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2021 Hyundai Kona: raw data

Every record we hold for this vehicle, as plain tables, with nothing added. The consumer page shows the same records with the maintenance schedule, price ranges and nearby shops around them.

vehicle2021 / hyundai / kona
known issues7 clusters (reviewed 2026-08-21)
complaints116 on file (2021-04-02 → 2026-09-11)
recalls1
investigations1
fars28 occupant deaths, crash years 2010-2024 (legacy-code)
indexedyes
licenseCC BY 4.0 (derived)

Known Issues clusters all years →

Engine oil consumption and piston ring failureENGINE52 complaints2021-04 → 2026-07kona-2021-engine-oil-consumption-failure
  • 11729419 The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was unaware of the warning lights that were illuminated during the failure. The vehicle was unable to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where…
  • 11716502 Known problem of oil consumption . 1 week used 3 quarts . Wife driving down road oil light. Engine light seconds later engine seized at 55mph.lucky to drift off road
  • 11690311 The piston went through the top of my engine with my entire family in the car. We managed to get to a mechanic. And bring it to the dealership. We are very lucky to be alive
  • 11639227 2021 Hyundai Kona check engine light came on while driving, within 10 minutes oil light and battery light came on and at the same time these lights came on the car stopped working. The engine stalled, leaving the car stuck in the middle of the road. The car turned off, and would…
DCT transmission judder, hard shift, and power lossPOWER TRAIN10 complaints2021-09 → 2026-04kona-2021-dct-transmission-shift
  • 11539241 The 7 speed DCT transmission (automatic) jerks and down shifts hard and lunges forward when braking and coming to a stop. Upon acceleration the transmission also is jerky in first gear. It's like driving a manual transmission for the first time. * If not properly controlled by…
  • 11483608 While driving up a steep mountain road in heavy traffic and snow the transmission on my Hyundai Kona overheated and failed. The car began to buck back and forth and a transmission light came on. Unfortunately I was on a mountain interstate in heavy traffic with no real…
  • 11522420 After Stopping for a traffic sign, I proceeded to go forward when a loud noise occurred ( grinding of gears), I loss power to move forward. A car in back of me had to apply his brakes to avoid hitting me. I pulled over to the curb and parked. Upon starting up again, I did not…
Automatic emergency braking unintended activationFORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING2 complaints2021-10 → 2026-05kona-2021-aeb-nuisance-activation
  • 11435237 The Automatic Emergency Breaking engaged several times without any reason. Sometimes at lower speeds <40 and sometimes on the freeway >60. The last time was at 20 mph in a school zone and we were rear ended because of the unexpected stop. We had several near misses on the…
  • 11735057 The automatic emergency braking system brakes way too hard causing the car to stop too fast and risks causing a rear end collision. This is not fixed by adjusting settings. It is a common complaint and the system needs to be calibrated to brake more smoothly
Blind spot collision warning false activationLANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION4 complaints2022-04 → 2026-01kona-2021-blind-spot-false-alert
  • 11463808 I’ve had this car since end of September 2021. The blind spot monitor on the right side of the vehicle lights up and beeps at random times, even when there is nothing in the blind spot itself. Happens mostly while driving on the highway
  • 11710179 The Blind Spot Collision Warning (BSCW) light comes on 10 minutes into a drive (we live in a rural area and drive two lane roads for at least 25 miles before multiple lanes). I have had the car in for service on the system twice before learning that this is built into the system
Headlight moisture intrusion and illumination lossEXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS2 complaints2021-04 → 2021-04kona-2021-headlight-moisture
  • 11413081 THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER, RAIN WATER WAS ENTERING THE HEADLAMPS WHICH DIMINISHED THE ILLUMINATION FROM THE HEADLAMPS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO RED HOAGLAND HYUNDAI (6375 CYPRESS GARDENS BLVD, WINTER HAVEN, FL 33884, (863) 326-6999) AND IT WAS…
  • 11414159 HEADLIGHTS ARE DEFECTIVE! THEY GET FULL ON CONDENSATION OBSTRUCTING THE LIGHTS AND ROAD AHEAD. THEY GO OFF AN ON WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING. HYUNDAI IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND SEND A BULLETIN TO ALL THEIR DEALERS NOT TO REPLACE THEM
Cabin water intrusion and HVAC drain blockageVISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:LINKAGES2 complaints2025-08 → 2026-06kona-2021-cabin-water-mold
  • 11678261 The HVAC drainage system in my 2021 Hyundai Kona failed due to a clogged AC drain line, which led to water leaking into the cabin and mold growth. The dealer reported the drain was blocked by a spiderweb and that moisture had collected under the driver and passenger carpets
  • 11744307 The contact stated that there was a strong odor inside the vehicle. The contact stated that while cleaning and detailing the vehicle to remove the odor, the contact discovered that a leak had damaged the floorboard and the carpet. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be…
Shark fin antenna detachment while drivingUNKNOWN OR OTHER2 complaints2024-12 → 2025-02kona-2021-shark-fin-antenna-detachment
  • 11644183 The shark fin antenna came off at 55 mph going down the highway. The dealer who sold me the 2021 Kona SEL, tried to blame us for it, saying there is no way to know if you hit a bird etc. They stated it would cost me about $1,300.00 to repair this
  • 11630183 Antenna is poorly designed and falls off. A quick internet search shows this is a common problem across thousands of Hyundais and Kias (same company). Because drivers are more and more dependent on GPS and radio based emergency notification AND vehicles more and more depend on…

NHTSA complaints (summary) all years →

countearliest_datelatest_datecrash_flaggedfire_flaggedtop_components
1162021-04-022026-09-1123ENGINE:77; UNKNOWN OR OTHER:18; POWER TRAIN:14; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:11; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM:4

Recalls all years →

campaign_numberreport_received_datecomponentsummaryconsequenceremedy
21V30100028/04/2021ENGINEHyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Elantra, 2019-2021 Kona and Veloster vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which could result in engine damage.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.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.

Investigations all years →

action_numberstatussubjectcomponentsopenedclosedrecall_campaignsummary
DP22005closedPedestrian alert soundsELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM2023-01-272023-08-0722V063000NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after Marc

FARS occupant deaths all years →

crash_yearsoccupant_deathsmatch_typevpic_recovered
2010-202428legacy-code0

FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road.

Cite this

Derived data is CC BY 4.0. Link back to the page you used. Text and BibTeX below.

Wrench.Pro (2026). 2021 Hyundai Kona vehicle data [dataset]. https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2021/hyundai/kona
@misc{wrenchpro_2021_hyundai_kona_2026,
  author = {Wrench.Pro},
  title = {Wrench.Pro vehicle data: 2021 Hyundai Kona},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2021/hyundai/kona}},
  note = {Derived from NHTSA public records. CC BY 4.0.}
}

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