2025 Hyundai Kona Electric
17" wheels
Electric SUV · FWD
Based on battery health, build quality, owner data, EPA range, and market pricing
Above average for 2025 EV SUVs (class avg 66 · top 6%)
Personalize this scoreIs a low score bad?
Last scanned 33 days ago
The 2025 Hyundai Kona Electric (17-inch wheels) puts down 201 hp, 261 miles of EPA range and a 65 kWh battery, and a worth-pursuing score, but only after a hard inspection and a fair price.
Score read
A 74/100 makes this worth inspecting. Do not let the composite hide this split: build quality score is 95/100, while owner feedback score is 53/100. On Reddit, owners keep flagging the same two issues: build quality and range. The remaining risk is ordinary used-car diligence: battery report, tires, title, and records.
Price context
This trim started from $36,975 new. Used examples have come down since launch, but pricing varies by miles, condition, and how the model is moving right now; pull a current KBB Fair Purchase, an Edmunds True Market Value, or an active dealer listing for this exact trim, and anchor your offer there. Walk if the seller will not move off new-car-style pricing.
Who this is for
✓ Good for
- ⏱ Daily commuter ≤50 mi/day, predictable charging
- ★ Weekend driver Performance, fun, low mileage
✗ Avoid if you are a
- $ Bargain hunter Best TCO, reliability + low depreciation
Gotchas
- Verify Owner feedback is the part to read carefully (53/100).
Mitigation Read the complaint themes and ask whether this VIN has already had those issues repaired.
- Verify Current market pricing is not confirmed well enough for this trim.
Mitigation Compare KBB, J.D. Power, and live listings for the same trim before treating price as a buying signal.
Pre-purchase inspection
- 1 Compare the dashboard range estimate with the EPA 261-mile rating after a full charge.
- 2 Confirm how much of the 10-year/100,000-mile battery warranty remains and whether it transfers.
- 3 If road trips matter, run a short DC fast-charge session and watch whether speed tapers normally.
- 4 Read the complaint themes, not just the count, and ask the seller whether those issues have shown up on this VIN.
- 5 Review title, service history, tire condition, and charging-equipment records before final price.
No recall records in this scan That helps the shortlist, but it does not replace a VIN lookup, battery report, and service-history check.
Complaint context This scan found 22 NHTSA complaint records (7.9 per 10K VINs, near industry average). Read the themes below before treating the raw count as the verdict.
Price anchor Current market range is $26,045-$26,799. Use that range to compare listings for the same trim, mileage, and condition.
Pricing & Market Value
Score Breakdown
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Vehicle Specifications
EVs at your price point that match or beat this trim
Price-gated peer set: vehicles within $21.1K–$31.7K market value (±20% of $26.4K). 0 outscore · 5 score within ±2. Mixed across makes — no "spend more, score better" comps.
Kona
- ✓ Happier owners overall
EV6
- ✓ Better bang-for-buck
- ✓ +49 mi more range
- ✓ Happier owners overall
Niro
- ✓ Better owner satisfaction
Kona
- ✓ Better bang-for-buck
- ✓ Better owner satisfaction
EV6
- ✓ Better bang-for-buck
- ✓ +49 mi more range
- ✓ Happier owners overall
The federal $4,000 used-EV credit ended Sept 30, 2025.
But 10 states still run their own used-EV rebate programs — some up to $5,000. Pick your state to see what's available for this trim.
Source & disclaimer
Dealers make ~$8,386 on the average car loan.
After the price is set, the finance manager runs four plays to rebuild margin. Every buyer without a pre-approval is a target. Here's exactly what they run — and what stops each one.
78% of dealer loans carry a hidden +1.13% markup above what the lender actually charges. You never see it — it's buried in the contract. · CFPB
Dealer must match or beat your lender — they can't add margin invisibly. The markup play is dead on arrival.
Once you answer, they stretch the term to hit your number. Median result: $4K less off the price, 12 more months on the loan. · Industry avg
Financing is done. Only the sale price is on the table — and the dealer knows it.
Back-office F&I profit averages $1,975/vehicle, up 8.5% YoY. These products exist — but dealer markup is 4–10x what you'd pay elsewhere. · Dealership Guy
Dealer GAP runs $500–1K. Your insurer sells the same coverage for $100–250 over 5 years. Now you know.
"Your loan fell through — come re-sign." This pulls your APR up +5% on average. It's legal. It works because you've already driven the car home. · Ctr for Responsible Lending
A lender commitment letter means the deal is final. "Pending dealer approval" doesn't apply. You can't be yo-yo'd.
