Complaint volume
168 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 Sonata Complaints
168 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Hyundai Sonata, grouped by component category.
168 Total complaints
4 Crash reports
1 Fire reports
4 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 fuel/propulsion system, unknown or other, electrical system. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 4 crash reports, 1 fire report, 4 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 54 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 26,013 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to fuel/propulsion system, unknown or other, electrical system?
- 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 Sonata?
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 Sonata
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2020 Hyundai Sonata complaints?
4 Crash
1 Fire
4 Injury
0 Fatality
8 Towed
3 Medical attention
What are the most common 2020 Hyundai Sonata complaint categories?
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 30
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 17
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 16
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 11
ENGINE 10
POWER TRAIN 9
STRUCTURE 6
AIR BAGS 5
BACK OVER PREVENTION 5
STEERING 5
168 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2024 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | (August 29th) My girlfriend and I were driving in my 2020 Sonata, when the check engine light turned on and my gas gauge dropped from being full to then only half way. About an hour later, driving back home we heard a loud pop as if something exploded. Next day, I took my car to the Autonation Hyundai dealership and after taking a look at my car they quoted me about $6,000 to get my fuel tank and charcoal canister replaced. Our safety was put at risk due to the fact that had the damage been any worse, it could have caused the car to possibly explode or give out while driving on the highway, and in turn would put many more lives at risk. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Improperly seated strip fuse High Resistance Connection on the IG-2 40amp blower motor fuse receptacle causing melting of plastic fuse box components and ultimately failure of blower motor circuit and potentially loss of other circuits. Loss of blower motor leads to loss of cabin HVAC as well as loss of front windshield defrost ability during adverse driving conditions. Not only does this pose a potential electrical fire hazard, but a safety hazard due to inability to clear windshield from loss of defrost feature. Brief research finds this to be a very common problem with these vehicles. Manufacturer's recommendation is complete replacement of engine bay wiring harness. Problem begins as intermittent, but leads to total circuit failure over time if not identified. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Gas tank is swelling causing the rear seats to pop up | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that upon exiting the vehicle during a rainstorm, she became aware that water had filled the interior of the rear driver's side door panel, which began to leak when the door was open. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine how the water was entering the door panel. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 47,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 47,000 |
| Aug 2024 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Took a trip to Nashville so I left Memphis Saturday morning hole on the road heading to Nashville I was at least 30 minutes fork the city my car began to jerk very bad suddenly my file light came on so I stopped at a gas station the file light came on telling me I needed gas the had was on the E but my mileage to e said 117miles. So I was like ok that’s weird after I put gas in my car I got back on the road my gas hand went from full to half way and I was not even on the road for 40 minutes so as we get closer to Nashville my car starts jerking very bad I hear a noise that sounded like a bag or a piece of paper being crumbled up I turn around to find my rear seat up in the air I knew it was not normal at all looks like it was a lot of pressure for the frame of a car to stand up like that I definitely knew something was wrong when that happened I instantly started to smell gas very loud smell of gas I then start to do my research and I see Kia’s and Hyundais are dealing with gas tank expansions so at this point I am scared for my life I’m in my car and I’m dealing with a issue like this. I instantly call my dealership and schedule to have my car towed to the dealership out in Nashville. They called me that Monday confirming the gas take had expanded and caused a significant amount of floor damage to my vehicle I am currently waiting trying to see what is Hyundai going to do about this issue that is my only transportation and having to deal with this then find another way back home has been very stressful and just to know that I could have lost my life in that car is even more traumatic | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | SEATS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Fuel tank has expanded to the point that my vehicle is deemed not safe to drive. As pressure in the tank is unable to be stabilized. Only had the car for about 70 days since the date of purchase. Repairs are about $3900. In short as told by the dealership service department, my car could blow up at any time. This is not safe, at all. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Multi fuse controlling the A/C blower has burned out 3 times in the past year. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal gasoline odor inside the vehicle. The contact then heard a loud pop and pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway. After a visual inspection, the contact observed gasoline leaking from the fuel tank filler neck, even though the access door and gas cap were both securely closed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the canister purge valve, causing the fuel tank to swell, resulting in damages to the fuel pump. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 47,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 47,000 |
