Reliable Auto DB

2025 Hyundai Kona reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2025 Hyundai Kona holds 28 complaints after 2 years, a rate of 14 per year. It is too early to rank against other Kona years: a year is compared here only after 3 years on the road. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Buckle.

2018 Hyundai Kona
Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

28

Per year

14

Recalls

1

Years on the road

2

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (9 of 28), then Powertrain (4) and Service brakes (4). The most filings arrived in 2026 (14 of 28). Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 4 that report an injury.

Next to 2024 and 2026

The 2024 Kona has 51 complaints, 17 per year, and the 2026 has 0 complaints, 0 per year.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2025 Hyundai Kona. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

Recall seat belts, rear or other, buckle 2026-07-14 · NHTSA campaign 26V452000
Summary 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.
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.

Complaints by component (28 total)

Electrical system
9
Powertrain
4
Service brakes
4
Forward collision avoidance
3
Speed control
3
Structure
3
Air bags
2
Engine
2
Exterior lighting
2
Suspension
2
Fuel and propulsion system
1
Interior lighting
1
Lane departure
1
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Seats
1
Steering
1
Visibility
1
Wheels
1
Show 10 more Show less
Crash-flagged

2

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

4

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

12024132025142026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The dash will completely go black except for red words *no signal.* and all warnings are no longer visible, I cannot tell what speed I’m going, or what percentage battery my car is at. I don’t see visible lane or…"
    Speed control, Unknown or other, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-07-24
  • "I purchased a used Hyndai Kona with 26,000 miles April 30 2026. I was told I have the balance of the manufacturer warranty of 5 years or 60,000 miles. I have not driven my car for 73 days because of extreme safety…"
    Steering, Suspension, Service brakes · filed 2026-07-19
  • "Power train the engine roars up and drops jarring you back and forth second car within a yr first blew up brand new both and Hyundia and dealership blew me off"
    Powertrain, Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-06-21
  • "Component or System: The brake system, specifically what appears to be a false ABS activation or IEB (Integrated Electronic Brake) system malfunction. The component is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk:…"
    Unknown or other, Service brakes · filed 2026-06-11
  • "The contact owned a 2025 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed through an intersection, the vehicle collided with another vehicle that was towing a trailer. The contact stated that…"
    Air bags · filed 2026-05-29

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2025 Hyundai Kona Electric SUV RWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2025 Hyundai Kona SUV AWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2025 Hyundai Kona SUV FWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Kona all-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S1) All-wheel drive 27 29 28 MPG $2300
Kona all-wheel drive 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 24 29 26 MPG $2500
Kona all-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S1) All-wheel drive 26 29 27 MPG $2400
Kona Electric (17 inch Wheels) — Automatic (1-speed) Front-wheel drive 129 103 116 MPG / 261 mi range $650
Kona Electric (19 inch Wheels) — Automatic (1-speed) Front-wheel drive 113 93 103 MPG / 230 mi range $700
Kona Electric Standard Range — Automatic (1-speed) Front-wheel drive 131 105 118 MPG / 200 mi range $650
Kona front-wheel drive 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 26 32 28 MPG $2300
Kona front-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S1) Front-wheel drive 28 35 31 MPG $2100
Kona front-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S1) Front-wheel drive 29 34 31 MPG $2100

Specs and fitment

SX2 generation, 2024–present
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-20 (2.0L and turbo where equipped)
Tire size 215/60R17 to 235/45R19 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 23V650000. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024 Kona vehicles. The seat belt assemblies in the right and left rear seats may not function properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 208, "Occupation Crash Protection" and 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies." A seat belt that does not function properly may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt retractor as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 21, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 250.

Compare

Previous year 2024 Hyundai Kona See every Hyundai Kona model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2025 Hyundai Kona reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2025 Hyundai Kona holds 28 complaints after 2 years, a rate of 14 per year. It is too early to rank against other Kona years: a year is compared here only after 3 years on the road. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Buckle.

What are common problems with a 2025 Hyundai Kona?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (9 of 28), then Powertrain (4) and Service brakes (4). The most filings arrived in 2026 (14 of 28). Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 4 that report an injury.

Is the 2025 Hyundai Kona more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2024 Kona has 51 complaints, 17 per year, and the 2026 has 0 complaints, 0 per year.

Has the 2025 Hyundai Kona been recalled?

The 2025 Hyundai Kona has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2025 Hyundai Kona?

Owners have filed 28 complaints about the 2025 Hyundai Kona with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2025 Hyundai Kona get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2025 Hyundai Kona is 56.4 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Hyundai Kona take?

OS (2018-2023): 0W-20 for the 2.0L; 5W-30 for the 1.6L turbo where equipped. SX2 (2024-on): 0W-20 for 2.0L and turbo where equipped. Confirm the manual.

What does NHTSA campaign 21V301000 cover on the Kona?

Certain 2019-2021 Kona (with Elantra and Veloster) with 2.0L Nu MPI engines: piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which could result in engine damage.

When did the second-generation Kona start in the US?

Model year 2024 (SX2 generation on this site).