That's 21 months of your car payment — handed to the dealer's finance department for nothing.
Takes 2 minutes. No obligation to use it — but you'll walk in with all the leverage.
Pre-approval is a soft credit inquiry — no score impact. FICO treats all auto-loan hard pulls within 14 days as one, so you can still shop rates at the dealer.
NHTSA Recalls (0)
NHTSA Complaints (22 total · 7.9 per 10K US vehicles · near industry average)
While the cruise is set, traveling on I44 with no other car in front of my Kona, the adaptive cruise control will start to flash and apply brakes immediately. The speed will drop instantly. Thankfully no other vehicle has been behind me, otherwise it would have caused a massive wreck. I have taken the Kona to the shop 5 to 6 times for this situation, but they will not do anything since they can not duplicate it. I took a video recording of it happening, and they still would not do anything. The first incident was December 31, 2024. This happens every other week when I travel out of town for my daughter parenting time with her dad.
While the cruise is set, traveling on I44 with no other car in front of my Kona, the adaptive cruise control will start to flash and apply brakes immediately. The speed will drop instantly. Thankfully no other vehicle has been behind me, otherwise it would have caused a massive wreck. I have taken the Kona to the shop 5 to 6 times for this situation, but they will not do anything since they can not duplicate it. I took a video recording of it happening, and they still would not do anything. The first incident was December 31, 2024. This happens every other week when I travel out of town for my daughter parenting time with her dad.
The cruise control operation is unusual and the speed can vary greatly while it's engaged in moderately hilly terrain (not extreme) on the interstate ([XXX] through Kentucky and Tennessee). With the cruise set at interstate speeds and starting to climb a hill, the speed can drop by as much as 6mph below set point as the cruise control very, very slowly starts to increase throttle to compensate for the grade. Eventually it will stop the deceleration at that up to 6mph speed below the set point, before slowly starting to accelerate back up to the set point. One instance I timed was 22 seconds between the speed first falling below the set point, down to 6mph below, before recovering back to the set point. Sometimes it overshoots the set point by 2mph, meaning it could cause you to exceed the speed limit and/or your intended driving speed if the uphill is long enough for the speed to fully recover itself. It is not an issue with vehicle power available as I can easily maintain an exact speed through the same hills using the throttle manually without cruise control, it is only an issue with how the cruise control is programmed or executed. An 8mph variance with cruise control on the interstate in non-extreme terrain is a safety concern because it makes the vehicle unpredictable by other drivers who are trying to time their maneuvers around trucks and other vehicles and when my car suddenly slows significantly next to them they have to suddenly change or abort their maneuvers. It has not been reviewed or inspected by anyone else. It is a rental vehicle and not available for inspection by request from me, but may be from the owner. There were no warning lights or any other indication there was a problem recognized by the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The cruise control operation is unusual and the speed can vary greatly while it's engaged in moderately hilly terrain (not extreme) on the interstate ([XXX] through Kentucky and Tennessee). With the cruise set at interstate speeds and starting to climb a hill, the speed can drop by as much as 6mph below set point as the cruise control very, very slowly starts to increase throttle to compensate for the grade. Eventually it will stop the deceleration at that up to 6mph speed below the set point, before slowly starting to accelerate back up to the set point. One instance I timed was 22 seconds between the speed first falling below the set point, down to 6mph below, before recovering back to the set point. Sometimes it overshoots the set point by 2mph, meaning it could cause you to exceed the speed limit and/or your intended driving speed if the uphill is long enough for the speed to fully recover itself. It is not an issue with vehicle power available as I can easily maintain an exact speed through the same hills using the throttle manually without cruise control, it is only an issue with how the cruise control is programmed or executed. An 8mph variance with cruise control on the interstate in non-extreme terrain is a safety concern because it makes the vehicle unpredictable by other drivers who are trying to time their maneuvers around trucks and other vehicles and when my car suddenly slows significantly next to them they have to suddenly change or abort their maneuvers. It has not been reviewed or inspected by anyone else. It is a rental vehicle and not available for inspection by request from me, but may be from the owner. There were no warning lights or any other indication there was a problem recognized by the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Significant