The seat belt buckle in the rear center seat may fail to properly restrain an occupant during a crash.
Risk: A seat belt buckle that fails to properly restrain an occupant in a crash increases the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Passengers are advised not to use the rear center seat until the recall remedy is performed. Dealers will replace the seat belt buckle assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 2, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 306. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 15, 2026.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Kona Electric and 2024-2026 Kona vehicles.
NHTSA listing: KONA. Hyundai campaign 306.
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.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2025 Hyundai Kona.
What owners report
Owners have filed 29 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Kona. Below, they are sorted by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Electrical system9 · 31%
Brakes4 · 14%
Powertrain4 · 14%
Body structure3 · 10%
Most named: body (3)
Forward collision avoidance3 · 10%
Speed control3 · 10%
Air bags2 · 7%
Unknown or other6 · 21%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Hyundai Kona recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2025 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).
Owner complaints
2025: 29 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
198
2020
162
2021
120
2022
109
2023
70
2024
53
2025
29
2026
11
Safety recalls
2025: 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.
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: electrical system (9), brakes (4), powertrain (4). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2025 Hyundai Kona safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2025 Hyundai Kona earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2025 Hyundai Kona?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2025 Hyundai Kona.
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 Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
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.