Hyundai Kona: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Hyundai Kona: 8 model years scored from 769 NHTSA owner complaints and 10 recall campaigns. Worst year 2024, best year 2018.
Hyundai Kona: which years to avoid
Across 8 scored model years the Hyundai Kona ranges from 74/100 in 2024 to 93/100 in 2018 — a 19-point spread, so which year you buy matters. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Electrical System (31 of them).
Safest years: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 — 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.
Editor's note
The Hyundai Kona has no year to avoid: every one of its eight model years is a BUY, from a score of 93 on the 2018 car to 74 on the 2024. The strongest years are the 2018, with 74 complaints and no recalls, and the 2021 to 2023 cars at 85, 85 and 86; the weakest are the 2019 and 2020, at 187 and 156 complaints and 81 each. Engine is the top category from 2018 to 2022, at 41, 128, 103, 76 and 32, and the one campaign that matches it is 21V301000, covering 2019 to 2021 cars with the 2.0-litre engine for piston oil rings that were not properly heat-treated. From 2023 Electrical System takes over at 25 and 31, and the 2024 redesign carries four campaigns, three safety-critical: chafing 12-volt battery cables, rear seat belt assemblies and a rear centre seat belt buckle, plus an exhaust gas recirculation valve that can cut drive power. Those campaigns, not the 50 complaints, hold the 2024 score down.
Read the guide
Used Hyundai Kona, Genesis and Santa Fe Sport: what the record says — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2018 (score 93). Worst: 2024 (score 74, BUY).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 79 | BUY | $3,362 | 28 | 1 |
| 2024 | 74 | BUY | $3,445 | 50 | 4 |
| 2023 | 86 | BUY | $3,309 | 63 | 1 |
| 2022 | 85 | BUY | $3,506 | 96 | 0 |
| 2021 | 85 | BUY | $3,827 | 115 | 1 |
| 2020 | 81 | BUY | $4,024 | 156 | 2 |
| 2019 | 81 | BUY | $4,177 | 187 | 1 |
| 2018 | 93 | BUY | $3,986 | 74 | 0 |
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, through the years →
Kona sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the Kona on the federal record. Variants folded into this nameplate are counted in this page's data; the rest have too thin a record for a page of their own yet.
What goes wrong on the Hyundai Kona
Across every Kona 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.
- Engine396 complaints across all Kona years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System135 complaints across all Kona years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other133 complaints across all Kona years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Power Train92 complaints across all Kona years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Forward Collision Avoidance39 complaints across all Kona years · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration$780–$2,160
- Vehicle Speed Control20 complaints across all Kona years · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement$520–$1,150
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
What are the best Hyundai Kona years to buy?
2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2018 at 93/100, on 74 complaints and 0 recall campaigns.
Which Hyundai Kona years should I avoid?
The 2024 is the weakest year we score, at 74/100 (BUY), on 50 complaints and 4 recalls. Check the year-by-year table above before committing to any particular car.
What is the most common Hyundai Kona problem?
396 of the complaints filed against the Kona 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