NHTSA has received 191 owner complaints about the 2020 Hyundai Sonata, or 28.6 per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.68, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 82 model-year 2020 vehicles we track, it ranks #46 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Hyundai models its rate is 48% lower; against other Midsize sedans it is 29% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2020-02-06 and 2026-08-26. Median delay from incident to filing: 11 days.
191Complaints
28.6Complaints per year on the road
0.68Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
4Recalls
3.7%Share involving a crash or fire
43Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2019) drew 21.9 complaints per year, fewer than this one. The following model year (2021) drew 32.3 per year, more than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2020 model collected 45 complaints, 21% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Fuel system (23.6% of complaints), followed by Engine (19.9%) and Electrical (18.3%). Fuel system complaints are 5.5 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Within Fuel system reports, owners most often mention “tank”, “expanded”, “fuel”, “gas” and “seat”. 7 reports (3.7%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 5 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 52 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was years three to five (36% of incidents). In the last 12 months 43 new complaints were filed, versus 40 in the 12 months before — a steady pace.
NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls for this model year. 58% of the complaints fall in component areas that a recall addresses. 2 NHTSA defect investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles0.68
vs. other Hyundai models0.52
vs. other 2020 models0.76
vs. other Midsize sedans0.71
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (45)0.79
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.
Electrical · 2026-08-26 · ODI 11759884 · Crash
It was smoking from the engine, I immediately stopped the vehicle. My safety was put at risk immediately while being in the vehicle when the air bags deployed hitting me in the face and causing my face to swell.
Engine · 2026-03-16 · ODI 11724672 · Fire
Blower motor malfunction at night. Smelled something burning. Extremely hot and humid outside. Windows fogged up inside which greatly reduced visibility. Checked the multifuse which controls the ABS, oil pump, cooling fan, & Blower.
Electrical · 2026-08-23 · ODI 11758874
The driver's power seat track master assembly (Part#88500-L0030) on my 2020 Hyundai Sonata suffered a catastrophic structural failure while operating. The black plastic bracket housing and aligning the electric drive motor fractured.
Other · 2026-08-20 · ODI 11758369
Car was taken to dealership for inspection. Upon inspection, it was determined that the fuel tank had expanded and pushed towards the heat shield, and expanded upward pushing up the back seats of vehicle. It was determined to not safe to drive.
Fuel system · 2026-07-30 · ODI 11753819
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
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.
Risk: A melted fuel tank can leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: 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.
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."
Risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: 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.
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.
Risk: Unintended vehicle movement increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
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."
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.
Remedy: 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.
DP22005 · ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM · Opened 2023-01-27 · Closed 2023-08-07 · Campaign 22V063000 · Model years: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and ele…
Loss of Motive PowerClosed
DP22003 · ENGINE · Opened 2022-09-12 · Closed 2023-12-12 · Model years: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
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 i…
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2020 Hyundai Sonata?
191 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Hyundai Sonata, or about 28.6 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2020 Hyundai Sonata?
The most common category is Fuel system, accounting for 23.6% of complaints.
Does the 2020 Hyundai Sonata have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 4 safety recall(s) for this model year. 2 NHTSA defect investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).
Is the 2020 Hyundai Sonata still generating complaints?
In the last 12 months 43 new complaints were filed, versus 40 in the 12 months before — a steady pace.
How does the 2020 Hyundai Sonata compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 191 owner complaints about the 2020 Hyundai Sonata, or 28.6 per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.68, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 82 model-year 2020 vehicles we track, it ranks #46 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Hyundai models its rate is 48% lower; against other Midsize sedans it is 29% lower.