HyundaiElantra2020Overview/hyundai/elantra/2020/base/

2020 Hyundai Elantra

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

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 2020 Hyundai Elantra is a passenger car powered by an engine requiring 4.2 quarts of oil with viscosity ratings of 20W-40, 20W-50, or 10W-30 API. Reliability data shows 240 total owner complaints— with engine issues as the top concern—alongside three recalls. Within the model’s 1992–2026 production span, this complaint volume positions the 2020 model year between the 2013 high of 1,325 reported issues and the 2025 low of 21, indicating mid-range reliability for the nameplate.

Model year20252024202320222021202020192018

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity4.2 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type20W-40 / 20W-50 / 10W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque79-94 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI NS · 640 CCA battery, OE oil filter 2630035505. 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 NS · 640 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnLAMPOEM · verified
Tire size225/45R17 91WOEM · verified
Wheel / rim7 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter2630035505
Fuel filter31112B1000

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length181.9 in
Overall width70.9 in
Overall height56.7 in
Wheelbase106.3 in
Curb weight2822 lb
Track (front / rear)61.4 / 61 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)61/39

Performance & power Independent road tests

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

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

6.3–9.5 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.30 sec — 2018 GT Sport 5-door Hatchback
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2019GT N-Line 5-door Hatchback 1.6L Turbo I-46.50 sec15.00 sec201 hpFWD
2019Sport Sedan 1.6L Turbo I-46.90 sec15.20 sec201 hpFWD
2019Limited Sedan 2.0L I-49.00 sec16.80 sec147 hpFWD
2018GT Sport 5-door Hatchback 1.6L Turbo I-46.30 sec14.90 sec201 hpFWD
2018GT Sport 5-door Hatchback 1.6L Turbo I-46.60 sec15.00 sec201 hpFWD
2018GT Sport 5-door Hatchback 1.6L Turbo I-47.20 sec15.50 sec201 hpFWD
2018GT 5-door Hatchback 2.0L I-48.00 sec16.20 sec161 hpFWD
2017Sport Sedan 1.6L Turbo I-46.60 sec15.10 sec201 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 4.2 qt of 20W-40 / 20W-50 / 10W-30 API engine oil. Torque lug nuts to 79-94 ft-lbs.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine OilABOVE 32 degrees F
Engine Oil Capacity4.2 qt

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts145-152 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs78.0-121.0 inch lbs. ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts79-94 ft-lbs
Lug Nuts79-94 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR1234yf
Refrigerant Capacity1.04-1.15 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity3.53-4.23 oz
Standard BCI Cranking Performance640 cca
Standard BCI Group Number48 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: .843; Rear: .331
Variation from Parallelism Thickness Variation.0002
Maximum Rotor Runout.002
Maximum Drum DiameterParking Brake: 8.079

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
135.0-38.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 38-42°35–38 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages
124.0-27.0 ft. lbs.24–27 ft. lbs
290-95°
390-95°
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages
124.0-27.0 ft. lbs.24–27 ft. lbs
290-95°
390-95°
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 42,000 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 6,000 miAir Conditioning System (inspect) · Air Intake System (inspect) · Battery (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect)
Every 12,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · Fuel Evaporative Canister Filter (inspect) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect) · Fuel Filter (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap (inspect)
Every 18,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 24,000 miFuel Line (inspect) · Transmission Assembly (inspect fluid level)
Every 30,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 42,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)
At 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 60,000 miEngine Valves (inspect valve lash)
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 Elantra sits at the tail end of its generation's arc, which saw federal complaints spike massively at 759 in 2017 before steadily declining to 274 in 2018 and 243 in 2019. While the 2020 model continues this downward trajectory with 240 complaints and 3 recalls, it remains notably higher than the subsequent 2021 model year, which saw complaints plummet to 128 despite doubling its recalls to 6. For the 2020 model specifically, the primary complaint categories are the Engine (70) and Power Train (27), with 20 crash and 6 fire complaints reported, though the data does not specify the root causes for these issues. Because 2020 represents the close of a higher-complaint era before a marked improvement in 2021, it carries more inherent risk than its immediate successor. Consequently, you should ideally opt for a 2021 model for better reliability, or ensure any 2020 purchase includes a rigorous pre-sale inspection specifically of the engine and powertrain.

3
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
94
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
240
Owner complaints
20 involved a crash · 6 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★
Frontal★★★★
Side★★★★
Rollover★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 240 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine70
Power Train27
Exterior Lighting20
Unknown Or Other13
Steering10
Power Train,Engine9
Service Brakes7
Forward Collision Avoidance5

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

21V301000EngineReported 28/04/2021

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Elantra, 2019-2021 Kona and Veloster vehicles equipped with 2.0L Nu MPI engines. The piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which could… Remedy: 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…

19V720000Wheels:Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/StudsReported 09/10/2019

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019 Ioniq Hybrid and 2020 Elantra vehicles. The right-side rear wheel lug nuts may have been insufficiently tightened, allowing the wheel to detach from the vehicle. Remedy: 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…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 94 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
26-EE-003H TSB2026-04-17Electrical SystemSome vehicles may exhibit difficulty starting in cold weather. This bulletin provides the…
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…

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 Elantra. 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

How much oil does the 2020 Elantra take?

4.2 qt of ABOVE 32 degrees F: 20W-40 OR 20W-50 API SM, ABOVE -10 degrees F: 10W-30, 10W-40 OR 10W-50 API SM, BELOW 100 degrees F: 5W-30 OR 5W-40 API SM, per the factory manual.

Does the 2020 Elantra have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.