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2020 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

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.
17
Latest May 12, 2026
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
8
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.
4

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

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

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Electrical630.0%
  • Driver assistance420.0%
  • Body & structure315.0%
  • Powertrain (other)210.0%
  • Brakes210.0%
  • Steering15.0%
  • Fuel system15.0%
  • Other / unspecified15.0%

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

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

6
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

While attempting a slow right turn from a complete stop at an intersection, I heard a loud thunk sound followed by an immediate loss of power steering response. The steering wheel spun freely with little resistance while the front tires did not respond proportionally. I was able to safely pull over. Upon restarting the vehicle it produced an abnormal wheezing sound suggesting additional mechanical stress. At the time of the failure the vehicle had approximately 40,000 miles, which I believe represents a premature failure for a safety-critical steering component. The vehicle was brought to a Hyundai dealership for inspection. The dealer pulled diagnostic fault codes, found none, performed a 20-minute test drive, and returned the vehicle stating they could not find anything wrong. No physical inspection of the steering components was performed. The failure condition — a slow full-lock turn from a complete stop — was never specifically replicated during the dealer's test drive. The problem has not been confirmed or repaired by the dealer. The vehicle is available for inspection. My safety and the safety of other drivers was put at risk by the sudden and unexpected loss of steering control. No warning lights appeared prior to or during the failure.

NHTSA ID 11737339 · filed May 12, 2026

The charge controller failed twice and one of the times I was out on a dangerous road where there wasn’t a safe spot to pull over. It was very sketchy.

NHTSA ID 11728257 · filed Mar 31, 2026

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

4
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Ioniq. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH with the adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist features activated, the check engine warning light suddenly illuminated and the steering wheel seized causing the driver to lose control of the steering and the vehicle crashed into a concrete barrier. After restarting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was no longer illuminated and the vehicle operated as normal. No injuries were reported and no police report was taken. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 37,859.

NHTSA ID 11551859 · filed Oct 25, 2023

The lane departure keep system has a major firmware bug. When the car is moving along a sweeping right hand turn from the farthest left lane, the vehicle senses that the car is going to cross the lane line to the right and jerks the steering wheel back towards dead center. This throws the vehicle towards the left hand curb. The driver must react quickly to jerk the wheel back to the proper position. This takes a reasonable amount of force that not all drivers may possess. Hyundai dealer service technicians are aware of this issue but can only "detune" the system to make it slightly less sensitive.

NHTSA ID 11504345 · filed Jan 30, 2023

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Body & structure

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Ioniq. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH a sudden booming sound occurred near the front passenger’s side of the vehicle. After stopping to inspect the vehicle it was discovered that the front driver’s side wheel well and bumper dislodged and was rubbing against the front passenger’s side wheel. The contact was able to adjust the damaged body part from rubbing against the wheel and continued to drive the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,650.

NHTSA ID 11514129 · filed Mar 28, 2023

Received this code from the car: DTC C223986 DTC System CHASSIS DTC Sub System LKAS But NO ONE can tell me what it means...

NHTSA ID 11436123 · filed Oct 9, 2021

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Powertrain (other)

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

While attempting a slow right turn from a complete stop at an intersection, I heard a loud thunk sound followed by an immediate loss of power steering response. The steering wheel spun freely with little resistance while the front tires did not respond proportionally. I was able to safely pull over. Upon restarting the vehicle it produced an abnormal wheezing sound suggesting additional mechanical stress. At the time of the failure the vehicle had approximately 40,000 miles, which I believe represents a premature failure for a safety-critical steering component. The vehicle was brought to a Hyundai dealership for inspection. The dealer pulled diagnostic fault codes, found none, performed a 20-minute test drive, and returned the vehicle stating they could not find anything wrong. No physical inspection of the steering components was performed. The failure condition — a slow full-lock turn from a complete stop — was never specifically replicated during the dealer's test drive. The problem has not been confirmed or repaired by the dealer. The vehicle is available for inspection. My safety and the safety of other drivers was put at risk by the sudden and unexpected loss of steering control. No warning lights appeared prior to or during the failure.

