2020 Hyundai Sonata Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sonata years
- About as many complaints as other years 19th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 179 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Hyundai Sonata. That ranks 19th out of 32 Sonata model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is fuel/propulsion system (46 complaints, 26%), typically at around 1,600 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 1 fire, 4 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 179owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2020 Hyundai Sonata problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion System | 46 | 26% | 1,600 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 40 | 22% | 10,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 31 | 17% | 30,849 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 28 | 16% | 520 | — | — |
| Power Train | 24 | 13% | 16,599 | — | — |
| Structure | 17 | 9% | 600 | — | — |
| Seats | 16 | 9% | 57,229 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 12 | 7% | 2,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 12 | 7% | 78,762 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 7 | 4% | 1,768 | — | — |
| Steering | 7 | 4% | 800 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 4% | 700 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 6 | 3% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 6 | 3% | 1,100 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 3 | 2% | 4,812 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | 2,855 | — | — |
| Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | 600 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 1% | 11,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2020 Hyundai Sonata recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline
Problem: 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.
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.
Latches/locks/linkages:trunk lid:latch
Problem: 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."
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.
Electrical system:software
Problem: 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.
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.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: 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."
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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Loss of Motive Power (DP22003) — opened Sep 12, 2022, closed Dec 12, 2023.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Fuel system recall (NHTSA 25V796; Hyundai 286/23HYZ2 "Fuel Tank Expansion") on a 2020 Hyundai Sonata, plus the fuel-tank heat shield and rear floor pan area. On 4/21/2026 (110,423 mi.) a Hyundai dealer's recall test FAILED; no warning lamps or symptoms beforehand. The repair order says Hyundai "is…
A/C blower motor fan would stop working. Happened twice within less than a year apart. Upon further inspection, multi fuse wiring overheated and melted, ruining fuse and making A/C stop working during 100+ temperatures outside. Apparently this is a well known issue with this make and model Sonata…
I am submitting a safety complaint regarding a recurring, unresolved electrical defect in my 2020 Hyundai Sonata SEL. The vehicle fails to recognize when the ignition is switched off, leaving core vehicle systems active and causing severe parasitic battery drain that leaves the car immobilized…
The A/C evaporator core and the core seal needs replacing on 2020 Hyundai Sonata. Car is 6 years old. I already have a confirmed diagnosis with a PPM refrigerant leak tester at the condensate drain line The diagnosis is 100% confirmed. The evaporator is leaking heavilyâwe pulled 274 PPM at the…
Parking malfunction. Parked, running car moved itself to reverse and backed up a driveway crossing a dirt road and hitting a fence and post. This car could have hit and severely injured anyone who was in the path while it was reversing on its own. Car was in reverse and all parking sensors were…
Other Hyundai Sonata years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Sonata | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 Sonata | 17 | 0 |
| 2024 Sonata | 46 | 1 |
| 2023 Sonata | 87 | 2 |
| 2022 Sonata | 94 | 3 |
| 2021 Sonata | 134 | 4 |
| 2020 | 179 | 4 |
| 2019 Sonata | 162 | 0 |
| 2018 Sonata | 374 | 1 |
| 2017 Sonata | 765 | 3 |
| 2016 Sonata | 727 | 6 |
| 2015 Sonata | 1,151 | 9 |
| 2014 Sonata | 749 | 7 |
| 2013 Sonata | 1,915 | 9 |
| 2012 Sonata | 1,557 | 8 |
| 2011 Sonata | 3,377 | 14 |
| 2010 Sonata | 345 | 2 |
| 2009 Sonata | 460 | 2 |
| 2008 Sonata | 425 | 3 |
| 2007 Sonata | 696 | 5 |
| 2006 Sonata | 1,047 | 9 |
| 2005 Sonata | 165 | 1 |
| 2004 Sonata | 202 | 1 |
| 2003 Sonata | 199 | 6 |
| 2002 Sonata | 319 | 7 |
| 2001 Sonata | 205 | 3 |
| 2000 Sonata | 276 | 4 |
| 1999 Sonata | 124 | 4 |
| 1998 Sonata | 49 | 1 |
| 1997 Sonata | 49 | 2 |
| 1996 Sonata | 23 | 1 |
| 1995 Sonata | 66 | 2 |
See all Hyundai Sonata problems by year, every Hyundai model, or the Hyundai VIN decoder.
Similar Hyundai models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Hyundai Sonata?
Owners most often report fuel/propulsion system, electrical system, engine problems. The top one, fuel/propulsion system, accounts for 46 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2020 Hyundai Sonata?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2020 Hyundai Sonata a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sonata model years, the 2020 has about as many complaints as a typical year, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.