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.

9.2

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
$5,150
Average Mileage:
96,400 miles
Total Complaints:
192 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. engine replacement (148 reports)
  2. not sure (33 reports)
  3. junked the car (4 reports)
  4. sold vehicle (4 reports)
  5. replace lower half of engine (3 reports)
2011 Hyundai Sonata engine problems

engine problem

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2011 Hyundai Sonata Owner Comments (Page 9 of 10)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #32

Feb 182015

Sonata GLS 14 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 68,200 miles

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

This is shocking! All routine maintenance has been done and for this failure to occur is just all bad!

- Francisco M., Union City, CA, US

problem #31

Jan 302015

Sonata SE

  • Automatic transmission
  • 108,000 miles

Simply driving down the road engine seized NO OIL light. Nothing to warn me that my engine was about to seize and quit. Call the Hyundai customer service and told them the situation and that I was not the only one and basically they told me they were not liable for anything. I told them I would be joining the class action lawsuit against them for the seizing of their engine. Hyundai needs to back their product good or BAD!!!!

- leighann78, Lincoln, AL, US

problem #30

Jan 242015

Sonata GLS

  • Automatic transmission
  • 69,200 miles

1/24/2015. My car stopped on me while making a right turn going up a small hill...just shut off, as if the battery was bad, except everything was working, it just wouldn't start. Had to put the car in neutral to go back down the hill & my father and a friend pushed it to the gas station. My Dad tried to jump it but it wouldn't do anything, just made a weird noise when I tried starting it. After several attempts to start it, we called road side assistance to have it towed to Billingsley.

They called Monday 1/26 to inform us the engine failed. I've had the car 3 years, 69k miles on it & was the second owner. This is not fair! This is not normal & Hyundai needs to fix this for all of us...there's no way these engines should fail on such a modern car. All these complaints? Same issue....it's not us, that's for sure, it's the damn car.

I'm torn, no warranty, still owe on the car & the cost for a new engine & labor just doesn't seem like it's worth it to me. Hell, the car had a new engine in it...why buy another NEW or used engine & have the same thing happen? Whose to say it won't fail again after spending all that money? I don't think buying a new engine will solve the underlying issues with this car. I will never ever buy another Hyundai again. Karma is a Bia...Hyundai

- Shakia H., Decatur, IL, US

problem #29

Jan 162015

Sonata SE Turbo 2.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 112,000 miles

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

I have read all the other issues and complaints relating to engine problems for 2011 Hyundai Sonata's, and became increasingly concerned as I was having the same issue, after hearing a rattling noise start to happen several days ago.I had also just recently had oil change at Walmart, and switched from semi-synthetic to full synthetic at the advice of my mechanic, who said he also knew of issues with "sludge" buildup with Sonatas- and the full synthetic would help to avoid this.

However, just yesterday my car started to make a louder ping, and then began to shut down just minutes after. Immediately pulled over and turned off engine, and haven't tried to drive since. Currently, looking to have car towed to dealer. Spoke with service manager via phone, asked if he thought Hyundai would provide any "Goodwill" relief for a car out of warranty (112,000 miles), that hadn't been serviced through Hyundai Dealership, but has oil change/service receipts. Of course, he stated they needed to look at the car first to make any determinations. But I see where this is going, and all too familiar hearing all the other similar stories. Dealer will say engine seized due to sludge, and that I didn't maintain properly- which will be a crock of BS.

I contacted the attorney that has posted class action suit link on this site, hopefully there will be remedy there. A car this year, with this mileage, with oil changes made at normal intervals, SHOULD NOT have engine seizure problems. I am out of a car, and facing a $6000 engine replacement repair, and still making car payments. Worse, I don't have the $$$ to pay so really in a BAD predicament!!! The whole reason I purchased NEW in the first place, was to avoid a situation like this- and bought into Hyundai reliability!

Will see what happens and I will update this posting, but I don't have much faith Hyundai will do anything.

