Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Hyundai Sonata, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Fuel/propulsion system47
- Electrical system40
- Engine32
- Unknown or other28
- Power train24
- Structure17
- Seats16
- Fuel system, gasoline12
- Forward collision avoidance12
- Steering7
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 4 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 23 2020 Sonata vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 16 people died inside them, and 2 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2020 Hyundai Sonata failed the safety check 1.08% of the time — 8% less often than the average 2020 passenger car (1.18%). Median odometer at inspection: 26,137 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 2 variants; 2 of 2 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Hyundai Sonata 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | 9.7 % |
| 2020 Hyundai Sonata HEV 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | 9.7 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Standard
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 7.7 L/100 km (about 31 mpg US), CO₂ 181–182 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonata · Full-size · Regular gasoline | 8.6 | 6.6 | 7.7 |
| Sonata · Full-size · Regular gasoline | 8.8 | 6.4 | 7.7 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 2020 Hyundai Sonata.
| 2025637 18 Nov 2025 | Fuel System Issue: On certain vehicles, the check valve for the purge control system could wear and cause the fuel tank to expand. As a result, the fuel tank could contac… |
| 2022143 28 Mar 2022 | Structure Issue: On certain vehicles, a part in the trunk release latch could fail. If this happens, the emergency trunk release located inside the trunk compartment ma… |
| 2020156 9 Apr 2020 | Other Issue: On certain vehicles, there could be an error in the software that controls the Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA) feature. This error could cause the v… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
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."
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.
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."
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Hyundai told its dealers about the 2020 Hyundai Sonata: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011830 | The subject vehicles may have Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P0451 stored in the ECU, which could cause the Check Engine Lamp to come on. |
| 11010975 | Certain 2021-2023MY Sonata (DN8) and 2020-2022MY Sonata (DN8A) vehicles may have Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P0451 stored in the Electronic Control Unit (ECU). The California Air Resources Board has determined that these vehicles may be releasing air pollutants which exceed Federal and California standards. |
| 11010974 | Certain 2021-2023MY Sonata (DN8) and 2020-2022MY Sonata (DN8A) vehicles may have DTC P0451 stored in the ECU. Follow this bulletin to inspect the check valve, fuel pump cover and fuel tank, and update the ECU. If necessary, replace the check valve and/or fuel tank based on inspection results. |
| 11006112 | Certain 20-22MY Sonata (DN8a), 21-23MY Santa Fe (TMa), and 22-23MY Tucson (NX4a) vehicles may experience a warning lamp illumination for a diagnostic trouble code P2181 that is related to the Integrated Thermal Management Module (ITM). Follow the service procedure outlined in this bulletin to replace the ITM. |
| 11006111 | Some vehicles equipped with the AVN 5th Gen Wide system may exhibit a condition where the radio app crashes frequently when entering radio mode and/or displays a message that reads Uneven Road Ahead, Drive carefully on the cluster along with a warning sound. Follow the procedure outlined in this bulletin to update the AVN software to resolve this condition. |
| 10253275 | This TSB provides a procedure to diagnose and replace, if necessary, an automatic transmission with Incorrect Ratio DTC (transmission clutch slip in gear above limit) listed on Page 2. |
| 10251294 | This bulletin provides the procedure to update the Engine Control Module (ECM) and/or the Transmission Control Module (TCM) for 2020-2023MY Sonata (DN8/DN8a) vehicles to improve operation of the Idle Stop and Go (ISG) system. Under certain circumstances the vehicle may not restart after the ISG system has engaged and requires a manual restart due to the lack of intake manifold pressure recovery. |
| 10251285 | This bulletin contains information about the proper removal of the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all models. If the protective cover is not removed correctly, there is a possibility of the rubber insert and rail spring becoming partially separated on the inner side of the wiper blade, which could lead to poor wiping performance and/or possible scratching of the windshield glass. Follow the procedure in this bulletin to properly remove the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all new wiper blades. |
