Complaint volume
236 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2020 Hyundai Elantra Complaints
236 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Hyundai Elantra, grouped by component category.
236 Total complaints
20 Crash reports
6 Fire reports
11 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are engine, power train, exterior lighting. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 20 crash reports, 6 fire reports, 11 injury reports, and 1 fatality report. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 69 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 30,137 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to engine, power train, exterior lighting?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2020 Hyundai Elantra?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2020 Hyundai Elantra
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2020 Hyundai Elantra complaints?
20 Crash
6 Fire
11 Injury
1 Fatality
20 Towed
9 Medical attention
What are the most common 2020 Hyundai Elantra complaint categories?
ENGINE 70
POWER TRAIN 26
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 20
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 13
STEERING 10
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 9
SERVICE BRAKES 7
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 5
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 5
236 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I have taken my car in twice due to my car braking when there is not a vehicle and or object in front of me but there are vehicles right behind me that have to brake but Crain denies that there are any issues. My engine light came on a couple of weeks ago and I took it to Auto Zone to have a diagnostic test done. The report states that it has something wrong with the transmission/transmission line and or fluid. When I looked it up online it stated that there are recalls on engine pistons that could cause the diagnostic test to read that it's the transmission. My car is a 2020 Hyundai Elantra value edition but according to your website, there are no recalls!? | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | Both headlights bulbs needed to be replaced several times. Passenger replacement bulb 3 times. Drivers side twice. I have sent Hyundai several emails and have not heard back from them. case # [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The backup camera no longer works. The screen remains blank or turns blue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | NO INCIDENT - HIGH BEAMS INOP. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL | Fuel pump keeps on failing I replaced it 3 time. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while attempting to turn at approximately 5 MPH, the traction control warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road and restarted the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with excessive oil consumption, catalytic converter failure, and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine). The local dealer was contacted however, the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,709. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 89,709 |
| Jun 2025 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated and lost automotive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that an appointment with the dealer was scheduled to inspect the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 68,000 |
| May 2025 | ENGINE | Engine timing chains are failing in a direct result from recall campaign ID 21V301000 Piston ring noise sensing system which contaminated my oil accelerating wear on my engine chain and sprockets. A failed or ineffective piston ring noise sensing system can let piston/ring damage go unchecked, leading to oil contamination, which in turn wears out or destroys the timing chain system. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | My name is [XXX] , and I am the owner of a 2020 Hyundai Elantra SE with approximately 93,000 miles (VIN: [XXX] ). I am writing to express my concern regarding the safety and security of my vehicle, particularly due to the increasing reports of thefts involving similar Hyundai models. As a student, my vehicle is essential for my daily commute and responsibilities. The ongoing theft issues have made me feel very anxious, and I am unsure of the steps I should take to ensure the safety of my car. I would greatly appreciate any guidance or support from Hyundai on how I can improve the security of my vehicle. Please let me know if there are any available updates, recalls, or security measures that I can take advantage of. Thank you for your time and support. I look forward to hearing from you. [XXX] [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | ENGINE | I experienced engine failure with this make and model out of no where. Seen online recalls in the past for same make, year, and model. Dealership and and corporate are not helping me one bit, threatening to charge me for storage, lied about my corporate case being denied, when I have email evidence it was still open, and now zero contact back from Hyundai corporation. I'm trying to seek legal advice and would love any help moving forward struggling gravelly from all of this. Thank you so much | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Vehicle had several non-starts. I took it to the dealer a couple of times and they could not duplicate the problem. This problem continued for a couple years before I took it to an independent mechanic. Said mechanic put it on a lift and found a loose power cable barely connected to the starter. Luckily this never caused a short, spark, or fire. From my searching online it appears this is a non-infrequent issue with Hyundai's. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Elantra. The contact assisted in jumpstarting another vehicle with battery failure. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start the next day after several attempts. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the TPMS warning light had been illuminated prior to the failure. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to two separate independent mechanics who informed the contact that the engine had failed. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with an independent mechanic. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 130,000 |
| Mar 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | driver side brake light went out I did have it repaired right away since I knew it was a safety hazard for anyone behind me. And sometimes I do see the same model on the road with the same issue. I don't think the running light is a safety issue but also have a problem with that going out also. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | ENGINE | Burning oil at any unacceptable rate. I have made sure to have preventative maintenance and oil changes done every 3K miles. Hyundai needs to address this problem that appears to be plaguing many drivers. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Vehicle was recently purchased and brought in to service recall 22-01-030H (TCU Update and IVT Replacement) Fred Bean Hyundai of Langhorne (1106 E Lincoln Highway, Langhorne, PA, 19047) did the software update, but refuses to honor the IVT replacement as part of the recall, despite the transmission not working and needing to be towed to the dealership. They are attempting to charge me a minimum $5000 to replace the transmission, despite the replacement being covered under this recall campaign. Please contact me and advise if I should pay them and am then entitled to a reimbursement or if I should even have to pay them in the first place. They currently have my vehicle and I can't even drive it off-lot due to failed transmission. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the RPM elevated to a high level while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The failure persisted while depressing the accelerator pedal without a warning light being illuminated. The contact used a code reader to diagnose the vehicle; however, no fault codes were found. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 70,000 |
| Feb 2025 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | The highbeam is not working, also lowbeam is poor. Also I can not use the car in the night. The Hyundai Customer services is can not help. I said they have campaign to fix the highbeam. TSB number is 20-01-011H | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES | PLEASE SEE UPLOADED (PDF) FILES | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2025 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH at night, the high beam headlight became inoperable. The contact stated that the high beam on the sign was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed that the high beam headlights had failed due to a shutter in the headlight housing that opened and closed while needed. The contact was informed that the headlamp housing needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 20-BE-004H Headlamp Replacement (Exterior Lighting). The failure mileage was approximately 57,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 57,000 |
| Jan 2025 | WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES | Every time I go up a hill the slippery road light comes up. It’s hard to drive straight. I have to drive under the speed limit going up hills. Sometimes it won’t even let me park. I hear rattling when I drive over a certain speed limit. When I brake I feel the brake pad pushing back. And now my wheels are making noise when I turn them. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | transmission failed while driving & now doesn’t drive. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Engine stalled out, oil light and engine repair light both on, call will not turn over | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | AIR BAGS | On [XXX] at about 1:40 p.m. I was driving to work, and got distracted and had a front-end collision with a tree that was about 1-3 feet next to the side of the road. Extensive damage to the vehicle, and personal injuries occurred (mild concussion, stress fracture of left forearm, bruising/abrasion on ride side torso, sprained left thumb, and abrasions on head). Both the driver and passenger airbags did not deploy which contributed to me almost flying through the windshield. The emergency responders and tow truck operator were very surprised I wasn't in critical condition or dead and noted that the airbags failing was a serious issue and I was lucky. This was reported to the manufacturer and geico insurance on December 20th, and I am currently awaiting to hear back from both to get the inspections scheduled. The vehicle is currently located at OC's Auto at 598 Armistead Blvd, Holt FL 32564. I have already signed papers giving permission for inspections by the insurance company if they request it, but currently inspections haven't been done yet to determine damage estimates or to investigate the airbags. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed Medical attention | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | The high beam shutter that switches from high to low is not working. The car has 68,000 and I don't think this is something that should not work at that low mileage considering it is not in use all the time. I just dont see how it stops working all of a sudden when most of the time drivers do not use their high beams everyday. I just got inspected because its required in our state and both mechanics confirmed this problem. We bought a new bulb and that is when we found out the problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Backup camera flickering | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |