NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 257 owner complaints for the 2020 Hyundai Elantra.
3Safety recalls
257Owner complaints
21Complaints citing a crash
6Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: engine, wheels, and suspension. Most-reported area: engine (110 complaints, 43%; median mileage when it happened: 29,000). Includes the Elantra GT hatchback, the Elantra Hybrid and the Elantra N.
3 safety recalls for the 2020 Hyundai Elantra
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which could result in engine damage.
Risk: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. In addition, Hyundai will deploy Piston Ring Noise Sensing System (PNSS) software. Owner notification letters were mailed August 24, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Elantra, 2019-2021 Kona and Veloster vehicles equipped with 2.
The right-side rear wheel lug nuts may have been insufficiently tightened, allowing the wheel to detach from the vehicle.
Risk: A wheel detaching from the vehicle increases the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, tighten the lug nuts, free of charge. The recall began November 15, 2019. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-251-0871. Hyundai's number for this recall is 184.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019 Ioniq Hybrid and 2020 Elantra vehicles.
The lower control arm ball joint fasteners may have been insufficiently tightened allowing the ball joint to detach from the lower control arm.
Risk: A detached ball joint can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, tighten the ball joint fasteners, free of charge. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 185.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020 Elantra vehicles.
NHTSA listing: ELANTRA. Hyundai campaign 185.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 257 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Elantra. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Engine110 · 43%
Median 29,000 miles at failure (33 reports)
Powertrain48 · 19%
Median 5,000 miles at failure (24 reports)
Exterior lighting28 · 11%
Electrical system27 · 11%
Steering20 · 8%
Brakes14 · 5%
Forward collision avoidance14 · 5%
Most named: warnings (9); adaptive cruise control (3)
Unknown or other26 · 10%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Hyundai Elantra recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2020 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2017 Elantra drew the most (154) and the 2020 drew 100.
Owner complaints
2020: 257 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Hyundai Elantra
Model year
Complaints
2016
299
2017
792
2018
332
2019
263
2020
257
2021
159
2022
158
2023
166
2024
61
2025
34
2026
3
Safety recalls
2020: 3 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Hyundai Elantra
Model year
Recalls
2016
2
2017
4
2018
1
2019
1
2020
3
2021
7
2022
8
2023
4
2024
2
2025
2
2026
2
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Hyundai Elantra 4 DR FWD
Rollover risk 10.7%
Hyundai Elantra GT 5 HB FWD
Rollover risk 10.7%
Questions
What are the most common 2020 Elantra problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: engine (110), powertrain (48), exterior lighting (28). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2020 Hyundai Elantra safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2020 Hyundai Elantra earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Elantra has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Hyundai dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: ELANTRA, ELANTRA GT.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.