2019 Hyundai Kona: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 185 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 1 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
185
Complaints
1
Recalls
11
Crash reports
4
Fire reports
6
Injuries
62.7
Severity index
Severity index 62.7 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 123 2019 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2019 Hyundai Kona ranks 45 of 123 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 63% of its model-year peers. See the full 2019 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 126 | 68.1% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 20 | 10.8% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 18 | 9.7% |
| POWER TRAIN | 17 | 9.2% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 9 | 4.9% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 9 | 4.9% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 9 | 4.9% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 6 | 3.2% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 126 of 185 complaints (68.1%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 29 |
| 2022 | 22 |
| 2023 | 19 |
| 2024 | 34 |
| 2025 | 35 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 30 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.5x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21V301000 | 28/04/2021 | ENGINE | Hyundai 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. |
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.