HYUNDAI KONA ELECTRIC · model year

2019 HYUNDAI KONA ELECTRIC

73 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2019HYUNDAIKONA ELECTRIC carries 73 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 4 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and Not Rated/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2019 KONA ELECTRIC is electrical system with 40 filings, followed by fuel/propulsion system (10) and engine (5). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 3 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 2019 KONA ELECTRIC, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

73
Complaints
3
Crashes
4
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

73 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: Not Rated/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM40
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM10
ENGINE5
SERVICE BRAKES4
UNKNOWN OR OTHER4
POWER TRAIN4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY1
WHEELS1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE1
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:CHARGING:CABLE/CORD:ACCESSORY1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL1

Recalls (3)

20V63000013/10/2020

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.

20V74800001/12/2020

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.

21V12700001/03/2021

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.

Recent Complaints

20250918CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

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 vehicle was towed to a storage facility and deemed a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The contact was transported to an area hospital and treated for a broken sternum and hematoma on both her right and left breasts. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.

Mileage: 70,000

20250815FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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. Warning Symptoms: Before the failure there was a screeching sound coming from the hood. In both failures, these warnings appeared shortly before or during the loss of propulsion.

20250815FireENGINE

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. Warning Symptoms: Before the failure there was a screeching sound coming from the hood. In both failures, these warnings appeared shortly before or during the loss of propulsion.

20250815FireSERVICE BRAKES

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. Warning Symptoms: Before the failure there was a screeching sound coming from the hood. In both failures, these warnings appeared shortly before or during the loss of propulsion.

20250218POWER TRAIN

-the gear drive was diagnosed as needed to be replaced -the GRU may lock up during driving causing the vehicle to stop -dealer confirmed needs replacing -no warnings or lights on vehicle, it was noticed that the vehicle made a louder noise while driving but could be confused with tires or normal air noise while driving.

20250118ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:CHARGING:CABLE/CORD:ACCESSORY

The Charging unit made by Enel X called a JuiceBox 40 failed to complete a charge. Upon examination of the charger it was determined that the plug from the unit to the 240V receptacle was fused to the outlet and could not be removed. When my electrician opened the box he was able to force the plug out of the outlet. He found that the plug was burned as well as the copper wire that went to the plug from the electrical box.

20230930SERVICE BRAKES

I started directing the car to the side of the road to park. As I was guiding the car to a stop, with my foot on the brake, I was about 12 ft. from the car in front of me when the car suddenly accelerated. The vehicle accelerated for approximately 10 ft. before the anti-collision system auto-braked the car just prior to impacting the car in front of me.

20230930FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

I started directing the car to the side of the road to park. As I was guiding the car to a stop, with my foot on the brake, I was about 12 ft. from the car in front of me when the car suddenly accelerated. The vehicle accelerated for approximately 10 ft. before the anti-collision system auto-braked the car just prior to impacting the car in front of me.

20230915FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

The vehicle began making a clicking/ticking sound under acceleration and deceleration. The noise progressively worsened until The dealer diagnosed the motor as failing internally and replaced it under warranty. Several people online in forums have experienced the same issue, some cases resulted in the reduction gear catastrophically failing causing the vehicle to suddenly stop accelerating. I worry that this issue may result in more sudden drivetrain failures because of how widespread the problem is. Hyundai does not seem to have a definite solution as the noise comes back for many owners.

20230915ENGINE

The vehicle began making a clicking/ticking sound under acceleration and deceleration. The noise progressively worsened until The dealer diagnosed the motor as failing internally and replaced it under warranty. Several people online in forums have experienced the same issue, some cases resulted in the reduction gear catastrophically failing causing the vehicle to suddenly stop accelerating. I worry that this issue may result in more sudden drivetrain failures because of how widespread the problem is. Hyundai does not seem to have a definite solution as the noise comes back for many owners.

20230503CrashSERVICE BRAKES

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. The contact mentioned being shocked after the events. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the police impound. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer was contacted and advised to contact the manufacturer. The manufacturer was contacted but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was 70,000.

Mileage: 70,000

20230503CrashPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE

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. The contact mentioned being shocked after the events. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the police impound. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer was contacted and advised to contact the manufacturer. The manufacturer was contacted but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was 70,000.

Mileage: 70,000

20230425ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I purchased a 2019 Hyundai Kona electric from dealership. They said they had to change the electric battery before selling it to us and now the emergency light went on the dash we brought it back to the dealership and they said the battery the installed is not safe and will take 6 months to get a new one and are not giving us a car to drive.

20230425ENGINE

I purchased a 2019 Hyundai Kona electric from dealership. They said they had to change the electric battery before selling it to us and now the emergency light went on the dash we brought it back to the dealership and they said the battery the installed is not safe and will take 6 months to get a new one and are not giving us a car to drive.

20221014ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V127000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

20220725ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V127000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

20220524UNKNOWN OR OTHER

As noted above, the recall (200) for this problem was issued in March 2021. I have been trying to get Hyundai to repair the vehicle since I received this information. Late last year I was told by the dealer in my area that a fix was ready and took the car in for repair on December 27, 2021. The dealer had no fix. I have contacted the dealer several times in the past 6 months, and recently filed a complaint with the national Hyundai Corporation. As of now, I am still driving the car with the urgent battery problem, and have not received a date for the necessary repair

20220420ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Hyundai has failed to replace the battery after more than a year.

20220420POWER TRAIN

Hyundai has failed to replace the battery after more than a year.

20220408WHEELS

At time of purchase (new) this car did not come with a spare or jack but included a can of fix a flat and a cheep compressor. While traveling I became stranded with an un repairable flat tire and had to have someone come get me with a jack and abandon the car on the side of the road. I then purchased a spare tire kit directly from the purchase point dealer. On a second incident I discovered that the spare tire (donut) does not fit the rear wheels. It does not clear the brake calipers. Come to find out there is no other rim or tire that will fit this car thus leaving the driver with no options should a flat or bent rim happen. Hyundai's solution to this is to throw a can of fix a flat in the trunk. How can that be legal in this country. For the second time in two years.

Compare 2019HYUNDAIKONA ELECTRIC to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2019 HYUNDAI KONA ELECTRIC have?
The 2019 HYUNDAI KONA ELECTRIC has 73 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 4 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2019 HYUNDAI KONA ELECTRIC?
The 2019 HYUNDAI KONA ELECTRIC received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of Not Rated/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2019 HYUNDAI KONA ELECTRIC?
Yes, the 2019 HYUNDAI KONA ELECTRIC has 3 recall(s). The most common affected component is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY:MANAGEMENT SYSTEM/ENERGY CONTROL MODULE (BMS/BECM):SOFTWARE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2019 HYUNDAI KONA ELECTRIC?
The most-complained component for the 2019 HYUNDAI KONA ELECTRIC is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 40 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM and ENGINE.
Is the 2019 HYUNDAI KONA ELECTRIC safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2019 HYUNDAI KONA ELECTRIC has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.