2021 Hyundai Kona 1.6 T-GDI service campaign 9D1: ECM update and emissions testing

© B. Naumkin

Hyundai has launched service campaign 9D1 in the United States for certain 2021 Kona models equipped with the 1.6-liter T-GDI turbo engine. The reason is unusual: the engine may emit more nitrogen oxides and particulate matter than allowed under federal and California standards. No parts need to be replaced — dealers will update the engine control module (ECM) software free of charge.

According to Hyundai’s dealer notice, the campaign covers certain Kona vehicles built from May 14, 2020, through March 10, 2021. The California Air Resources Board determined that these vehicles may exceed NOx and PM limits. The repair itself is expected to take less than an hour, although the vehicle may remain at the dealership longer.

For US owners, the issue is not only environmental. Hyundai warns that without the update, the vehicle may fail a required emissions inspection. In California, completion of the campaign is required before annual registration renewal, and the dealer issues a Proof of Correction Certificate after the repair. Similar documentation is also provided in Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

It would be inaccurate to call this a safety recall. In the NHTSA database, the documents appear as a Manufacturer Communication and Service Campaign rather than a safety recall, so there is no separate federal recall number in the 26Vxxx format. Hyundai’s internal campaign number is 9D1, while the technical service bulletin is 26-01-027H. Owners can check open Hyundai campaigns for a specific vehicle by VIN through the company’s official service.

This case is also unrelated to the electric Kona. A separate campaign for the Kona Electric involved an update to the high-voltage battery management system because of a potential short-circuit risk. Here, the issue concerns only gasoline-powered 2021 Kona 1.6 T-GDI vehicles and the emissions-control logic.

After the software update, the dealer also installs a new emissions label under the hood. Hyundai plans to begin mailing owner notifications in October 2026. The published documents do not disclose how many vehicles are included in campaign 9D1, so its scale cannot yet be assessed by vehicle count.