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2020 Hyundai Kona Electric problems & recalls

NHTSA has issued 3 recalls covering the 2020 Hyundai Kona Electric and owners have filed 187 complaints. The most-reported area is engine (108 complaints). 3 complaints describe a fire and 9 complaints describe a crash. 2 recalls tell owners to park outside until it is fixed.

Other model years:202520242023202220212019
Recalls
3
Complaints
187
Crash reports
9
Fire reports
3
Injuries
12

Recalls (3)

Mar 1, 2021#21V127000⚠ Park outside

Electrical system › Propulsion system › Traction battery

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Kona Electric and 2020 Ioniq Electric vehicles. The lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery may short-circuit.

Risk: An electrical short in the Li-ion battery increases the risk of a fire.

Fix: Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the interim action is complete. Hyundai will notify owners, and as an interim action, owners have the option to follow provided instructions to perform a battery update through the vehicle's infotainment system or request a Hyundai dealer to provide the update. Once parts are available, dealers will inspect the Battery System Assembly (BSA), and replace it if necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owners were notified of the safety risk, and the interim action, with a letter mailed April 9, 2021. Final owner notification letters were mailed June 17, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 200.

Dec 1, 2020#20V748000

Service brakes, hydraulic › Power assist › Electric › Control module › Software

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.

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

Fix: 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.

Oct 13, 2020#20V630000⚠ Park outside

Electrical system › Propulsion system › Traction battery › Management system/energy control module (bms/becm) › Software

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Kona Electric vehicles. The lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery may short-circuit.

Risk: An electrical short in the Li-ion battery increases the risk of a fire.

Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the Battery Management System (BMS) software and inspect the Li-ion battery, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the repair is complete. The recall began November 13, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 196.

Owner complaints (187)

What owners reported to NHTSA, by component. One complaint can name several components.

  • Engine108
  • Electrical system28
  • Power train23
  • Unknown or other19
  • Forward collision avoidance12
  • Service brakes8
  • Vehicle speed control7
  • Steering7
  • Fuel/propulsion system6
  • Engine and engine cooling4
  • Suspension2
  • Structure2

Complaints over time

Feb 2020: 1 complaintMar 2020: 1 complaintApr 2020: 0 complaintsMay 2020: 0 complaintsJun 2020: 0 complaintsJul 2020: 1 complaintAug 2020: 2 complaintsSep 2020: 2 complaintsOct 2020: 3 complaintsNov 2020: 3 complaintsDec 2020: 4 complaintsJan 2021: 0 complaintsFeb 2021: 1 complaintMar 2021: 4 complaintsApr 2021: 1 complaintMay 2021: 9 complaintsJun 2021: 14 complaintsJul 2021: 16 complaintsAug 2021: 9 complaintsSep 2021: 5 complaintsOct 2021: 8 complaintsNov 2021: 4 complaintsDec 2021: 3 complaintsJan 2022: 6 complaintsFeb 2022: 1 complaintMar 2022: 1 complaintApr 2022: 0 complaintsMay 2022: 0 complaintsJun 2022: 0 complaintsJul 2022: 2 complaintsAug 2022: 0 complaintsSep 2022: 1 complaintOct 2022: 0 complaintsNov 2022: 1 complaintDec 2022: 2 complaintsJan 2023: 1 complaintFeb 2023: 1 complaintMar 2023: 1 complaintApr 2023: 2 complaintsMay 2023: 0 complaintsJun 2023: 0 complaintsJul 2023: 1 complaintAug 2023: 2 complaintsSep 2023: 3 complaintsOct 2023: 1 complaintNov 2023: 2 complaintsDec 2023: 1 complaintJan 2024: 2 complaintsFeb 2024: 2 complaintsMar 2024: 2 complaintsApr 2024: 3 complaintsMay 2024: 0 complaintsJun 2024: 0 complaintsJul 2024: 0 complaintsAug 2024: 0 complaintsSep 2024: 1 complaintOct 2024: 0 complaintsNov 2024: 0 complaintsDec 2024: 1 complaintJan 2025: 0 complaintsFeb 2025: 3 complaintsMar 2025: 3 complaintsApr 2025: 1 complaintMay 2025: 0 complaintsJun 2025: 2 complaintsJul 2025: 3 complaintsAug 2025: 5 complaintsSep 2025: 6 complaintsOct 2025: 5 complaintsNov 2025: 2 complaintsDec 2025: 0 complaintsJan 2026: 1 complaintFeb 2026: 1 complaintMar 2026: 4 complaintsApr 2026: 5 complaintsMay 2026: 5 complaintsJun 2026: 1 complaintJul 2026: 1 complaintAug 2026: 5 complaintsSep 2026: 3 complaints202120222023202420252026
Complaints filed per month. Peak: 16 in Jul 2021. Hover a bar for its count.
Complaints filed per month
MonthComplaints
Feb 20201
Mar 20201
Apr 20200
May 20200
Jun 20200
Jul 20201
Aug 20202
Sep 20202
Oct 20203
Nov 20203
Dec 20204
Jan 20210
Feb 20211
Mar 20214
Apr 20211
May 20219
Jun 202114
Jul 202116
Aug 20219
Sep 20215
Oct 20218
Nov 20214
Dec 20213
Jan 20226
Feb 20221
Mar 20221
Apr 20220
May 20220
Jun 20220
Jul 20222
Aug 20220
Sep 20221
Oct 20220
Nov 20221
Dec 20222
Jan 20231
Feb 20231
Mar 20231
Apr 20232
May 20230
Jun 20230
Jul 20231
Aug 20232
Sep 20233
Oct 20231
Nov 20232
Dec 20231
Jan 20242
Feb 20242
Mar 20242
Apr 20243
May 20240
Jun 20240
Jul 20240
Aug 20240
Sep 20241
Oct 20240
Nov 20240
Dec 20241
Jan 20250
Feb 20253
Mar 20253
Apr 20251
May 20250
Jun 20252
Jul 20253
Aug 20255
Sep 20256
Oct 20255
Nov 20252
Dec 20250
Jan 20261
Feb 20261
Mar 20264
Apr 20265
May 20265
Jun 20261
Jul 20261
Aug 20265
Sep 20263

