Hyundai · Kona · 2021
1
Recall
106
Complaints
5/5
Safety Rating
The 2021 Hyundai Kona has 1 recall and 106 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Overall safety rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Most reported issue: engine (53 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
Frontal Crash Test

Side Crash Test

Overall Frontal Rating
Driver and Passenger Assessment
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Overall Side Rating
Side Barrier and Side Pole Tests
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Rollover Resistance
13.6% rollover risk in single-vehicle crash
Safety Features
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.
Remedy Status
Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Hyundai will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. Owner notification letters were mailed August 24, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was unaware of the warning lights that were illuminated during the failure. The vehicle was unable to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the piston rings had failed and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the piston rings had failed and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 82,000.
Engine is consuming oil and developed piston slap, per the mechanic I took it to. Currently it sounds like there is gravel inside the engine and it does not seem safe to drive. The Malfunction Indicator Lamp has also come on, the codes were cleared by my mechanic but they told me it likely will return. The piston slap developed a week ago today (Thursday), the MIL started flashing 3 days later (Sunday), mechanic did the oil change on Tuesday and noted the Piston Slap at that time. All symptoms point to the issues noted in #21V-301, but my VIN is not included in that recall per the NHTSA website.
The vehicle has 82.000 miles on it, and the engine started to rattle as I entered the street to my house, and the motor quit running. I had the vehicle hauled to a repair garage for analysis, and they said the piston rings failed. The vehicle is in perfect shape except for the broken engine.
VIN: [XXX] 2021 Hyundai Kona experienced sudden engine failure at approximately 103,000 miles. The engine began knocking without any prior warning, and the check engine light came on at the same time the knocking started. The vehicle was not driven for an extended period after the issue began. There were no earlier warning indicators or drivability issues that would suggest neglect or lack of maintenance. The failure was immediate and unexpected. This vehicle had previously received Hyundai recall T8Y, which involved an ECU update related to engine monitoring and performance. Despite this manufacturer intervention, the engine still experienced sudden failure. Hyundai has denied warranty and goodwill coverage for this failure. This appears to be a premature engine failure and raises concerns about reliability and safety due to the sudden nature of the issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Was driving when the car seemed to lose power and would not accelerate and started shaking. Check engine light came on and got it read, the code indicated a misfire and other errors. There was no one local to fix it as we were out of town. So we replaced the plugs that were indicated and noticed how badly damaged they were. Vehicle started to drive better before stalling out again and replacing the rest of the plugs. Was able to get it home and seemed to be driving normally but then we noticed it has an oil leak now. We have to keep a religious check on the oil because of the amount leaking and the fact the car isn't giving us a low oil warning. We took it to the dealership and they said we needed a new engine and it was just outside the power train warranty. All of this occurred our 78,000-80,000 mile mark. The dealer would not even change the oil before of how bad the leak was. This car was for our teenage daughter and its not safe for anyone to drive. I believe the dealership knew this car had issues, we bought it pre-owned and have only had it 6 months.
The cars engine vibrates when accelerating and hesitates. It is always dangerous to stall after hitting the gas. This issue causes many near accidents. It began to vibrate at less than 70k. It has 90k now. These engines have had issues and mine is no exception. They should recall this engine as it's dangerous. top of the line and poop.
Known problem of oil consumption . 1 week used 3 quarts . Wife driving down road oil light. Engine light seconds later engine seized at 55mph.lucky to drift off road.
I am writing to formally escalate a serious safety concern regarding my 2021 Hyundai Kona Ultimate, which was sold to me as a new vehicle in April 2021 but was equipped with tires manufactured in 2019 at the time of delivery. This issue raises significant concerns regarding product safety, quality control, and customer protection. I have already contacted Hyundai Customer Care and have been working with a case manager regarding this matter. During our conversation on February 23, 2026, I was informed that the issue would be investigated and that I would receive an update by February 27, 2026. As of today, I have not received any meaningful response or resolution. The absence of communication and delay in addressing a matter that directly affects the safety of my family is unacceptable. I currently reside in the Boston, Massachusetts area, where winter driving conditions regularly involve snow, ice, and freezing temperatures. Tires are one of the most critical safety components of a vehicle under these conditions. Installing tires that were already approximately two years old at the time the vehicle was sold as new significantly reduced the usable safe life of those tires. According to guidance provided by the tire manufacturer, tires installed on new vehicles should ideally be recently manufactured, and tire age is a key safety consideration regardless of mileage. Because the tires on my Kona were manufactured in 2019, their safe service life has effectively been shortened by several years through no fault of my own.
