Illustration2020 HYUNDAI SONATA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO GRINDING NOISE WHILE DRIVING. THE CONSUMER STATED UPON INSPECTION BY TOYOTA, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE UNDERSHIELD HAD COME LOOSE AND DRAGGING.
2020 Hyundai Sonata
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2020 Hyundai Sonata do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 161.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sonata years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
360–25K
725–50K
250–75K
675–100K
3100–150K
0150K+
54 reports with mileage · 124 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 45 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports1 fire reports4 injury reports
Structure complaints
16 reportsOn Nov. 2020 my husband and I purchased a new 2020 Hyundai Sonata with 2mls.off the showroom floor at Daytona Hyundai dealership, Daytona Beach,Fl. We moved to Ga.One day in December, I opened the driver side back door to put groceries in the backseat and I noticed water on the door frame at the bottom ,I thought maybe I might h…
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On Nov. 2020 my husband and I purchased a new 2020 Hyundai Sonata with 2mls.off the showroom floor at Daytona Hyundai dealership, Daytona Beach,Fl. We moved to Ga.One day in December, I opened the driver side back door to put groceries in the backseat and I noticed water on the door frame at the bottom ,I thought maybe I might have left the window part of the way down and rain came in. a few weeks after that I went into town I was going to put groceries again in the driver side back door and water sitting on the bottom of the frame inside the door . The window was up .So this went on every time it rained. I drove my car to Rome GA at Heritage auto group they sell Hyundai’s And also service them. [XXX] in service department he’s the manager I told him about the door where I was finding water at every time that it would rain. So he told me to bring it back when I was able to leave it. For the next couple months I had a medical emergency with our son that lives in Florida when he lost eyesight. With the specialist diagnosis he had uveitis in both eyes. The first trip was in April 2021 and I 95 southbound in Florida maybe past Saint Augustine we were driving 60 miles an hour the traffic was very heavy and all three lanes, I was in the center. It was within seconds that I seen something rubber in front of me in my lane ,it could not be avoided or I would have caused a accident with other vehicles. I ran over it on the right side front bumper so my son and I decided to drive it on down to Daytona Hyundai in Daytona where we purchased it at. The manager in the service department there inspected my car all the way around and told me the damages to the right front bumper and the plastic air dam he also said that I could leave it there but they didn’t have a loaner for me & they couldn’t give me a timeframe I told him I had to get back to Georgia take care of my husband. He said that I could have it repaired up there. He did finish cutting off the plastic air-dam . INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFOR
THE VEHICLE'S DRIVER SIDE WINDOW IS NOT SEATED PROPERLY AND HAS EXCESSIVE WIND NOISE WHEN DRIVING. DEALERSHIP CONFIRMS THIS ISSUE ACROSS MULTIPLE MODELS IN THE 2020 AND 2021 HYUNDAI SONATA.
REAR DOORS RETAIN WATER EVERY TIME IT RAINS. WHEN YOU OPEN THE REAR DOORS WATER DRAINS OUT OF THE CAR. BROUGHT CAR TO HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP WHO VERIFIED THE PROBLEM AND CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM WITH OTHER NEW CARS ON THEIR LOT, ON APRIL 21, 2020. DEALERSHIP CONTACTED HYUNDAI CORPORATE FOR GUIDANCE AND THERE HAS BEEN NO RESPONSE TO DAT…
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REAR DOORS RETAIN WATER EVERY TIME IT RAINS. WHEN YOU OPEN THE REAR DOORS WATER DRAINS OUT OF THE CAR. BROUGHT CAR TO HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP WHO VERIFIED THE PROBLEM AND CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM WITH OTHER NEW CARS ON THEIR LOT, ON APRIL 21, 2020. DEALERSHIP CONTACTED HYUNDAI CORPORATE FOR GUIDANCE AND THERE HAS BEEN NO RESPONSE TO DATE. *TR
I LOOKED UP UNDER THE HOOD, IT START RUSTING IN FRAME IN DRIVER SIDE. I CHECKED OTHER 2020 SONATA FROM DEALERSHIP AND THOSE CAR ARE EVEN WORST. THOSE CAR RUSTING DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE TOO. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE DOORS OPENED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT THE UNLOCK BUTTON BEING DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO WALLACE HYUNDAI LOCATED AT (3801 SE FEDERAL HWY A, STUART, FL 34997) HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FA…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE DOORS OPENED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT THE UNLOCK BUTTON BEING DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO WALLACE HYUNDAI LOCATED AT (3801 SE FEDERAL HWY A, STUART, FL 34997) HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 600.
Official recalls
425V796000 · Fuel System, Gasoline
Nov 17, 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.
Consequence & remedy
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 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.
22V196000 · Latches/locks/linkages:trunk Lid:latch
Mar 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."
Consequence & remedy
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.
20V213000 · Electrical System:software
Apr 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.
Consequence & remedy
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.
20V122000 · Equipment:other:labels
Feb 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."
Consequence & remedy
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 for this recall is 190.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1DP22003 · Loss Of Motive Power
Opened Sep 12, 2022 · Closed Dec 12, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine
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 indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are susceptible to cracking. The petition itself can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11481745. On September 12, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Defect Petition (DP22-003) to evaluate the Petitioners’ request. The Petitioners have provided additional complaints within four supplemental letters dated January 31, 2023, March 21, 2023, May 23, 2023, and August 4, 2023. ODI’s evaluation included the review and analysis of the complaints and supporting information submitted by the Petitioners, as well as additional complaints submitted directly to NHTSA which referenced either the oil drain plug or a crack in the oil pan. After reviewing the available data, ODI has not identified evidence that would support opening a defect investigation into the oil drain pan assemblies of the subject vehicles. Based on a review of the available information, a loss of motive power resulting from an oil drain plug back out has not occurred between the initial sale of a vehicle and the completion of its first oil change. If during an oil change service, a technician fails to remove the existing drain plug gasket before installing a new gasket, it is likely that a proper seal between the drain plug and the oil pan will not be made. An improper seal between the drain plug and oil pan could lead to the backing out on the drain plug, resulting in the sudden loss of oil while driving. Additionally, the provided examples of oil pan cracks were localized to the immediate vicinity of the oil drain plug and/or appeared to be the result of direct-contact with a tool during servicing. There is no information to support that a vehicle-based defect exists relating to the oil pan assembly, and instead the documented incidents are related to the failure to follow the proper maintenance procedures during oil change service. In October 2023, Hyundai published a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that provided detailed instructions for oil change service on its gasoline powered vehicles, specifically highlighting the need to remove and replace the existing drain plug gasket prior to reinstalling the drain plug. After a thorough review of the material submitted by the petitioner, the information already in NHTSA's possession, and the potential risks to motor vehicle safety implicated by the petitioners' allegations, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. Therefore, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA’s reasons for denial of the petition will be published. The reference numbers for the complaints to NHTSA cited by the petitioner can be found in the petition submission documents in the public file for DP22-003. To review those complaints and the additional complaints ODI added to its evaluation which are cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.