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2020 Hyundai Sonata Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 181 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Hyundai Sonata, most often about the fuel system (33% of complaints, typically around 77,500 miles). It is 19th of 27 Sonata model years by number of complaints and has 4 recalls.
Most common 2020 Hyundai Sonata problems
Fuel system
59 complaints · 33%Half of these problems showed up before 77,500 miles. Parts named most often: storage, delivery.
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle made a booming sound. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact then started to hear the sound outside the vehicle and noticed that the vehicle was losing gasoline very quickly. The vehicle started to stall, and…
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the fuel failed to go into the tank. The seat failed to move. The engine light illuminated. The vehicle stalled. While driving, the fuel gauge went from full to empty. The contact received the NHTSA campaign number: 25v796000 (fuel system, gasoline) after…
Electrical
40 complaints · 22%Half of these problems showed up before 10,000 miles. Parts named most often: starter assembly.
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle shifted into safe mode and lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to st. Charles automotive located at 5601 veterans memorial pkwy, st peters, mo 63376, ([phone] but was not diagnosed nor repaired. The…
Following a firmware update to the obc for a recall, the vehicle transmission now has a severe delay responding to driver input. The transmission in this vehicle has electronic shift with pushbuttons. Previous to the firmware update, the transmission would respond instantly to driver input from these buttons.…
Engine
32 complaints · 18%Half of these problems showed up before 31,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH and entering the highway, the vehicle would not shift into gear and the vehicle was sputtering. The contact stated that the vehicle would not exceed 45 MPH. The contact pulled onto the shoulder of the highway and shut-off the vehicle. No…
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal gasoline odor inside the vehicle. The contact then heard a loud pop and pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway. After a visual inspection, the contact observed gasoline leaking from the fuel tank…
Other or unspecified
28 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 500 miles.
Engine block became infested with rats/mice overnight. I believe this was the result of soy-based components used by Hyundai. No other cars on my block had this problem (I was able to survey the vehicle owners because we all were there waiting for street cleaning to occur.) it seems obvious that the rats/mice were…
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle abruptly decelerated to 30 MPH. The contact also stated that previously the windshield wipers failed and the driverâs side window failed to roll all the way up. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The…
Transmission
24 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 16,500 miles.
Following a firmware update to the obc for a recall, the vehicle transmission now has a severe delay responding to driver input. The transmission in this vehicle has electronic shift with pushbuttons. Previous to the firmware update, the transmission would respond instantly to driver input from these buttons.…
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH and entering the highway, the vehicle would not shift into gear and the vehicle was sputtering. The contact stated that the vehicle would not exceed 45 MPH. The contact pulled onto the shoulder of the highway and shut-off the vehicle. No…
Body and structure
18 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 500 miles. Parts named most often: body, frame and members.
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that upon exiting the vehicle during a rainstorm, she became aware that water had filled the interior of the rear driver's side door panel, which began to leak when the door was open. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who…
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the family inside the vehicle, a strong gasoline odor was inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that the fuel gauge was lowering quickly. Upon exiting the vehicle, the contact became aware of…
Seats
16 complaints · 9%The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware that the frame on the front driver's seat was cracked. The contact inspected the seat. The contact lifted the cushion and became aware that the bolts were cracked. There were no warning lights…
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the fuel failed to go into the tank. The seat failed to move. The engine light illuminated. The vehicle stalled. While driving, the fuel gauge went from full to empty. The contact received the NHTSA campaign number: 25v796000 (fuel system, gasoline) after…
Driver assistance
14 complaints · 8%Parts named most often: warnings, automatic emergency braking, assist, blind spot detection.
Gases from the dashboard heating cause a film to form between the windshield and the camera. Because of this, in heavy direct sunlight, lane keep assist toggles on and off without warning causing unintended lane departures with out warning. Also, when using smart cruise control, the vehicle slows to a stop but may…
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced phantom braking and nearly came to a complete stop. The contact stated that the automatic emergency braking system unexpectedly engaged while there were no roadway obstacles or vehicles near the vehicle.…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2020 Hyundai Sonata recalls
Fuel system: fuel system, gasoline
Risk: A melted fuel tank can leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the check valve. The fuel tank assembly will be inspected for damage and replaced if necessary. Additionally, dealers will inspect and update the engine control unit software. All repairs will be performed as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning march 13, 2026. Owners may contact hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 286. Vehicle identification numbers (vins) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on november 19, 2025.
Full defect summary
Hyundai motor america (hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2023 sonata vehicles. A damaged check valve can allow air to enter the fuel tank, causing it to expand and contact hot exhaust components, melting the tank.
Doors and locks: latch
Risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the trunk latch and replace the trunk latch base, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed may 26, 2022. Owners may contact hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 221/010g.
Full defect summary
Hyundai motor america (hyundai) is recalling certain 2020 sonata and sonata hybrid, and 2019 genesis g70 vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard number 401, "internal trunk release."
Electrical: software
Risk: Unintended vehicle movement increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the rspa software, free of charge. The recall began june 3, 2020. Owners may contact hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 191.
Full defect summary
Hyundai motor america (hyundai) is recalling certain 2020 nexo and sonata vehicles. The remote smart parking assist (rspa) software may fail to prevent vehicle movement upon detection of an rspa system malfunction.
Equipment: labels
Risk: The incorrect tire information may mislead the vehicle owner to install the wrong tire size, potentially affecting vehicle handling, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install new label stickers over the tire pressure label and in the owner's manual, free of charge. The recall began april 22, 2020. Owners may contact hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 190.
Full defect summary
Hyundai motor america (hyundai) is recalling certain 2020 sonata vehicles produced between october 22, 2019 and february 13, 2020. The tire pressure label inside the driver's door and the owner's manual state an incorrect tire size. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) number 110, "tire selection and rims."
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Loss of motive power
Summary
The national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated july 13, 2022, petitioning the agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain hyundai motor america, inc. And kia america, inc. Vehicles spanning model years (my) 2005-2021. The petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are
Questions about the 2020 Hyundai Sonata
- What are the most common problems with the 2020 Hyundai Sonata?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: fuel system (59 complaints, typically around 77,500 miles); electrical (40 complaints, typically around 10,000 miles); engine (32 complaints, typically around 31,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2020 Hyundai Sonata have?
- 4 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from November 17, 2025 (fuel system). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2020 a bad year for the Hyundai Sonata?
- It is 19th of 27 Sonata model years by number of complaints, with 181 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.