RoadVitals

2020 Hyundai Elantra GT

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
7
Latest Feb 12, 2025
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
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InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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Overview

Our database contains 7 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2020 Hyundai Elantra GT, most frequently naming the engine, driver assistance and powertrain (other) categories. 79 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Engine562.5%
  • Driver assistance112.5%
  • Powertrain (other)112.5%
  • Tires & wheels112.5%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Filed Feb 12, 2025

Sunroof stuck in the open position because the headliner failed Dealership says the sunroof can't be closed, even by force, to seal the car while waiting for repairs Two dealerships, a collision auto body shop, and glass repair shop have inspected it and confirmed the sunroof assembly is defective No warnings, problem appeared while driving

NHTSA ID
11642136
Incident
Jan 27, 2025
Driver assistanceEngine
Filed Nov 25, 2024

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Elantra GT. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH in stop-and-go traffic, the engine light illuminated. While driving, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the knock sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. While driving at 35-45 MPH three days later, the engine light illuminated again, and the vehicle started to decelerate. The vehicle was towed back to the local dealer, who performed a combustion test. The dealer requested permission for a mechanic to take the vehicle to the residence for a road test. The contact declined the request. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The contact requested a buyback. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID
11627291
Incident
Nov 6, 2024
Mileage
29,000 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Jun 9, 2023

Tire size: 225/4R18 88W Code 2119 indicates manufacture on 21st week of 2019. Factory original equipment on a 2020 Hyundai Elantra GT (N-Line). At the dealer for an unrelated service at approximately 37,000 miles. Tech noticed cracking on sidewall of all original tires. Suspects it is dry rot. There is a previous recall for these tires in a different size from 2015, but it appears the issue has not been resolved. I've attached a photo as an one example of the cracking. All original tires have multiple cracks like this along the sidewall.

NHTSA ID
11526204
Incident
Jun 8, 2023
Engine
Filed Oct 17, 2022

My 2020 Hyundai Elantra stalled on me in the middle of driving it. Only check engine light was on. Had an oil change three months prior to it stalling and not wanting to accelerate. Made an appointment with dealership, they stated it would be fine to drive for another month and a half when they were able to get my vehicle in to look at it. Spoke with guy on phone said there was no recalls, which was a lie. Because last year it had a campaign opened on it that i knew absolutely nothing about, on top of the three recalls on it. My car did not make it in time for the appointment. The engine blew up even though it had another oil change a week before. Dealership wants to blame me. Hyundai National also refuses to accept that it is something malfunctioned bad in the engine that is a safety hazard. I believe the piston rings were bad. Theyd rather blame me because i went over my miles for an oil change the first year i bought the car brand new. Also it had a recall when i bought the car. To my knowledge its illegal to sell anyone a brand new car with a recall on it. Thank god i didnt injure anyone or myself when the vehicle died on me in the middle of a turn with traffic coming behind me. Also i have a full platinum warranty that they refuse let me use. They do not care about their customers. This is also a second car i have bought from this dealership. The first one had a recall on it. It was a kia optima, the dealership did not tell me they are suppose to pay to fix it, instead i traded it in for this piece of crap.

NHTSA ID
11489653
Incident
Jun 12, 2022
Engine
Filed Aug 21, 2022

Had an oil change in March. By June the car stalled in the middle of the street. Restarted it and was difficult to accelerate. Made appt with dealership, couldnt get me in until two months later. Continued having problems car needed more oil and did oil change in July. Continued to drive and it blew a hole in engine. Which is crazy because it had new oil in it. March and july had oil changes. Hyandai is refusing to use any of my warranties and refuses to pay for it. Its a 2020 Elantra. I bought it September of 2020. First oil change was October of 2021, Second March of 2022. Dealership wants to blame me for car malfunction. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED INFORMATION ABOUT RECALL REPAIRS.

NHTSA ID
11480411
Incident
Jun 12, 2022
EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Sep 10, 2020

ENGINE LOSS OF POWER. WHILE ACCELERATING VEHICLE SEEMED TO HAVE A MAJOR LOSS OF POWER AND REFUSED TO ACCELERATE. 7 SPEED DCT CLUNKS INTO GEAR HARD AND RPMS GO FLYING HIGH BUT CAR WILL NOT MOVE. HAVE TO TURN OFF CAR LEAVE OVERNIGHT.

NHTSA ID
11354088
Incident
Sep 8, 2020
Mileage
1,900 mi
Engine
Filed Jul 23, 2020

ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE TO GET TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS, VEHICLE PULLS HARD AND BOGS DOWN INTO LIMP MODE, RESULTING IN A P0234 MIL. VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALERSHIP BUT HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THEM ABOUT IT.

NHTSA ID
11341141
Incident
Jul 18, 2020
Mileage
10,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

26-EE-003H TSB

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE

Some vehicles may exhibit difficulty starting in cold weather. This bulletin provides the procedure to perform an inspection on the starter magnetic switch for potential freezing and, if necessary, replace the starter magnetic switch (solenoid) assembly.

DTN DL

AIR BAGS

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN). These inflators were not supplied, approved, or authorized by the vehicle manufacturers and have primarily been found in vehicles that previously experienced a crash and underwent airbag replacement using non-genuine parts. These dangerous inflators have ruptured during deployment, posing a serious risk of injury or death due to metal fragments entering the vehicle cabin. To date, Hyundai is aware of three people who have died while driving a Hyundai vehicle with one of these substandard replacement airbag inflators that deployed in what likely would have been a survivable crash. NHTSA has issued a public advisory urging vehicle owners and service professionals to have vehicles inspected if there is reason to believe that a non-genuine replacement airbag may have been installed. Vehicles with salvage or rebuilt titles, prior airbag deployments, or unknown repair histories may present a higher risk. NHTSA strongly cautions against self-inspection by vehicle owners and recommends inspection by trained technicians.

DTN DCS

AIR BAGS

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN), that have been identified in U.S. vehicles following prior crashes, theft, or non‑certified airbag replacements. These inflators are not approved for use, may rupture during deployment, and have caused serious injuries and fatalities. Please see attached announcement, provided by NHTSA, for more details.

26-01-033H DN

ENGINE

This TSB references the Op codes to use for claim submission and the Parts required based on the vehicle’s inspection results from TSB 22-01-023H (DTC P1326 – Engine Bearing Inspection/Engine Replacement) or the latest version.

26-01-033H TSB

ENGINE

This TSB references the Op codes to use for claim submission and the Parts required based on the vehicle’s inspection results from TSB 22-01-023H-2 (DTC P1326 – Engine Bearing Inspection/Engine Replacement) or the latest version.

P33 OL

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

In response to this trend, we engineered a software upgrade that addresses the social media theft method and made it available to owners of eligible models free of charge at authorized Hyundai dealers since early 2023. In addition to the anti-theft software, we’ve developed a new zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protector hardware upgrade that can be installed at the ignition cylinder location to provide additional protection against the social media theft method. Because your Hyundai vehicle with the VIN listed above (“Subject Vehicle”) was not factory-equipped with an engine immobilizer and was previously eligible for the software upgrade, you are now eligible until March 31, 2027 to have the ignition cylinder protector installed — if you request it — at no cost to you through an authorized Hyundai dealership.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Hyundai Elantra GT by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2020Viewing700
2019130037.6
2018491043.2
2017250043.2
2016710
2015100
2014800
2013500

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.