2018 Hyundai Kona: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 74 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 0 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
74
Complaints
0
Recalls
9
Crash reports
10
Fire reports
12
Injuries
259.5
Severity index
Severity index 259.5 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 121 2018 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2018 Hyundai Kona ranks 1 of 121 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 99% of its model-year peers. See the full 2018 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 41 | 55.4% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 25 | 33.8% |
| POWER TRAIN | 11 | 14.9% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 8 | 10.8% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 4 | 5.4% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 | 4.1% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 3 | 4.1% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 3 | 4.1% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 41 of 74 complaints (55.4%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 9 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 11 |
| 2024 | 12 |
| 2025 | 14 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 11 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 2.8x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.