Mechanical and Drivetrain Problems: ◦ Loss of Drive Power and Sluggish Acceleration: Reported as early as [XXX] ("bumpy driving, grinding and clanking noise"), with issues worsening by [XXX] ("slower acceleration, bumpier ride, metal clinking and cracking sounds"), and most severely on [XXX] ("car shifts hard to the left then goes back and forth (wobble)," "greatly reduced" power, and "snapping" noises). You've had at least five repair attempts for these issues. ◦ Vehicle Shaking/Wobbling: This has been a recurring complaint since [XXX] ("car shakes when accelerating") and continued through multiple visits, including [XXX] ("wobbly feeling"), [XXX] (shifts "back and forth (wobble)"), and [XXX] ("bounces excessively"). ◦ Loose Steering/Difficulty Turning: You've reported "difficulty turning" and "resistance when turning left," with a feeling of "less control" or "lack of control" while turning. This was noted on [XXX], and persisted through [XXX], and [XXX] ◦ Noises from Underneath the Vehicle: Complaints include "grinding and clanking noise" (XXX), "loud noises" ([XXX]), and "metal clinking and cracking sounds" (XXX), and "snapping" noises (XXX). • Electrical/Infotainment System Malfunctions: ◦ Interior and Exterior Lights Turning Off While Driving: On [XXX], all interior and exterior lights turned off for approximately 3 seconds while driving. ◦ BlueLink Service and Infotainment System Disconnects/Shutdowns: ongoing issues with BlueLink service, including loss of connectivity and interruptions. • Numerous Repair Attempts and Days Out of Service: ◦At least eight separate service visits for these issue INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Significant Mechanical and Drivetrain Problems: ◦ Loss of Drive Power and Sluggish Acceleration: Reported as early as [XXX] ("bumpy driving, grinding and clanking noise"), with issues worsening by [XXX] ("slower acceleration, bumpier ride, metal clinking and cracking sounds"), and most severely on [XXX] ("car shifts hard to the left then goes back and forth (wobble)," "greatly reduced" power, and "snapping" noises). You've had at least five repair attempts for these issues. ◦ Vehicle Shaking/Wobbling: This has been a recurring complaint since [XXX] ("car shakes when accelerating") and continued through multiple visits, including [XXX] ("wobbly feeling"), [XXX] (shifts "back and forth (wobble)"), and [XXX] ("bounces excessively"). ◦ Loose Steering/Difficulty Turning: You've reported "difficulty turning" and "resistance when turning left," with a feeling of "less control" or "lack of control" while turning. This was noted on [XXX], and persisted through [XXX], and [XXX] ◦ Noises from Underneath the Vehicle: Complaints include "grinding and clanking noise" (XXX), "loud noises" ([XXX]), and "metal clinking and cracking sounds" (XXX), and "snapping" noises (XXX). • Electrical/Infotainment System Malfunctions: ◦ Interior and Exterior Lights Turning Off While Driving: On [XXX], all interior and exterior lights turned off for approximately 3 seconds while driving. ◦ BlueLink Service and Infotainment System Disconnects/Shutdowns: ongoing issues with BlueLink service, including loss of connectivity and interruptions. • Numerous Repair Attempts and Days Out of Service: ◦At least eight separate service visits for these issue INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I was driving on the highway around 70 to 75 MPH and suddenly the sunroof exploded. No debris impact. Just suddenly and randomly the glass just exploded and shattered.
I was driving on the highway around 70 to 75 MPH and suddenly the sunroof exploded. No debris impact. Just suddenly and randomly the glass just exploded and shattered.
Mushy brake pedal after 1000 miles This just started yesterday, seemingly out of nowhere. When I push the brake pedal it's mushier than it used to be. If I push hard, I get more resistance at first but then it slowly sinks toward the floor as a I continue to press. If I push softer then it just sinks toward the floor. I still have plenty of stopping power. If I push the pedal repeatedly then it builds up more resistance ("pump the brakes") but then the resistance calms down and it becomes mushy again.
Mushy brake pedal after 1000 miles This just started yesterday, seemingly out of nowhere. When I push the brake pedal it's mushier than it used to be. If I push hard, I get more resistance at first but then it slowly sinks toward the floor as a I continue to press. If I push softer then it just sinks toward the floor. I still have plenty of stopping power. If I push the pedal repeatedly then it builds up more resistance ("pump the brakes") but then the resistance calms down and it becomes mushy again.
I was driving down my street (one way) at 20mph when all of a sudden, the car veered to the left and smashed into a dumpster that was parked on the street. I had driven down my block several times during the day and was aware of the dumpster. I am convinced that the lane assist malfunctioned and drove into the side of the dumpster. I was not distracted and my brand new, 2025 Hyundai Kona was totaled in the accident. I had minor injuries but could have been much worse. I am not sure who to contact to report this and not sure it could be proven. Any help you can give me I will appreciate.