| 10249699 | Some vehicles equipped with the AVN 5th Gen Wide system may exhibit a condition where the radio app crashes frequently when entering radio mode and/or displays a message that reads Uneven Road Ahead, Drive carefully on the cluster along with a warning sound. Follow the procedure outlined in this bulletin to update the AVN software to resolve this condition. |
| 10247189 | This bulletin provides important checkpoint guidelines when performing engine oil and filter change services. |
| 10245580 | This TSB provides information to diagnose the push button shifter operation. |
| 10243329 | If you are servicing an 8-speed front-wheel-drive vehicle equipped with automatic transaxle with one or more of the DTC or symptoms listed below, refer to the Service Procedure to diagnose the condition. DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES: P070500 - Transmission range sensor circuit malfunction P070512 - Transmission range sensor circuit malfunction P070514 - Transmission range sensor circuit malfunction P07051C - Transmission range sensor circuit malfunction P070600 - Transmission range sensor circuit range/performance P070661 - Transmission range sensor circuit range/performance P07069 |
| 10241885 | If you are servicing an 8-speed vehicle with a Check Engine light on and one or more of the DTC listed, follow the service procedure and replace the related solenoid and harness. |
| 10241875 | This bulletin provides warranty procedure for EGR Valve replacement related to DTC P0401 EGR Flow Insufficient on 2020 and 2021MY Sonata (DN8a) equipped with 2.5 GDI Vehicles. |
| 10241796 | This TSB provides information to diagnose the push button shifter operation. If you are servicing a vehicle with any symptoms listed below or DTCs (listed on Page 2) , follow the Service Procedure on Page 3. SYMPTOMS: Shifter System Malfunction displayed in the cluster Wont shift into or out of gear or wont shift out of Park Incorrect gear display in cluster and/or wont start |
| 10240087 | This Service Information bulletin provides information on how to update the Apple Carplay software from Hyundais Navigation Updates page. The current version of Google Maps has 10 times the data transmission compared to the previous version. As a countermeasure, an update with a frame skip logic has been added to resolve the data congestion with Google Maps. |
| 10240084 | If you are servicing an 8-speed front-wheel-drive vehicle equipped with automatic transaxle with one or more of the DTC or symptoms listed below, refer to the Service Procedure to diagnose the condition. |
| 10235566 | Hyundai applies a Paint Protection Film (PPF) on new vehicles before delivery to dealerships. It provides a barrier between the paint and contaminants, such as rail dust, acid rain, and industrial fallout. In rare cases, the paint can become clouded under the PPF. These spots are the result of moisture trapped between the PPF and the paint. |
| 10235344 | This bulletin provides the procedure to repair poor pin tension at joint connector JE102 in certain Sonata (1.6 T-GDI engine) with one or more DTC. |
| 10235343 | This bulletin provides the procedure to repair poor pin tension at joint connector JE202 in certain Sonata (2.5L GDI engine) with one or more DTC. |
| 10235340 | If you are servicing an 8-speed vehicle with a Check Engine light on and one or more of the DTC listed, follow the service procedure and replace the related solenoid and harness. |
| 10230904 | This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. This TSB illustrates the various causes of condensation inside the lamp assembly. Lamp assembly replacement is NOT necessary in most cases. This condition can be eliminated by turning on the lamps with the engine running for several minutes or during normal driving operation. |
| 10217258 | Effective June 2, 2008, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 110 (FMVSS 110) established a threshold for correcting load carrying capacity information indicated on tire placards when vehicle weight has been increased before retail sale. This limit is the lesser of 1.5% of GVWR or 100 pounds. If the total added weight exceeds the lesser of the limit, a label must be added to the driver-side B-pillar within 25mm (1 inch) of the original tire placard. |
| 10217251 | Follow the guidelines outlined in this bulletin to inspect and clean or replace certain components of the engine intake system accordingly during engine short block or sub-assembly replacement. |
| 10215599 | Certain vehicles may develop a bearing noise within the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) column worm shaft assembly. If bearing noise is heard, follow the procedure in this bulletin to replace the worm shaft bearing. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Loss of Motive Power
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation