2020 Hyundai Kona problems and recalls

Owner complaints on the 2020 Hyundai Kona include 1 fatality report, 8 crashes and 3 fires across 157 filings.

157
Complaints
2
Recalls
8
Crash reports
3
Fire reports
12
Injuries
96.1
Severity index

Severity index 96.1 High. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 96.1p25 46p75 80cleanestworst
Severity index against the quartile range for all tracked vehicles.

Ranked 10 of 103 by severity index among 2020 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 90% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2020 ranking.

Components cited in complaints

EngineEngine: 104 complaints (66.2%)104 66%Power TrainPower Train: 20 complaints (12.7%)20 13%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 17 complaints (10.8%)17 11%Electrical SystemElectrical System: 11 complaints (7.0%)11 7%Vehicle Speed ControlVehicle Speed Control: 7 complaints (4.5%)7 4%SteeringSteering: 7 complaints (4.5%)7 4%Forward Collision Avoid…Forward Collision Avoidance: 7 complaints (4.5%)7 4%Fuel/Propulsion SystemFuel/Propulsion System: 4 complaints (2.5%)4 3%
A single complaint can cite more than one component, so shares total over 100%.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
ENGINE10466.2%
POWER TRAIN2012.7%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1710.8%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM117.0%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL74.5%
STEERING74.5%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE74.5%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM42.5%

Complaints filed per year

030612020: 132021: 612022: 122023: 142024: 82025: 272026: 22 (partial year)2021612223242526
Complaints by the calendar year they were filed. The hatched bar is the current year to date.
YearComplaints
202013
202161
202212
202314
20248
202527
2026 (year to date)22
Filings in 2023 to 2025 ran 0.6x those in 2020 to 2022 (49 against 86).

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.
20V02200017/01/2020EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELSHyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020 Kona vehicles. The certification label may indicate incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 567, "C

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 2026-09-03. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.