2019 Hyundai Kona Electric problems
NHTSA has received 73 complaints about the 2019 Hyundai Kona Electric, and 58% of them involve electrical system. Next are fuel system (14%) and engine (7%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 73 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 58% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 3 and 4
- Injuries and deaths
- 1 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 17,000 miles 13 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 8 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 2 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 0 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 3 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 0 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 0 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 13 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 17,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 3 complaints mention a crash; 4 complaints mention a fire; 1 injury reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2019 ranks 1st most-complained-about out of 5 model years of the Hyundai Kona Electric with enough data (68 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 3 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
The contact owned a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the vehicle accelerated rapidly through a busy intersection on its own and would not slow or stop, despite the brake pedal being depressed. As a result, the contact briefly lost control of the vehicle as it swerved left to right, only coming to a complete stop after colliding with another vehicle. The air bags did deploy. No warning lights were illuminated.
The contact's wife owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that upon warming the vehicle in cold weather, an abnormal, wire-burning smell would emit from the vehicle without warning. The manufacturer was initially notified about the failure and was informed that he would receive a callback; the contact had yet to receive a callback. The contact then took the vehicle to the dealer where they found no failure with the vehicle.
Component Failed: Electric transmission/drive unit failed twice before 150,000 miles. Still in vehicle, available for inspection. Safety Risk: Loss of propulsion while driving creates risk of being rear-ended or stranded in dangerous traffic conditions. Right now the car is not drivable Confirmed By: Problem confirmed by Hyundai dealership/service center on both failures. Inspection: Inspected by authorized Hyundai service center; manufacturer was notified.
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while driving at 10 MPH, the steering wheel became stiff without any warning, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle drove into a parking lot. The contact desperately pressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle would not stop. The contact jumped out of the vehicle and the vehicle struck a pole, causing minor damages to the bumper of the vehicle. The contact had minor injuries but did not seek medical attention.
There is a recall on the ev battery system both on the hyundai site and the ntsb site for this. Hyundai claims there is no such recall. My battery system does not function according to specifications. Hyundai says not to park the vehicle inside due to the possibility of catastrophic fire. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer will remedy the situation. They both deny there is any problem. I purchased the vehicle used from a dealer december 2020.