- Donald L., Elizabethtown, PA, US

problem #28

Jul 102014

Sonata GLS

  • Automatic transmission
  • 65,761 miles

While driving down the highway, my dashboard lit up & then my car quit. Luckily I was able to pull over to the shoulder. Thinking it was the battery, tried jumping it with no success. Called a tow truck to have it towed to a shop. Later that evening, received a phone call from the mechanic saying my engine had seized. IT ONLY HAD 65,741 MILES ON IT!! I was in shock. My car had been serviced regularly & well taken care of. It was a large expense that I never would have expected. Hyundai would not respond to my phone messages, nor help in any way.

Update from Jun 24, 2015: While driving down the highway, my dashboard lit up & then my car quit. Had I not been in the right hand lane, I would have caused a major pile up or possibly death as I was in heavy traffic. Luckily I was able to pull over to the shoulder. Called a tow truck to have it towed to a shop. Later that evening, received a phone call from the mechanic saying my engine had seized. IT ONLY HAD 65,741 MILES ON IT!! I was in shock. My car had been serviced regularly & well taken care of. It was a large expense that I never would have expected. Hyundai would not respond to my phone messages, nor help in any way.

- Pamela F., Richland, WA, US

problem #27

Dec 272014

Sonata GLS 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 62,111 miles

Had oil changed semi-recently to the problem. Ran it about 7k from oil change on full synthetic 5w20. But not enough that it should have occurred. I had always noticed that my Sonata seems to burn through oil faster than any car I've seen, along with my wifes Sonata which is the same year and model. On December 26th, we drove to Pennsylvania to visit in laws for Christmas, was staying until January 1st. On Dec 27th, drove the car for a few miles and heard knocking sound. Stopped immediately. Had a knowledgeable friend listen to it and said might be rods or lifters. Left car where it was to arrange towing. Had to wait until Monday due to places being closed. Monday tried to start the car, it wouldn't start. Engine seized. Had it towed to dealership to diagnose and engine needs replaced. 62000 miles means its 2000 out of Hyundai warranty, so had to use a 3rd party 100,000 mile warranty that I purchased from Warrantech.

Now in a battle with Warrantech, they want oil receipts that I do not have, (My father works at a Mineke near my house in VA and changes it at the shop, but it doesn't go into the system like a customer's oil change would) and are fighting me tooth and nail. Needless to say I had to leave the car in PA until this gets sorted out, and am staring down the barrel of a financial crisis and am having to bum rides to work. I feel that this is an outrage and something needs to be done before my wife's car blows up as well. Anyone that feels like they could give suggestions, comments, sympathy, please feel free.

- Kemper B., Spotsylvania, VA, US

problem #26

Dec 102014

Sonata 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 73,000 miles

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

My 1st Sonata was totaled in a wreck that wasn't our fault. Loved my car so i bought another one. A nice SE model. The NAV system/stereo had to be replaced, push button starter fixed, the car has to be restarted to get the ac working almost every time or its all hot air. It has had 6 recalls. Now the motor blew up! It has 73,000 miles and only 1 shop in town has changed the oil. No warning light for oil ever came on. All lights on the dash came on without warning and it died. Hyundai now says it won't cover it because of sludge. What they won't answer is why no warning light came on, why all the lights did come on at once when it died and why most of the oil was missing from the motor when they didn't find a leak. Even the sales person who is trying to help me get this fixed admitted in an email to me that even if I had done everything "perfect" Hyundai still might not have honored the warranty. This is nuts!!!

Joey

- Joey E., Thomasville, NC, US

problem #25

Sep 082014

Sonata

  • Automatic transmission
  • 82,208 miles

I was driving down the highway and the car just died. I was lucky I didn't get hit and I managed to get the car onto the shoulder. There were absolutely no signs of any problems with the car - no noises, lights, sounds.

