Two cars with one badge
The everyday i20 started here as a 1.4-litre petrol with a 1.6-litre option. The 1.6 was dropped when the 1.6-litre Accent arrived at the end of 2011, so later ones are 1.4s.
The i20 N is the performance car, and it stayed on sale here after European production finished in February 2024. It's on a shorter schedule, and its brakes have a harder life if it sees twisty roads or a track day.
Signs your i20's pads need looking at
- A high-pitched squeal that doesn't clear after the first few stops
- Grinding or scraping when you brake, which means have it looked at now
- A brake warning light on the dash. If it's red, pull over somewhere safe and switch off
- The car tugging to one side as you slow down
- A pedal that feels soft, low or different from last week. Pull over somewhere safe
- A shudder through the wheel or the pedal under braking
What a good pad job includes
The mechanic should measure the pads and rotors, check the calipers move freely and look at the brake fluid. Ask whether the rotors can stay or need replacing, and have the answer written on the estimate. Brake work belongs with the mechanic, not on the driveway. Brake repairs has more, and how long brake pads last explains why two i20s can wear so differently.
Hyundai i20 battery replacement
An i20 on short trips gives its 12-volt battery little time to recharge, so slow starts are the usual early sign. Have it tested before you replace it, and have the charging checked at the same time. How long car batteries last explains what wears them out.
Hyundai's cover on a 12-volt battery is 2 years or 40,000 km, whichever comes first, so an older everyday i20 is well past that. A newer i20 N may not be.
Other jobs on an i20
The everyday i20 is a non-turbo petrol, so Hyundai's terms put it on 12 months or 15,000 km once it's past its Service Passport schedule. The i20 N runs 12 months or 10,000 km. Beyond that, an older i20 mostly needs what age brings: tyres, wipers, fluids and a look at anything leaking.
Warning lights deserve a proper look. A red one means pull over somewhere safe and switch off, and what an engine light means covers the orange one. Tell us which i20 it is, the year and what it needs. A local mechanic who specialises in your car.
What we'd do with an i20
Ask for the pad thickness front and rear at the next service, not just a pass or fail. If the car's an N that's been driven hard, ask for the brake fluid to be looked at as well. On an older hatch, we'd do the pads, tyres and battery as they come due, and keep the invoices together, because a tidy record helps when you sell.