Reliable Auto DB

2020 Hyundai Sonata reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2020 Hyundai Sonata holds 178 complaints after 7 years, a rate of 19 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Sonata years here — under the median of the other years, which is 24. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Fuel system, gasoline, Latch, and Electrical system, software.

2012 Hyundai Sonata
Photo by MercurySable99, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

178

Per year

19

Recalls

4

Years on the road

7

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Fuel and propulsion system (45 of 178), then Electrical system (40) and Engine (31). Those filings include 5 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 4 that report an injury.

Next to 2019 and 2021

The 2019 Sonata has 161 complaints, 9 per year, and the 2021 has 133 complaints, 16 per year. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2021.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2020 Hyundai Sonata. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (4)

Recall Fuel system, gasoline 2025-11-18 · NHTSA campaign 25V796000
Summary 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.
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.
Recall latches, locks, and linkages, trunk lid, latch 2022-03-28 · NHTSA campaign 22V196000
Summary 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."
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.
Recall electrical system, software 2020-04-09 · NHTSA campaign 20V213000
Summary 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.
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.
Recall Labels 2020-02-28 · NHTSA campaign 20V122000
Summary 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."
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.

Complaints by component (178 total)

Fuel and propulsion system
45
Electrical system
40
Engine
31
Powertrain
24
Seats
16
Structure
16
Forward collision avoidance
12
Fuel system, gasoline
12
Air bags
7
Speed control
7
Steering
7
Back-over prevention
6
Visibility and wipers
6
Lane departure
3
Exterior lighting
2
Service brakes
2
Wheels
2
Chest clip, buckle, and harness
1
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Equipment
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Seat belts
1
Visibility
1
Show 16 more Show less
Crash-flagged

5

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

4

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

272020162021132022122023402024332025372026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "A/C blower motor fan would stop working. Happened twice within less than a year apart. Upon further inspection, multi fuse wiring overheated and melted, ruining fuse and making A/C stop working during 100 temperatures…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-09-07
  • "The A/C evaporator core and the core seal needs replacing on 2020 Hyundai Sonata. Car is 6 years old. I already have a confirmed diagnosis with a PPM refrigerant leak tester at the condensate drain line The diagnosis is…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-03
  • "I am submitting a safety complaint regarding a recurring, unresolved electrical defect in my 2020 Hyundai Sonata SEL. The vehicle fails to recognize when the ignition is switched off, leaving core vehicle systems active…"
    Powertrain, Electrical system · filed 2026-09-03
  • "Parking malfunction. Parked, running car moved itself to reverse and backed up a driveway crossing a dirt road and hitting a fence and post. This car could have hit and severely injured anyone who was in the path while…"
    Electrical system, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-08-26
  • "The reverse camera only shows a black screen and will put drivers in danger while not being able to see behind them while reversing. This needs to be recalled and repaired. Especially in situations where a person is…"
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-08-23

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2020 Hyundai Sonata 4 DR FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2020 Hyundai Sonata HEV 4 DR FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Sonata 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 27 37 31 MPG $2100
Sonata 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 27 36 31 MPG $2100
Sonata 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 28 38 32 MPG $2050
Sonata hybrid 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S6) Front-wheel drive 45 51 47 MPG $1400
Sonata hybrid Blue 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S6) Front-wheel drive 50 54 52 MPG $1250

Specs and fitment

8th generation (DN8), 2020–present
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-20 (2.5L Smartstream and 1.6L turbo where equipped) , 5 qt capacity
Tire size 215/55R17 to 245/40R19 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Safety recall 25V-796 covers certain 2020-2023 Sonatas: a damaged check valve can let air into the fuel tank so the tank expands, contacts hot exhaust parts, and melts; dealers inspect and replace the check valve and tank as needed and update engine-control software. Safety recall 21V-524 covers certain 2021-2022 Sonata and Santa Fe vehicles with 2.5L turbo engines: fuel may leak at the pipe between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail; dealers inspect and tighten or replace that pipe. Those turbo-only units are a subset of DN8, not the gasoline majority.

Compare

Previous year 2019 Hyundai Sonata Next year 2021 Hyundai Sonata See every Hyundai Sonata model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Hyundai Sonata reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2020 Hyundai Sonata holds 178 complaints after 7 years, a rate of 19 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Sonata years here — under the median of the other years, which is 24. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Fuel system, gasoline, Latch, and Electrical system, software.

What are common problems with a 2020 Hyundai Sonata?

The complaints owners file most often name Fuel and propulsion system (45 of 178), then Electrical system (40) and Engine (31). Those filings include 5 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 4 that report an injury.

Is the 2020 Hyundai Sonata more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2019 Sonata has 161 complaints, 9 per year, and the 2021 has 133 complaints, 16 per year. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2021.

Has the 2020 Hyundai Sonata been recalled?

The 2020 Hyundai Sonata has 4 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2020 Hyundai Sonata?

Owners have filed 178 complaints about the 2020 Hyundai Sonata with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2020 Hyundai Sonata get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2020 Hyundai Sonata is 38.6 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Sonata take?

Viscosity and capacity depend on engine and model year; use the generation specs here and confirm in the owner’s manual.

Which Sonata years had the engine bearing safety recall?

Safety recall 17V-226 covers certain 2013-2014 Sonatas (and Santa Fe Sport) for premature engine bearing wear; dealers inspect and replace the short block as needed.