I had the car towed to a local Hyundai dealership. At first the dealership told me that the starter needed to be replaced, so I paid over $500.00 to get the starter replaced. Then, they called and said the starter wasn't the problem...the engine was seized. I was told it would be covered under Hyundai 100,000 mile warranty...only to be called back later and told that it would not be covered under the warranty because I was not the original owner. I purchased the car with 7,000 miles on it. I then remembered that I had purchased an extended warranty when I bought the car. There was no evidence of sludge, metal shavings, or any damage to the engine. It was inspected both by the dealership and the warranty company. I kept the car well-maintained. The warranty company denied the repair due to insufficient maintenance records. I had 5 out of the 9 receipts. I changed the oil a couple times myself and did not think to keep Walmart receipts. The dealership quoted me approximately $5,600.00 to replace the engine. I still owe over $10,000.00 on the vehicle...not worth fixing for that much money!

Absolutely no reason for the engine to seize on this new of a vehicle. I will never buy a Hyundai again!

- Bryan D., Georgetown, DE, US

problem #24

Nov 212014

Sonata

  • Automatic transmission
  • 125,210 miles

2011 Hyundai Sonata broke just stopped while on the highway. AAA towed it Hyundai dealership where it was purchased. Was asked if it had run out of oil. Said no and that it had the oil changed the week before. According to the dealership there was an internal failure. Was told without tearing the engine apart, which would incur an additional cost, the failure cannot be determined. Was also told that once the failure is determined they still may not be able to determine what caused it. The Sonata has 125,210 miles.

Quote came in at $5,728.00 to replace the engine and if the turbo unit needs to be replaced another $2,120.53. The engine warranty is only 1 year/12,000 miles. Need to determine if it is worth replacing.

- Shelia L., Seabrook, NJ, US

problem #23

Aug 152014

Sonata ES 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 84,221 miles

2011 Sonata, was driving from Colorado to Wisconsin, got on interstate 80 just into Nebraska, stopped at rest stop and noticed a knock in the engine. Checked oil, was about 1/2 a quart low. Called roadside assist, they said nearest dealer was 3 hours away. It was 10:30 pm. I attempted to limp the car to nearest two. 20 miles away. Had NO warning lights on dash, temp was normal, car ran smooth, just knocked. It died about 1 mile from the exit, had it towed.

Had to rent car to get home to Wisconsin. Car is sitting in Nebraska, at a service garage, tore engine apart, spun rod bearing on #2 cylinder. Warranty company is trying to blame lack of lubrication. Just had oil changed at Hyundai dealer 2 weeks before, premium oil and Hyundai oil filter. Always has Hyundai dealer regular oil changes and maintenance. Service garage said there are NO signs of lack of lube, NO "blueing". Still waiting to hear from warranty.

This seems to be a common issue with this make and model. I did sign up on the pending class action suit against Hyundai for this exact problem. I suggest Anyone who has had similar experiences do the same!! I always maintain my vehicles impeccably well, drove my last 3 vehicles well over 300k with NO engine issues, but those were Audi's and GM vehicles. I'm done with Hyundai!!

- Rob M., Ripon, WI, US

problem #22

Jul 262014

Sonata Limited 2t

  • Automatic transmission
  • 98,123 miles

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

Have lost faith in the car. The dealer was great, but I'm a high mileage driver and this failure is really early for a modern car. The other thing is I really had no warning the engine was bad. No smoke ,no high oil use, or anything else. I have a small service company and we run service vans and none of our trucks have less than 100,000 miles on them and they are running fine. I guess I trust my trucks more than my car!

- Richard W., Madison, WI, US

problem #21

Nov 072014

Sonata GS 2.0L

  • Manual transmission
  • 104,000 miles

The engine seized, no engine warning whatsoever, came off Highway ramp and car died as if battery died. The car was always maintained and was only given synthetic oil. All miles were highway, 3 sets of tires and I still have original brakes as I drive entirely Highway miles!

Oil change still had 2,000 miles to go and when the repair shop told me there was no oil in the engine. I was shocked! There are or were no leaks. I have all the oil change receipts and I always inspect oil levels at time oil is changed!

