- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 2
- on record
- MPG
- 32
- combined
Fatalities reported
Owner complaints to NHTSA include 1 report involving a death. Read the complaint record closely.
Vehicle Summary
2020 Hyundai Kona
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 2
- Owner complaints
- 152
- Complaints citing a crash
- 8
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
2 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
2 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 21V301000high
Engine issue
ENGINE
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.
Consequence
A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 20V022000high
Incorrect or missing label
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020 Kona vehicles. The certification label may indicate incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 567, "Certification" and 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence
An incorrect GAWR could result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install new label stickers displaying the correct GAWR over the affected areas of the certification label, free of charge. The recall began March 2, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 187.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2020 Hyundai Kona.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 13.6%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Standard
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2020 Hyundai Kona 5 out of 5 stars overall. NHTSA does not publish enough comparable results for this class and year to rank it against peers.
NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 13.6% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2020 Hyundai Kona, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
27
City
39
Hwy
32
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $1,641
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 278 g/mi
How this compares
The EPA holds too few vehicles in this class and model year to rank the 2020 Hyundai Kona against its peers.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 278 grams per mile — about 4.2 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
152 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 152
- Total
- 8
- Crashes
- 3
- Fires
- 12
- Injuries
Most reported components
- ENGINE112
- OTHER16
- ELECTRICAL7
- STEERING5
- BRAKES3
Serious Concerns
152 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 1 report involves a death. 12 reports involve injuries. 8 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2020 Hyundai Kona, newest first.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation DP22003
Loss of Motive Power
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation DP22005
Pedestrian alert sounds
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation DP22005
Pedestrian alert sounds
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation DP22003
Loss of Motive Power
- Recall
A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Recall
An incorrect GAWR could result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- Sedan
- Drive type
- FWD
- Engine
- 2.5L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Regular Gasoline
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Seats
- 5
Fuel economy
27
City
39
Hwy
32
Comb
- Annual cost
- $1,641
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation DP22003
Loss of Motive Power
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation DP22005
Pedestrian alert sounds
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation DP22005
Pedestrian alert sounds
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation DP22003
Loss of Motive Power
- Recall
A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.