exterior Lighting
- This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. This TSB illustrates the various causes of condensation inside the lamp assembly. Lamp assembly replacement is NOT necessary in most cases. This condition can be eliminated by turning on the lamps with the engine running for
- 25-BE-020H TSB Service bulletin2025-09-30 · Electrical System
- This bulletin provides information related to the changes introduced in the 2025 1st Navigation Map and Software Update. The changes may vary depending on vehicle type, model, and navigation system as described in this TSB.
- 25-01-063H TSB Service campaign2025-09-23 · Engine
- Certain IONIQ Electric (AE EV) and Kona Electric (OS EV) vehicles may exhibit a restricted coolant flow condition, which may be accompanied by a warning message (e.g., Coolant Supplement, Refill Inverter Coolant) in the cluster. No related DTCs are stored, and coolant level is normal in the reservoir tank. The coolant flow may be restricted by debris, causing abnormally high Electric Water Pump (E
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
Diagnostic trouble codes on file
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaintsCodes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.
| Code | What it means | Most often filed under | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| U1341 | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 2 bulletins |
Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMVIn New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2021 Hyundai Ioniq failed the emissions check on 2.9% of first inspections — higher than the 1.9% for every 2021 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.6% (every 2021 vehicle: 1.5%).
failed emissions
250 initial inspections of 245 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2021 Ioniq | Every 2021 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the emissions check | 2.9% | 1.9% | 205 |
| Failed the safety inspection | 1.6% | 1.5% | 250 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0% | 0.19% | 250 |
| Miles driven a year | 10,144 | 10,343 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 54,018 | 54,681 | odometer at inspection |
New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2021 vehicle” is every 2021 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).
Ioniq by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2021 Ioniq
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsDoes the 2021 Hyundai Ioniq have any recalls?
No NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2021 Hyundai Ioniq. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them, and a clean sheet on a recent model year often just means the vehicle is new.
How safe is the 2021 Hyundai Ioniq?
NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2021 Hyundai Ioniq yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it A (100/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2021 Hyundai Ioniq?
Across the 4 EPA-rated configurations of the 2021 Hyundai Ioniq, the best EPA combined figure is 59 mpg (MPGe on the electrified versions) and the longest EPA range is 170 miles on a charge. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What are the dimensions of the 2021 Hyundai Ioniq?
Transport Canada measured it at 176.0 in long, 71.7 in wide (body, without mirrors), 57.1 in tall, on a 106.3 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,020–3,371 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.
What do owners complain about on the 2021 Hyundai Ioniq?
Owners have filed 20 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Hyundai Ioniq, most often about electrical system, forward collision avoidance, service brakes. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
How clean is the 2021 Hyundai Ioniq?
The EPA smog rating for the 2021 Hyundai Ioniq runs 7 to 10 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III SULEV30, California ZEV, Federal Tier 3 Bin 0, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2021 Hyundai Ioniq?
The manufacturer has filed 60 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2021 Hyundai Ioniq, most often covering electrical system, engine, steering. The most recent is dated 2026-10-08. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
How does the 2021 Hyundai Ioniq do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2021 Hyundai Ioniq failed the emissions check on 2.9% of first inspections — higher than the 1.9% for every 2021 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.6% (every 2021 vehicle: 1.5%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 4 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 4 configurations | EPA emission certificates | Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new. |
| Recalls | none | NHTSA recall campaigns | No campaign has been filed. Because the register is complete, an empty row here means there is nothing to find — not that we are missing it. |
| Owner complaints | 20 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | none | NHTSA NCAP | NHTSA has not tested this model year. Cars are selected for testing, so untested is not unsafe. |
| Service bulletins | 60 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | 1 | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like. |
| Specifications filed with NHTSA | 12 fields | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder. |
| Measured dimensions | 7 fields | Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications | Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | none | Manufacturer press kit | We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind. |
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.