Hyundai refused to listen to my issue and said it was over 100K miles. How can an engine that doesn't leak lose oil and it gave no signs of burning oil? No engine light ever came on EVER! Car never made any noise to indicate that it was low on fluids and showed no signs of over heating or gauges?

- palmerca, San Diego, CA, US

problem #20

Sep 132012

Sonata

  • Automatic transmission
  • 47,000 miles

Purchased this 2011 Hyundai Sonata car brand new and because of the warranty. We had all the proper maintenance done on this car and after a year and half of driving the car, the engine failed and the car had around 47,000 miles.

We were driving down the road and all of a sudden heard knocking noise coming from the engine. No lights came on but the noise continued and as we were looking for a gas station to pull over, the engine light came on. We pulled over and my husband checked for oil, and there was no oil showing on dipstick. This was strange because we had oil change done not even 2 months prior. Husband added more oil and we waited to check dipstick but still was not registering oil. Turned car back on but engine was still making knocking noise so we had car towed to dealership.

The dealership immediately put us on the defensive saying we didn't properly maintain our car. We had to provide proof of oil changes and even after the proof they changed their story as to why our engine failed. They changed their story 5 times and denied our claim. And forget about calling customer service because they just refer you back to the dealership and the district manager. We were still under warranty and our claim was denied. We were told that there was sludge in the engine and we had to buy a new engine. That new engine cost us $6100. We have hired an attorney.

- eviesmith01, Tampa, FL, US

problem #19

Dec 012014

Sonata Limited 2.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 89,477 miles

I was driving my Sonata to work and experienced a sudden knocking that turned to grinding and then suddenly the engine shut off. There was no engine light, no oil light, nothing.

I took it to a dealership where they told me that they would not even look at it until I produced all records of oil changes and servicing. Without those, they can't even look at it. I said I would pay for the inspection. They looked at the engine and said that they would have to replace the long block. The estimate, $11,000 CDN.

On looking further, this is a well known and documented problem with 2011 Sonata's. If anyone is aware of a Canadian class action suit, let me know. I purchased the extended warranty to 160,000 km. They are just not interested in honoring it, but were more than happy to take my money when selling me a new car.

- Andrew P., Uxbridge, Ontario, canada

problem #18

Oct 112014

Sonata GLS 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 66,100 miles

This well maintained Rudy Luther Bloomington Hyundai car killed going about 60 mph up a hill in Northfield Minnesota and it would not start. No oil light. No engine light. Click. Like a dead battery but I just drove 80 miles. batteries don't kill like that. Engine is super clean. No leaks. Weird.

A local shop towed it and put a new battery in it. Got it to start but Auto Valleyhaus said they had no idea what caused it to kill. It wasn't the battery even though it needed a new one. It drove a little rough on the way home. Started making a noise on October 11. I had it towed right away. I had an extended warranty and I wanted to make sure no damage was done. Hyundai towed it in. Told the engine was fried, seized locked...There was only 1 quart of oil in the engine. The oil was changed at 59500. The engine seized at 66100.

I was told that they could do a tear down of the engine. The extended warranty adjustor would inspect the engine to see if the cause of the problem was covered by the warranty. If it was covered the warranty, company paid the $650.00. If it was not covered, I was to pay the $650.00. I said yes because I had regular oil changes and maintained the car very well. I went for maintenance over 12 times in 26 months. The warranty was denied because of "lack of lubrication". I was charged $650 for the diagnosis and told I could get a used engine for $4500.00.

There is also a problem with the Rudy Luther Bloomington Hyundai dealership. Luther Hyundai claimed there were several calls and a physical inspection. The warranty company says there was one phone call denying coverage. Why would they lie? I am trying to get invoices for work I paid for and inspection notes and the name of inspector/ adjuster. They are missing. I got a lot of problems with these Rudy Luther Hyundai. They called it "bad luck." They sold me a used engine. Told me there was nothing they can do and they have never seen or heard of a problem like this before.

