NHTSA Complaint #11681115 — 2020 HYUNDAI NEXO

Hyundai sells Nexo Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicles with known Fuel Cell stack issues, leading to severe safety issues from sudden power loss when driving, especially when overtaking and driving on highways and/or uphill. The power loss issue was diagnosed to originate from a fuel-cell stack failure, one of the Nexo’s main power-train components. This is a known power-train issue to Hyundai, debated online since 2021 by consumers experiencing the same power loss, across various Hyundai web-logs. Other affected consumers filed a class action lawsuit this year against Hyundai Motor America Inc, for the same and other reasons. The lawsuit accuses Hyundai of selling Nexo vehicles equipped with defective systems that fail to perform as promised. Plaintiffs argue that these defects compromise the vehicle’s performance, including the core hydrogen fuel cell stack, leading to reduced reliability and substantial safety concerns. There is no warning light indicating this issue when driving the Nexo under power loss conditions. One only realizes it when pressing the accelerator pedal and the power suddenly cuts out. In May 2025 I dropped off our 2020 Nexo Limited (~37,000 miles) at the hydrogen-certified Hyundai Dealer for a different and unrelated recall and for service, and mentioned the power loss issue. After some weeks of diagnosis the dealership called me back and verbally stated that they would not fix the car, nor would they give it ever back to me due to safety issues. Our car is still at the dealership, unresolved. No other dealers can repair Hyundai Nexo’s, because it is new hydrogen technology, very high pressures and special procedures, which no other repair shop would touch, so one must stick with Hyundai to get the problem addressed. Hyundai’s Original Manufacturer Warranty for Nexo Power Trains lists on page 15: Original Owner 10 Years/100,000 Miles, Subsequent Owner(s) 5 Years/60,000 Miles. So far I'm not aware of an existing recall for Fuel-Cell Power Loss.