2019 Hyundai Kona problems and recalls

69% of owner complaints on the 2019 Hyundai Kona related to the Engine (136 of 196).

196
Complaints
1
Recalls
11
Crash reports
4
Fire reports
6
Injuries
59.8
Severity index

Severity index 59.8 Medium. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 59.8p25 46p75 80cleanestworst
Severity index against the quartile range for all tracked vehicles.

Ranked 50 of 125 by severity index among 2019 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 60% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2019 ranking.

Components cited in complaints

EngineEngine: 136 complaints (69.4%)136 69%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 20 complaints (10.2%)20 10%Power TrainPower Train: 19 complaints (9.7%)19 10%Electrical SystemElectrical System: 18 complaints (9.2%)18 9%Fuel/Propulsion SystemFuel/Propulsion System: 10 complaints (5.1%)10 5%Vehicle Speed ControlVehicle Speed Control: 9 complaints (4.6%)9 5%Engine And Engine Cooli…Engine And Engine Cooling: 9 complaints (4.6%)9 5%Forward Collision Avoid…Forward Collision Avoidance: 9 complaints (4.6%)9 5%
A single complaint can cite more than one component, so shares total over 100%.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
ENGINE13669.4%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2010.2%
POWER TRAIN199.7%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM189.2%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM105.1%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL94.6%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING94.6%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE94.6%

Complaints filed per year

020412018: 12019: 82020: 72021: 292022: 222023: 192024: 342025: 352026: 41 (partial year)18192021222324252641
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)41
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 2026-10-23. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.