I have more to say. I want in on the class action suit.. I don't want another of the same Hyundai 2011 that will lock up again. I want a newer model that doesn't have these issues. How come they can't tell me what happened ? If they replace it with a Hyundai 2011 will it seize again? What kind of recall will they do if they don't know what causes this? I am tired. There's more to this that I will add later. If you have any inquiries, email me through the site. I am bringing this case to the attorney general and also sending notes to the class action suit I found on this site. Thanks for listening. Spread the word. They know there is a problem and they are trying to cover up the problem and defer the blame to the warranty company. This is a Hyundai issue. They are the ones who will have to fix it.

- lawrowmn, Minneapolis, MN, US

problem #17

Oct 062014

Sonata SE 24L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 70,000 miles

ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR A YEAR AND ONE MONTH. KEPT OIL CHANGES AND ABOUT 2WEEKS BEFORE ENGINE SEIZED AND MOTOR SHUT OFF AT A RED LIGHT WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING CAR, WOULD STALL AS IF BATTERY WAS GOING BAD. TOOK IT TO AUTOZONE FOR THEM TO TEST AND THEY TOLD ME, SURE IT'S YOUR BATTERY. AFTER CAR CUT OFF 10/06/2014 ME AND FAMILY PUSHED IT BACK TO MY HOUSE. THANK GOD IT WAS ONLY A BLOCK. PURCHASED A BATTERY THE NEXT DAY, HAD SOMEONE PUT IT ON AND IT STILL DIDN'T CRANK, SO THEY SAID IT WAS THE STARTER. ALL THE CAR DID WHEN WE TRIED TO CRANK IT WAS CLICK. OK, SO I BOUGHT A STARTER AND GOT IT PUT ON ONLY, THEN DID WE DISCOVER THE MOTOR HAD LOCKED UP. THE MECHANIC CHECKED MY OIL, HAD ABOUT 2 QUARTS IN, CHECKED THE CAR FOR LEAKS, NO LEAKS, THE OIL MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED, BUT NOT TO MENTION CAR GAVE NO INDICATION THAT OIL WAS LOW. CHECK ENGINE, NO KNOCKING, RATTLE OR ANYTHING, IT JUST SHUT OFF. I AM VERY UPSET, STILL OWE $13,000 ON THIS CAR. I AM READY TO SUE HYUNDAI. WHO'S WITH ME?

- Tanja A., Mobile, AL, US

problem #16

Oct 012014

Sonata GLS 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 46,913 miles

I'm the original owner of 2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS 2.4L Sedan. I purchased my Sonata on 12/27/2010 with 29 miles on it. As of 10/1/2014 I have 46,913 miles on it. The following are my chain of events:

9/30/2014 @ 6:00 PM EST - Heard ticking/knocking noise in engine, husband believed it to be a motor mount. * ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON

10/1/2014 @ 8:30AM EST - Called Northtowne Hyundai Dealer on Sheridan Drive, Buffalo NY. I requested for service and advised that there is a knocking coming from my engine and that the engine light came on. Northtowne Hyundai Dealer Service Rep told me that there was nothing open until 10/21/2014 @ 11:30AM. I questioned if it was okay for me to continue to drive with the engine light on and the service rep stated the following: " Honey, if the engine light isn't blinking, then you are safe to drive, but if the issue get worse, we will fit you in".

10/1/2014 @ 7:30PM EST - Picked my son up from football practice, while driving home, was at a red light when the car was about to stall out. Then a loud knocking sound happened. NO ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON* So with knocking and all, I maintained a 10 MPH speed and made it home. My husband checked the car and said for me not to drive the car and call the dealer back first thing in the morning.

10/2/2014 @ 8:30AM EST - Called Northtowne Hyundai Dealer on Sheridan Drive, Buffalo NY. I spoke with Mike at the service desk. I explained the issue to Mike and how I don't feel that it's safe for me to still drive the car though the engine light has went out and didn't come back on. Mike said for me to bring the car in. I contacted my tow company and had the car towed to the dealer.

