Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2023 Hyundai Kona, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system26
- Unknown or other19
- Forward collision avoidance13
- Power train10
- Engine8
- Vehicle speed control7
- Fuel/propulsion system4
- Service brakes3
- Lane departure2
- Tires1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 3 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 7 2023 Kona vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 4 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2023 Hyundai Kona failed the safety check 0.50% of the time — 27% less often than the average 2023 passenger car (0.69%). Median odometer at inspection: 10,330 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Real-world fuel consumption
2,186 Hyundai Kona cars first registered in Europe in 2023 report their fuel use through the on-board meter. Petrol versions use 7.1 l/100 km on the road against 6.0 in the WLTP test (+18%).
| Fuel | Cars | On the road | WLTP | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 1,551 | 7.1 | 6.0 | +18% |
| Petrol hybrid | 635 | 5.4 | 4.7 | +14% |
Litres per 100 km from the cars' own fuel meters (OBFCM), collected in 2024; the year is the year of first registration. All years together · European Environment Agency · CC BY 4.0
Engines
The most common engines in 2023 Hyundai Kona cars on Dutch roads are the 1.6 hybrid (77 kW, 103 hp), 1.0 hybrid (88 kW, 118 hp) and 1.0 petrol (88 kW, 118 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.6 hybrid | 77 kW 103 hp | 1,866 |
| 1.0 hybrid | 88 kW 118 hp | 71 |
| 1.0 petrol | 88 kW 118 hp | 48 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
3,728 first registered in 2023 are on Dutch roads; 18% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €39,895.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde26
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld12
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht9
- Band beschadigd7
- Band onvoldoende profiel5
- Ruitensproeierinstallatie werkt niet2
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm2
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage1
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
14,979 cars built in 2023 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 52 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In Finland
686 of these cars first registered in 2023 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 13,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
1,937 2023 cars are on the New Zealand register; 0% arrived as used imports, 99% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 2 variants; 2 of 2 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Hyundai Kona SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | 13.6 % |
| 2023 Hyundai Kona SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | 14.1 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard & Optional
- Lane departure warning
- Standard
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 3 variants: combined 7.4–8.2 L/100 km (about 29–32 mpg US), CO₂ 174–193 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kona · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Regular gasoline | 8.0 | 6.6 | 7.4 |
| Kona AWD · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Regular gasoline | 8.5 | 7.2 | 7.9 |
| Kona AWD · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Regular gasoline | 8.8 | 7.4 | 8.2 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 2023 Hyundai Kona.
| 2025636 17 Nov 2025 | Other Issue : Hyundai Auto Canada is conducting an extended warranty campaign for certain vehicles as water could enter the horn assembly and cause the horn's electr… |
| 2024552 23 Sept 2024 | Label Issue: On certain vehicles, the compliance label may be missing information in French. The words listed on the label for "Tires", "Rims", "Front" and "Rear" a… |
| 2024403 11 Jul 2024 | Fuel System Issue: On certain vehicles, the high-pressure fuel pump could fail. If this happens, the engine may run rough and the check engine light may turn on. This cou… |
| 2023414 27 Jul 2023 | Powertrain Issue: On certain vehicles, the circuit board for the transmission electric oil pump may be damaged. As a result, the circuit board could short circuit and ov… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Palisade Tucson, 2023 Sonata, Elantra, and Kona vehicles. The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump controller to overheat.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Hyundai told its dealers about the 2023 Hyundai Kona: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11008011 | Certain 2023MY Kona (OS) vehicles may have a detached pad between the rear spoiler and roof panel due to an error in the assembly process. Follow the procedure outlined in this TSB to replace the pad on the rear spoiler. |
| 11008008 | A software update is available for multiple vehicles equipped with either Display Audio 2.0V or the AVN 5th Gen Wide system. |
| 11007485 | A software update is available for multiple vehicles equipped with either Display Audio 2.0V or the AVN 5th Gen Wide system. |
