Hyundai Kona: which model years to avoid
Complaint and recall totals for every Hyundai Kona model year we track, ranked by severity.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crashes | Fires | Severity | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 74 | 0 | 9 | 10 | 259.5 High | ENGINE |
| 2019 | 185 | 1 | 11 | 4 | 62.7 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2020 | 152 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 122.4 High | ENGINE |
| 2021 | 112 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 44.6 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2022 | 94 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 21.3 Low | ENGINE |
| 2023 | 61 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 65.6 Medium | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2024 | 43 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 120.9 High | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2025 | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 148.1 High | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
Across 8 model years, the 2018 Hyundai Kona carries the highest severity index (259.5, driven by engine), while the 2022 is the cleanest at 21.3.
Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold; a high-volume seller will attract more filings than a rare trim.