10/2/2014 @ 11:45AM EST - Received call from Paragon my towing company (great service I must add) that my car has reached the dealership (Northtown Hyundail on Sheridan in Buffalo, NY).

10/3/2014 @ 2:32PM EST - Called Northtowne Hyundai Dealer for status of my car. I was told that they didn't have a chance to look at it yet, due to high volume in the service department. Mike advised that he will call me by tonight.

10/3/2014 @ 2:47PM EST - Mike called me back and said that I need to replace my engine because the piston popped. I said well, my car is well within the warranty, isn't this covered? Mike said that we can't submit your warranty claim with out receipts of your maintenance from 5k miles to present. I said well, who keep receipts that long, wouldn't my last maintenance count? Mike said that we need to produce some.

10/3/2014 @ 5:28PM EST - My husband went up to the dealership to speak directly with Mike. My husband questioned how could they determine "neglect" without breaking the engine down. Long story short...not that it's not long enough already, Mike would not file our claim without our receipts.

10/3 - 10/13/2014 - Contacted our 3 local places we like to send our vehicles to for copies of our receipts. With no problem we were able to obtain copies of our last 6 oil changes and general maintenance receipts. Our local mom and pop didn't have 2012 available but I found my 2011 copies making it a total of 7. Keep in mind that my manual suggest at the first 3,500 then every 7,500 for normal driving conditions.

10/14/2014 @ 2:00PM EST - My husband gave Mike our receipts and he stated that he will submit our claim to Hyundai. In the meanwhile we asked for a rental / loaner and was told I didn't have that covered. We corrected them and said that I purchased the Platinum Warranty and rental / loaner is mentioned as an allowable. He said that they can't do anything until they hear back from Hyundai.

10/17/2014 @ 9:30AM EST - I went to Northtowne Hyundai to check on the status of my claim. I was told that he has been sent to corporate for a decision and they will contact me.

10/18/2014 @ 9:00AM EST - I called "Corporate" I'm guessing this is corporate because Northtowne was very good at confusing my husband and I on who we need to direct our concerns to. Northtowne would say Hyundai and Hyundai would say Northtowne. Anyway, I spoke Paul at "Corporate" and tells me that they didn't receive anything since 10/6/2014 and the notes stated that owner need to provide maintenance receipts. I explained that I submitted receipts to Northtowne on 10/13/2014 and that on 10/18/2014 Northtowne said they submitted my claim. Paul advised that he will call the dealer and follow up with me on Monday. I did express my level of dissatisfaction since I felt less like a customer and more of a nuisance. I said it's important for me to know how I'm transporting myself back and forth to work since sharing the one car is putting a strain on our schedule. Paul stated that I don't have rental coverage and again I advised for him to read my paper work and he will see that I have Platinum coverage. He said " Oh, I see it right here. We can't sign off on a rental until Hyundai approve the claim".

10/20/2014 @ 11:00AM EST - Received a call from "Corporate" Paul advised me that since my "initial" contact date fell before the "electronic claim processing", that it was kicked back to Northtowne to be filed manually. I said what does that mean? Paul explained that they started a new system on 10/13/2014 and my initial contact date is the day that I contacted about the issue with the engine on 10/3/2014 so a "District Manager" have to physically review my claim before it can be processed. At this point my blood is boiling, but I stayed calm. I said okay Paul, now what are we going to do about my transportation, my car has been there since 10/2/2014. Paul said they cannot do anything for me with out the approval from Hyundai. I asked can I have the contact information for this "District Manager"? I would like to know when will he be out to review my claim, this is an urgent matter to me. I really need my vehicle and my resources for alternate transportation is running thin. Paul said he couldn't give me that information, but assured me that it should only take a couple of days.

10/21/2014 @ 1:12PM EST - Received a voicemail to call Keith from Northtowne to return his call.

