HYUNDAI NEXO · model year

2020 HYUNDAI NEXO

13 NHTSA complaints, and 4 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2020HYUNDAINEXO carries 13 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and Not Rated/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2020 NEXO is fuel/propulsion system with 5 filings, followed by engine (2) and power train (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 4 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 2020 NEXO, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

13
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

13 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: Not Rated/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM5
ENGINE2
POWER TRAIN2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:FUEL CELL1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER1

Recalls (4)

22V25800014/04/2022

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:DELIVERY

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Nexo vehicles. The hydrogen gas detection sensors may fail to detect leaks in the hydrogen gas delivery system.

24V76100011/10/2024

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:PRESSURE RELIEF DEVICES

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2024 Nexo vehicles. The thermally activated pressure relief device (TPRD) may break and cause a hydrogen gas leak, which can result in a fire while parked.

20V21300009/04/2020

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020 Nexo and Sonata vehicles. The Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA) software may fail to prevent vehicle movement upon detection of an RSPA system malfunction.

20V74800001/12/2020

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:ELECTRIC:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Nexo Fuel Cell and 2019-2021 Kona Electric vehicles. The Integrated Electronic Brake (IEB) system may detect an abnormal sensor signal and as a result, may significantly reduce braking performance.

Recent Complaints

20250816ENGINE

Hyundai sells Nexo Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicles with known Fuel Cell stack issues, leading to severe safety issues from sudden power loss when driving, especially when overtaking and driving on highways and/or uphill. The power loss issue was diagnosed to originate from a fuel-cell stack failure, one of the Nexo’s main power-train components. This is a known power-train issue to Hyundai, debated online since 2021 by consumers experiencing the same power loss, across various Hyundai web-logs. Other affected consumers filed a class action lawsuit this year against Hyundai Motor America Inc, for the same and other reasons. The lawsuit accuses Hyundai of selling Nexo vehicles equipped with defective systems that fail to perform as promised. Plaintiffs argue that these defects compromise the vehicle’s performance, including the core hydrogen fuel cell stack, leading to reduced reliability and substantial safety concerns. There is no warning light indicating this issue when driving the Ne

20250816FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Hyundai sells Nexo Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicles with known Fuel Cell stack issues, leading to severe safety issues from sudden power loss when driving, especially when overtaking and driving on highways and/or uphill. The power loss issue was diagnosed to originate from a fuel-cell stack failure, one of the Nexo’s main power-train components. This is a known power-train issue to Hyundai, debated online since 2021 by consumers experiencing the same power loss, across various Hyundai web-logs. Other affected consumers filed a class action lawsuit this year against Hyundai Motor America Inc, for the same and other reasons. The lawsuit accuses Hyundai of selling Nexo vehicles equipped with defective systems that fail to perform as promised. Plaintiffs argue that these defects compromise the vehicle’s performance, including the core hydrogen fuel cell stack, leading to reduced reliability and substantial safety concerns. There is no warning light indicating this issue when driving the Ne

20250816POWER TRAIN

Hyundai sells Nexo Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicles with known Fuel Cell stack issues, leading to severe safety issues from sudden power loss when driving, especially when overtaking and driving on highways and/or uphill. The power loss issue was diagnosed to originate from a fuel-cell stack failure, one of the Nexo’s main power-train components. This is a known power-train issue to Hyundai, debated online since 2021 by consumers experiencing the same power loss, across various Hyundai web-logs. Other affected consumers filed a class action lawsuit this year against Hyundai Motor America Inc, for the same and other reasons. The lawsuit accuses Hyundai of selling Nexo vehicles equipped with defective systems that fail to perform as promised. Plaintiffs argue that these defects compromise the vehicle’s performance, including the core hydrogen fuel cell stack, leading to reduced reliability and substantial safety concerns. There is no warning light indicating this issue when driving the Ne

20250630FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Nexo. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V761000000 (Fuel system, Other, Fuel/Propulsion System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the only dealer capable of performing the recall repair on the vehicle was in California. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the issue. The contact had not experienced an issue. Parts distribution disconnect.

20250630FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Nexo. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V761000000 (Fuel system, Other, Fuel/Propulsion System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the only dealer capable of performing the recall repair on the vehicle was in California. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the issue. The contact had not experienced an issue. Parts distribution disconnect.

