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2026 Hyundai Kona

Gas

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
6 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

74 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

Recalls1 critical 3

Complaints1 crash · 2 injured reported 10

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 4★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 31 mpg

Starting MSRP8 trims · manufacturer $25,500

2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018

The 2026 Hyundai Kona is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 6 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Kona FWD, is EPA-rated at 31 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 10 complaints, most often about the service brakes. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $25,500 to $34,150 across 8 trims.

Hyundai Kona — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Hyundai Kona · Photo: Damian B Oh · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Trims & pricing

Source: manufacturer press kitWhich trim should I buy? → Compare a trim →

Trim	Powertrain	Drive	MSRP	HP	Torque	Seats	Cargo (2nd row)	Wheels
SE	Gas	FWD	$25,500	147 hp	132 lb-ft	5	25.5 cu-ft	17 in
SE	Gas	AWD	$27,000	147 hp	132 lb-ft	5	25.5 cu-ft	17 in
SEL Sport	Gas	FWD	$26,675	147 hp	132 lb-ft	5	25.5 cu-ft	18 in
SEL Sport	Gas	AWD	$28,175	147 hp	132 lb-ft	5	25.5 cu-ft	18 in
SEL Premium	Gas	FWD	$28,550	190 hp	195 lb-ft	5	25.5 cu-ft	19 in
SEL Premium	Gas	AWD	$30,050	190 hp	195 lb-ft	5	25.5 cu-ft	19 in
Limited	Gas	FWD	$32,650	190 hp	195 lb-ft	5	25.5 cu-ft	19 in
Limited	Gas	AWD	$34,150	190 hp	195 lb-ft	5	25.5 cu-ft	19 in

MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Kona FWD	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl	28	35	31	$2,150
Kona FWD w/Stop-Start	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl	29	34	31	$2,150
Kona AWD w/Stop-Start	Gas	AWD	2.0L 4-cyl	27	29	28	$2,400
Kona FWD SX2 1.6T 8AT FWD	Gas	FWD	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	26	31	28	$2,400
Kona AWD	Gas	AWD	2.0L 4-cyl	26	29	27	$2,500
Kona AWD SX2 1.6T 8AT AWD	Gas	AWD	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	25	28	26	$2,600

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 49449, 49454, 49501, 49448, 49492, 49491.

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Recalls (3)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Seat Belts

306

47,787 vehicles

Problem Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Kona Electric and 2024-2026 Kona vehicles. The seat belt buckle in the rear center seat may fail to properly restrain an occupant during a crash. Risk A seat belt buckle that fails to properly restrain an occupant in a crash increases the risk of injury. Fix Passengers are advised not to use the rear center seat until the recall remedy is performed. Dealers will replace the seat belt buckle assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 2, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 306. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 15, 2026.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF Dealer notice PDF

NHTSA campaign 26V452000 reported Jul 14, 2026 Hyundai Motor America the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

!critical

Steering

295

4,555 vehicles 89% reported repaired built Oct 31, 2025 – Dec 22, 2025

Problem Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2026 Kona vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the front steering knuckles may crack and break, which can result in a loss of vehicle steering control. Risk A loss of vehicle steering control increases the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will inspect and replace the front steering knuckles, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 5, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 295. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 7, 2026.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 26V069000 reported Feb 5, 2026 Hyundai Motor America the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

●moderate

Electrical System

293

41,651 vehicles 93% reported repaired built Jul 5, 2025 – Nov 1, 2025

Problem Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson Hybrid, Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 IONIQ 5, Santa Cruz, Kona, Palisade, Palisade Hybrid, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, Sonata, Sonata Hybrid, and Tucson vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays." Risk An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash. Fix The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 24, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai's customer service at 855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 293. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 28, 2026.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 26V047000 reported Jan 26, 2026 Hyundai Motor America the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

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.

Whether any of this applies to one specific Kona

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2026 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Hyundai publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Hyundai’s own VIN lookup →

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 2026 Hyundai Kona, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

10complaints filed

1 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 2 injuries · 0 deaths reported

1.6 per 10,000 built · Hyundai reported 62,399 Kona built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2025: 1 · 2026: 9

Most-cited components

Unspecified 3

Service Brakes 2

Vehicle Speed Control 2

Electrical System 2

Power Train 1

Structure 1

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.

I have a 2026 Hyundai Kona that I’ve only had for 3 months and it has 7192 miles on it. Today I turned my vehicle on and the screen that displays my mileage, speedometer, gas level, coolant temp gauge, tire pressure monitor, and other safety features was blacked out with the words “NO SIGNAL” in red.