I was driving down my street (one way) at 20mph when all of a sudden, the car veered to the left and smashed into a dumpster that was parked on the street. I had driven down my block several times during the day and was aware of the dumpster. I am convinced that the lane assist malfunctioned and drove into the side of the dumpster. I was not distracted and my brand new, 2025 Hyundai Kona was totaled in the accident. I had minor injuries but could have been much worse. I am not sure who to contact to report this and not sure it could be proven. Any help you can give me I will appreciate.
The embedded navigation system tends to provide directions getting the vehicle into off road areas that are not designated to be driven. This not only causes damages to the car but also leads to unsafe situations. While driving in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan headed to the Kitch-Iti-Kipi, it took me to tall grass and high voltage towers almost getting me to a ditch. While driving in St. Augustine Beach, it almost took me to the ocean. While driving near Lubbock Texas around a detour due to construction, it almost took me to a cliff.
The embedded navigation system tends to provide directions getting the vehicle into off road areas that are not designated to be driven. This not only causes damages to the car but also leads to unsafe situations. While driving in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan headed to the Kitch-Iti-Kipi, it took me to tall grass and high voltage towers almost getting me to a ditch. While driving in St. Augustine Beach, it almost took me to the ocean. While driving near Lubbock Texas around a detour due to construction, it almost took me to a cliff.
While slowing down from highway speed during hot weather, the front passenger door suddenly became unlatched and partially opened. A warning alert sounded, and I had to pull the door closed. There were no prior warnings or symptoms, and the dealer has not been able to reproduce the issue.
While slowing down from highway speed during hot weather, the front passenger door suddenly became unlatched and partially opened. A warning alert sounded, and I had to pull the door closed. There were no prior warnings or symptoms, and the dealer has not been able to reproduce the issue.
Engine light was on - I was told by Belmont Enterprise on Sept 17th to keep driving the vehicle even though it needed repairs immediately.
Engine light was on - I was told by Belmont Enterprise on Sept 17th to keep driving the vehicle even though it needed repairs immediately.
This is second time all electrical has gone dead in the car. First time I took car in for an update and now something is still draining the battery. I have read multiple posts online of this issue. The car has less than 5000 mile on it
This is second time all electrical has gone dead in the car. First time I took car in for an update and now something is still draining the battery. I have read multiple posts online of this issue. The car has less than 5000 mile on it
See attached document for complaint.
See attached document for complaint.
As part of Hyundai’s Driver Attention Warning system, it plays a loud beeping noise that disables other systems in the car (map, audio). This beeping noise plays at random times and has been heavily distracting on long drives almost causing me to crash due to issues with my hearing and the frequency of the noise. It cannot be disabled. I would be happy to present the vehicle for inspection. The dealership and manufacturer have not responded to calls or have given unsatisfactory feedback as to solutions. This alarm has gone off about three times within the past 10 minutes and i am struggling to drive long distances with it on. Any help please.
As part of Hyundai’s Driver Attention Warning system, it plays a loud beeping noise that disables other systems in the car (map, audio). This beeping noise plays at random times and has been heavily distracting on long drives almost causing me to crash due to issues with my hearing and the frequency of the noise. It cannot be disabled. I would be happy to present the vehicle for inspection. The dealership and manufacturer have not responded to calls or have given unsatisfactory feedback as to solutions. This alarm has gone off about three times within the past 10 minutes and i am struggling to drive long distances with it on. Any help please.
I was driving at 930pm in the dark at a speed of 30 mph and the car completely shut off all power. No warning signs. Just completely lost power. No headlights or interior lights. I was able to brake and stop the car and restarted it to continue on. Lu ckily I was on neighborhood roads with street lights and little traffic. This could have been extremely dangerous on a road with no lighting and a high speed. I am now scared to let my new teen driver use this car and we bought the car for her! The car was at 47 percent battery and only has 5000 miles on it. Seems in my current research this is somewhat common for Hyundai. Please make them fix this before someone is seriously injured!
I was driving at 930pm in the dark at a speed of 30 mph and the car completely shut off all power. No warning signs. Just completely lost power. No headlights or interior lights. I was able to brake and stop the car and restarted it to continue on. Lu ckily I was on neighborhood roads with street lights and little traffic. This could have been extremely dangerous on a road with no lighting and a high speed. I am now scared to let my new teen driver use this car and we bought the car for her! The car was at 47 percent battery and only has 5000 miles on it. Seems in my current research this is somewhat common for Hyundai. Please make them fix this before someone is seriously injured!