-The engine and related crankshaft components failed. The vehicle experienced complete engine shutdown while driving and later multiple no-start conditions. The vehicle has been inspected and repaired multiple times by an authorized Hyundai dealership and remains available for inspection upon request. -The engine shut down unexpectedly while driving at highway speed, resulting in loss of power and the need to coast and pull over. This created a risk of rear-end collision and loss of control in traffic. Subsequent failures left the vehicle unable to start, creating risk of stranding in unsafe locations. -Yes. The authorized Hyundai dealership confirmed engine-related and crankshaft-related issues and performed repairs on multiple occasions. Despite these repairs, the problem has recurred. -The vehicle has been inspected and repaired multiple times by an authorized Hyundai dealership. -Yes. The check engine light illuminated prior to multiple failures. In at least one instance, the dealership stated the light was a history code and no active issue was found. Within days, the vehicle experienced another complete failure and became inoperable.
About 2 weeks ago I tried to start my car and the dash board starting flickering and glitch. Roadside assistance said all I needed was a battery. I got a battery and everything seemed fine until today. My car is starting to do the same thing. When I looked up recalls my VIN doesnt match for a recall I think my car should be under. The Battery Charge Sysytem is failing I believe. I have videos.
Over the last 2 1/2 months the car has shut off approximately 5 times while driving, without warning. Most instances have been while pulling into a parking lot, but one time (so far) it shut off while trying to back into my driveway. I'm fearful it will happen while on the freeway. I took it to the dealer, but there wasn't a fault code so they refused to look at it unless I left the car with them to drive, and wanted to charge me $45/day for a rental so I could get back & forth to work until it happened again while they were driving it.
I’ve been having issues that align with the Safety Recall 239 to repair a condition involving the Electric Power Control Unit ("EPCU"). I seem to be having by a coolant leak, my car is overheating, has stalled and has struggled to start. I started noticing something wasn’t right a couple of weeks ago but wasn’t sure what until more “symptoms” have occurred since and I found the recall information. My air conditioner also will stop blowing cool air when the over heating happens. No lights have come on my dash board alerting me of anything needing to be serviced.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stop and while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled unexpectedly. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road, and the vehicle was turned off and restarted, and continued driving. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone, where it was determined that the spark plugs had failed and needed to be replaced. The spark plugs were replaced; however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The failure had occurred three times; however, the last time, the vehicle failed to restart, and there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the turbocharger and the piston rings had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 121,334
The piston went through the top of my engine with my entire family in the car. We managed to get to a mechanic. And bring it to the dealership. We are very lucky to be alive.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while coming to a stop, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000. The VIN was not available.
About a month after purchasing my car it shut down on the highway while driving. It completely lost power so I could not accelerate or even press the brake. Only the emergency brake stopped me from going into other cars. I started the car up again and then it worked fine until about another month later it happened again. I was on an exit ramp on the highway and it lost power. Cars had to quickly go around me as I had no control of my vehicle. Neither brakes or gas pedal worked at the time and my check engine light stayed on. I then took my car to Hyundai service where they told me my car went through 2 quarts of oil in one month. They want me to drive this car another 1,000 miles knowing it’s dangerous, unsafe, a risk to me and other drivers and a fire hazard to have an engine consuming this much oil. I fear to drive this unpredictable car any more. The manager of Hyundai knows it’s unfair but must follow protocol. I just don’t understand how they can tell someone to drive a stalling car waiting for an accident to happen.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds in stop-and-go traffic, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle but almost immediately lost motive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the piston oil rings, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 96,000.
The piston oil ring recall. I have had a mechanic determine I am having the exact same problem as the recalls but my VIN is not covered. Please update the recall so my repairs can be covered.
I have experienced the same issues with a known recall for my year, make and model. I am not sure why my VIN is not showing. Have records from a mechanic that there was a fire hazard. I have experienced stalling on several occasions. Could I have help getting my VIN recognized so Hyundai will help me?
Excessive oil consumption, over 3 quarts in just 4 months, caused the engine's timing chain to fail due to low oil levels, ultimately leading to a rod punching through the engine. there is a recall for this vehicle but not mine.
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
The 2021 Hyundai Kona has 1 recall recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 106 owner-reported complaints for the 2021 Hyundai Kona.
The 2021 Hyundai Kona received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2021 Hyundai Kona are engine (53 reports), unknown or other (11 reports), power train (7 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 1 recall on record for the 2021 Hyundai Kona. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
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This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.