HyundaiKona Electric2021Electric/hyundai/kona-electric/2021/electric/

2021 Hyundai Kona Electric

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2021 Kona Electric.

Engine Electric

The 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric uses an electric engine and carries 112 total owner complaints alongside one recall, with the engine serving as the top complaint area. Within the model’s 20192025 complaint history, the 2021 model year lands below the 2020 peak of 179 complaints but remains far above the 2025 low of one, placing it in the earlier, higher-volume phase of the documented run. That positioning signals to researchers that this model year predates the steep decline in reported issues seen in later years, making it a more complaint-dense data point than the final model years in the range.

Model year20262025202420232022202120202019

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Lug nut torque80.0-94.0 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI Refer to the appropriate service information for options and battery usage. battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI Refer to the appropriate service information for options and battery usage.OEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnLOWOEM · verified
Tire size215/55R17 94VOEM · verified
Wheel / rim7 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Front wiper blades99H09AKA26H alt 00F09AU016HY

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length164.6 in
Overall width70.9 in
Overall height61.8 in
Wheelbase102.4 in
Curb weight3715 lb
Track (front / rear)61.4 / 61.4 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)56/44

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

Torque lug nuts to 80.0-94.0 ft-lbs.

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts80.0-94.0 ft-lbs

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier Torque16.0-23.0 ft-lbs
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt TorqueFront: 72.0-; Rear: 58.0-
ABS Sensor Torque6.3
Minimum Pad Thickness0.079 in
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementFront: .787; Rear: .331
Variation from Parallelism Thickness VariationFront: .0002; Rear: .0004
Maximum Rotor RunoutFront: .0016; Rear: .002

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the coolant every 40,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 40,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 5,000 miTire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 miBrake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level)
Every 15,000 miAir Conditioning System (inspect) · Battery (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Pedal Assembly (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect)
Every 35,000 miTransmission Assembly (inspect fluid level)
Every 40,000 miHybrid Inverter (drain, flush & refill coolant)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric sits at a pivotal point in its generation’s reliability arc. Complaints surged from 54 in 2019 to 179 in 2020, then plummeted to just 20 in 2022, suggesting Hyundai addressed early build-quality or design flaws by the 2021 model year. Recalls followed a similar trend, peaking at five in 2020 before disappearing entirely in 2022 and 2023, indicating systemic issues were largely resolved by the time the 2021 production run began. The 2021 model’s top complaint areas—primarily engine-related (54 reports)—align with the broader early-generation concerns, though fire complaints (3) and crash-related issues (2) remain minimal. The data implies that while 2021 still reflects some carryover teething problems, it benefits from the corrective actions taken in response to the 2019–2020 spike. For a used buyer, this makes the 2021 Kona Electric a comparatively strong choice: it avoids the worst of the early issues while offering a more mature product than the 2020 model.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
64
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
112
Owner complaints
2 involved a crash · 3 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 112 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine54
Unknown Or Other11
Power Train7
Power Train,Engine4
Unknown Or Other,Engine4
Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System2
Forward Collision Avoidance2
Wheels2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

21V301000EngineReported 28/04/2021

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Elantra, 2019-2021 Kona and Veloster vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which could… Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Hyundai will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. Owner notification…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 64 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
Z07 OL2026-05-15Unknown Or OtherCertain 2021-2023 model year Kona, 2021-2023 model year Kona Electric, and 2022-2023…
26-EE-003H TSB2026-04-17Electrical SystemSome vehicles may exhibit difficulty starting in cold weather. This bulletin provides the…
26-BE-010H DN2026-04-17Unknown Or OtherSome vehicles may have an inoperable horn that may be caused by foreign substances…
26-BE-010H TSB2026-04-17Unknown Or OtherSome vehicles may have an inoperable horn that may be caused by foreign substances…
DTN DL2026-04-10Air BagsThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of…

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Kona Electric. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

Does the 2021 Kona Electric have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.