CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2011 Sonata has a seriously defective engine that seizes without warning. It was awarded the dubious honor of being the first CarTalk / CarComplaints Turd of the Week in late September 2015.

A class action lawsuit was filed in May 2015 against Hyundai that claims the 2.4L Sonata engine is defective. More info here.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
49,314 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2011 Hyundai Sonata lights problems

lights problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2011 Hyundai Sonata:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2011 Hyundai Sonata Owner Comments (Page 1 of 11)

problem #216

Jul 052023

Sonata

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My right brake light has melted my housing due to the bulb getting too hot and my cruise control suddenly stopped working one day the light comes on but when I go to hit the set button it doesn't set or activate

- Halfmoon, NY, USA

problem #215

Jun 012023

Sonata

  • miles
My brake lights constantly go out new bulbs don't work either...it sems to be a malfunction in the wiring for the lights. The seatbelt on driver side will not latch no matter what. All electrical has issues, dash will go in and out as well as radio and heating/ac lights.

- Hampton, VA, USA

problem #214

May 212023

Sonata

  • miles
Brake light housing has melted and deformed so that the bulb is stuck in the tail light assembly and cannot be changed. Without working brake lights the car is unsafe to be driven on the road. I-??m assuming there is an electrical problem that caused the lights to overheat and melt the housing. This is a common complaint with this make and model based on my research. The socket also does not lock into the assembly due to the deformed housing. My daughter is the owner of the vehicle and made me aware of the issue today.

- Cleveland, NC, USA

problem #213

Apr 302023

Sonata

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have had replaced my taillight bulbs 8 times in the last year. They keep blowing out and getting so hot they melt the taillight assembly. I replaced the whole assembly a couple months ago and it is already melted so bad the light bulb will not fit properly or stay in place. This is a fire hazard and also a safety hazard as my taillights quit working at anytime.

- Walnut, MS, USA

problem #212

Apr 032023

Sonata

  • 150,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the headlights ceased to operate as designed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the headlight bulbs were replaced three times within a month; however, the failure persisted. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

- Stockbridge, GA, USA

Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...

problem #211

Mar 012023

Sonata 4-cyl

  • miles
The NHTSA has filed a Consent Order (RQ17-004) for a Engine Replacement due to safety concerns while driving the vehicle on the road, Vehicle may stall and cause / be involved in a accident. Please make this recall public so the affected vehicles can be properly repaired as the Consent Order states I have reviewed the Consent Order and I will not continue to drive this vehicle, I will not risk being involved in a accident The Hyundai dealership in Alexandria Virginia has refused to repair this recall under the Consent Order, My vehicle Vin# is [XXX] My vehicle has been at this dealership location for over 3 weeks and I was told that they were not going to perform this recall and I noted that If I pick up my vehicle and drive it away and the engine fails, stalls or stops in the middle of the highway and I survive I will have to file a lawsuit in this matter and the dealership still told me to pick up my vehicle. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Fort Washington, MD, USA

problem #210

Oct 262022

Sonata

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2020 wiring harness overheated and melted - replaced taillight 6 times in 1 year. Hyundai fixed. 2021 tailight out again - Hyundai stated the taillight assembly melted, needs to be replaced (403.00) light bulb cannot be replaced (warped). Safety issue is what is causing things to heat up and melt. Many others reported same issue online - Hyundai is not taking ownership to fix whatever is causing this? No warning lamps.

- Huntington Beach, CA, USA

problem #209

May 182022

Sonata

  • miles
when driving randomly the cars engine will rev really high while pressing the gas pedal but the car doesn't move. After a little while the car eventually makes a loud clunking noise which shakes the car and typically causes the tires to spin. It seems to happen when the car is trying to decide whether to switch the gas engine or back to EV mode. This has been happening for a long time an even after the engine was replace under the recall. This is a safety issue that causes major concerns for myself an passengers. Also it happen when turning onto highways or exits which at high speeds there is a high likelihood of causing an accident. I have reported this to Hyundai several times but they cannot figure out the cause but rather keep trying different things an charging me. the car also seems to burn oil fast which doesn't make any sense being that its a newly installed engine.

- Elkton, MD, USA

problem #208

Nov 102022

Sonata

  • miles
I have had to replace my brake lights, sometimes, every few months. My third brake light only works intermittently. Recently, my brake lights and my door lights failed to shut off after I turned the engine off. Also, my abs light came on on the dash, but after turning the engine off and back on, that light went out. After re-starting my car and repeatedly, stepping on the brake, my lights finally shut off. I checked the internet for similar problems and found out that there had been a Hyundai recall for this issue. I phoned Hyundai customer support. They told me the recall had been repaired on my car by the dealer. Obviously, it had not. (The dealer also claimed to have corrected another recall regarding seat belts, but that too is a lie, since my seat belt dash light is on although I have never been involved in an accident) I believe that the dealer billed Hyundai, but failed to either deliberately or inadvertently failed to perform the recall work. The recall involved replacing the brake stopper pad which engages the brake light switch. Obviously, Hyundai considered this a safety issue since the brake lights are always on, so the driver behind my car never knows what I'm doing. This has also affected the interior overhead light which only intermittently goes off when I close the door, so I have to keep the light in the off position.

