AutoUtility currently tracks 181 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2020 Hyundai Kona Electric. Electrical System issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 17 complaints (9.4% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 9 filings cite a crash, 3 cite a fire, 7 report one or more injuries, 1 reports one or more fatalities.
- • Total NHTSA Complaints: 181 reports
- • #1 Reported Problem Area: Electrical System (17 reports • 9.4% of submitted complaints)
- • Secondary Problem Areas: Driver Assistance & Safety Tech (5), Brakes & Traction Control (5)
- • Crash-Citing Complaints: 9 filings
- • Fire-Citing Complaints: 3 filings
- • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 7 injury filings • 1 fatality filings
Most Reported Problems for 2020 Hyundai Kona Electric
Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records
Electrical System
NHTSA records list 2 official safety recall campaigns for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #20V630000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY:MANAGEMENT SYSTEM/ENERGY CONTROL MODULE (BMS/BECM):SOFTWARE
- Campaign #21V127000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
Driver Assistance & Safety Tech
Brakes & Traction Control
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #20V748000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:ELECTRIC:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE
Powertrain & Transmission
Fuel & Propulsion System
NHTSA records list 2 official safety recall campaigns for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #20V630000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY:MANAGEMENT SYSTEM/ENERGY CONTROL MODULE (BMS/BECM):SOFTWARE
- Campaign #21V127000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2020 Hyundai Kona Electric
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"While driving approximately 70 mph on I-10 in Louisiana late at night, my 2020 Hyundai Kona EV displayed a “Check EV System” warning while I was on the highway. There were no safe areas or emergency shoulders available to pull over, so I continued driving toward the nearest exit. Approximately 15..."
"My wife was pulling into a parking place at Home Depot when the car suddenly accelerated, jumped the curb & hit a tree on the sidewalk. It did significant damage to the front bumper of the car but the airbags did not deploy & my wife was not hurt. I am guessing that it will be several thousand..."
"On 3.22.2025 the rear view camera did not display; either a black screen with text "Check surroundings for your safety," a green screen reading "No camera signa received. Please try again later," or distorted images appeared. Camera was replaced under warranty on 4.14.2025; I learned from..."
"6/17/2024 12 volt battery was dead; EV was fully charged 6/16/2024 using Level 2 charger in my home garage. AAA charged the battery; I drove to Crossroads Hyundai Loveland, CO and asked to have the converter to the main battery checked; this was not done. Crossroads checked the battery via CADEX..."
"I am concerned about the safety of my car and have little faith that there are qualified mechanics who understand EVs and can properly service an EV car. Two times on April 9, 2024 (and on at least 4 other occasions in 2023) while drive at approximately 45 miles an hour on a RI State highway at a..."
Complaint History for Hyundai Kona Electric
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2019–2025)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Hyundai Kona Electric | 54 | 2 | 3 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Hyundai Kona Electric Current Page | 181 | 9 | 3 | Current |
| 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric | 0 | 0 | 2 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 Hyundai Kona Electric | 20 | 1 | 0 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Hyundai Kona Electric | 5 | 0 | 0 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric | 15 | 0 | 0 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 Hyundai Kona Electric | 1 | 0 | 1 | View 2025 Problems → |
Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2020 Hyundai Kona Electric
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 46 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Reported Injury Entries | Reported Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 81 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SUSPENSION,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,WHEELS,ENGINE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires NHTSA category: TIRES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,BACK OVER PREVENTION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (1)
Formal safety defect inquiries and engineering analyses opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight ra...
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.