HyundaiKona Electric2020Electric/hyundai/kona-electric/2020/electric/

2020 Hyundai Kona Electric

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2020 Kona Electric.

Engine Electric

The 2020 Hyundai Kona Electric is an electric-powered variant of Hyundai’s Kona lineup. It recorded the highest owner‑complaint total for the 20192025 period, with 179 reports—most of them concerning the engine—and was subject to five recalls. By contrast, the 2025 model year saw only a single complaint, showing a marked improvement in reliability over the generation. This positions the 2020 model as the peak of reported issues within the Kona Electric’s recent history.

Model year20262025202420232022202120202019

Quick specs

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

Lug nut torque79-94 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

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 79-94 ft-lbs.

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts79-94 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 TorqueFront: 6.0; Rear: 6.0
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 15,000 miAir Conditioning System (inspect) · Battery (inspect) · Brake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (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.

In 2020 the vehicle generated 179 complaints, far exceeding the 54 recorded in 2019 and the 20‑plus complaints seen from 2022 onward, while recalls rose to 5 compared with 3 the prior year and dropped to zero in subsequent model years. The 2020 complaint profile is led by Engine issues (80 reports) and Electrical System problems (18 reports), which together account for the bulk of the spike. Investigations also peaked at two in 2020 before falling to one in 2022 and then to none. The data does not specify a root cause for this increase. Given the pronounced decline in complaints, recalls, and investigations after 2020, the 2020 model carries a higher risk profile and may not be the best used‑car purchase.

5
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
102
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
179
Owner complaints
9 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 179 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine80
Electrical System18
Unknown Or Other11
Power Train7
Service Brakes4
Engine & Engine Cooling4
Forward Collision Avoidance4
Steering4

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

21V127000Electrical System:Propulsion System:Traction BatteryReported 01/03/2021

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Kona Electric and 2020 Ioniq Electric vehicles. The lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery may short-circuit. Remedy: Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the interim action is complete. Hyundai will notify owners, and as an interim action, owners have…

20V630000Electrical System:Propulsion System:Traction Battery:Management System/Energy Control Module (Bms/Becm):SoftwareReported 13/10/2020

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Kona Electric vehicles. The lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery may short-circuit. Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the Battery Management System (BMS) software and inspect the Li-ion battery, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. Owners…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 102 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
26-EE-003H TSB2026-04-17Electrical SystemSome vehicles may exhibit difficulty starting in cold weather. This bulletin provides the…
DTN DL2026-04-10Air BagsThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of…
DTN DCS2026-04-10Air BagsThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety…
P33 OL2025-12-19Electrical SystemIn response to this trend, we engineered a software upgrade that addresses the social…
TRW Settlement DCS2025-12-18Air BagsA Class Action settlement regarding the TRW Airbag was recently decided. Based on the…

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 2020 Kona Electric have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.