AI Damage2020 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-IN Hybrid reliability: common problems
Owners of the 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-IN Hybrid filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and engine. The maker issued 40 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 6
- involving a crash
- 2
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 40
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 33% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 17% of all complaints
- 3 Visibility 17% of all complaints
- 4 Forward collision avoidance 17% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 17% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (33% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 2.
- Engine: 1 complaints (17% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 2.
- Visibility: 1 complaints (17% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 2.
- Forward collision avoidance: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 6 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Steering | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Engine and cooling | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Tires | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Air bags | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Exterior lighting | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Parking brake | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Wheels | 0 | 0 | 2 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
And instead of switching to P automatically, it just rolled away and hit the neighbors garage.
When I applied the brakes to stop the car, my brakes failed. I ended up hitting the car in front of me. I was lucky that we were all driving at a very slow speed an I did not have serious injuries, just one week of neck and back pain. The brakes failing happened once before.
The engine coolant can leak into the exhaust because air a known design flaw. When the the engine turns on after being in electric mode the coolant pump starts and pushes it out the exhaust causing a sudden over heating of the engine. This causes the car to stall and can be very dangerous at freeway speeds.
The brake pedal would loose pressure and stopping distance would extend further than anticipated. the dealer consistently told me that they could not duplicate the problem.
The display does not always show reverse camera when backing up. Not often, but does occur. I can use mirrors, etc. Annoying as it is a learned experience with this car, and when reverse camera is not operational it does limit view behind car due to design. I did capture video this time as it isn't first occurrence.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 12,234 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 38% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Ioniq Plug-IN Hybrid has 5 complaints (6 years in the data). This year has 6, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Forward collision avoidance. Radar and camera: calibration after bumper or windshield replacement.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- Some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil…
Some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning procedure for vehicles diagnosed with this…
- Certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil…
Certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures for vehicles exhibiting this condition…
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and…
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co…
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding…
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety…
- This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the…
This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. This TSB illustrates the various causes of…
- This bulletin provides information related to the changes introduced in the 2025 1st Navigation Map and…
This bulletin provides information related to the changes introduced in the 2025 1st Navigation Map and Software Update. The changes may vary depending on vehicle type, model, and navigation system as described in this…
- This bulletin provides information related to the changes introduced in the 2024 2nd Navigation Map and…
This bulletin provides information related to the changes introduced in the 2024 2nd Navigation Map and Software Update. The changes may vary depending on vehicle type, model, and navigation system. Refer to the 2024…
- Some vehicles may exhibit a loss of connectivity or interruptions in the middle of using Bluelink Service…
Some vehicles may exhibit a loss of connectivity or interruptions in the middle of using Bluelink Service functions. This may be due to an irregular disconnection on Verizon’s communication network. Follow the…
- This bulletin contains information about the proper removal of the windshield wiper blade protective cover…
This bulletin contains information about the proper removal of the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all models. If the protective cover is not removed correctly, there is a possibility of the rubber insert…
- This bulletin provides important checkpoint guidelines when performing engine oil and filter change services
- This Service Information bulletin provides information on how to update the Apple Carplay software from…
This Service Information bulletin provides information on how to update the Apple Carplay software from Hyundaiâs Navigation Updates page. The current version of Google Maps has 10 times the data transmission…
- Hyundai applies a Paint Protection Film (PPF) on new vehicles before delivery to dealerships
It provides a barrier between the paint and contaminants, such as rail dust, acid rain, and industrial fallout. In rare cases, the paint can become clouded under the PPF. These spots are the result of moisture trapped…
NHTSA lists 40 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-IN Hybrid?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, engine, visibility. Total complaints: 6. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rear-view camera (33%), brake failure (17%), rollaway, parking brake (17%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-IN Hybrid?
NHTSA lists 40 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-IN Hybrid from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2020 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.