3 sourced reports, with what to check before you buy. Each one links to the page it was reported on.
2 of these reports describe a fire, explosion or shock risk.
Costly or dangerous
European recall of first-gen Kona Electric — 64 kWh battery pack short-circuit possibility, BMS software update
A Korean industry source (M2Daily) reports the European recall of ~200,000 units including the first-gen Kona Electric, tying the issue to the 64 kWh battery pack short-circuit possibility and a BMS software update.
What to check. Confirms the EU-wide scope of the recall affecting the 64 kWh battery pack variant of the first-gen Kona Electric; the fix is a BMS software update with earlier anomaly detection.
Turkish market: LG battery fire recall on 2018–2020 Kona Electric must be verified before purchase
Safety risk
Turkish market source confirms the LG battery fire recall applies to 2018–2020 production and that the remedy was a BMS update followed by free full battery-pack replacement (2021) after fires persisted. It explicitly tells buyers to check via VIN and to avoid any Kona Electric without documented recall work.
What to check. For a Turkish-market Kona Electric, confirm the LG battery recall was completed (pack replacement or BMS update) using the VIN at a Hyundai dealer before buying. The source rates an un-remedied 2018–2020 example as an unconditional avoid.
Kona Electric battery recall confirmed in Turkish market — LG Energy Solution cell defect, thermal runaway/fire risk
Safety risk
A Turkish-market source (OtoRaporu) documents the EV battery recall for the Kona in Turkey, advising buyers to check whether the recall was performed.
What to check. For a Kona Electric bought or sold in Turkey, confirm the battery recall/campaign was completed before purchase; the source explicitly advises checking this.
These reports come from the pages linked under each item: owner forums, repair guides and workshops. They are not a diagnosis of any one unit, and a careful check of the one you are buying still applies.
Text from the Kriko Electric cars catalog, version 0.1.1, under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 license.
