NHTSA lists 1 safety recall and 116 owner complaints for the 2021 Hyundai Kona.
1Safety recalls
116Owner complaints
2Complaints citing a crash
3Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: engine. Most-reported area: engine (77 complaints, 66%; median mileage when it happened: 23,400). Includes the Kona N. Excludes the Kona Electric.
1 safety recall for the 2021 Hyundai Kona
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which could result in engine damage.
Risk: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Elantra, 2019-2021 Kona and Veloster vehicles equipped with 2.
NHTSA listing: KONA. Hyundai campaign 203.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 116 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Kona. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Engine77 · 66%
Median 23,400 miles at failure (22 reports)
Powertrain14 · 12%
Electrical system11 · 9%
Forward collision avoidance4 · 3%
Most named: automatic emergency braking (3)
Fuel and propulsion system4 · 3%
Speed control4 · 3%
Brakes3 · 3%
Unknown or other18 · 16%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Hyundai Kona recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2021 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2020 Kona drew the most (86) and the 2021 drew 53.
Owner complaints
2021: 116 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Hyundai Kona
Model year
Complaints
2018
75
2019
191
2020
158
2021
116
2022
105
2023
69
2024
51
2025
28
2026
9
Safety recalls
2021: 1 recallTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Hyundai Kona
Model year
Recalls
2018
0
2019
1
2020
2
2021
1
2022
2
2023
2
2024
4
2025
1
2026
3
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Hyundai Kona SUV AWD
Rollover risk 13.6%
Hyundai Kona SUV FWD
Rollover risk 14.1%
Questions
What are the most common 2021 Kona problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: engine (77), powertrain (14), electrical system (11). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2021 Hyundai Kona safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2021 Hyundai Kona earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Kona has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Hyundai dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: KONA.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.