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:
18 / 84
Injuries / Deaths:
15 / 0
Average Mileage:
71,895 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 upon pulling out of a driveway, the vehicle began to stall as he placed the vehicle into drive (D) and depressed the accelerator pedal. The contact then stated that several warning unknown lights appeared on the instrument panel as a dark colored smoke began to emit from underneath the hood of the vehicle. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where they diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V568000 (Engine) which he linked to the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure and provided him with a diagnostic fee. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the independent mechanic. The failure mileage was approximately 188,000.
As I was driving to work Saturday 3/12/22, four blocks from my home my Sonata with 064,000 miles stalled. I was able to restart the engine twice after which it made a lot of noise and, according to my mechanic, locked up. The mechanic tried to rotate the motor from the crankshaft pulley bolt and no movement, locked up. We suspect the failure may be connecting rod bearings premature wear, as has caused engine damage in the Sonata Hybrid currently on Recall. How can we determine the cause of this failure, and request satisfaction from Hyundai? Thank you, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
While driving, the engine in my 2011 Hyundai Sonata hybrid with the 2.4 liter engine shut off without notice (depressing the gas pedal and zero power)! I found myself and family in a difficult and potentially deadly situation as the speed limit on this road was 55mph, a large heavy duty tri axle dump truck was bearing down on my coasting car and family. I had few options from a safety stand point and had to make a snap decision. There was not a berm to pull off the road to the right side without trying to make a crash stop into the wilderness, or try to coast to the next available side street to get off the main road. As the vehicles coasting speed decreased I was very lucky that the oncoming traffic had a small gap between a another truck and a car. With few options I had to to make a decision and decided to try and make it to the side street almost causing a potential head on accident with that traffic. We were very fortunate to make it off the main road to the side street where we were now stranded. As one would realize we were very shook up emotionally do to this flaw in this vehicle. After many hours of research I see that a class action law suit was settled in 2021 for this exact engine bearing failure which seizes the engine and is now closed. From a safety stand point, reliability stand point and documented stand point a safety recall should be implemented to hold Hyundai Motor Cars responsible for all repairs to correct this safety issue. Additionally the obvious potential for the crashes and death become very apparent unless corrective action is not taken.
Out of the blue, in the middle of driving, this car stopped working. This could have been a very dangerous situation. There was absolutely no warning. Apparently, there is a recall, but it has not been publicized by Hyundai. Why was the recall not registered with the NHTSA" What efforts have been made, IN EARNEST, by Hyundai to reach owners? What advertisements, social media posts, outreach by dealers have been made? How many letters has each owner been sent, and how clear and serious was the wording on these letters" We had no idea there may be an issue with the engine, as we never received a notification from Hyundai. We never even heard of the recall until the car died in the middle of driving it. It is very dangerous that this issue exists and that no earnest effort has been made to notify the public. Not only are drivers and passengers being put in serious danger by the lack of information about this potential engine failure/potential fire, other drivers and passengers are being put at risk by having these cars out on the road. NHTSA should be advocating for the following: 1. More robust, earnest outreach on the failure issue. 2. Hyundai needs to give an accounting of how many affected vehicles have been sold in the US and how many have participated in their barely advertised recall (in order to let you know the scope of vehicles still affected.) 3. Hyundai needs to replace these engines or get these dangerous cars off the road by providing reasonable trade in value for people to stop using these cars. 4. This recall must be registered with the NHTSA and owners need to be alerted.
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but declined the engine replacement since the mileage did not match the title mileage. The manufacturer informed the contact to park the vehicle as it was not safe to drive. The failure mileage was 234,875.
- Evansville, IN, USA
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The shifter is not being recognized in park by the motor therefore, it is not wanting to start. Once i do get it started, then i can not shift out of park i have to stick the key down in the shift unlock position to get it to move out of park.
Engine knocking noise, random acceleration, vibration. Car diagnosed for misfiring in the third cylinder. Hyundai warranty is not covering and the dealership states my additional engine life time warranty not covering either!
Driving down highway the car just stopped going. The steering wheel got increasingly harder to turn. Once on side of road, I noticed a bunch of the warning lights lit up the dashboard. I turned off the car and tried turning it back on, however, it would just make a weird clicking noise and not start. I scheduled an appointment with a Hyundai dealership, so I-??m not sure what is wrong with car.
The car stopped while driving. It have a knock sensor code problem replaced and it will not start or move. I have read about the engine recall and my car did everything the engine recall stated. I do not understand how on one site it says my engine was recalled but on your site it does not. It has the same engine and model, make, and year. I could I could have died. I was never notified about any recall.