Recent owner reports

Sep 29, 2026Engine

COMPONENT THAT FAILED: The engine short block piston rings (related to NHTSA recall 203) failed, causing severe cylinder wall scoring. The vehicle is currently located at an authorized Hyundai dealership and is available for manufacturer or NHTSA inspection. SAFETY RISK; The defective piston rings caused severe internal oil consumption, resulting in hydraulic oil starvation. This creates a high risk of sudden engine stalling, catastrophic engine seizure, and complete loss of motive power while driving in traffic. CONFIRMATION AND INSPECTION: Yes, the defect has been confirmed. The current…

Sep 27, 2026Engine

I was fortunate to check my daughter's oil and noticed that it was almost empty. I alerted the dealer because I recently got an oil change and thought there was a leak, but no oil was on the driveway. The dealer performed an oil consumption test. They said it was 1 quart per 1,000 miles and this is acceptable. There are other models that are on the recall list, but mine is not. The dealer and Hyundai said that they will not pay for repairs because it is out of warranty. The bigger issue here is that Hyundai is aware of this issue (oil burning fast in these vehicles) and they are not warning o…

Sep 9, 2026Engine

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Kona. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine); however, the dealer was unable to perform the recall repair because the vehicle had not experienced a failure associated with the recall and there were no fault codes displayed or retrieved associated with the recall. However, an independent mechanic recommended that the engine be replaced. The contact provided the dealer with the fault codes and the failures that the independent mechanic had found; however, the dealer was unable to retrieve the same fault c…

Aug 31, 2026Engine

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine); however, the recall repair failed to prevent the failure from occurring. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to restart using the ignition key. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, Capital Hyundai of Greensboro (801 E Bessemer Ave, Greensboro, NC 27405), where it remained for further diagnosis. The contact stated that during the prior recall repair, the Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) assemb…

Aug 27, 2026Power train, Engine

Leaking oil...burns exceptionally fast even with dealership services. Pistons not sealed, melts new spark plugs, misfire on cylinder 3

Aug 25, 2026Engine

My 2020 Hyundai Kona experienced an engine-related malfunction. An authorized Hyundai dealer inspected the vehicle, confirmed diagnostic code P1327, and determined that the complete engine required replacement. Hyundai authorized the replacement, and the vehicle remained out of service for approximately two weeks. The engine defect created a safety concern because an engine malfunction could cause reduced or complete loss of motive power while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. The dealer inspected and removed the original engine; I do not know whether it remains available for further i…

Aug 8, 2026Engine

I received the recall, brought the Kona in had the software download. Now the engine code indicates engine issues with the safety code. Hyundai customer service representatives stars because the issue wasn't found and the software download completed this doesn't fall under the recall. I do have an appointment to bring the Kona into the dealership but because Hyundai states it is no longer under the recall I am responsible for the towing and will not be remembursed. When I initially brought the vehicle in I was told if the pistons and engine codes appears under the recall layer on towing and re…

Aug 4, 2026Suspension, Power train, Engine

I am filing a safety complaint against Scott Stark’s South Point Hyundai for selling me a vehicle with an active open safety recall, a blown transmission, an A/C failure, and a dry-rotted tire. Before returning the car for service under a promised 1,000-mile warranty, my sister, who has worked for Corporate Hyundai for 15 years, helped me conduct a full intake baseline inspection at her dealership. We performed a recorded 360-degree video inspection, took high-resolution photos of every square inch, and ran full computer diagnostics, which confirmed zero tool marks on any bolts under the hood…

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall and complaint records, updated Oct 1, 2026. Complaints are owner reports and are not verified by NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.