Transmission issues with this vehicle since 70 miles. Failed at 989 miles
Transmission issues with this vehicle since 70 miles. Failed at 989 miles
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving, she observed a loud explosion emanating from the roof of the vehicle. The contact slammed on her brakes and then steered the vehicle to the side of the road, where she observed crackling glass noises also emanating from the sunroof. The contact then exited the vehicle to inspect, where she observed the sunroof had a frisbee-sized hole in the middle. There was no impact on the sunroof. The contact called the police, but there was no police report taken. The contact stated that her ears began ringing, and medical attention was needed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was no natural cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was 5,798.
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving, she observed a loud explosion emanating from the roof of the vehicle. The contact slammed on her brakes and then steered the vehicle to the side of the road, where she observed crackling glass noises also emanating from the sunroof. The contact then exited the vehicle to inspect, where she observed the sunroof had a frisbee-sized hole in the middle. There was no impact on the sunroof. The contact called the police, but there was no police report taken. The contact stated that her ears began ringing, and medical attention was needed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was no natural cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was 5,798.
I have a 2025 Hyundai Kona Limited. On [XXX], around the afternoon on Sunnyvale, California, while exiting [XXX] headed to Lake Tahoe, the liftgate bolt that attaches to the body had buckled mechanically as the system did not back away when a flashlight that came out of a travel bag was blocking the way to have it closed. The car computer thinks the liftgate is open even though the lock is secured. The car computer allows to drive without seatbelts secured or closures ajar for a few seconds at low speed but then it automatically with little warning engages the electronic handbrake while driving. I was driving on a highway in a middle lane when the car engaged without my consent the electronic handbrake locking the wheels and I almost got rear ended and killed by a semitruck. I had to floor the gas pedal and steer to a shoulder to request a tow. Since it was a long weekend before Presidents Day, I had the car taken to the nearest dealer in Modesto California. Their service department invented a lie that due to a side crash, which was a failure of the collision mitigation system that happened months ago, is the cause and that it is my fault even though the driver admitted responsibility but it is an unrelated issue. There should be a way of overriding the car computer so it does not engage the electronic hand brake on the middle of the highway, specially at night as this creates a road hazard that can lead to death. I replicate the issue with a rental, a Hyundai Tucson, they use the same gas strut and bolt that in my opinion has a very narrow gage. As you can see in the picture, the passenger side bolt is fine, the driver side is buckled. The side accident that happened on May 2025 was on the passenger side but the liftgate is fine; at any rate both sides should be deformed not just one if that were to be the case but it is not. Dealer and Hyundai attempting to sideline the issue to avoid a warranty and recall in my opinion. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I have a 2025 Hyundai Kona Limited. On [XXX], around the afternoon on Sunnyvale, California, while exiting [XXX] headed to Lake Tahoe, the liftgate bolt that attaches to the body had buckled mechanically as the system did not back away when a flashlight that came out of a travel bag was blocking the way to have it closed. The car computer thinks the liftgate is open even though the lock is secured. The car computer allows to drive without seatbelts secured or closures ajar for a few seconds at low speed but then it automatically with little warning engages the electronic handbrake while driving. I was driving on a highway in a middle lane when the car engaged without my consent the electronic handbrake locking the wheels and I almost got rear ended and killed by a semitruck. I had to floor the gas pedal and steer to a shoulder to request a tow. Since it was a long weekend before Presidents Day, I had the car taken to the nearest dealer in Modesto California. Their service department invented a lie that due to a side crash, which was a failure of the collision mitigation system that happened months ago, is the cause and that it is my fault even though the driver admitted responsibility but it is an unrelated issue. There should be a way of overriding the car computer so it does not engage the electronic hand brake on the middle of the highway, specially at night as this creates a road hazard that can lead to death. I replicate the issue with a rental, a Hyundai Tucson, they use the same gas strut and bolt that in my opinion has a very narrow gage. As you can see in the picture, the passenger side bolt is fine, the driver side is buckled. The side accident that happened on May 2025 was on the passenger side but the liftgate is fine; at any rate both sides should be deformed not just one if that were to be the case but it is not. Dealer and Hyundai attempting to sideline the issue to avoid a warranty and recall in my opinion. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
A week after I got my 2025 Hyundai Kona Limited, while trying to have the moonroof when headed into the highway since it gets too noisy if left open, the glass will touch the guard and then back away and remain fully open. However, the issue becomes more serious when it starts to rain or snow as it will remain open. In three occasions, the moonroof will not close. During a downpour, I had to use a large umbrella to avoid water to flood the car. Had I not had an umbrella or something to prevent water from getting in, the vehicle electronics could have become damaged including my personal belongings including but not limited to my sensitive medical equipment. Had I been in a snow shower, I will have gotten sick with a cold. I had reported the issue several times to different dealers and they only say it needs to be cleaned and reset. I had a Sonata with the same moonroof for over three years and I never experienced such an issue.
