Hyundai Kona Electric: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Hyundai Kona Electric: 5 model years scored from 264 NHTSA owner complaints and 8 recall campaigns. Worst year 2020, best year 2019.
Hyundai Kona Electric: which years to avoid
Across 5 scored model years the Hyundai Kona Electric ranges from 39/100 in 2020 to 93/100 in 2023 — a 54-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy a Kona Electric at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Engine (106 of them).
Avoid: 2020 — scored below 45 on the complaint and recall record.
Safest years: 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
How the Kona Electric changed, run by run
The federal record falls into 2 stretches of years that behave alike. A redesign shows up here as a step in the complaint rate that then holds.
2019–2020
Mean score 57/100, about 19 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Engine more than anything else (111 complaints). 6 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2021–2023
Mean score 90/100, about 3 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Electrical System more than anything else (18 complaints). The record improves by 33 points against the years before it. 2 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2019 (score 75). Worst: 2020 (score 39, AVOID).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 93 | BUY | $1,442 | 5 | 0 |
| 2022 | 90 | BUY | $1,695 | 20 | 0 |
| 2021 | 87 | BUY | $1,690 | 0 | 2 |
| 2020 | 39 | AVOID | $2,416 | 185 | 3 |
| 2019 | 75 | BUY | $2,166 | 54 | 3 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the Kona Electric, through the years →
Kona Electric sub-models & family
What goes wrong on the Hyundai Kona Electric
Across every Kona Electric model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Engine113 complaints across all Kona Electric years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System88 complaints across all Kona Electric years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Power Train29 complaints across all Kona Electric years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Unknown Or Other28 complaints across all Kona Electric years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Service Brakes15 complaints across all Kona Electric years · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles$580–$1,140
- Forward Collision Avoidance12 complaints across all Kona Electric years · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration$780–$2,160
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
Which Hyundai Kona Electric years should I avoid?
On the NHTSA record the years to avoid are 2020 — each scores below 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. The 2020 is the weakest at 39/100, with its complaints concentrated in Engine.
What are the best Hyundai Kona Electric years to buy?
2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2023 at 93/100, on 5 complaints and 0 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Hyundai Kona Electric problem?
113 of the complaints filed against the Kona Electric across all its model years sit in the Engine group — more than any other component.
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Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04