2020 Hyundai Elantra engine problems
101 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2020 Hyundai Elantra — 42% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“"I was not notified of Campaign 974 and later experienced engine problems/failure. I am requesting review of whether the campaign was completed and whether the failure is related to the condition the campaign was intended to detect. My engine failed while pulling up to a house, stopping, then…”
filed Jul 28, 2026
“Currently, there are 30,564 miles on my vehicle and I am the original owner of the vehicle since early 2021. This is a continuous intermittent problem that can occur at any time when trying to accelerate the vehicle. The vehicle could be moving down the road and you go to accelerate and the RPM's…”
filed Jun 9, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- Piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which could result in engine…Campaign 21V301000 · Apr 28, 2021
Engine problems in other Elantra years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Elantra | 3 | 14% |
| 2024 Elantra | 8 | 15% |
| 2023 Elantra | 16 | 18% |
| 2022 Elantra | 10 | 10% |
| 2021 Elantra | 13 | 10% |
| 2019 Elantra | 128 | 52% |
| 2018 Elantra | 139 | 50% |
| 2017 Elantra | 286 | 38% |
| 2016 Elantra | 109 | 38% |
| 2015 Elantra | 90 | 35% |
| 2014 Elantra | 162 | 43% |
| 2013 Elantra | 233 | 18% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2020 Hyundai Elantra
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.