A week after I got my 2025 Hyundai Kona Limited, while trying to have the moonroof when headed into the highway since it gets too noisy if left open, the glass will touch the guard and then back away and remain fully open. However, the issue becomes more serious when it starts to rain or snow as it will remain open. In three occasions, the moonroof will not close. During a downpour, I had to use a large umbrella to avoid water to flood the car. Had I not had an umbrella or something to prevent water from getting in, the vehicle electronics could have become damaged including my personal belongings including but not limited to my sensitive medical equipment. Had I been in a snow shower, I will have gotten sick with a cold. I had reported the issue several times to different dealers and they only say it needs to be cleaned and reset. I had a Sonata with the same moonroof for over three years and I never experienced such an issue.
The plastic covers such as the wheel wells, inner fender linings, under body shield, are very prone to coming off by either minor objects intruding them or hitting them such as branches, rocks, or even water and sand. While driving on a highway at the Upper Peninsula in Michigan on October, a large branch on the road got inside the front wheel well and it took it away. It flew into the highway as debris and cars began evading them. I had to replace it at my expense and it come off again while driving on sand on a beach in St. Augustine Florida on December (the car is 4x4 off-road capable and sold as such). The underbody shield began coming off in a highway in near Austin Texas around a construction zone where loose gravel was present. Almost all plastic clips were missing after I was informed by a driver that plastic parts were coming off my car striking his vehicle. The wheel well of the driver side also began to come off. I had to zip-tie it; no holes were damaged but it was fully scratch and cracked in multiple locations from touching the pavement. I was hit on the side of the rear of the passenger side door and the plastic cover came off. I replaced it but it seems those plastic parts are superimposed and not well secured into the body of the car and can come off fairly easily during driving becoming road hazards that can result in a crash to vehicles driving from behind or even people or animals. I had a Sonata and the same under shield came off while driving to Miami on December 2024, their service department only had it cut leaving the underbody exposed.
The plastic covers such as the wheel wells, inner fender linings, under body shield, are very prone to coming off by either minor objects intruding them or hitting them such as branches, rocks, or even water and sand. While driving on a highway at the Upper Peninsula in Michigan on October, a large branch on the road got inside the front wheel well and it took it away. It flew into the highway as debris and cars began evading them. I had to replace it at my expense and it come off again while driving on sand on a beach in St. Augustine Florida on December (the car is 4x4 off-road capable and sold as such). The underbody shield began coming off in a highway in near Austin Texas around a construction zone where loose gravel was present. Almost all plastic clips were missing after I was informed by a driver that plastic parts were coming off my car striking his vehicle. The wheel well of the driver side also began to come off. I had to zip-tie it; no holes were damaged but it was fully scratch and cracked in multiple locations from touching the pavement. I was hit on the side of the rear of the passenger side door and the plastic cover came off. I replaced it but it seems those plastic parts are superimposed and not well secured into the body of the car and can come off fairly easily during driving becoming road hazards that can result in a crash to vehicles driving from behind or even people or animals. I had a Sonata and the same under shield came off while driving to Miami on December 2024, their service department only had it cut leaving the underbody exposed.
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle failed to respond as intended, and the vehicle needed to be jump-started. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle did not fall under the Lemon Law. The failure mileage was 12,000.
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle failed to respond as intended, and the vehicle needed to be jump-started. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle did not fall under the Lemon Law. The failure mileage was 12,000.
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, the front driver's side seat independently ejected the contact forward into the steering wheel. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the failure was unidentified. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact sustained injuries to her back; however, no medical attention was sought. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 385.
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, the front driver's side seat independently ejected the contact forward into the steering wheel. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the failure was unidentified. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact sustained injuries to her back; however, no medical attention was sought. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 385.
The contact rented a 2025 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the driver's side front door independently unlatched and opened. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The Enterprise Car Rental Agency was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.
The contact rented a 2025 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the driver's side front door independently unlatched and opened. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The Enterprise Car Rental Agency was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while driving 38 MPH, the exterior lights, taillights, daytime running lights, and interior lights became inoperable for two and a half seconds. The seat belt light flashed. Additionally, the seat heater and steering buttons were switched off and then reset. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 2,060.
