HyundaiAccent2020Overview/hyundai/accent/2020/base/

2020 Hyundai Accent

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2020 Accent.

Transmission Automatic (variable gear ratios)

The 2020 Hyundai Accent pairs an automatic transmission with variable gear ratios to deliver an EPA-estimated 33/41/36 mpg. Owner feedback for this model year totals just 12 complaints, with the primary concern centered on the structure, and four recalls have been issued. Within the Accent’s complaint history spanning 1991 to 2022, where the peak reached 167 complaints in 1995 and the low was a single complaint in 1993, the 2020 model stands as one of the more reliable entries.

Model year202220212020201920182017201620152014

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Lug nut torque79-94 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy33/41/36 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 47 Must use a AGM VRLA Battery. · 60 O.E. AmpHrs CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 47 Must use a AGM VRLA Battery. · 60 O.E. AmpHrs CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnLAMPOEM · verified
Tire size205/45R17/XL 88VOEM · verified
Wheel / rim6.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Battery37110F9620

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (variable gear ratios)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length172.8 in
Overall width66.9 in
Overall height56.3 in
Wheelbase101.6 in
Curb weight2685 lb
Track (front / rear)59.4 / 60.2 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)61/39

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined33 / 41 / 36 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume90 cu ft
Cargo volume14 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Accent of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

7.5–9.6 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 7.50 sec — 2018 SE Sedan
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2019Limited Sedan 1.6L I-49.60 sec17.20 sec130 hpFWD
2018SE Sedan 1.6L I-47.50 sec16.00 sec130 hpFWD
2018Limited Sedan 1.6L I-48.90 sec16.80 sec130 hpFWD
2018Limited Sedan 1.6L I-49.30 sec17.00 sec130 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

Torque lug nuts to 79-94 ft-lbs.

Engine torques

Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs78.0-121.0 inch lbs. ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts79-94 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR1234yf
Refrigerant Capacity1.00-1.11 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity3.38-4.06 oz
Standard BCI Group Number47 Must use a AGM VRLA Battery.
Standard BCI Cranking Performance60 O.E. AmpHrs cca

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier Torque16.0-23.0 ft-lbs
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt TorqueFront: 58.0-; Rear: 47.0-
ABS Sensor TorqueFront: 6.0; Rear: 6.0
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementFront: .787; Rear: .331
Variation from Parallelism Thickness Variation.0002
Maximum Rotor Runout.0016
Maximum Drum DiameterParking Brake: 8.161

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages
1M6 Boltsl 108-120.0 inch lbs., Step 2: M8 Bolts: 14-17.0108–120 in
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
134-38 ft. lbs., Step 2: 38-42°34–38 ft. lbs
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
113.0-16.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 88-92°13–16 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 97,500 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miAir Conditioning System (inspect) · Battery (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect)
Every 15,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · Clutch Master Cylinder (inspect fluid level) · Fuel Evaporative Canister Filter (inspect) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect) · Fuel Filter (inspect)
Every 22,500 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 30,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Transmission Assembly (inspect fluid level)
At 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 97,500 miSpark Plugs (replace)
At 120,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2020 Hyundai Accent represents a notable inflection point within this generation's federal record. Complaints dropped to just 12 in 2020—their lowest level across the entire dataset—down sharply from 29 in 2019, suggesting improved initial vehicle quality. However, recalls simultaneously increased from 1 in 2019 to 4 in 2020, holding at that elevated level into 2021, indicating the manufacturer addressed multiple issues after production; an NHTSA investigation also opened in 2020 and persisted through 2021. TSB volumes declined steadily from 82 in 2018 to 67 in 2020, reflecting diminishing service bulletins over the model run. The top complaint areas (Structure and Engine, each with 2) plus 2 crash-related complaints and 1 fire complaint show no dominant defect pattern—the data does not specify root causes for these. Comparing to the post-2020 years, 2021 maintained similar recall and investigation activity before both metrics subsided by 2022, suggesting issues were substantially addressed within this generation's lifecycle. The takeaway: the 2020 Accent presents a mixed but ultimately favorable profile—it had the fewest owner complaints in the generation while triggering more recalls than any prior or following year, indicating the manufacturer was actively rectifying problems rather than ignoring them; this pattern, combined with the declining TSB trajectory, suggests 2020 is a defensible purchase within this generation, though prospective buyers should verify all recall remedies have been completed.

4
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
67
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
12
Owner complaints
2 involved a crash · 1 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★
Frontal★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 12 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Structure2
Engine2
Air Bags,Seats1
Electrical System,Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System1
Vehicle Speed Control1
Steering1
Seat Belts1
Vehicle Speed Control,Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 4 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

21V619000Latches/Locks/Linkages:Trunk Lid:LatchReported 06/08/2021

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Sonata, 2016-2018 Sonata Hybrid, 2018-2020 Accent, and 2016-2017 Azera vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk… Remedy: Dealers will replace the trunk latch base, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460…

22V069000Seat Belts:FrontReported 09/02/2022

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Accent vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioner(s) may explode upon deployment. Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 24, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 67 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
DTN DL2026-04-10Air BagsThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of…
DTN DCS2026-04-10Air BagsThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety…
P33 OL2025-12-19Electrical SystemIn response to this trend, we engineered a software upgrade that addresses the social…
25-01-089H TSB2025-12-15Electrical SystemThis bulletin provides the service procedure for installation of a key cylinder…
25-01-089H DN2025-12-15Electrical SystemIn addition to the Anti-Theft software provided under Service Campaign 993 (TSB…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Accent. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

Does the 2020 Accent have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Accent get?

EPA figures are 33 city / 41 highway / 36 combined mpg.