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS. The contact stated while driving at 20 mph and making a turn, all warning lights started flashing and the vehicle began to make an abnormal knocking noise. The contact was able to safely stop the vehicle as he noticed that smoke was coming from under the vehicle. The smoke stopped on its own as the engine was turned off. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the ECM cluster update (Software) which contributed to the engine failure. The contact stated that the dealer informed him that the engine also needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired as the dealer said that the engine replacement was not covered under warranty. The contact stated that the failure was related to a manufacturer warranty recall number: 953. The manufacturer was informed of the failure however no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was approximately 167,000. The contact stated the dealer provided a vehicle service credit check but the contact is asking is this supposed to be compensation for a new vehicle, pay off the credit or some type of settlement?
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate, and then stalled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with connecting rod bearing failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
While driving and making a turn lights on the dashboard flashed and car died had it towed to local auto shop. They told me the vehicle engine had seized and there was potentially a recall on the engine had it towed now to the dealer they said there wasn't a recall but could have an extended warranty they charged me $400 to have the engine taken apart and take pictures to send to Hyundai which then in turn denied the warranty due to sludge so I sent them the maintenance reports for the vehicle which has passed inspection every year of vehicle. Rented a car for 2 weeks then have since gone without a car because they denied the claim. Waited another week it is now been over 3 weeks at this point for them to tell me they denied it again I've only had the car eight months and bought it at a dealer not a private sale which it was serviced before I took the vehicle. Have now had been without a car for over a month and I'm out almost $1000 plus the vehicle for nothing. Why certain cars recalled of the same year and others not when there are this many complaints on the engine and probably many more not reported
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start after several attempts. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who did not diagnose the vehicle but advised the contact that the failure was related to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that her vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V568000 (Engine). The vehicle was towed to the dealer who advised the contact that the parts for the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle had remained at the dealer since October. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered to provide a rental car which required the contact to have a credit card, but she did not have one. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000. Parts distribution disconnect. Consumer was contacted by dealer recalls for the repairs were completed. When consumer visited the website on March 27th to verify on any recalls on my vehicle in which there was one still showing not completed.
The contact owned a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact initially stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal, knocking noise would emit from the engine. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer where a knock sensor test was performed and the contact had the engine replaced under warranty. A few months later while driving at night at 35 MPH, smoke(color unknown) began to emit from the vehicle without warning as he noticed his feet getting warm. The contact then saw flames emit from the vehicle and immediately pulled over. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the fire(fire report unknown). Police also arrived at the scene and a police report was filed. No injuries were reported at the scene. The vehicle was totaled and towed to an independent body shop. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered the option of a settlement; a settlement had yet to be made. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000. The failure mileage on the new engine was approximately 10,000.
The car cut off with no warning signs. No letter was send to me from the dvm stating that I had a recall and my car just cut off on me and the dealership telling me I have to come out of pocket to pay for engine that I no knowlege about at all of the software update
I was driving my 2011 Hyundai Sonata home from work when without warning my car started making a rattling noise and slowing down. I was able to get out of traffic and luckily maneuver my car into the parking lot of a mechanic before it completely shut down. I tried multiple times to restart it and it would not turn over. I started checking things under the hood and when checking my oil noticed it was completely empty. Where did all my oil go? After being inspected by the mechanic he notified me that my engine had seized up and that it is a known issue with this year and model. I then had it towed to the dealership where it is still sitting to be looked at. It-??s been a week of me being out of work due to not having a vehicle. When I asked about the known issue they stated that my VIN number is not listed as part of those affected. There were literally no warning lights until that morning when the engine light and oil light came on while I was coasting into the parking lot of the mechanic. If it would have been a busier part of the day I could have been in a serious accident. I am still without a vehicle waiting on the dealership to look at my car.
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled, almost causing a collision. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with engine failure from a damaged connecting rod and metal shavings in the engine. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer denied the engine replacement because the vehicle had a salvage title. The manufacturer informed the contact that the vehicle was previously repaired under Manufacturer Recall Number: 132 (GDI Engine Inspection/Replacement). The failure mileage was approximately 163,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced excessive oil consumption. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed with carbon build-up in the chamber. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. Additionally, there were two oil consumption tests performed. The contact was informed about a complete engine tear down. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 125,595.
While driving the car and accelerating the car literally stalled going down the street. I came to a complete stop it had died. No power or anything. I thought it was the starter but it wasn-??t brand new starter. Come to find out the engine stalled. Lifted the hood nothing but burnt smelled and smoke. I-??ve been catching [XXX] with this car. Helpppp me! It-??s toooo many of us to be going through the same [XXX] thing and no ANSWERS! INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
As I was driving the vehicle, I had just exited off of the highway and onto a ramp and as I tried to accelerate the speed back to the speed limit my vehicle made a knocking sound and stalled at about 40mph. It would not speed up and as I kept driving to attempt to get home we could hear different sounds coming from the engine. I made it home as the vehicle seemed to be ready to complete shut off but didn't. I took it into Hyundai and they said it could be the turbo, but were unsure. They state there are no recalls on the vehicle, but it seems that this is a common issue for others with the same vehicle. The engine is not good and I cannot drive my vehicle safely.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Dartmouth, MA, USA