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while driving 38 MPH, the exterior lights, taillights, daytime running lights, and interior lights became inoperable for two and a half seconds. The seat belt light flashed. Additionally, the seat heater and steering buttons were switched off and then reset. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 2,060.
What Owners Are Saying
"So give your new car a little time to get used to and what range to expect under different conditions. BTW I have an Ioniq 6. Its range is actually pretty close to my old Kona, but charges a lot faster. However, it too, is still affected by speed and temps. This is encouraging to hear. I won't be too judgmental till The temps begin to head into the 60's and beyond. I keep my air pressure at 37psi which while driving typically reaches 39psi, so I feel that's ideal. I LOVE the built in tire pressure monitor system. Lets me keep an eye on that easily and accurately. I did note virtually NO wind noise at 80mph which is a real first for me with any car I've owned. Very little road noise to speak of as well. One can easily hold a normal conversation no issues. Soaks up bumps real nicely as well. I'll say this when you shut the door on this baby it conveys solid as a rock. Nothing says cheap in fit or finish. #### insightman"
"To be honest I LOVE that front located charge port. It happens to be a heated area so no problems with snow or ice or access in difficult conditions. Smart on Hyundai's part. For me personally it's so convenient. My charger in my garage happens to be on the wall I drive up to so it's not even needing much extension of the cord to easily reach the port. Even at a high-speed charger I just drive up and plug in no manipulating the location of the car or backing in (HATE that arrangement). So far, I played around a bit and preconditioned the battery in my garage, then charged. this time at least it went up to 220mi instead of just 190. But can't wait for that 261 to appear once more when things warm up. But yeah. When my lease is up in 2 years I'm thinking (hoping) that they have an Ioniq 5 or 6 by then that will be AWD but still get at least 350mi per charge and have that 800volt architecture to allow for a 20 minute 10-80% charge. The Kona's charge rate is rather abysmal to be frank. It sure does NOT encourage a road trip. 45-60 minute charges don't excite me, what a waste of time. I have a long trip of 350mi coming up in mid-May and will be having to charge at EVGo's and EA stations. Maybe they will release that adapter as promised 1st Quarter of this year to allow me to use the V3 and V4 Tesla SuperCharger network as well. That would ease things a bit. The only fast charger I used so far was on a 28 degree day at a Electrify America 350kwh charger and it eeked out only 32kwh. They are crappy to say the least. It really ticked me off. Oh well we'll see how thing develop in a few more months."
"Different countries different conditions. My Kona is '22-23 purchased in '22. I use it for long trips all the time. Have traveled 78,000kms (48,466 miles). I like to stop every 2-300 kms ( 120-180 miles approx) and by the time I have refreshed car is as charged as I need it to get to the next location. Charge speed varies from 25 to 78 kW depending on conditions and battery level. Tesla Chargers are good and usually give faster speeds but are almost twice as expensive as private charge stations here in Oz. #### ENirogus > Johnnysolar said: > > Strongly agree. Hyundai overpromised and underdelived. And whats up with the charger port in the snow??? > > > Click to expand... Baloney. The car does what it has promised. Cold weather driving like a banshee one gets what one gets. The charging port is a poor design. I have learned to put a towel over it if it is snowing or it fills with snow, not because of location but the design Subscribe to Remove Ads You must log in or register to reply here."
"I did notice today when I had to take a little jaunt (a half hour drive) to another town to shop I was averaging 63mph and was getting 4.1kwh efficiency which is not too shabby. It was 27 degrees F outside too so hardly warm. Much better results indeed. Like you said well below 70mph will yield some nicer results. That last trip I was at 1% left and was wondering when you reach "0" how many miles can someone actually go before the car literally dies? #### electriceddy > ENirogus said: > > Range estimates are based on actual use/driving style temperature. > > > Click to expand... Seeing as the GOM range is based on the last 30 drives recorded in the driving history , I had a look at mine. New Kona EV - picked up on January 14, however the first "drive" recorded was on **09/20/2020**\- 28.0 kWh/100 km (or 28 Wh/km) distance 1km. After that, the recorded drives were "normal" after delivery date 3rd drive - 14/1/2025- 19.5 kWh/100km, and progressively worse as it is a cold snap here, the least efficient ones being 37.0 and 47.6 kWh/100km."
