2019 Hyundai Kona Electric Owner Complaints

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.

NHTSA ID

11688160

Incident

Sep 10, 2025

Mileage

70,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11680934

Incident

Jun 24, 2025

-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.

NHTSA ID

11643397

Incident

Feb 14, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11636790

Incident

Jan 8, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID

11547485

Incident

Sep 30, 2023

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.

NHTSA ID

11544847

Incident

Jul 15, 2022

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.

NHTSA ID

11520279

Incident

May 1, 2023

Mileage

70,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11518983

Incident

Apr 25, 2023

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.

NHTSA ID

11489330

Incident

Mar 1, 2021

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.

NHTSA ID

11475688

Incident

Mar 15, 2021

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

NHTSA ID

11465941

Incident

Apr 9, 2021

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

NHTSA ID

11461436

Incident

Mar 1, 2021

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.

NHTSA ID

11460131

Incident

Apr 7, 2022

There has been a battery recall on our Kona EV since March 2021. We were asked to keep the battery charged only to 80% to prevent problems. Hyundai is aware that we need a battery and we were contacted in late summer to set up an appointment to replace it. Every time we try to set something up they tell us that they don't have the battery or the proper parts. This is unacceptable. We have spoken with the service writer several times without resolution. At this point we do not trust Hyundai and are extremely unhappy with our vehicle purchase given the ongoing safety concern of continuing to drive a car with a batter that has been recalled.

NHTSA ID

11458393

Incident

Mar 1, 2021

I left my car with the dealer at the end of August for a repair, and they identified that Recall 200 had to be done. I received a rental car at that time. It is now February and I have still not gotten my car back. I have contacted both the dealer and Hyundai corporate to try to find out what is happened but they just tell me there is no "ETA" on the replacement part.

NHTSA ID

11451836

Incident

Aug 29, 2021

The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that she initially received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V127000 (Electrical System). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the battery was reduced to 80%. The contact was instructed to park the vehicle away from structures until a final remedy was available. The contact never received information about the final remedy from the dealer. Months later, the contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer for a maintenance repair and the battery was reset to 100%. After a few weeks of driving the vehicle, the EV warning light appeared on the instrument panel and the dealer was notified of the issue. The contact was then instructed to bring the vehicle back to the dealer where it remained in their possession. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure and provided the contact a case manager. The contact had not yet heard from the case manager regarding her vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 21,000.

NHTSA ID

11448096

Incident

Mar 1, 2021

Mileage

21,000 mi

I was directed by Jennifer Kruger at the NHTSA to complete this form. My 2019 Hundai Kona EV is part of the EV battery recall. On August 27, 2021, my local dealer took my car while waiting for a replacement battery. I do have use of a rental vehicle. I've reached out to Hyundai Customer Service many times in an attempt to find out when my care will be fixed and returned to me. I've not been able to get any answers. My car is 17 months old and they have now had it for over 4 months. That is unacceptable. I filed a Lemon Law request in July after months of 20% battery reduction with no indication of when that would be fixed. My request was denied. One month later they determined that my car was part of the recall. I'm not sure why the manufacturer gets to make that determination - that seems self serving to me. Can you help me find some resolution to this issue? Please let me know if you need any additional information from me.

NHTSA ID

11446867

Incident

Aug 27, 2021

Took my 2019 Hyundai Electric Kona into dealer on 7/30/21, re: Recall #200. They kept the car for 2 1/2 weeks, finally determining that the entire battery pack should be replaced. Five months later, I am still waiting. The maximum charge is at 80%, I have brought it in for all the other recalls. The dealership keeps telling me that they have some battery packs, but that those are for "other" customers, and that I must wait. Hyundai is building new electric cars, there are clearly battery packs available. As I lease my car, and the 3 year lease is up in Sept. 2022, I am beginning to wonder if the dealership is purposely delaying the battery replacement to force me into returning the car, rather than purchasing it, at the end of the lease. Why hasn't this safety recall been addressed by Hyundai? Please help me.

NHTSA ID

11446645

Incident

Jul 30, 2021

Hyundai has been unable to complete a recall on the Kona EV's battery for nearly a year, which is not "reasonable" by anyone's definition of the word. During that time, we've been unable to charge our car in our garage (where our charger is installed) and haven't been able to use the car on roadtrips as we have to limit the charging capacity (per the recall instructions). I requested a buyback under my state's lemon laws but they claimed it wasn't applicable (I disagree based on the law and will be filing a complaint with the state as well). I've been waiting months for the battery to arrive at the dealership. There have been no updates from corporate since they denied the buyback request. Local dealerships have complained that corporate keeps changing the rules and how they're supposed to handle the recall, and are of no help. We're going on a year without being able to fully utilize the car and Hyundai refuses to offer any help. They claim there are issues with the battery supply but are marketing brand new cars with batteries.

NHTSA ID

11445971

Incident

Jan 1, 2021

The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V630000 (Electrical System) and 21V127000 (Electrical System). The dealer had been notified about the recalls; however, the contact was informed that the parts were not yet available. The manufacturer had also been notified of the recalls. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11441950

Incident

Feb 9, 2021

My car is subject to recall #200 (EV Battery replacement). I initially set my max charge level to 80% back in the spring, then was called by my local dealership for the battery replacement in early September. At that time, they checked my car in, but then sent me back out with it pending delivery of replacement batteries. I have reached out to the dealership several times since about the delay and they have responded that they're still waiting for batteries. It's been almost three months since my car was "checked in" for service.

NHTSA ID

11441865

Incident

Sep 9, 2021

This complaint is regarding our 2019 Electric Hyundai Kona. Hyundai had a Recall #200 that started last year 2020 if I’m not mistaken. They have sent us a lot of letters in the mail that they are still trying to find a solution to the battery issue of the electric car and will let us know once they come up with a solution. Last month, we went to Eckert Hyundai in Denton, TX and we tried to get the recall fixed but the tech said they can’t fix it since they do not have that much experience dealing with electric cars especially with batteries (which is the main issue due to risk of fire, explosion). I tried contacting McKinney and Plano Hyundai dealerships too but they tell me the same thing. As of the moment, the car does not fully charge, I don’t charge at home and there’s always a risk of fire whenever in use and while charging.

NHTSA ID

11440767

Incident

Dec 1, 2020

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. The contact stated that he had a young child and that the odor could be toxic to his child's breathing. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.

NHTSA ID

11440056

Incident

May 1, 2021

Mileage

1,000 mi

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 dealer was made aware of the issue however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11433696

Incident

Feb 1, 2021

I did follow the multiple recommended recalls. I have set my battery at 80% max charge on April 28, 2021.. On August 4th, it has been determined by the dealer that I needed a new battery. The battery has been ordered but we are still waiting for it. It has been 6 weeks so far. Since my current battery is only charged at 80%, I have not been able to use my car at is full potential for the past 5 months .

NHTSA ID

11433366

Incident

Apr 28, 2021