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2023 Hyundai Kona

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2023 Hyundai Kona do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 74.

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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: 6 of 65 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 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Forward Collision Avoidance. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

4 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports

Unknown Or Other complaints

18 reports
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Mileage unknown · Sep 9, 2026
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

I was in a rotary and there were two lanes and they both exited to a bridge. I was on the outside lane of the rotary and when exiting the rotary the car from the inside cut me off and I was unable to alert the driver because me HORN wasn't working. I blew out 2 tires hitting a curb and needed to be towed.State police arrived on …

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I was in a rotary and there were two lanes and they both exited to a bridge. I was on the outside lane of the rotary and when exiting the rotary the car from the inside cut me off and I was unable to alert the driver because me HORN wasn't working. I blew out 2 tires hitting a curb and needed to be towed.State police arrived on the other side of the bridge. My HORN has been replaced by the dealer 3 times now.

NHTSA ODI #11763162

Mileage unknown · Mar 28, 2026
Unknown Or Other

My horn is not working again. It was replaced when I initially got the Kona in 2023. It did not work coming out of the dealership. And now again it is back to not working. This is a liability and also a danger to my children.

NHTSA ODI #11727689

Mileage unknown · Feb 28, 2026
Unknown Or Other

Liftgate was clicking leaving interior lights on Drained battery- had to buy new battery! NOW Liftgate wil NOT open at all.

NHTSA ODI #11721170

Mileage unknown · Feb 10, 2026
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

Dear Hyundai Motor America Consumer Affairs, I am formally escalating a safety defect involving my 2023 Hyundai Kona, VIN [XXX] , purchased [XXX]. Since the purchase, the vehicle’s horn has repeatedly failed. I have brought the car in for service multiple times, and the issue is thoroughly documented in service records and ema…

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Dear Hyundai Motor America Consumer Affairs, I am formally escalating a safety defect involving my 2023 Hyundai Kona, VIN [XXX] , purchased [XXX]. Since the purchase, the vehicle’s horn has repeatedly failed. I have brought the car in for service multiple times, and the issue is thoroughly documented in service records and email correspondence. Despite these efforts, the defect has not been permanently resolved. A non-functioning horn is a serious safety issue. This defect is not isolated; identical horn failures in Hyundai Kona vehicles are widely documented across public Internet forums, consumer complaint sites, and owner reports, further underscoring the seriousness of this issue. Given the repeated repair attempts and ongoing safety risk, I am requesting immediate corporate-level review and a clear, permanent resolution. This matter requires prompt attention. [XXX] , service manager, informed me today that my horn was changed/serviced 4 times already. As of today, 2-10-2-26 he is ordering me another horn. Please respond in writing with next steps. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11716965

Mileage unknown · Feb 3, 2026
Electrical SystemForward Collision AvoidanceUnknown Or Other

Rear latch unlocks while vehicle is running or not running up to 30 times at once. Rear latch unlocks without key being in vehicle. This has been reported to Hyundai Motor America since August 2025. The front collision warning goes off at random times, left side departure goes off at random times.

NHTSA ODI #11715395

Mileage unknown · Jan 13, 2026
Unknown Or Other

I brought vehicle in once for horn not working to dealer. They fixed it. Seven months later in a near traffic incident horn not working. Outside temperatures were below freezing at the time. Following week outside temperatures goes above freezing & horn is working again. It appears horn has an intermittent problem.

NHTSA ODI #11710576

Mileage unknown · Jan 4, 2026
Unknown Or OtherInjury

Safety system that automatically puts the car in park if a door is opened while in gear failed to apply

NHTSA ODI #11708650

Mileage unknown · Sep 21, 2025
Unknown Or Other

I was trapped inside the liftgate of my 2023 Hyundai Kona and was unable to operate the emergency release. I had the key fob with me and the car was unlocked, but the trunk would not open from the inside. I tried sliding a standard key and a flat card into the release, but it would not engage. It was not specified that the mecha…

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I was trapped inside the liftgate of my 2023 Hyundai Kona and was unable to operate the emergency release. I had the key fob with me and the car was unlocked, but the trunk would not open from the inside. I tried sliding a standard key and a flat card into the release, but it would not engage. It was not specified that the mechanical key inside the Hyundai fob was required. The release is a small black sliding latch at the bottom of the liftgate with only a car symbol. It is recessed, not easily visible in low light, and does not glow in the dark. I also could not climb over the rear seats because the liftgate hood was sealed, so the fire department had to open the trunk to get me out. Even the operator and the fire department found the instructions difficult to determine. While this may be a rare circumstance, it could have been dangerous. I was able to get out safely, but it would be helpful if the emergency release were redesigned with clearer instructions or made more visible, such as using neon or glow in the dark markings, so that in the future it can be accessed more easily by anyone inside.

NHTSA ODI #11688737

Mileage unknown · Sep 17, 2025
Unknown Or Other

The issue is the horn. On three different occasions, I've attempted to use the horn and it wasn't working. I've taken it to Hallmark Hyundai in Flowood and they've repaired and/or replaced the horn on four separate occasions. The new horn is always working when I leave the dealership, but it eventually goes out. Or it goes out f…

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The issue is the horn. On three different occasions, I've attempted to use the horn and it wasn't working. I've taken it to Hallmark Hyundai in Flowood and they've repaired and/or replaced the horn on four separate occasions. The new horn is always working when I leave the dealership, but it eventually goes out. Or it goes out for a period of time and then comes back without explanation. My most recent horn outage happened while I was driving on I-55 in Jackson MS and an 18 wheeler started shifting in my lane. I wasn't able to notify them with my horn and ended up having to drive on the shoulder to avoid a collision. This is a major safety issue and they haven't taken the time to remedy it.

NHTSA ODI #11687843

Mileage unknown · Sep 3, 2024
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

Horn does not work.

NHTSA ODI #11612439

Official recalls

1

23V526000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:fluid/lubricant:pump

Jul 27, 2023

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Palisade Tucson, 2023 Sonata, Elantra, and Kona vehicles. The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump controller to overheat.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An electric oil pump assembly that overheats increases the risk of a vehicle fire.

Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect and replace the electric oil pump controller, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed starting September 7, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 246.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.