10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
8,533 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2020 Hyundai Elantra engine problems

engine problem

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2020 Hyundai Elantra Owner Comments (Page 1 of 4)

problem #67

Dec 312024

Elantra

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

transmission failed while driving & now doesn-??t drive.

- Logansport, IN, USA

problem #66

Dec 062024

Elantra

  • miles
Engine stalled out, oil light and engine repair light both on, call will not turn over

- Villa Ridge, MO, USA

problem #65

Nov 092024

Elantra

  • miles
Took car into closest mechanic on Saturday 11/09/24 and was informed that both engine mounts were completely shot. Mechanic informed me car was unsafe to drive. Had the car repaired as Hyundai service center was closed. I contacted Hyundai on Monday 11/11/24 to let them know what happened. Received call yesterday from case manager that since I didn't take car to Hyundai facility they would not reimburse me the money paid on the repair. Mechanic at service station said it was unsafe to drive the car of his property. The mechanic also told me he has never seen either engine mount completely shot in care that was only 4 years old.

- Morrisville, PA, USA

problem #64

Oct 062024

Elantra

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My vehicle stalled. I was heading to work and vehicle just cut off while driving. The day before it had started making a strange knocking, clicking sound. It will not charge and will not start up. I have not contacted manufacturer and not inspected by manufacturer. I checked vin # but not on recall list. I have kept my car up to date with servicing.The noise it made when it started to stall was really loud and then cut off. My safety was put at risk because I take the highway to work everyday and almost reached the highway that day before it stalled. My car is used for taking my kids to school, doctors appts and work. I am thankful my kids were not in the car when this happened. It had to be pushed off the road in a high traffic area causing a safety issue.

- Del City, OK, USA

problem #63

Sep 052024

Elantra

  • miles
Engine failure: Engine light came on and oil level was abnormally low, even though oil had been changed not long before. Before able to add buy more oil to add when checked, the engine gradually lost pressure and wouldn't stay started. Died in the middle lane of highway all of a sudden. Inspection under hood showed that there was oil all around on engine and some on the ground. Towed to dealership and was not told of interim recall 21V-301. Possible acceleration of engine oil consumption due to bad piston oil rings. Later I researched and found that Hyundai was to inform owners that they were encouraged to check the level of oil periodically between oil changes...that accelerated oil consumption was possible due to this issue of the oil rings. Had to research and find myself.

- Little Rock , AR, USA

problem #62

Sep 122024

Elantra

  • miles
The warning lamp (engine light) illuminated blinking on and off. Engine code P1327 read on the diagnostic check, riding on the expressway was a little uncomfortable, engine was losing power which is unsafe at high speeds. I-??ve contacted the nearest Hyundai dealer and scheduled an appointment for the car repair. I take care of the car and any repairs for maintenance and I never have any problems whatsoever until day. After doing research Hyundai had or has a recall for my vehicle with the VIN NUMBER starting with KMH, for engine replacement and I want to know if Hyundai can fix this issue.

- Macon, GA, USA

problem #61

Jun 302023

Elantra

  • 70,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and releasing the accelerator pedal to come to a stop, the vehicle sputtered, made a clicking sound, and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact shifted to neutral(N) and was able to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The mechanic related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine) and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

- Bay Shore, NY, USA

problem #60

Aug 262024

Elantra

  • miles
It makes noise when driving a mph

- Seffner , FL, USA

problem #59

Aug 082024

Elantra

  • miles
A fire started in the passenger headlight assembly. The car had only been running for about 7 minutes directly prior to the fire being noticed. At the time of the fire it was parked & turned off. No injuries. It burned thru/melted part of the bumper & damaged something with the windshield washer fluid. Several people were at risk due to there being a fire! The car was parked at a gas station when the fire broke out. I don't think they have done a thorough investigation yet. It is current at Hyundai of Metairie in Metairie LA. According to the service technician my car is not the only one they have there that had the same thing happen. No warning signs, sounds, or anything else.

- Jefferson, LA, USA

problem #58

Jun 262024

Elantra

  • miles
Car is almost stalling Randomly on the highway. The rpm-??s go up and car won-??t speed up slows down. Stalls very randomly I am terrified to drive it, I used to have so much confidence on a newer Hyundai.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #57

May 262024

Elantra

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The car starting knocking while driving and later found out it-??s due to a knock sensor issue, at first the check engine light didn-??t come on, days later it-??s been blinking on and off since then.

- Mesa, AZ, USA

problem #56

Dec 262023

Elantra

  • miles
On [XXX} 2023, [XXX]. I was driving to work which is only 5 miles away. All my my dash lights came on. Next thing I know smoke, and fire started billowing out from under the hood. I started having a panic attack because the electrical system died and I could get out of the car. I then realized all I had to do was open the door handle. I called 911 and the police and fire department came and put the fire out. The entire under the hood was burned and some windows cracked from the heat. It was a scary ordeal. Im not sure what cause the engine to catch fire. I filed a report with the police and the car was towed. My insurance came and towed it to do an evaluation. They deemed it a total loss and blamed the engine. There was a recall on my engine for fires and state farm documented it in my loss report. I'm not sure who to go after for this because I had the car for 10 months, put $4000 down. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Cockeysville , MD, USA

