Hyundai i20 N fuel pump fix confirmed

Hyundai i20 N owners in Australia have been seeing red as an increasing number of vehicles are forced off the road due to a faulty fuel pump issue.

Affected owners have also reported wait times of up to six weeks or more for replacement parts under warranty through Hyundai’s dealer network.

At the time of writing, anecdotal evidence suggests the fuel pumps have been failing at a rate of more than three a week, with affected vehicles all built prior to February 2023 and having typically covered between 10,000km and 40,000km.

In response, Hyundai Australia has confirmed in an open letter to customers that the affected cars were all produced prior to February 4, 2023, and that the issues have been resolved at a factory level.

However, the lengthy wait on the improved replacement pumps remains a hindrance.

“Initially, the problem was identified as a swelling of the pump impellor. A running change was made on 27 January 2023 at the factory in Turkey,” Hyundai Australia public relations general manager Bill Thomas said in the letter.

“Then, a problem was identified with debris and contamination on the pump’s impeller vane, caused by an incorrect material cleaning process during manufacturing.

“The original cleaning method (air blowing) has now been changed to vacuum/suction. That improvement was made on 4 February 2023.

“Obviously, all replacement parts in current supply are of the improved type and we have seen no repeat of the problem on i20 Ns in Australia built since February last year, nor any repeat of the issues on customer vehicles fitted with the replacement fuel pumps.

“The main challenge we have faced is the delay in acquiring parts. It’s a problem Hyundai has not been alone in trying to deal with in Australia – we are aware of several brands facing the same issue.”

Some customers surveyed by carsales said their vehicles were back on the road within a matter of days while others have been waiting in excess of six weeks, with no concrete resolution or repair date in sight.

No official recall notice has been issued.

Thomas said the failure rates were “relatively low” in terms of total i20 N sales “with few vehicles impacted”, however Hyundai is continuing to monitor the situation and will react accordingly pending any further developments.

The i20 N has been a runaway success for Hyundai in Australia and overseas. Wait times peaked at more the two years during 2022, forcing the brand to stop taking orders between July 2022 and September 2023 so production could catch up with demand.

Delivery times currently sit between three and six months for new orders.

A mild facelift for the Volkswagen Polo GTI rival is expected to debut in the coming months and follow on the heels of an updated i30 N hatch due in local showrooms later this year, with Australia set to become the biggest market for both models after their recent axing from Europe.

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