RoadVitals

2024 Hyundai Kona

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
51
+2 complaints in 30 days
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
4
Latest Jul 14, 2026
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
5
5 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 51 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2024 Hyundai Kona, most frequently naming the electrical, engine and driver assistance categories. 4 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 30 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Electrical3141.9%
  • Engine912.2%
  • Driver assistance79.5%
  • Steering79.5%
  • Brakes68.1%
  • Exterior lighting45.4%
  • Visibility34.1%
  • Powertrain (other)34.1%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

4 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

SEAT BELTS: REAR/OTHER:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

Jul 14, 2026
47,787 units potentially affected
The defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Kona Electric and 2024-2026 Kona vehicles. The seat belt buckle in the rear center seat may fail to properly restrain an occupant during a crash.
The risk: A seat belt buckle that fails to properly restrain an occupant in a crash increases the risk of injury.
The remedy: Passengers are advised not to use the rear center seat until the recall remedy is performed. Dealers will replace the seat belt buckle assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 2, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 306. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 15, 2026.
Hyundai Motor AmericaManufacturer number 306View on NHTSA.gov

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)

May 1, 2024
13,511 units potentially affected
The defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024 Elantra, Venue, and Kona vehicles. An electrical short circuit may occur in the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve assembly, which can result in a loss of drive power.
The risk: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will replace the exhaust gas recirculation valve assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 28, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 260.
Hyundai Motor AmericaManufacturer number 260View on NHTSA.gov

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

Dec 26, 2023
10,984 units potentially affected
The defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024 Kona vehicles. The 12-Volt battery cables may chafe against the engine control module bracket and short circuit during a crash.
The risk: A short circuit increases the risk of an engine compartment fire.
The remedy: Dealers will install sheathing over the wiring, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 22, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 252.
Hyundai Motor AmericaManufacturer number 252View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Driver assistanceSteering
Filed Sep 17, 2026

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID
11764953
Incident
Jun 19, 2026
Driver assistance
Filed Sep 3, 2026

This mainly concerns the forward collision detection sensor, if that’s even what it’s actually called. My vehicle is available for testing and inspection. I was driving on an interstate, with my adaptive cruise control set to 75 mph. I was in the left of 3 lanes when got to a curve that went to the right. As I came to the beginning of the curve, all of a sudden my dash is warning me of a forward collision and the car started braking hard on its own. There is a metal guardrail that separates the 2 sides of the interstate and cars are also coming from the other direction. There wasn’t anyone behind me, thank goodness. If there had been, I can’t say for sure what would have happened, but it would not have been good. It took a hot minute for me to figure out what it was doing so I could stop it and get back up to speed. It scared me when it happened. When I go the same way without my cruise control on, it doesn’t happen. That’s how I know it has something to do with how it’s all connected. This has happened twice at 2 different places since I got the car in May of 2024. I don’t use my cruise control hardly at all now because I’m scared it’s going to suddenly brake again. I wasn’t sure what could be done about it. I put the info on the Hyundai owner surveys but nothing ever happened. I found the NHTSA completely by accident. I want someone to inspect it and try to recreate it, but it’s an awfully dangerous thing to try. Nobody has yet. It’s not like it’s a noise or a rattle. The only thing that I would consider a warning was the crash detection warning on the dash screen that flashes red. That started right about the time that the brakes were activated.

NHTSA ID
11762027
Incident
Jul 1, 2024
Filed Aug 27, 2026

Consider taking a coffee break distracts driver. This issue warrants immediate consideration for a recall. Anytime I drive, this warning keeps going off shortly after going on a windy or pothole filled road (all of PA). Despite driving safely and normally, the problem persists. This occurs regardless of the time of day, weather conditions, or whether I am sitting upright or reclining. The warning randomly activates and deactivates, sometimes without any intervention. Occasionally, I simply allow the warning to sound without taking any action, and it remains active for a few seconds or until it triggers a warning that the system will be turned off, at which point it deactivates. I have attempted various troubleshooting methods, such as keeping my eyes open, adjusting my seating position, wearing and removing my glasses, and tilting them to minimize glare. None of these methods have proven effective in preventing the warning from activating or in making it deactivate. This is a persistent problem. Hyundai dealerships initially informed me that the warning might be an annoyance and their response was to simply refrain from using it. However, if a basic feature like cruise control in a 2024 & 2025 model is rendered unusable due to a design flaw (which this certainly is), it constitutes a clear violation of safety standards and should be addressed through a recall. The incessant alerts are highly disruptive and can be quite frustrating. For instance, driving with an arm in the 12 o’clock position triggers a warning, while wearing polarized sunglasses also results in an alert. The presence of a setting to disable the warning is a welcome feature, but the system’s persistent alerts can be overwhelming. The alerts continue even after taking a break. It is distracting and a safety hazard. Drivers should be able to adjust the sensitivity of the feature or turn it off all together.