NHTSA ID 11737339 · filed May 12, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid. The contact stated that while idle, releasing the brake and pressing the accelerator, the vehicle would jolt forward before accelerating. The failure would occur intermittently and had become progressively more pronounced. There were no warning lights illuminated. During the most recent occasion, the vehicle jolted forward so aggressively that it caused the contact to have whiplash. The contact had to refrain from work due to the whiplash symptoms sustained, such as neck pain and nausea. The vehicle was taken to the dealer twice, and the dealer was not able to diagnose the cause of the failure. The dealer was able to experience the failure described when inspecting the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed the vehicle was not covered under warranty or recall. The manufacturer filed a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ID 11675641 · filed Jul 23, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The Hyundai Ioniq was designed with a dual clutch system for the electric motor and gas motor. This was done to disengage and engage either separately when necessary for low power, regen braking, etc. However, this design heavily impacts the behavior of the brakes and safety of the vehicle overall. When the brakes are applied, the ECU will turn off the gas engine to conserve gas in regen braking mode. Additionally, the ECU will downshift the transmission. Downshifting the transmission and disengaging the gas engine become an issue because conducting both actions removes significant resistance in braking. Causing the vehicle to lurch when the downshift occurs while also increasing stopping distance. This downshift can be felt when braking as both loss of brake power and vehicle lurch. The system also does not account for this brake power loss by increasing brake booster response.

NHTSA ID 11597774 · filed Jun 30, 2024

ON 3/27/2020 I PURCHASED A HYUNDAI IONIQ 2020 WHICH ADVERTISED ON THE WINDOW STICKER VEHICLE INCLUDES ADVANCED SAFETY FEATURES BIND SPOT COLLISION AVOIDANCE ASSIST AND REAR CROSS TRAFFIC COLLISION AVOIDANCE ASSIST. UNFORTUNATELY, THE MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED ME ON 8/24/2020 THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MANUFACTURED AS ADVERTISED. THE FEATURES CAN'T BE ADDED AFTER THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED ME $500 FOR MY INCONVENIENCE WHEN I REQUESTED A VEHICLE BUY-BACK TO REPURCHASE THE LIKE KIND VEHICLE WITH THE INCLUDED SAFETY FEATURES.

NHTSA ID 11355068 · filed Sep 15, 2020

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Steering

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

While attempting a slow right turn from a complete stop at an intersection, I heard a loud thunk sound followed by an immediate loss of power steering response. The steering wheel spun freely with little resistance while the front tires did not respond proportionally. I was able to safely pull over. Upon restarting the vehicle it produced an abnormal wheezing sound suggesting additional mechanical stress. At the time of the failure the vehicle had approximately 40,000 miles, which I believe represents a premature failure for a safety-critical steering component. The vehicle was brought to a Hyundai dealership for inspection. The dealer pulled diagnostic fault codes, found none, performed a 20-minute test drive, and returned the vehicle stating they could not find anything wrong. No physical inspection of the steering components was performed. The failure condition — a slow full-lock turn from a complete stop — was never specifically replicated during the dealer's test drive. The problem has not been confirmed or repaired by the dealer. The vehicle is available for inspection. My safety and the safety of other drivers was put at risk by the sudden and unexpected loss of steering control. No warning lights appeared prior to or during the failure.

NHTSA ID 11737339 · filed May 12, 2026

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Fuel system

Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

While on cruise control when climbing a hill, a warning appears telling me that the EV has failed and that I should stop driving the vehicle. At the time the warning appears the cruise control shuts off and the car slow dramatically. All 5 times this has happened the vehicles behind me have had to slam on their brakes in order to avoid running me over. Once it was a triaxle dump truck, fully loaded, he went off the right side of the road and almost hit the guardrails to avoid the collision. The car has been tested at our dealership (Jenkins Hyundai) and they have confirmed the issue.

NHTSA ID 11488624 · filed Oct 10, 2022

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Other / unspecified

Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Ioniq. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH with the adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist features activated, the check engine warning light suddenly illuminated and the steering wheel seized causing the driver to lose control of the steering and the vehicle crashed into a concrete barrier. After restarting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was no longer illuminated and the vehicle operated as normal. No injuries were reported and no police report was taken. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 37,859.

NHTSA ID 11551859 · filed Oct 25, 2023

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

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.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .