2021 Hyundai Kona
Complaints about this year name mechanic far more often than the model's other years — 14% of them, about 36× the usual rate of 0.4%.
NHTSA opened a defect investigation into this model year.
| Complaints filed | 252 |
|---|---|
| Median for this model | 63 |
| Involving a crash | 5 |
| Involving a fire | 7 |
| Recalls | 1 |
| NHTSA crash rating | 5/5 |
| EPA combined | 28.5 mpg |
What the complaints were about
- electric — 10.3% of this year's complaints, against 2.9% across the model's other years (3.6×). Owners wrote it as: electric, coolant, kona electric, fully.
- running — 7.9% of this year's complaints, against 2.4% across the model's other years (3.3×). Owners wrote it as: running, aaa.
- level — 6.7% of this year's complaints, against 2.5% across the model's other years (2.7×). Owners wrote it as: level, miles before, fluids.
Words owners used for the same problem are counted together, so a fault written four different ways is measured once. Grouped by which complaints they appear in, not by a list anyone wrote in advance.
Also unusual this year
- oil — 27% of complaints, 4× usual
- piston — 9% of complaints, 22× usual
- started — 16% of complaints, 4× usual
What owners wrote
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 mecha…
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.
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint filings, with identifying details removed.
Recalls for this year
- 21V301000 ENGINE Fixed free of charge.
How this was worked out
Every year of the Hyundai Kona was compared against its own history rather than against other cars, which removes popularity and age from the answer — a common car draws more complaints at equal reliability, and an older one has had longer to accumulate them. A year is flagged when it drew at least 2.5× this model's median and at least 50 complaints.
This is a fault record, not a review. Nobody files a federal complaint to say the car was fine, so it shows what tends to go wrong — not whether owners liked it, and not whether it is a good car.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations, retrieved . Look this vehicle up directly on NHTSA's site to check anything here.
Own a 2021 Hyundai Kona? What happened to yours?
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