"How reliable is the 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric?"

"Based on 34 NHTSA complaints, the 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric has a median complaint mileage of 38000 miles. The most common issue is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM."

"What are common problems with the 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, accounting for a significant portion of the 34 total complaints filed."

2021 Hyundai Kona Electric: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 34 complaints

Total Complaints

38,000mi

Median Mileage

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

8,000 25th Percentile

38,000 Median Mileage

38,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

ENGINE

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

SERVICE BRAKES

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:CHARGING:MODULE:ACCESSORY

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"I WAS ENTERING MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND SLOWED DOWN AS WE NEARED OUR HOUSE WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES SO THAT I CAN OPEN MY GARAGE DOOR, AS I RELEASED THE BRAKES, THE CAR STARTED ACCELERATING BY ITSELF REALLY FAST AND I HAD TO SLAM ON MY BRAKES TO STOP THE CAR FROM SPEEDING UP ON ITS OWN."

"On 8/11/21, I tried to start my Hyundai Kona EV, and it displayed the high voltage warning . The car would not start or go into gear and had to be towed to the dealership. We purchased the car in May 2021, and it had about 3000 miles on it at the time. At the dealership, the mechanic diagnosed it ..."

"After charging the vehicle at home with level 2 charger to 100% it would not go into drive or reverse. It can go to neutral or Park only. The car is at the dealership and they told the battery must be replaced when one is available. It is a safety concern because one can get stranded on the road w..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28