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Before you buy a used Hyundai Kona (II).

2023–2026 · Petrol / Hybrid / Electric · 3 engines

Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.

Hyundai Kona (II), real photo of this generation
Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo source

The essentials.

Typical faults by engine

The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.

1.0 T-GDi

Petrol

1.6 Hybrid

Hybrid

Kona Electric

Electric

These also apply, described above: Battery wiring on the Kona II that can short-circuit after a crash

Which engine has the fewest documented faults?

Documented faults and recalls by engine for the Hyundai Kona (II)
EngineDocumented faultsRecalls
1.0 T-GDiPetrolFewest documented11 with conditions2
1.6 HybridHybridFewest documented11 with conditions2
Kona ElectricElectric22 with conditions2

According to the data we have, the engines with the fewest documented faults are: 1.0 T-GDi (Petrol), 1.6 Hybrid (Hybrid).

By fuel type, the ones with the fewest documented faults are: Petrol, Hybrid.

We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.

Official recalls: ask before you pay

A recall existing does not mean this car is affected or that it is still outstanding: it depends on the chassis number, the market and the production date.

  1. Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
  2. Ask an official Hyundai dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
  3. Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.
Hyundai engine, transmission and software recalls (2013–2026)Powertrain and engine management

How to check it: Check by VIN whether any of the recalls is outstanding (at the dealer or on the DVSA website) and carry out the inspection or replacement it requires.

View full entry
Hyundai electrical, lighting and electronics recalls (2016–2026)Electrical and electronic systems

How to check it: Check by VIN whether any of the recalls is outstanding (at the dealer or on the DVSA website) and carry out the inspection or replacement it requires.

View full entry

On the test drive: what to look and listen for

Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.

0 of 3 checked

Injection / turbo

  • Look out for: Loss of power, higher consumption, hesitation or rough idle, usually at high mileage.

    Ask them to check: Read misfire and fuel-trim codes; inspect the injectors and valves with a borescope; clean the intake if there are deposits.

Electrical and electronic systems

  • Look out for: No symptoms in normal use; after an accident the battery wiring can short-circuit and overheat the engine bay.

    Ask them to check: Check by VIN at the dealer that the campaign has been done.

Electric charging

  • Look out for: When charging on an AC point (at home or on a 7–11 kW post), the session is interrupted or charging is slower than normal.

    Ask them to check: Check the build date and ask Hyundai by VIN whether the charging manager has the campaign 9B5 update. Also check that the cable and socket are not hot, dirty or damaged: if they are, do not charge until they have been checked.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.

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