2020 HYUNDAI SONATA — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
5/5
Safety Rating
231
Owner Complaints
4
Recalls
36
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2020 HYUNDAI SONATA
The 2020 HYUNDAI SONATA has received a total of 231 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 6 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE. 36 technical service bulletins have been issued by Hyundai Motor America for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Fuelpropulsion System (40 complaints), Electrical System (30 complaints), and Unknown Or Other (26 complaints).
Recalls for the 2020 HYUNDAI SONATA
NHTSA has recorded 6 recalls for the 2020 HYUNDAI SONATA, potentially affecting up to 313,922 vehicles.
Recall 22V196000 — LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH
| 63,461 vehicles affected
Defect: 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."
Consequence: 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.
View full details →Recall 22V196000 — LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH
| 63,461 vehicles affected
Defect: 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."
Consequence: 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.
View full details →Recall 20V213000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
| 11,870 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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.
View full details →Recall 20V122000 — EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
| 5,044 vehicles affected
Defect: 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."
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 25V796000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
| 85,043 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 25V796000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
| 85,043 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2020 HYUNDAI SONATA
231 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2020 HYUNDAI SONATA. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
Most Recent Complaints
On 2/19/2026 while driving, my 2020 Hyundai Sonata Limited 1.6T began making several loud explosive / popping sounds. At the same time, the fuel gauge on the display screen appeared to rapidly drop, as if the vehicle was losing gas. Immediately following this, the vehicle began to hesitate and lose power while accelerating. The hesitation felt like the engine was misfiring or struggling to maintain consistent performance. There were multiple explosive sounds before and during the hesitation. This created a major safety concern while driving and the vehicle underwent an inspection at Hyundai in Deland, FL. The service department was brief and stated they needed to keep the vehicle for repair for an unknown amount of time as the fuel tank expanded. No further information was provided at that time.
On 2/19/2026 while driving, my 2020 Hyundai Sonata Limited 1.6T began making several loud explosive / popping sounds. At the same time, the fuel gauge on the display screen appeared to rapidly drop, as if the vehicle was losing gas. Immediately following this, the vehicle began to hesitate and lose power while accelerating. The hesitation felt like the engine was misfiring or struggling to maintain consistent performance. There were multiple explosive sounds before and during the hesitation. This created a major safety concern while driving and the vehicle underwent an inspection at Hyundai in Deland, FL. The service department was brief and stated they needed to keep the vehicle for repair for an unknown amount of time as the fuel tank expanded. No further information was provided at that time.
Rear camera doesn’t work and is just a black screen. It started out intermittent and now doesn’t work at all.
White pain is pealing off and it’s pretty bad especially when going through car wash
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V796000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Safety Rating for the 2020 HYUNDAI SONATA
The 2020 HYUNDAI SONATA received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2020 HYUNDAI SONATA
Hyundai Motor America has issued 36 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2020 HYUNDAI SONATA. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
25-EE-002H — ENGINE
Certain Sonata (DN8) and Sonata (DN8A) vehicles may experience issues with the air conditioning due to damaged wiring in the engine room junction box. This bulletin provides instructions to replace the multi-fuse, reroute the damaged wiring using the blower wiring kit, and replace the fuse label.
24-01-020H DBP — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
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.
24-FL-002H — POWER TRAIN
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...
24-FL-002H — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
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...
23-AT-003H-1 — POWER TRAIN
If you are servicing an 8-speed vehicle with a âCheck Engineâ light on and one or more of the DTC listed, follow the service procedure and replace the related solenoid and harness.
22-01-018H — EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
Certain 2020-22MY Sonata (DN8a) and 2021-22MY Santa Fe (TMa) vehicles equipped with 2.5L engine may exhibit a MIL with DTC(s): ⢠P2074: Mass Airflow Sensor Plausibility ⢠P2074F0: Manifold Absolute Pressure/Mass Air Flow - Throttle Position Correlation at Lower Load ⢠P2074F1: Manifold Absolute Pressure/Mass Air Flow - Throttle Position...
21-EM-010H — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Certain 2020-2021 Sonata (DN8a) vehicles with 1.6T engines may exhibit a check engine light in conjunction with a popping noise, abnormal smell from the engine compartment, rough running, or reduced power due to a misfire.
21-01-009H — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
This bulletin provides information related to an Electronic Control Module (ECM) software update which revises detection logic for DTC P2422: EVAP System Restricted Vent Valve logic.
21-01-009H — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
This bulletin provides information related to an Electronic Control Module (ECM) software update which revises detection logic for DTC P2422: EVAP System Restricted Vent Valve logic.
20-BD-020H — VISIBILITY
This bulletin describes the procedure to replace the front door module assembly if the front door window cannot close or the door regulator cables are separated from the regulator track.
Showing 10 of 36 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2020 HYUNDAI SONATA
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the HYUNDAI SONATA
- 2015 HYUNDAI SONATA — 1,596 complaints
- 2016 HYUNDAI SONATA — 946 complaints
- 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA — 958 complaints
- 2018 HYUNDAI SONATA — 508 complaints
- 2019 HYUNDAI SONATA — 179 complaints
- 2020 HYUNDAI SONATA (current)
- 2021 HYUNDAI SONATA — 147 complaints
- 2022 HYUNDAI SONATA — 118 complaints
- 2023 HYUNDAI SONATA — 117 complaints
- 2024 HYUNDAI SONATA — 54 complaints
- 2025 HYUNDAI SONATA — 10 complaints
Other HYUNDAI Models
- HYUNDAI ELANTRA — 11,768 total complaints
- HYUNDAI SANTA FE — 9,835 total complaints
- HYUNDAI TUCSON — 7,920 total complaints
- HYUNDAI ACCENT — 2,733 total complaints
- HYUNDAI PALISADE — 2,456 total complaints
- HYUNDAI VELOSTER — 1,738 total complaints
- HYUNDAI GENESIS — 1,702 total complaints
- HYUNDAI IONIQ 5 — 1,636 total complaints