NHTSA ID
11760057
Incident
Aug 27, 2026
Engine
Filed Aug 24, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message to “Turn off Engine and Restart Engine” was displayed and the engine seized. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while driving on a busy highway. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle started. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The contact stated that four months later the failure reoccurred. The failure became a persistent failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 11,000.

NHTSA ID
11759192
Incident
Sep 24, 2025
Mileage
11,000 mi
Steering
Filed Aug 20, 2026
1 injury reported

The contact leased a 2024 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the steering wheel independently turned from the left to the right, and the contact lost control of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact experienced temporary left wrist pain but had not sought medical attention. The contact regained control of the vehicle and stopped the vehicle; however, the failure reoccurred a week later while reversing out of a parking space. During the failures, there were no other vehicles or objects nearby. The vehicle was driven to the dealer, but the service department was unable to duplicate the failure. The dealer claimed that the vehicle was safe to drive but refused to provide it in writing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

NHTSA ID
11758234
Incident
Aug 11, 2026
Mileage
35,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Aug 14, 2026

I was driving the speed control panel completely gets blackout for a few second and come back ( dash board ) it happened five times so far and the car is 37,000 MI

NHTSA ID
11756933
Incident
Jul 30, 2026
Electrical
Filed Aug 4, 2026

While driving at night the entire electrical system went out for a few seconds. Headlights out, dash full out, then after a few seconds it came back on. Just like this issue: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11754714
Incident
Aug 1, 2026
ElectricalEngineSteering
Filed Jul 23, 2026

The car shuts off at random times during me driving . Its like the car locks up steering and shuts completely down . Have to pull over and give the car time . And it shuts back on in and drives with poor accelerate after each issuse. The car is now shaking and making popping sounds while driving .

NHTSA ID
11752393
Incident
Aug 1, 2025

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

26-FL-003H TSB

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE

Some Kona (SX2) vehicles equipped with the 1.6L T‑GDI engine may exhibit false “engine left idling” notifications in the MyHyundai app, even when the engine is not running, due to a logic error associated with the front oxygen (O₂) sensor. This condition may also illuminate the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) and set DTC P223700 (O₂ Sensor Pumping Current Circuit/Open [Bank 1 Sensor 1]). This bulletin provides instructions to perform an ECU software update to correct the O₂ sensor logic and resolve the condition.

26-GI-002H TSB

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This bulletin provides information related to the navigation and head unit software changes introduced in the 2026 1st Navigation Map and Software Update. The changes may vary depending on vehicle type, model, and navigation system. Refer to the 2026 1st Navigation Map and Software Update Key Improvements and Additional Improvements tables in this TSB for a list of specific changes. The software can be downloaded via Navigation Updater (NAU) and updated by USB.

26-EE-003H TSB

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE

Some vehicles may exhibit difficulty starting in cold weather. This bulletin provides the procedure to perform an inspection on the starter magnetic switch for potential freezing and, if necessary, replace the starter magnetic switch (solenoid) assembly.

DTN DCS

AIR BAGS

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN), that have been identified in U.S. vehicles following prior crashes, theft, or non‑certified airbag replacements. These inflators are not approved for use, may rupture during deployment, and have caused serious injuries and fatalities. Please see attached announcement, provided by NHTSA, for more details.

DTN DL

AIR BAGS

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN). These inflators were not supplied, approved, or authorized by the vehicle manufacturers and have primarily been found in vehicles that previously experienced a crash and underwent airbag replacement using non-genuine parts. These dangerous inflators have ruptured during deployment, posing a serious risk of injury or death due to metal fragments entering the vehicle cabin. To date, Hyundai is aware of three people who have died while driving a Hyundai vehicle with one of these substandard replacement airbag inflators that deployed in what likely would have been a survivable crash. NHTSA has issued a public advisory urging vehicle owners and service professionals to have vehicles inspected if there is reason to believe that a non-genuine replacement airbag may have been installed. Vehicles with salvage or rebuilt titles, prior airbag deployments, or unknown repair histories may present a higher risk. NHTSA strongly cautions against self-inspection by vehicle owners and recommends inspection by trained technicians.

26-01-035H TSB

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Some vehicles may exhibit a loss of connectivity or interruptions in the middle of using Bluelink functions. This may be due to an occasional disconnection on Verizon’s communication network. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to verify Bluelink Data Communication Unit (DCU) network connection and if needed, reset the DCU in Dealer Mode to resolve the connection.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Hyundai Kona by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026930—
2025281053.8
2024Viewing514061.5
2023651047.9
2022980246.6
20211161154.8
20201582263.8
20191911259.3
2018750159.0

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.