- Evanston, IL, USA

problem #207

Oct 242022

Sonata

  • miles
The vehicle dash and center console lights flicker and/or dim between bright and dim lights while the headlights temporarily turn off at random intervals while driving. This random, but frequent occurrence happens often when applying the turn signal in either direction. The problem generally exist between 1 to 5 seconds, causing impaired driving during nighttime operation. The turn signal appears to work as expected during the electrical issue. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This safety issue can impair nighttime driving visibility which can result in an accident, distracted driving to the primary vehicle driver and other motorists, and false driving signals to other drivers. This issue has been reproduced by an authorized Hyundai dealer and other drivers with similar Hyundai Sonata GLS model years. The following online forum is 1 example that provides driver examples and descriptions of the same issue with the same model and year as well as other vehicle model years: https://The vehicle has been used as a daily driver under normal driving conditions and has been maintenanced and inspected by an authorized Hyundai dealership for recalls, service, and the mentioned electrical issue. There are no warning lamps prior, during, or after the electrical issue occurence.

- Youngstown, OH, USA

problem #206

Sep 012020

Sonata

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

All the electrical on the drivers side conti ues to fail. The blinker on the driver side only works if the headlights are on and the brake/blinker lights constantly go out even though the bulbs are fine.

- Rosamond, CA, USA

problem #205

Jan 012020

Sonata

  • miles
break lights burn out in less than 3 months after replacing the light bulb

- Camden, SC, USA

problem #204

Aug 182022

Sonata

  • miles
I can-??t drive my car in the dark. This has been on going since I bought the car and has just gotten worse. Everytime I turn my lights on all of my rear lights stop working and if I-??m driving and the back light stop working my gas peddle also will not let me accelerate until I let my foot off and go back on to it but at this point I have no tail lights or brake lights.. I-??ve tried so many things to fix this but this is a serious issue I had another friend who bought the same car and sold it a week later because of the same issue. I also can open my trunk and wiggle the wires and it-??s a whole light show back there.

- Lebanon, IN, USA

problem #203

Jan 012020

Sonata

  • miles
My passenger rear brake light will not come on after car has been in repair shop 11 times to correct issue. They have replaced the bulb, socket, light wiring harness, fuse etc. The brake light will work for a very short time after repair shop, but then go out again.

- Arlington, TX, USA

problem #202

Jul 222021

Sonata

  • miles
The taillight socket is melting disabling the effective use of the brake system to alert other drivers the vehicle is stopping. The light works but can not be reinserted into the given space because it has melted close on the tailight cause my entire tail light to have to be replaced. The light bulb then melted into the trunk space and could have caused a fire but luckily we smelled it and moved the placement. I have almost been rear ending multiple times cause long the oncoming driver to swerve off the road to avoid hitting me because they were not able to see I was stopped. I have been stopped by law enforcement and given a warning thankfully. I have sent a complaint to hyundai and have seen multiple complaints and myself seen multiple sonatas on the road with no tail light/brake light issues. My dealer wants to charge over $600-1000 to repair this imperative issue. There was no indication they were malfunctioning until they had melted into the socket. On both lights. I have read multiple complaints on this same issue. This is an important part of the car that needs to be fixed for driver safety.

- Wesley Chapel , FL, USA

problem #201

Jul 052022

Sonata

  • 120,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that after turning off the vehicle, he and his wife exited the vehicle and both noticed that the brake lights had remained illuminated. The brake lights failed to turn off as designed. The dealer and the manufacturer were both contacted and stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V759000 (Exterior Lighting). No additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 120,000.

- Provo, UT, USA

problem #200

Jun 202022

Sonata

  • miles
I have replaced my front driver door actuator, the back driver and front passenger side 3x and it-??s still having issues. I replaced all fuses an wiring harness. Front headlights keep blowing out after about a week of putting in new ones.

- Littlerock, CA, USA

problem #199

Dec 012011

Sonata

  • miles
Brake lights have been needed to be replaced multiple times a year, since I purchased the car. Now this past year I have had to replace my break lights more often and noticed the port that holds the light appears to be burnt. So after I noticed the situation, I googled to see if there were any recalls and there have been, but my dealership advised me that my car had no recall for the break lights but had other recalls (which nothing was ever sent to me stating any recalls). Also be advised approximately every 5 hyundai sonata has a break light out. I am EXTREMELY upset that there has not been a recall for the break lights and also upset that the dealer charged $115 for two break light bulbs and -??labor-??) and why was I not aware of recalls on my vehicle until I went into the dealership with a problem.

- Bayonne, NJ, USA

problem #198

May 052021

Sonata

  • miles
my passenger headlight continuously goes out. I also have where my headlights completely go out as well as my interior lights. there is nothing out of the ordinary when it happens. Sometimes it will do it when I use a turn signal, other times just on it's own. I will have it happen very frequently and then not again for months. I also have the taillight burn out very often

- S St Paul, MN, USA

problem #197

Jan 212020

Sonata

  • miles
Everything worked good until I had to take my car to the dealer for knock sensor, air bag check, software update, and my engine was also part of the affected engine recall... well ever since then I have had to replace my car battery a few times and now I just invested in a battery charger because now my cars battery gets drained whether or not I use it" I asked the dealer on a couple of occasions to check out why my dash and lights flicker and shut off and come back on seconds later when I turn my lights on at night? also told the service writer that I noticed this happening when I used my turn signal, because I could notice the dash lights and head beams behave erratic and most dangerously? I know I was told more than once that they could not find nothing wrong and there were no codes either" I have to disconnect my battery now because of this dangerous issue and just gets very frustrating that now I have a car that sits there in my car port more than its driven nowadays but because car prices are high I really need my car repaired so that it could work safely like it used to before. I'm afraid that my car will catch on fire because of this and just wished that Hyundai Motor Corporation would look into this matter more seriously and more importantly find a solution for this big safety mater. I just finally got tired of all this that I have to go through and still probably wont ever hear of a safety recall for this big problem...

- Covina, CA, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?