problem #55

May 142024

Elantra

  • miles
Unknown

- Oklahoma City, OK, USA

problem #54

Mar 032024

Elantra

  • miles
The component which failed was the engine. This engine has been burning oil from the day in which we bought it. This engine puts everyone at risk because it failed in the middle of traffic, and We could have been hit by oncoming traffic. The problem could not be reproduced because the engine tied up in the middle of the road. We had the vehicle towed to the dealer who said it was not covered under the warranty due to abuse. The oil had been changed at the proper intervals, and we are sure the engine failed because it was a poorly made engine. This engine had exactly 69,993 miles when it tied up. We attempted to have it repaired at 54 thousand miles but the dealer said we need more money to check it out, but when they sold it they said the engine was covered. When we brought it in we asked for a loaner, but initially they refused. Three weeks later, we demanded a loaner as we happen to see the owner Steve Taylor at the customer service desk and he complied. After a month and a half without our car getting repaired they said we did not change the oil at the proper intervals, and said we need receipts for every oil change. We have a fully equipped auto shop in our steel-frame barn in which we replace engines for our Cars-for-Christ fundraiser program, and completed all the oil changes through our own mechanic. Before we could retrieve our purchase our oil purchase receipts they said, Hyundai will not replace this motor and it is not covered, we can put another engine in your car for 10,000 dollars. We still owe 14thousand on this car, and 4 thousand of that was for the 2017 Sonata which we bought that failed and we had to trade that to buy this 2020 Elantra. I have read all the complaints on these engines and they are OIL BURNERS. We put full synthetic oil in this engine and before it was time to change the oil, it was out of oil. We had to constantly put oil in this car about 1.5 to 2.5 per month. Now, we must replace this engine and pay 14k? HELP!!!!!

- Palmyra, MI, USA

problem #53

Apr 122024

Elantra

  • miles
This vehicle recently had a new engine and new transmission installed into it in February of this year. Less than 10K miles on it. The engine light came on on 4/12/2024 and I took it back to the dealer immediately. They called me on 4/15/2024 stating that their engineers and techs had had problems on the transmission recently installed on it due to manufacturing and/or faulty parts, and to replace that transmission with a new one. Still waiting to get the vehicle back at this point in time.

- Reno, NV, USA

problem #52

Oct 112023

Elantra

  • miles
The vehicles engine has gone through a gradual decrease of power and then the car went into "Limp mode" and began burning oil. I have taken it to dealer multiple times and they would run diagnostic and never find anything significant. When it went into limp mode I took it back to dealer and they ran diagnostic and said the engine was bad. They said that the car is out of warranty and they would not cover the repairs. When I look into the problems that the vehicle was exhibiting there was a recall 203 that describes my problem exactly. When I look it shows this was completed at around 6000 miles. I believe this was done to early in the vehicles life and it didn't exhibit any of these issues. Now at 80,000 miles the engine now has all the issues described in the recall and the manufacturer will not replace or repair the engine

- Goodspring, TN, USA

problem #51

Dec 222023

Elantra

  • miles
Engine seized while going 55-60mph with warning lights only 15 seconds before my vehicle completely stopped on the highway [XXX] ) The engine was replaced by Hyundai along with the manifold and catalytic converter. Vehicle lost all control and power and started excessively knocking while I tried to get to the shoulder but only made it to the right lane. The safety of others and myself were out at risk due to no control of the vehicle. Repair order attached INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Lawrence Township, NJ, USA

problem #50

Jan 302024

Elantra

  • miles
Took our vehicle to the local Hyundai dealer on 1/30/2024 to have them look at the engine as my regular mechanic stated the "engine was knocking" at the most recent oil change, and get it to the dealer as it should be under warranty. Turns out it did need an engine which they replaced yesterday finally, however when they took it for a test drive they still heard noises. They examined it further and today they notified me it also needed a new transmission. This vehicle we have had since we bought it new in January of 2021, had less than 10K miles on it when we took it into the dealer on 1/30/2024. This is absolutely unacceptable. Thank goodness I had all my receipts to prove regular proof of maintenance esp since I have a regular guy and did not have it done at the dealers.

- Reno, NV, USA

problem #49

Jan 192024

Elantra

  • miles
I took the vehicle in for it's regular oil change on 1/19/2024. My regular mechanic stated to me that "the engine is knocking, you need to get it to the dealer so they can fix the issue as it should be under warranty." He finished the oil change and we came home and immediately made an appointment with our local Hyundai Dealer - that appointment is on 1/30/2024 at 9 am. This is an extremely concerning issue as it affects the whole vehicle and the ability of it to be driven and last a long time. No warning lamps, or messages occurred for this issue, only the statement by my regular mechanic. I want to make sure this is documented in case Hyundai tries to get out of fixing the issue. This could be a very expensive problem. The appointment was made for the 30,000 mile service, but I will make sure they are aware of the engine issue when I take it in as well.

- Reno, NV, USA

problem #48

Jan 022024

Elantra 4-cyl

  • 87,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start without approximately 15-20 attempts. The vehicle had since failed to start completely. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the starter had failed causing the engine to seize. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that there were two open recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle received the recall repairs however, the starter was not replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the two unrelated recalls were confirmed with the VIN. Additionally, it was also confirmed that the replacement of the engine was no longer covered under warranty. The approximate failure mileage was 87,000.

- Cleveland, TN, USA

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