HyundaiKona2020Overview/hyundai/kona/2020/base/

2020 Hyundai Kona

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

The 2020 Hyundai Kona occupies an early position within a model run whose owner-reported complaint history spans 2018 through 2026, providing researchers a useful benchmark for tracking the vehicle's reliability trajectory. Across that model year, 152 owner complaints were logged, with engine issues identified as the most frequently reported problem area and two recalls issued against the vehicle. The 2020 figure sits below the model's all-time complaint peak of 185 set in 2019, yet still reflects substantial volume during what appears to be the Kona's most problem-prone stretch of production. Viewed against the sharp drop to single-digit complaint counts by 2026, the 2020 model year marks a clear transition point in the lineup's reliability evolution rather than an outlier of either kind.

Model year202620252024202320222021202020192018

Quick specs

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

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 / turnLOWOEM · verified
Tire size235/45R18/XL 98VOEM · verified
Wheel / rim7.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter2630035505
Battery37110F9620
Front wiper blades00F09AU016HY alt 99H09AKA26H

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length164.2 in
Overall width70.9 in
Overall height59.1 in
Wheelbase102.4 in
Curb weight3084 lb
Track (front / rear)61.4 / 61.4 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)56/44

Performance & power Independent road tests

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

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

6.4 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.40 sec — 2020 Ultimate 1.6T
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2020Ultimate 1.6T 1.6L Turbo I-46.40 sec15.10 sec175 hpFWD
2019Ultimate 1.6T 1.6L Turbo I-46.00 sec14.70 sec175 hpFWD
2019Electric Ultimate Elec 150-kW 64-kWh6.40 sec15.00 sec201 hpFWD
2019Electric Ultimate Elec 150-kW 64-kWh6.40 sec15.00 sec201 hpFWD
2019Electric Ultimate Elec 150-kW 64-kWh6.60 sec15.10 sec201 hpFWD
2019Ultimate 1.6T 1.6L Turbo I-46.60 sec15.20 sec175 hpAWD
2019Electric Ultimate Elec 150-kW 64-kWh7.00 sec15.50 sec201 hpFWD
2018Ultimate 1.6T 1.6L Turbo I-46.60 sec15.20 sec175 hpAWD

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

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts145.0-152.0 ft-lbs
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 Capacity0.94-1.05 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity3.89-4.57 oz
Standard BCI Cranking Performance640 cca
Optional BCI Cranking Performance760 cca
Standard BCI Cranking Performance640 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: 15; Rear: .315
Variation from Parallelism Thickness VariationFront: .0002; Rear: .0003
Maximum Rotor Runout.0016
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementFront: 15; Rear: .331
Variation from Parallelism Thickness VariationFront: .0002; Rear: .0003

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
149.0-52.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 98-102°49–52 ft. lbs
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) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Driveshaft (inspect) · Fuel Evaporative Canister Filter (inspect) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect)
Every 15,000 miFuel Filter (inspect)
Every 24,000 miDifferential (inspect fluid level) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Transfer Case Assembly (inspect fluid level) · 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 Kona sits near the peak of a declining complaint curve: after a sharp rise from 73 complaints in 2018 to 185 in 2019, complaints fell to 152 in 2020 and continued dropping to 42 by 2024. Recall activity mirrors this arc, increasing from 0 in 2018 to a high of 2 in 2020 before fluctuating between 0 and 3 in later years, while investigations remained modest (2 in 2020, similar to adjacent years). The dominant complaint category in 2020 is “Engine” (80 reports), with relatively few crash (8) and fire (3) complaints, suggesting most issues are power‑train related rather than safety‑critical. Compared with the surrounding model years, 2020 shows higher recall counts but already a downward trend in both complaints and Technical Service Bulletins, indicating that the most problematic early‑life issues were being addressed. **Takeaway:** 2020 is slightly less clean than later years but benefits from a decreasing problem trend, making it an acceptable year to buy if the buyer is comfortable with a modest recall history.

2
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
81
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
152
Owner complaints
8 involved a crash · 3 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 152 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine80
Unknown Or Other10
Power Train7
Electrical System5
Engine & Engine Cooling4
Steering4
Power Train,Engine3
Structure2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 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…

20V022000Equipment:Other:LabelsReported 17/01/2020

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020 Kona vehicles. The certification label may indicate incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of… Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install new label stickers displaying the correct GAWR over the affected areas of the certification label, free of charge. The recall…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 81 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…
TRW Settlement DCS2025-12-18Air BagsA Class Action settlement regarding the TRW Airbag was recently decided. Based on the…

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 Kona. 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 Kona have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.