20241209FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

PLEASE SEE ATTACH FOR DETAILS 1. Component or System Involved The Fuel Cell System and Accelerator Pedal Control System are suspected to have malfunctioned. The issue is characterized by the vehicle's failure to respond to input from the accelerator pedal, particularly at speeds between 45-65 mph, which may be linked to increased power demand from the fuel cell system. The system is available for inspection upon request, as the issue is ongoing. 2. Safety Risks The malfunction poses a serious safety risk to the driver, passengers, and other road users. Sudden and unexpected loss of acceleration while driving, overtaking, or climbing inclines creates a high risk of collisions, especially on highways where traffic moves at high speeds. Other drivers may not have sufficient time to react, leading to rear-end collisions or side-impact crashes. 3. Problem Reproduction and Confirmation The problem occurs consistently after driving for a short period (less than five minutes) and has not be

20241209VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

PLEASE SEE ATTACH FOR DETAILS 1. Component or System Involved The Fuel Cell System and Accelerator Pedal Control System are suspected to have malfunctioned. The issue is characterized by the vehicle's failure to respond to input from the accelerator pedal, particularly at speeds between 45-65 mph, which may be linked to increased power demand from the fuel cell system. The system is available for inspection upon request, as the issue is ongoing. 2. Safety Risks The malfunction poses a serious safety risk to the driver, passengers, and other road users. Sudden and unexpected loss of acceleration while driving, overtaking, or climbing inclines creates a high risk of collisions, especially on highways where traffic moves at high speeds. Other drivers may not have sufficient time to react, leading to rear-end collisions or side-impact crashes. 3. Problem Reproduction and Confirmation The problem occurs consistently after driving for a short period (less than five minutes) and has not be

20241209POWER TRAIN

PLEASE SEE ATTACH FOR DETAILS 1. Component or System Involved The Fuel Cell System and Accelerator Pedal Control System are suspected to have malfunctioned. The issue is characterized by the vehicle's failure to respond to input from the accelerator pedal, particularly at speeds between 45-65 mph, which may be linked to increased power demand from the fuel cell system. The system is available for inspection upon request, as the issue is ongoing. 2. Safety Risks The malfunction poses a serious safety risk to the driver, passengers, and other road users. Sudden and unexpected loss of acceleration while driving, overtaking, or climbing inclines creates a high risk of collisions, especially on highways where traffic moves at high speeds. Other drivers may not have sufficient time to react, leading to rear-end collisions or side-impact crashes. 3. Problem Reproduction and Confirmation The problem occurs consistently after driving for a short period (less than five minutes) and has not be

20220801ENGINE

I received a safety recall on this car via mail. I brought it to the dealership service center in van nuys, ca, to which they said no recall currently exists on this car. A month later, I’m now experiencing a sensor of the fuel cell system failure. In addition, the CarPlay function on my car has not been working for 2 years and both Tustin and van nuys Hyundai dealership fail to fix it

20220801FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I received a safety recall on this car via mail. I brought it to the dealership service center in van nuys, ca, to which they said no recall currently exists on this car. A month later, I’m now experiencing a sensor of the fuel cell system failure. In addition, the CarPlay function on my car has not been working for 2 years and both Tustin and van nuys Hyundai dealership fail to fix it

20220218UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The city I live is located on top of a hill/low mountain. When I drive uphill by following speed limits to my home the car often can't keep recommended speed (45 mph). The speed drops significantly(can go even 25 mph) and unpredictable. At the beginning I believe the car was able to keep the speed but it slowly started losing the power. The risk is that a vehicle behind might not expect such behavior from my car and also changing lanes is tricky because it can't accelerate and it moves slower than other cars on the road. I've contacted dealership's service two times but they didn't find any issue. I also contacted Hyundai's customer support but they wasn't able to help me as well. The person from the service said that Hyundai is aware of the situation but they don't have any solution. My guess is that the problem is with battery. Battery performs as buffer to power electric engine in hydrogen fueled vehicles. When I drive uphill the battery probably drains fast and the energy from hy

20220217ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:FUEL CELL

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Nexo. The contact stated while driving at various speeds going uphill, the vehicle would lose power and lose speed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the fuel cells replaced however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and offered to buy back the vehicle. The failure mileage was 7,438.

Mileage: 7,438

20210523FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Starting March 29, 2021 fuel cell failure when pressing the accelerator, started out as an intermittent failure. Over the period of two weeks while waiting for an appointment to get the vehicle in for repair the problem increased in infrequency. When the vehicle was delivered to the dealership for repair any attempt to accelerate would cause the vehicles fuel cell to shut down and fail. As of May 23, 2021 I have requested and dealership has not released any service documents. The dealership still has possession of the vehicle.

Compare 2020HYUNDAINEXO to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2020 HYUNDAI NEXO have?
The 2020 HYUNDAI NEXO has 13 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2020 HYUNDAI NEXO?
The 2020 HYUNDAI NEXO received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of Not Rated/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2020 HYUNDAI NEXO?
Yes, the 2020 HYUNDAI NEXO has 4 recall(s). The most common affected component is FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:DELIVERY. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2020 HYUNDAI NEXO?
The most-complained component for the 2020 HYUNDAI NEXO is FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and POWER TRAIN.
Is the 2020 HYUNDAI NEXO safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2020 HYUNDAI NEXO has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.