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:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
45,250 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.
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the rear passenger side door failed to open. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer (South shore Hyundai, 360 sunrise hwy, valley stream, NY 11581) where it was diagnosed that the door lock actuator failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000. Updated 10/30/207
2011 Hyundai Sonata. Consumer writes in regards to muffler noises, fuse outlet replacement, loose window handle and engine replacement repair issues. The consumer was informed the baffles in the muffler were coming apart. Also, the vehicle suddenly stalled while in the midst of driving and it would not re-start. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealer. The dealer stated the engine needed to be replaced. However, it would have to be taken apart to see what caused it to happen. The dealer informed the consumer the connecting rods were bad and a recall had been issue on the engine due to concerns of metal debris entering the engine compartment causing the connecting rods to fail. The engine was replaced. However, when the consumer went to retrieve the vehicle, the other problems were not fixed. When the consumer drove off the lot, the vehicle began to shake violently and the check engine light illuminated. The dealer informed the consumer the engine they put in was bad, and it would be months before they could get another one.
The doors on this Sonata do not work properly. They do not stay open while riders exit the vehicle, and swing back and close, easily and forcefully, of their own Accord. This is not a rare occurrence. It happens often. We have had a total of three children, ages 11-15, have their fingers smashed in the doors a total of five times since buying the vehicle in 2011. Two of those smashed fingers resulted in open breaks that required medical attention.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Rosedale, NY, USA