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2021 Hyundai Kona Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Critical

147 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.21 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical21V301000

Engine

damaged engine may stall, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

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.

Hyundai 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.

Complaint volume

147 this model-year 7 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

2Crashes
5Fires
3Injuries
0Deaths

Across 147 complaints. Severity Index 0.21.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Engine74 · 50%Unknown Or Other18 · 12%Power Train13 · 9%Electrical System10 · 7%Vehicle Speed Control4 · 3%Fuel/Propulsion System4 · 3%Forward Collision Avoidan…3Lane Departure · Blind S…3
  1. Engine — 74 reports
  2. Unknown Or Other — 18 reports
  3. Power Train — 13 reports
  4. Electrical System — 10 reports
  5. Vehicle Speed Control — 4 reports
  6. Fuel/Propulsion System — 4 reports
  7. Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking — 3 reports
  8. Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection — 3 reports
  9. Service Brakes — 3 reports
  10. Steering — 2 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2018 · 2019 (1) · 2020 (2) · 2021 · 2022 · 2023 (1) · 2024 (3) · 2025 · 2026 (3)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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