Hyundai Kona, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
123,565 Hyundai Konas are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 86.3% of initial MOT tests, 14 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Kona? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Hyundai Kona at the MOT
86.3% of 62,765 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Kona 102nd of 575 models. Hyundai Konas aged 3 to 5 years passed 86.3% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 6 to 10 years that fell to 85.6%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Hyundai Kona tests in 2025.
Where Konas fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Hyundai Kona tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (15.2%), headlamp aim too high (12.4%) and condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (11.6%).
The MOT page lists every common Kona MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Kona's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.34.6% of Kona failure items
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Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.22.3% of Kona failure items
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Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly.19.2% of Kona failure items
Hyundai Konas in the UK
123,565 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 348% since the end of 2020.
- Change since 2020
- +348%from 27,567 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2022half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2022 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 20,621
- Declared off the road
- 5430.4% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Hyundai Konas since 2017
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2017 | 443 |
| End of 2018 | 7,363 |
| End of 2019 | 15,471 |
| End of 2020 | 27,567 |
| End of 2021 | 44,014 |
| End of 2022 | 60,798 |
| End of 2023 | 75,107 |
| End of 2024 | 94,708 |
| End of 2025 | 113,748 |
| End of June 2026 | 123,565 |
How old they are
Licensed Hyundai Konas by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 413 were first used before 2018.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12,151 | 20,621 |
| 2024 | 18,516 | 20,511 |
| 2023 | 14,976 | 15,456 |
| 2022 | 16,034 | 17,331 |
| 2021 | 15,705 | 16,596 |
| 2020 | 11,625 | 12,328 |
| 2019 | 8,797 | 9,303 |
| 2018 | 6,668 | 7,121 |
Kona engines and fuel
1.0 litre engines made up 36% of Hyundai Kona MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.6 litre at 32%. Hybrid electric accounts for 42% of licensed Konas and battery electric for 37%. Electric examples were 31.2% of tests.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 62,764 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed Konas
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 25,787 | 21% |
| Diesel | 54 | <0.1% |
| Battery electric | 45,814 | 37% |
| Hybrid electric | 51,910 | 42% |
Hyundai Kona recalls
14 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Hyundai Kona. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Kona is affected.
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May 2026 R/2026/128
Some vehicles fitted with a high voltage battery may have internal cell voltage deviation
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Some vehicles fitted with a high voltage battery may have internal cell voltage deviation. If this occurs it may result in the risk of an electrical short circuit inside the battery. Until the high voltage battery software has been updated we recommend the vehicle to be parked in a well ventilated area. The vehicle can be used as normal.
- Remedy
- Hyundai has launched a Safety Recall to update the battery management system (BMS) software.
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Apr 2026 R/2026/146
Some vehicles may have an instrument cluster operational concern whilst driving the vehicle
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Some vehicles may face a concern where the instrument cluster panel may reboot during vehicle operation potentially resulting in a blank instrument cluster display screen.
- Remedy
- To correct this an 'Over the Air ' software update to the vehicles will be deployed remotely.
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May 2024 R/2024/172
The subject vehicles may experience a transmission malfunction resulting in a loss of drive
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles they may experience a transmission malfunction resulting in a loss of drive
- Remedy
- On all affected vehicles the transmission control unit software will be updated
-
Apr 2024 R/2024/154
A risk of electrical short circuit within the engine compartment during a vehicle collision
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles a risk of an electrical short circuit within the engine compartment during a collision
- Remedy
- On affected vehicles crush shields will be installed to protect the wiring
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Jun 2023 R/2023/134
Subject vehicles may experience a loss of coolant within the electronic power control unit
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Inspect the electronic power control unit and replace the component if required.
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Apr 2023 R/2023/067
Certain vehicles may experience a loss of braking assistance and brake performance may be reduced
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Visually inspect the tandem pump drive belt and mesh filter within the pump assembly and modify where appropriate. If the tandem pump drive belt is defective replace the pump and the drive belt.
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Apr 2023 R/2023/068
Certain vehicles may experience a transmission malfunction resulting in a loss of drive
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Conduct a software update to the DCT transmission control unit (TCU).
-
Nov 2022 R/2022/317
Some vehicles might experience the MIL (Malfunction indicator lamp) becoming illuminated on the vehicle instrument cluster and the high-pressure fuel pump may become damaged by glass fibre strands which have emanated from within the fuel filter assembly
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The MIL (Malfunction indicator lamp) may become illuminated on the vehicle instrument cluster and a low-pressure error code stored in the vehicle's ECU. The high-pressure fuel pump may also become damaged by glass fibre strands which have emanated from within the fuel filter assembly.
- Remedy
- The fuel filter will be replaced with a revised part and the high-pressure fuel pump will be replaced if required.
Kona vs similar cars
Head-to-head comparisons on the same 2025 DVSA data.
Other Hyundai models
The most-tested Hyundai models in 2025, against the Kona's 86.3% MOT pass rate.
Hyundai Kona FAQs
How many Hyundai Konas are there in the UK?
123,565 Hyundai Konas were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 543 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Hyundai Kona reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is an 86.3% first-time pass rate for the Hyundai Kona across 62,765 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Hyundai Kona had any recalls?
14 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Hyundai Kona. The most recent was published in May 2026. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Hyundai Kona?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and visibility. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Hyundai Kona's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found a Kona?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,389 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Hyundai history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Hyundai VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to July 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.