10/21/2014 @ 2:20PM EST - I had my husband to return Keiths call. My husband said that Keith advised the claim was denied because of a condition of sludge, and no maintenance. My husband asked Keith if he reviewed the maintenance receipts? Keith questioned if we new if they were using the correct oil. My husband said we are talking about a 2.4L engine with 46k miles on it, what more do we need to do outside of normal oil changes. Also look at our last 8/2014 oil change receipt and the 4 prior, clearly states 5W20, if that's not acceptable by Hyundai, I don't know what is! So, Keith just kept stating that Hyundai denied the claim at this time. My husband asked for Keith to leave a copy of the report with pictures and our keys, he'll be by Wednesday 10/22/2014 to pick it up. we asked if we can leave the car there while we set up alternate plans for a couple of days...Keith said it was okay.

10/21/2014 @ 2:40PM EST - I contacted my legal aid and was quickly assigned an attorney. I called the attorney that I was assigned and was advised to exhaust all attempts through Hyundai to resolve the issue. I reviewed all of my manuals and came across the Hyundai Consumer Center Line (I would provide their information if they were at all helpful). I called them and gave Jen my claim case number. Jen said that there wasn't anything that she could do since it's with "Regional". I said can you explain what that means, since I was told that "Corporate" had to make the decision and it was denied. She said "Regional" is at a high level...I interrupted and said, wait, so this is how I see it, the Dealer being "Regional" and Hyundai being "Corporate"? Jen said yes, I said well "Regional" told me that it was denied. I said that my manual list your number as who I should contact when there is a warranty dispute. Jen said, well, I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do since it's at regional; I can have regional give you a call. I said well that's all I need to hear so that I can pursue the next step with my attorney.

10/24/2014 @ 8:59AM EST - "Regional" / "Corporate" called me. I missed the call so it went to my voicemail as follows: " Yes Mrs. Clark, Paul at Hyundai, I received a message that you were seeking an update on your case and that you're also seeking an attorney at which this case I would not be able to speak to you directly if you have retain an attorney, but the situation right now is that the District Manager who would have authorized the repair, had the dealership partially disassemble the engine; take off the cover for inspection, and there's a condition of sludge which is indicative of either the maintenance intervals not being followed; oil change not frequently enough or possibly the quality or grade of the oil used. In either case these is not a manufacture defect, so he has denied warranty coverage. If you have any questions, you can call me unless you have retained an attorney, in which case, all communication should be between your attorney and the Hyundai legal department.

This has been a nightmare. I have contacted my Attorney and at this point there has been a demand letter issued to Hyundai. I look forward to updating you all with the status of my case. I've also added my complaint to the following:[ http://www.chimicles.com/2011-hyundai-sonata-engine-failure-class-action-lawsuit ] I highly recommend anyone else with the same issue do the same. This is not fair to leave Sonata customers high and dry like this. Hyundai do not care if you maintenance the vehicle at the recommended intervals. I've had 7 oil changes since the purchase of my vehicle on 12/27/2010. I have 46,913 miles. My manual states for "Normal" driving conditions 1st change at 3,500 then every 7,500, my husband and I did them every 5-6k miles. * OUR LAST OIL CHANGE WAS 8/2/2014 AT 43K MILES * We had a clean bill of health, no issues were reported or maintenance recommended at that time. On 10/1/2014 was the 1st time I had any issues with my car. Please post your issues and add your complaint; there is a class action investigation going on with 2011 Hyundai Sonata engines. They cannot get away with this!!!! I'm well below mileage and I'm well with in my warranty; hell, I'm still covered under the basic warranty!!!!!!

Update from Jan 22, 2015: All, I wanted to provide an update on my story, since I know many of you are going through the same thing.

Unfortunately, my attempt for repairs has been unsuccessful. Currently my vehicle has been down for 105 days. My husband and I filed our complaint through the Better Business Bureau under the non lemon law, warranty dispute. It took almost 90 days to have a hearing. We had our hearing last week and just recently received our denial from the Better Business Bureau arbitrator. Though the denial isn't final, because we have the option to deny or accept the decision. My husband and I will deny their decision and will go to court.