| Jul 2024 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, there was a booming sound heard and suddenly there was an abnormal fuel odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who replaced a fuel sensor. The contact stated that later, while driving, the rear seats started to raise up, and became extremely hot. The contact parked to inspect the vehicle and discovered that the fuel tank had expanded underneath the vehicle. Due to the failure, the rear seats became burned and melted. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 52,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 52,000 |
| Jul 2024 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Riding down the road June 30, 2024 and heard a loud boom coming from the back of my car. I pulled to the side of the road and walked around but saw no damage to outside of car. When I was approximately 30 miles from home my gas started dropping tremendously. Once arriving at home it was a rumble coming from rear of car after inspecting outside car and seeing no damage again, I looked in my back seat and the rear seat was lifted. If my kids or any other occupants would have been back there it could have possibly caused injuries. Upon my mechanic looking my car over they told me it was something to do with my fuel tank. My appointment is July 16, 2024 Hyundai of Dothan in Dothan al for farther diagnosis. My safety was in danger as explosion from the fuel tank could have cause serious damage and/or injury to car and self. Check engine light came on once the fuel consumption started dropping tremendously. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | I was on my way back home from Alexandria LA on [XXX] when I heard like the sound of an blow out tire but wasn’t happen to look in back of car and seen back seat was blown off the area of the car and proceeded to see that the gas tank was expanded like you would see a balloon and the me car started running funny and. Then a service code comes across the screen of the radio po45100 , so I pull over and look beneath the car and see that the gas tank is so expanded it’s now pressing against the exhaust pipe. So I turned car off and here we are now I’m without a car due to this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | A week before my gas tank expanding I heard a loud popping noise. When driving from NC to DC, my gas tank refused to take gas and my car immediately went to empty. I was stranding on the highway and has my 2020 Hyundai towed to the Hyundai dealership in Chesterfield, VA. They told me that my gas tank expanded and my back seats had popped out of place. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | It looks like the fuel tank has expanded. My back seats are now lifted & will not push down. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | SEATS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Driving 55mph on highway car slows down and make a pop nose and back seat comes up and I start to smell gas | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | I have a 2020 Hyundai Sonata SEL Plus. For the past month I been dealing with my CEL regarding Fuel Tank Pressure sensor and I end up replacing one from hyundai itself. After doing that I notice my fuel tank has expanded and I’m currently dealing with Hyundai & the dealership to see if they can make a recall regarding this issue or just fix it period since it’s a big safety concern. This been happening since mid April. My back seat lifts up from time to time and my fuel pump cover is bent. Below I’ll add some pictures so you guys can see how my tank straps are actually bent which is very uncommon for it to happen. I recently took it to the dealer last week after reaching out to hyundai corporate and they took pictures and send it for prior approval to see if hyundai is willing to replace this. I can’t fill up my gas tank, I constantly have to out between $15-$25 the most due to fuel mileage issue since the tank has expanded I get fuel mileage inconsistency | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | SEATS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | An independent service center advise us that the gas tank had expanded which could have put my family at risk if exploding or catched on fired. This happend on June 15th 2024 while driving, a sudden explosion coming from the back of the car was heard. Little after the explosion like sound we perceived as if air was coming through the back as if we had a window rolled down. When pulled to check, i notice that the back seat was popped up. No warning on the car was giving prior to the incident. Will take car to Hyundai dealership to have it inspect by them and have a solution. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | I was driving on the interstate when I heard a click from the back of the car. The gas gauge started to move downward as if I was losing gasoline. It eventually stopped and started moving back up, past where it was when it started decreasing. A little bit later the check engine light came on and the car started driving very sluggishly. I took the car into the Hyundai dealer and they found that the backseat was clicked out of place and a sensor was unplugged. This issue has since occurred multiple times. The back seat will pop out of place, the gas gauge will move beyond the gas that is in the tank, and finally the check engine light will come on and reduce the performance of the vehicle. The gas tank appears to be swelling and pushing up against the back seat which is causing it to pop. I had my girlfriend drive the car while I sat in the backseat and I could actually feeling something moving underneath the backseat. I have since gotten in contact with other sonata owners who have had the same thing happen with their vehicles. In other cases the backseat has exploded and flown completely off of the gas tank. I am very nervous to drive my car and think Hyundai should recall these vehicles before someone gets hurt. