2020 Hyundai Sonata
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Fuel/propulsion system is the leading concern among 178 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 19th highest complaint count among 26 Sonata model years with reports.
Of the 2020 reports, 5 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 4 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Fuel system, gasolineNov 18, 2025
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.
A melted fuel tank can leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
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.
Campaign 25V796000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, trunk lid, latchMar 28, 2022
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."
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 22V196000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, softwareApr 9, 2020
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.
Unintended vehicle movement increases the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 20V213000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, other, labelsFeb 28, 2020
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."
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.
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.
Campaign 20V122000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
31 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Jun 9, 2021
Driving, car started making a weird sound followed by a warning light on dashboard with dinging sound to correlate... car became difficult to gas, vehicle motion was lagging where I just knew I had to pull over Bc this car was going to literally stop began to slowly (Bc that’s all car would allow) to proceed forward and I was forced to come to a haunt as I pulled onto side of highway. I then could no longer move it. Turned car off for minute then returned to try to start again, car would not accelerate at all nor turn on fully.. I was forced to wait hour to get a tow... took to shop, no problem such was found , car started & ran again ... this is 3 days later the car again continued the same exact pattern & I was unable to drive any further and forced to once again to get tow. This has to be something of bearings with engine, this car mode is not on list but IT certainly is an issue that I believe is related & should be rectified by Hyundai.
Engine, Apr 11, 2021
ON NOV. 17 WHILE DRIVING APP. 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY THE CAR SUDDENLY SHUT ITSELF OFF. ALL OF THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS LIT UP & THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. AFTER 10 MIN. OF TRYING TO RESTART THE CAR, THE CAR STARTED AGAIN, & ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE CAR DISAPPEARED. THE FOLLOWING DAY, WHILE WAITING IN THE TURNING LANE AT A RED LIGHT, THE CAR SPUTTERED & TURNED OFF. ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD LIT UP & THE CAR WOULDN'T START I HAD THE CAR TOWED ON NOV 18 202 TO A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP REPORTED THAT THERE WAS AN INTERNAL SHORT WITH THE ABS MODULE & THE HYDRAULIC MODULE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. ON, NOV 24, I WAS DRIVING THE CAR & THE CAR STALLED ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS WENT BACK ON. I HAD THE CAR TOWED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT STAYED UNTIL DECEMBER 11 THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I PICKED UP THE CAR ON DEC 11 & THE CAR APPEARED TO BE WORKING NORMALLY. HOWEVER, ON DEC19, WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, THE CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE BACK & FORTH AT IDLE & THE RPMS STARTED TO GO UP DESPITE MY FOOT BEING ON THE BRAKES. THE CAR BEHIND ME SAW WHAT WAS HAPPENING & HELPED ME PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP YET AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE ISSUE ON DEC 23, 2020. HOWEVER, NO FIX WAS DONE TO THE CAR. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THAT THE CAR WAS IN A 'RELEARN' PROCESS & IT WOULD NEED MORE TIME FOR THE CAR TO 'RELEARN' HOW TO DRIVE AGAIN. EVERYTHING SEEMED OKAY AFTER THE DEC 23 INCIDENT UNTIL FEB 8 2021 WHEN I TRIED TO STOP WHILE IN TRAFFIC & THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK AT ALL. I NARROWLY AVOIDED GETTING INTO A MAJOR ACCIDENT & ONCE AGAIN BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP FOUND THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER ASSEMBLY WAS INTERNALLY DEFECTIVE & WAS NOT HOLDING PRESSURE AND AS A RESULT THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO ME ON FEB 11 2021.
Power train, Engine, Mar 31, 2021
TL* 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 WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACTED RESTARTED THE VEHICLE HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND HAD TO RESTART THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER - WEBB HYUNDAI MERRILLVILLE (1000 81ST AVE MERRILLVILLE IN 46410, (219) 249-4961) WHERE THE DIAGNOSIS WAS NOT DETERMINED FOR THE ENGINE HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE HEATING SYSTEM WAS FAULTY AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED TO PROVIDE AN ACCURATE WARNING LIGHT FOR THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT, DID NOT PROVIDE ANY FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,698.
Engine, Sep 23, 2020
MY CAR STALLED AND STUTTERED BETWEEN 1000 AND 1500 MILES IN TRAFFIC AND COULDN'T GET IT INTO GEAR ONCE STARTED. IT WAS THE FUEL RAIL SENSOR. NOW AT 6000 MILES DID SAME THING. IF SITS FOR BIT WORKS AGAIN. IT ALSO RESET ITSELF AND I LOST ALL PREPROGRAMMED INFORMATION. THE GAS DOOR ALSO OPENS AT TIMES WHEN UNLOCK DRIVER DOOR. THE DEALERSHIP HAD IT THE FIRST TIME FOR OVER 30 DAYS AND HAD TO CONTACT ENGINEERS TO FIX IT.
Power train, Engine, Jul 13, 2020
VEHICLE ABRUPTLY STOPPED IN A TRAFFIC SIGNAL WITHOUT GIVING ANY INDICATIONS WHAT SO EVER. WHEN TRIED TO RESTART IT STALLED PRETTY BADLY CAUSING EXCESSIVE VIBRATIONS. THIS HAD JUST 1900 MILES ON IT. VEHICLE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MIL OR ANY VISIBLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ISSUE. IT CREATED A HUGE TRAFFIC PILE UP DUE TO THE PEAK HOUR IN WHICH THIS PROBLEM STARTED. FEW DAYS AGO THERE WAS ISSUE WITH STARTING BUT IT RESOLVED AFTER COUPLE OF MINUTES, THIS TIME THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND I LOST MY DAYS WORK AND PAY. BIGGEST CONCERN IS HOW ABRUPTLY IT STOPPED IN A BUSY STREET.
Power train, Engine, Jul 8, 2020
VEHICLE ROUGH IDLED & EVENTUALLY SHUDDERED TO A STOP. THIS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES WHILE IN GEAR AND IDLING AT APPX 1000-1500 MILES. BETWEEN 1500-2000 MILES, VEHICLE SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING APPX 60MPH ON A COUNTY ROAD. AT APPX 2700 MILES, MPGS DRASTICALLY IMPACTED WHEN VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED SHIFTING GEARS PROPERLY WHILE IN MOTION AT APPX 70MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED WITH MESSAGE REGARDING ECS ISSUES. VEHICLE STILL DRIVES, IT JUST SEEMS TO STRUGGLE WITH EFFICIENCY AND SHIFTING CORRECTLY.