During our hearing, my husband and I advised that there are many consumers experiencing the same exact issue, but Hyundai Council dismissed what we were saying as "hear-say" and that "anyone can blog negative comments on a website". I had asked Hyundai Council to explain why they received a poor dependability rating from JD Power and why is there a class act investigation on the 2011 Sonata engines, but they dismissed that too saying that "it's just hear-say, and I know nothing about it".

Hyundai Council and the Better Business Bureau agreed that we did more oil changes than what was required under our maintenance schedule, but because our receipts did not specify exactly the oil specs, we were denied. I am not sure what they mean by specs, but our receipts show that 5w20 was being used.

This has been a long process, and we all have to stick together (meaning us consumers). We need more voices, Hyundai is ignoring us and it's going to blow up sooner or later. Others have contacted me and are going through the exact same thing. I have not retained an attorney, because I had to follow protocol for disputes outlined in the owner's manual. Now that arbitration is done, I'm free to discuss about this matter again. I'm seeking an attorney now, I hope to find one that specialize in car warranty issues. This is not fair, I purchased my car brand new and I have catastrophic engine failure at 46.9k miles?!! something is extremely wrong with the design.

I will keep in touch, because I may need statements from our fellow consumers that are going through the same thing. I'm more than happy to provide any information or statements that will help you. Keep in touch and I wish you all luck.

- Dwanna C., Buffalo, NY, US

problem #15

Oct 052014

Sonata

  • Automatic transmission
  • 140,000 miles

This is just the latest of many problems that we have had with our 2011 Sonata. We received notice of yet another recall on Wednesday and on Saturday night after work when we started the car it just didn't sound right when it was trying to start. But it got us home. The next morning when we went to leave for work it would not start. We thought it could have been the battery so we replaced that. That was not the case so we tried the starter. That was not the problem either. We then did some investigation and found that we were not alone in this issue and many other owners of 2011 Sonatas are facing the same expensive nightmare!!!

We are still making payments on our vehicle and we maintain it regularly so there should be no reason it just dies on us!!! I believe the engine has ceased and we cannot drive it any more until it is fixed. We contacted the dealership and they refused to even look at the recall unless the car was running. They GUARANTEED the recall would not be the reason the car is not starting. The manufacturer knows about the engine issue and there are many vehicles of this year, make and model where it is ceasing. I would like Hyundai to fix this at no cost to me as they should do this for everyone facing this problem.

Since the day I bought this car it has been nothing but trouble and I will NEVER buy another Hyundai or recommend them to anyone. The reason I decided to purchase a brand new car was so I did not have to deal with expensive repair bills. I figured it would be more reliable but this was not the case. We simply cannot afford to pay $6000+ to replace the engine when we still have 2+ years to pay on the car. There are a few class action lawsuits against Hyundai that we should all take part in so we can be compensated for our time and frustration.

I will update this with additional information pertaining to the lawsuit(s) soon...

- Heather H., Jewett City, CT, US

problem #14

Oct 222014

Sonata Limited 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 108,358 miles

My Sonata is 4 years old with 174,386 KM (108,358 miles). Without any warning my car shut off, no oil light was on, no engine light was on.....nothing! The engine would not crank again and I had to get the car towed to the dealership. I have all my service records and my car just recently got an oil change from the dealership. Engine is Seized!

I contacted Hyundai Canada and they said, "we can't help, you're over the warranty”!

$38,000 (brand new purchase price) + $8,000 (maintenance) $46,000 for 4 years of drivability?? This is absolutely insane!!

- Rishi R., Welland, Ontario, canada

problem #13

Sep 092014

Sonata SE 4cl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 116,000 miles

My son drove car to work, on his way no lights came on, no smoke, just died on highway while driving it. I regularly kept up with oil changes etc.... No oil on ground where it broke, nothing in driveway, checked oil three weeks before this. I am terminally ill and on SSI, I cannot come up with that kind of money to fix it. I now depend on family and friends to drive me to doctor appointments. I am very, very upset as I continue to pay on loan and the car sits and goes nowhere.

- jrivet, Kittery, ME, US

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