NHTSA Complaints · Active Recalls · California Lemon Law Data
The NHTSA tracks consumer complaints, manufacturer recalls, and safety investigations for every vehicle sold in the United States. These publicly available records are a critical resource for California lemon law cases because they establish patterns of recurring defects.
As of June 2026, the NHTSA has logged 58 complaints against the 2023 Hyundai Kona. Each complaint is filed by a vehicle owner or lessee through the NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline or online portal at SaferCar.gov. You can review all 2023 Hyundai Kona complaints directly on the NHTSA complaint database.
The 2023 Hyundai Kona has generated 125 NHTSA complaints and has 1 active recall. If your 2023 Hyundai Kona has experienced a defect that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple visits, you may qualify for a full repurchase or replacement under California lemon law. Hyundai pays all attorney fees when we prevail. You pay nothing.
Electrical system failures are notoriously difficult to diagnose and repair, which often results in multiple unsuccessful repair attempts — a key element of a lemon law claim. Reported issues for the 2023 Hyundai Kona include infotainment malfunctions, battery drain, warning lights, power window failures, and intermittent starting problems. 22 NHTSA complaints have been filed for this category. Owner reports include: “Horn keeps failing…”
The 2023 Hyundai Kona has generated 18 NHTSA complaints for this defect category. If your vehicle has experienced recurring issues in this area that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple attempts, you may have a qualifying lemon law claim under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. Owner reports include: “Liftgate was clicking leaving interior lights on Drained battery- had to buy new battery! NOW Liftgate wil NOT open at all.” (NHTSA Complaint #11721170)
Electrical system failures are notoriously difficult to diagnose and repair, which often results in multiple unsuccessful repair attempts — a key element of a lemon law claim. Reported issues for the 2023 Hyundai Kona include infotainment malfunctions, battery drain, warning lights, power window failures, and intermittent starting problems. 8 NHTSA complaints have been filed for this category. Owner reports include: “Dear Hyundai Motor America Consumer Affairs, I am formally escalating a safety defect involving my 2023 Hyundai Kona, VIN [XXX] , purchased [XXX]. Since the purchase, the vehicle’s horn has repeatedly failed. I have brought the car in for service multiple times, and the issue is thoroughly documented in service records and email correspondence. Despite these efforts, the defect has not been permanently resolved. A non-functioning horn is a serious safety issue. This defect is not isolated; identical horn failures in Hyundai Kona vehicles are widely documented across public Internet forums, consumer complaint sites, and owner reports, further underscoring the seriousness of this issue. Given the repeated repair attempts and ongoing safety risk, I am requesting immediate corporate-level review and a clear, permanent resolution. This matter requires prompt attention. [XXX] , service manager, informed me today that my horn was changed/serviced 4 times already. As of today, 2-10-2-26 he is ordering me another horn. Please respond in writing with next steps. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)” (NHTSA Complaint #11716965)
Powertrain and transmission defects directly impair the vehicle’s core function and are generally considered substantial defects under California lemon law. Owners of the 2023 Hyundai Kona have reported harsh shifting, shuddering, slipping, and transmission warning lights. 8 NHTSA complaints have been submitted for this defect category. Owner reports include: “Check engine light on DTC 218100 Code Was this vehicle included in recall?” (NHTSA Complaint #11640456)
Advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) defects — including malfunctioning forward collision warnings, lane keep assist failures, and erratic automatic emergency braking — can create dangerous driving conditions. The 2023 Hyundai Kona has 6 NHTSA complaints for this defect type. Owner reports include: “Forward Safety Mode is the default setting on every time you start the vehicle and this mode when entering from side streets or any strip center or lane into on coming traffic lanes the vehicle senses you crossing the road lines and kills the Accelerator ! When trying to enter onto the main road even if you allow enough time to accelerate to pull out onto main road : The vehicle thinks you are off raod or in some sort of danger and kills the accelerator and if you think fast enough after the 2-3 second delay you can floor the accelerator and the vehicle will then start picking up after a dangerous delay that can get someone t-boned and very serious accident if not possible death. Its a very dangerous function. Note: I manually go in and turn this forward safety to warning only or off. I use the warning but the real problem is you have to do this upon every start after turning the engine off. I think this needs to be seriously looked into.If you dont turn to warning setting and go to say pull out of a store onto the highway and dont leave enough time to avoid on coming traffic and or you freeze due to no accelleration you are in deep trouble and maybe an accident !! Or Death..” (NHTSA Complaint #11591990)
The following 1 recall has been issued for the 2023 Hyundai Kona by the NHTSA or Hyundai. If your vehicle is affected, the manufacturer is required to provide a free remedy. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls.
Component: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:FLUID/LUBRICANT:PUMP
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: An electric oil pump assembly that overheats increases the risk of a vehicle fire.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect and replace the electric oil pump controller, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed starting September 7, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer
California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1790–1795.8) is one of the strongest lemon laws in the United States. It protects buyers and lessees of new and certified pre-owned vehicles that develop substantial defects the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, a lemon law presumption is triggered when any of the following apply to your 2023 Hyundai Kona:
Once the presumption is triggered, the burden shifts to Hyundai to prove the vehicle is not a lemon. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Hyundai must pay your attorney’s fees if you prevail — meaning qualified representation costs you nothing out of pocket.
If your 2023 Hyundai Kona qualifies as a lemon under California law, Hyundai may be legally required to:
Step 1: Document every repair visit. Keep all repair orders, work orders, and dealer invoices. Each visit counts as a repair attempt, even if the dealer says nothing is wrong.
Step 2: Keep returning for repairs. You must give Hyundai a reasonable opportunity to fix the defect. Visit different authorized Hyundai dealers if needed and ask for written documentation of each visit.
Step 3: Contact a California lemon law attorney. Once you believe the threshold has been met — 4 attempts for non-safety defects, 2 for safety defects, or 30 days out of service — contact an attorney for a free case evaluation. Under § 1794(d), Hyundai pays your fees if you win.
Step 4: Send a demand letter. Your attorney will send Hyundai a formal demand letter. Most California lemon law cases resolve through negotiation without going to trial.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, four or more repair attempts for the same non-safety defect, or two attempts for a safety-related defect, triggers the lemon law presumption. Additionally, 30 or more cumulative days out of service qualifies regardless of the number of repair attempts.
Yes. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Hyundai is required to pay your reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs if you prevail in a lemon law claim. This means qualified lemon law representation is free to you if your case succeeds.
Yes. A recall is not required to file a lemon law claim. The Song-Beverly Act covers any substantial defect that impairs the use, value, or safety of the vehicle that the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts. NHTSA complaints support the claim by establishing a pattern, but are not a prerequisite.
California lemon law claims are generally subject to a four-year statute of limitations from the date you discovered or should have discovered the defect. However, you must still be within the manufacturer’s original warranty period when the defect first appears. Contact an attorney promptly to preserve your rights.
If your 2023 Hyundai Kona has a recurring defect, California’s Lemon Law may entitle you to a full refund, replacement vehicle, or cash settlement — at no cost to you.
Our attorneys answer the questions we hear most from California vehicle owners — fully updated for 2026.
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