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2021 Hyundai Kona Electric

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 20.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 4 of 26 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports

Back Over Prevention complaints

1 reports
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86,612 miles · Dec 13, 2024
Back Over Prevention

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the image on the rearview camera went blank. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was diagnosed and determined that the tail…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the image on the rearview camera went blank. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was diagnosed and determined that the tailgate wiring harness had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered to pay for 60 percent of the parts and labor cost to repair the vehicle. The contact declined the offer provided by the manufacturer. The approximate failure mileage was 86,612.

NHTSA ODI #11630575

Official recalls

2

22V941000 · Electrical System:propulsion System:traction Battery:thermal Management:fluid/coolant

Dec 16, 2022

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Kona EV vehicles. The Electric Power Control Unit (EPCU) may have been improperly sealed and may leak coolant internally.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Coolant contacting the EPCU circuit board may cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the EPCU, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 22, 2023. A second notice will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 239.

20V748000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:electric:control Module:software

Dec 1, 2020

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Nexo Fuel Cell and 2019-2021 Kona Electric vehicles. The Integrated Electronic Brake (IEB) system may detect an abnormal sensor signal and as a result, may significantly reduce braking performance.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Reduced braking power could lengthen the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the IEB software, free of charge. The recall began January 25, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 199.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.