2019 Hyundai Kona problems and recalls

68% of owner complaints on the 2019 Hyundai Kona related to the Engine (128 of 187).

187
Complaints
1
Recalls
11
Crash reports
4
Fire reports
6
Injuries
61.7
Severity index

Severity index 61.7 Medium. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 61.7p25 46p75 80cleanestworst
Severity index against the quartile range for all tracked vehicles.

Ranked 46 of 123 by severity index among 2019 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 63% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2019 ranking.

Components cited in complaints

EngineEngine: 128 complaints (68.4%)128 68%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 20 complaints (10.7%)20 11%Electrical SystemElectrical System: 18 complaints (9.6%)18 10%Power TrainPower Train: 17 complaints (9.1%)17 9%Engine And Engine Cooli…Engine And Engine Cooling: 9 complaints (4.8%)9 5%Fuel/Propulsion SystemFuel/Propulsion System: 9 complaints (4.8%)9 5%Forward Collision Avoid…Forward Collision Avoidance: 9 complaints (4.8%)9 5%Vehicle Speed ControlVehicle Speed Control: 7 complaints (3.7%)7 4%
A single complaint can cite more than one component, so shares total over 100%.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
ENGINE12868.4%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2010.7%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM189.6%
POWER TRAIN179.1%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING94.8%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM94.8%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE94.8%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL73.7%

Complaints filed per year

018352018: 12019: 82020: 72021: 292022: 222023: 192024: 342025: 352026: 32 (partial year)18192021222324253526
Complaints by the calendar year they were filed. The hatched bar is the current year to date.
YearComplaints
20181
20198
20207
202129
202222
202319
202434
202535
2026 (year to date)32
Filings in 2023 to 2025 ran 1.5x those in 2020 to 2022 (88 against 58).

Recall campaigns

CampaignReportedComponentSummary
21V30100028/04/2021ENGINEHyundai 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.

Other Hyundai Kona model years

Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 8 years side by side.

Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-08-21. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.