| 11006111 | Some vehicles equipped with the AVN 5th Gen Wide system may exhibit a condition where the radio app crashes frequently when entering radio mode and/or displays a message that reads Uneven Road Ahead, Drive carefully on the cluster along with a warning sound. Follow the procedure outlined in this bulletin to update the AVN software to resolve this condition. |
| 11002708 | A software update is available for multiple vehicles equipped with either Display Audio 2.0V or the AVN 5th Gen Wide system. |
| 11000902 | This bulletin provides information to replace the outer tailgate handle switch due to a defective rubber injection which allows water to leak into the switch, potentially hindering proper tailgate opening. |
| 10252354 | This bulletin contains the software update procedure for the Engine Control Unit (ECU) on certain 2021-2023MY Elantra (CN7) and 2022-2023MY Kona (OS) vehicles equipped with the 1.6 liter T-GDI Gamma 2 engine, that may exhibit a warning lamp with one or more of the DTCs listed below: P250F - Engine Oil Level Too Low P011B, P050C - Engine Coolant Temperature/intake Air Temperature Correlation P00B7, P2B60 - Engine Coolant Flow Low/Performance |
| 10251285 | This bulletin contains information about the proper removal of the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all models. If the protective cover is not removed correctly, there is a possibility of the rubber insert and rail spring becoming partially separated on the inner side of the wiper blade, which could lead to poor wiping performance and/or possible scratching of the windshield glass. Follow the procedure in this bulletin to properly remove the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all new wiper blades. |
| 10249699 | Some vehicles equipped with the AVN 5th Gen Wide system may exhibit a condition where the radio app crashes frequently when entering radio mode and/or displays a message that reads Uneven Road Ahead, Drive carefully on the cluster along with a warning sound. Follow the procedure outlined in this bulletin to update the AVN software to resolve this condition. |
| 10247189 | This bulletin provides important checkpoint guidelines when performing engine oil and filter change services. |
| 10243378 | This bulletin provides the procedure for updating the software of the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) on 2022 2023MY Kona (OS) 1.6L turbo models equipped with smart cruise control. In certain Konas when using smart cruise control (SCC), there can be a delayed acceleration response to achieve the set (higher) speed, for example, after the slower vehicle ahead departs the lane. SCC Set Speed 74 to 80 MPH Vehicle Speed 62 to 74 MPH |
| 10243319 | Certain 2023MY Kona (OS) and Elantra (CN7) vehicles equipped with the 2.0L Nu Atkinson engine may experience a warning lamp illumination for a diagnostic trouble code P250C that is related to the oil level sensor circuit. Follow the service procedure outlined in this bulletin to reprogram the powertrain control module to update the oil level sensor warning light logic. DTC P250C - Engine Oil Level Sensor Circuit Low |
| 10241889 | This bulletin provides information related to a Transmission Control Unit (TCU) software update for certain vehicles equipped with an 8-speed wet dual clutch transmissions (8WDCT) that improves the touch point learning variation. Certain 8WDCTs (indicated by a new part number) received an improved clutch spring. The correct TCU software update must be matched with the correct corresponding 8WDCT hardware, otherwise drivability concerns may occur. |
| 10241878 | Certain vehicles equipped with the Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT) may experience a check engine light or malfunction indicator light due to Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC) listed below. This bulletin provides information on replacing the oil pressure sensor to remedy these DTCs, rather than replacing the entire IVT assembly. |
| 10240087 | This Service Information bulletin provides information on how to update the Apple Carplay software from Hyundais Navigation Updates page. The current version of Google Maps has 10 times the data transmission compared to the previous version. As a countermeasure, an update with a frame skip logic has been added to resolve the data congestion with Google Maps. |
| 10235566 | Hyundai applies a Paint Protection Film (PPF) on new vehicles before delivery to dealerships. It provides a barrier between the paint and contaminants, such as rail dust, acid rain, and industrial fallout. In rare cases, the paint can become clouded under the PPF. These spots are the result of moisture trapped between the PPF and the paint. |
| 10230904 | This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. This TSB illustrates the various causes of condensation inside the lamp assembly. Lamp assembly replacement is NOT necessary in most cases. This condition can be eliminated by turning on the lamps with the engine running for several minutes or during normal driving operation. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)