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What 190 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Hyundai Elantra Gt

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (190)Crash / fire / injury (21)Engine (78)Transmission & drivetrain (38)Lights (20)Electrical system (17)Steering (16)Speed control (11)Brakes (9)Fuel system (7)Body & structure (5)Driver assistance (5)

4 of 190 complaints match · Engine · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Aug 21, 2024Electrical systemLightsEngineFire

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.

NHTSA ODI 11610088

May 26, 2024EngineFire

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)

NHTSA ODI 11590815

Nov 18, 2021EngineCrash

At least 5 or 6 times, I have experienced sudden uncommanded acceleration with my 2020 Hyundai Elantra. One time my car hit a tree. These have been terrifying incidents. It usually happens when I am slowing down or braking.

NHTSA ODI 11440913

Aug 27, 2021SeatsEngineCrashFire2 injuries

Car emitted carbon monoxide into car cabin, causing driver to lose consciousness and crash on highway and burst into flames

NHTSA ODI 11430751

Working with the data? Download all 190 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2020 Hyundai Elantra Gt verdict →