Hyundai Kona Best and Worst Years

Counting owner complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2020 Hyundai Kona drew the most (86; most-reported area: engine) and the 2018 the fewest (16).

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Sep 27, 2026

Every model year since 2018 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 32 mpg combined, arrived in 2022. Includes the Kona N. Excludes the Kona Electric.

Best and worst years, by owner complaints

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2020 Kona Most reported: engine	86	158	2
2022 Kona Most reported: engine	68	105	2
2023 Kona Most reported: electrical system	57	69	2
2021 Kona Most reported: engine	53	116	1
2019 Kona Most reported: engine	45	191	1
2018 Kona Most reported: engine	16	75	0

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints	Crash test
2026 MPG · Recalls and problems	31 mpg Gas	3	9
2025 MPG · Recalls and problems	31 mpg Gas	1	28
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	31 mpg Gas	4	51
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	32 mpg Gas	2	69
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	32 mpg Gas	2	105
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	30 mpg Gas	1	116
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	30 mpg Gas	2	158
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	30 mpg Gas	1	191
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	30 mpg Gas	0	75	Not rated

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2020: 158 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, Hyundai Kona
Model year	Complaints
2018	75
2019	191
2020	158
2021	116
2022	105
2023	69
2024	51
2025	28
2026	9

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 30 to 32 mpg (every year from 2018 to 2026); highest in 2022.

2026: gas 31 mpg

Show as a table

Hyundai Kona best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version
2018	30
2019	30
2020	30
2021	30
2022	32
2023	32
2024	31
2025	31
2026	31

Questions

Which Hyundai Kona years have the most problems?

Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2020 (86) drew the most, then the 2022 (68). Most-reported area for the 2020: engine.

Which Hyundai Kona years have the fewest problems?

The 2018 (16) drew the fewest complaints in its first three years. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.

Which Hyundai Kona years should you avoid?

Complaint counts can't tell you whether a particular car is sound, but they show where owners reported the most trouble: the 2020, against 55 complaints in a typical Hyundai Kona year. Whatever the year, check the car's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Safety recall repairs are free at Hyundai dealers.

Which Hyundai Kona years have the most recalls?

The 2024 has the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (4), then the 2026 (3). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. One recall tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside until it is repaired: NHTSA 23V-526 (2023 models).

What are the most common Hyundai Kona problems?

Of the 802 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2018 to 2026 models, the areas named most are engine (52%), electrical system (18%), and powertrain (13%). One complaint can name more than one area. The recalls and problems page for each year breaks this down further.

Which Hyundai Kona year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 32 mpg combined, first reached by the 2022 gas version.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.