Electrical System Oct 5, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11769128

I purchased this vehicle new on July 28, 2026. NHTSA Recall 26V-452 / Hyundai Recall 306 was dated July 13, 2026, and the VIN showed the recall as incomplete when I discovered it. The dealer states that it was unaware of the recall at the time of sale.

Seat Belts Aug 20, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11758247

The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and went into LIMP Mode before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted and resumed normal functionality. While depressing the accelerator, the vehicle lunged forward.

Engine at 770 miles Aug 11, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11756273

On April 20, 2026 I was pulling into a parking space. I began to break but something went terribly wrong. My car accelerated on it's own, went over the curb and crashed into a building. Three air bags deployed: two on the drivers side of the car (front and side air bag) and one in the back seat behind the driver (the side air bag).

Service Brakes Apr 27, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11733958

I bought the car in November 2025. I was on a highway, going at a comfortable, 65 mph speed (a few weeks after purchasing this happened the first time ). Suddenly, the car stopped accelerating, of course I panicked, slowly pulled off to the shoulder, and shut the car off. Luckily, it was not rush hour .

Vehicle Speed Control Feb 17, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11718634

The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and turned off, an inspector discovered a puddle of fuel on the ground underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the hood insulation was damaged, and the fuel lines were punctured.

Fuel/Propulsion System at 900 miles Jan 23, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11712882

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.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV AWD	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	16%
SUV FWD	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	15%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 10

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-10-08

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 4 service bulletins, 4 others, 2 service campaigns

Most often about: Air Bags, Exterior Lighting, Forward Collision Avoidance, Lane Departure, Engine.

26-EM-016H TSB Service bulletin
2026-10-08 · 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 bulletin
2026-10-07 · 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
11032523 Other
2026-04-10 · 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 Other
2026-04-10 · 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
26-01-035H TSB Service campaign
2026-04-08 · Electrical System
Some vehicles may exhibit a loss of connectivity or interruptions in the middle of using Bluelink functions. This may be due to an occasional disconnection on Verizon’s communication network. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to verify Bluelink Data Communication Unit (DCU) network connection and if needed, reset the DCU in Dealer Mode to resolve the connection.
26-AD-001H TSB Service bulletin
2026-02-25 · Exterior Lighting
Some 2019MY and newer vehicles equipped with a front view camera may illuminate certain warning lights and trigger DTC C272246 fault code for the front camera. In the following cases, the front camera auto-calibration range may be exceeded while driving: • If the front camera is not properly installed and is completely or partially detached. • In case of excessive changes affecting the vehicle's b
25-BD-012H TSB Service bulletin
2025-11-06 · 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

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.

Kona by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2027 A 0 0 31 mpg 2026 this page C 3 10 31 mpg 2025 A 1 29 261 mi 2024 C 4 68 261 mi 2023 C 2 75 Park outside 2022 B 2 130 258 mi 2021 C 3 147 258 mi 2020 F 5 189 Park outside 2019 F 4 250 Park outside 2018 A 0 75 30 mpg

Common questions about the 2026 Kona

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

How much does the 2026 Hyundai Kona cost?

Manufacturer pricing runs from $25,500 for the SE FWD to $34,150 for the Limited AWD, across 8 trims. Those are MSRPs from the manufacturer's own press material; they exclude destination, options, taxes and whatever the dealer adds. Every trim and price is listed above.

Does the 2026 Hyundai Kona have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 3 recall campaigns for the 2026 Hyundai Kona, 1 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 26V069000, covering Steering. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2026 Hyundai Kona?

NHTSA gave the 2026 Hyundai Kona 4 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it C (74/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2026 Hyundai Kona?

Across the 6 EPA-rated configurations of the 2026 Hyundai Kona, the best EPA combined figure is 31 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What do owners complain about on the 2026 Hyundai Kona?

Owners have filed 10 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Hyundai Kona, most often about unspecified, service brakes, vehicle speed control. Of those, 1 involved a crash, 2 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

Are there service bulletins for the 2026 Hyundai Kona?

The manufacturer has filed 10 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2026 Hyundai Kona, most often covering air bags, exterior lighting, forward collision avoidance. 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.

Which 2026 Hyundai Kona trim is the best value?

$8,650 separates the cheapest of the 8 trims from the most expensive, so the answer depends on which of the differences you would actually use. Every trim has its own page here with the manufacturer's full specification and equipment list, plus a short summary of exactly what it adds over the base trim — worth reading before a dealer frames the walk-up for you. The trim-by-trim ladder shows what every step up costs and what it makes standard.

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	6 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	none	EPA emission certificates	The EPA published no certificate we could match to a configuration on this page.
Recalls	3	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	10	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	2 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	10	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
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	none	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	We had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable.
Trims, pricing & equipment	8 trims	Manufacturer press kit	Transcribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from.

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. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.

JSON for this page · API