"If your Bluelink app isn’t working Calling Hyundai will get you directed to to reset the head unit. If it doesn’t worn for you you’ll need to do a reset within software options in settings. This factory resets everything though. Update: My 2024 Hyundai Kona SEL was affected by the February 9, 2025, Bluelink outage, and it still isn’t working. I’ve tried everything: Uninstalled and reinstalled the app Reset the head unit via the pinhole method Held the map and setup buttons for 30 seconds to reset Tried resetting through the head unit’s settings Both software reset attempts failed, showing the error: "Unlink failed." At this point, I have no idea when this will be fixed. I rely on Bluelink for security, emergency services, and tracking if my car gets stolen. None of this is acceptable. Is anyone else still dealing with this, or has anyone found a fix?"
"> dcisive said: > > I was enthusiastic about buying a new 2025 Kona Limited EV recently. My first 100% charges at home were indeed right up to that 261mi estimated. It dropped during the first 2 weeks to the 240's. It was perhaps about 45 degrees Fahrenheit in garage. I charged up to 100% prior to a micro trip I wanted to go on which was about 100 miles each way. On the way stopped at Electrify American 350kwh station just to top up as I'd not used one before. I admit I did NOT pre condition the battery on a 40 degree day. I'd basically driven about 55 miles at that point and was already at 72% charge. I was only able to pull 32kwh so only stayed there about a half hour getting it to 81%. I left and continued onto the remainder of the one way part of the trip which was about 50 miles. On the way home it was burning electrons like crazy. I got home at 1%. at 20% on the highway it alerted me to stop and charge. At 10% it warned me once again about taking a break and charging. > > I was pleasantly surprised at no point did it slow my speed by default as some cars will do. But I figured it was damn the torpedoes as I had NO Place along the way to charge. Drove up and plugged in my Level 2 charger and was ok. But honestly the estimated 261miles for this car is greatly inflated, which greatly disappoints me. I was coming from a 2021 ID-4 RWD which was rated at 240mi and while it was no long ranger tended to sip it's electrons a bit better. > > I have a trip in My coming up I'd strongly considered taking this car on which is about 275mi each way. Plenty of charging places along the way on I-15 but according to A Better Route Planner would spend about 2 hours of charging which is just absurd to me. I thought for sure it could be made with at the most 2 charges and about an hour total. But after this little run this week don't doubt it may be a long road to hoe. I'm hoping it has more to do with the temperature than anything else and that perhaps in May with warmer temps I'll get a lot closer to the estimated mileage. But at 80mph it's not likely. Any thoughts? Sure makes that Ioniq 6 long range look good. > > > Click to expand..."
"I was enthusiastic about buying a new 2025 Kona Limited EV recently. My first 100% charges at home were indeed right up to that 261mi estimated. It dropped during the first 2 weeks to the 240's. It was perhaps about 45 degrees Fahrenheit in garage. I charged up to 100% prior to a micro trip I wanted to go on which was about 100 miles each way. On the way stopped at Electrify American 350kwh station just to top up as I'd not used one before. I admit I did NOT pre condition the battery on a 40 degree day. I'd basically driven about 55 miles at that point and was already at 72% charge. I was only able to pull 32kwh so only stayed there about a half hour getting it to 81%. I left and continued onto the remainder of the one way part of the trip which was about 50 miles. On the way home it was burning electrons like crazy. I got home at 1%. at 20% on the highway it alerted me to stop and charge. At 10% it warned me once again about taking a break and charging. I was pleasantly surprised at no point did it slow my speed by default as some cars will do. But I figured it was damn the torpedoes as I had NO Place along the way to charge. Drove up and plugged in my Level 2 charger and was ok. But honestly the estimated 261miles for this car is greatly inflated, which greatly disappoints me. I was coming from a 2021 ID-4 RWD which was rated at 240mi and while it was no long ranger tended to sip it's electrons a bit better."
"Is it possible to roll back / downgrade Hyundai software updates? On April 12th I got an OTA software update on my 2023 Hyundai Kona Electric that was automatically installed: >Platform: Standard-class Gen5W Navigation Updated: 4-12-2025 Model: OSBE.S5BMC.US Software version: OSPEEV23.USA.S5W\_M.V013.010.241120 Since then my Bluelink has been partially broken, it's retrieving my odometer reading and car location but not anything else -- no estimated range, charge status, battery level, and no car commands (lock, climate, etc) work. Tried a lot of troubleshooting stuff (deleting app, paperclip reset + pressing reconfigure bluelink on head unit, etc) but nothing is working. Bluelink support gave me a ticket number and said 10 business days to get back to me. Considering things broke on the same day of the software update, it probably has something to do with a buggy firmware. Is there a way to get the previous software version and reflash via a USB drive or something? Or is it not possible to downgrade?"
Showing 8 of 51 owner excerpts (sorted by sentiment strength)