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2024 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Summary: The gas tank on this vehicle blew up/expanded rapidly to the point it could have erupted into a gasoline vapor fireball, killing the occupants of the vehicle or others. According to two Hyundai dealers, a failure in a check valve and the vehicle ECU programming caused pressurized air from the engine to be pumped into the gas tank, causing it to expand to the point of explosively popping out all of the sheet metal under the back seat. One Hyundai dealer service technician described the vehicle as, quote, 'a ticking time bomb'. There was no check engine light or warning at the time of this explosive event, although one occurred later. Hyundai has not offered to repair this vehicle. Please note that this potentially deadly issue is already well known to Hyundai/Kia. The Sonata has a sister vehicle from Kia that is the same vehicle platform called the K5. Kia issued a service campaign to address this extremely dangerous issue in April (TSB: SC288 K5 (DL3a) April 2024) which reads in part: "The subject vehicles may experience fuel tank swelling due to an issue with the PCSV check valve, which results in pressurized air to flow into the fuel tank." In addition, at last check an investigative reporter in Charlotte, NC has identified numerous Hyundai and Kia vehicles in which this has occurred. There's likely far more people who have already had this occur, and potentially thousands or hundreds of thousands of vehicles with this potentially deadly condition. (See: wsoctv.***/news/local/kia-acknowledges-gas-tanks-swelling-suddenly-offers-free-fix) As stated above, Hyundai has not offered to fix my vehicle. Please immediately take steps to force the manufacturer to remedy this extremely dangerous condition for all affected owners before someone is injured or killed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2024 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | The fuel tank under the backseat expanded forcing the backseat up and causing the muffler to scrape the ground. The expansion of the fuel tank could have exploded due to extreme pressure. Vandergriff Hyundai in Arlington, TX has inspected the vehicle and confirmed component failures in the fuel system. The vehicle has been inspected and currently in the process of being repaired at the dealership. The check engine light was illuminated to warn of component failures approximately six weeks ago. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2024 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | Vechile shut down completely on the highway, engine's been replaced twice, Catalytic converter, Turbo was replaced three times, Battery oxygen sensors, timing belt all have been replaced, Along with my wireless charger and Both heaterhouses and splash guard. I recently had my vehicle SERVICED Thirty five hundred miles after NEW engine install The dealership serviced my car didn't reset my service indicator 3 weeks later, my vehicle without warning said Engine overheated, so I pulled over immediately that display went off. My actual thermostat stayed under the center line in between cold and hot. I contacted the dealership and got my vehicle into BE inspected At that time, they said my coolant level was low and both heapeer. Hoses needed to be replaced and my engine needed to be flushed and refilled. I had those services completed. I picked up my car 5/24 it was OK on 5/25 My service indicator pop back on and at that time it was counting 58 days, so even after I brought it to the dealership's attention, they failed to reset it again. So I googled how to reset the service interval and did it myself. And about thirty minutes later, I was driving my car started shaking excessively And Woodin's accelerate, over 20 miles per hour in traffic. I had to put on my hazard lights and get me and my grandson to a safe place so that I could contact the dealership regarding this matter and they stated there was nothing they could do I had to wait until Tuesday I have put in a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, as well as consumer affairs. And also the county attorney's office for. Consumer fraud. This vehicle was misrepresented at the time of sale. It has countless safety issues. I need assistance | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2024 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | My vehicle is missing it's third brake light. We have confirmed that it was forgotten during manufacturing. The dealer won't cover it. They say call corporate. Corporate says dealer has to fix it. In the mean time I'm pulled over for improper equipment, and brake light being out. It's a serious safety issue, covered by federal law. They quoted over $1000 to have it fixed at my expense. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the shift assists malfunction warning light illuminated. The contact turned the vehicle off and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 21,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 21,000 |
| Mar 2024 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | While driving at about 45mph a warning flashed on my dash. I couldn't read it before it disappeared, but it was something about front collision., contact dealer. the car immediately lost all power. Everything was still running, but I had no acceleration. I had to back down a busy road into a vacant lot. I had just come off of the highway when this happened, if I had still been driving on the Highway, I would have been hit by a car from behind, since there was no warning at all. The car was towed to a Hyundai dealership. After a diagnosis, it was said to be the Throttle body. I had to wait for the repair because the part was on back order. I was told that there was another car there waiting on the same part. I am afraid to drive the car now, even though the repair was made. I feel this is a safety hazard, and that someone could be injured or killed because of this issue with the car. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | UNKNOWN | Crash: No Fire: No Injuries: 1 | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | A lot of these models have wind coming through the door making a whistling noise, it’s very distracting to drivers and multiple people complaining about it online. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |