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 / 13
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
59,327 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 miscellaneous problems

miscellaneous problem

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2011 Hyundai Sonata Owner Comments (Page 4 of 10)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #135

Jun 222020

Sonata 4-cyl

  • miles

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

Purchased the vehicle today and odometer reads different than reports. Report show it should 151,000 while the dash shows 92,583.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #134

Jun 022020

Sonata 4-cyl

  • miles
Clicking in steering wheel now wobble.

- Fort Wayne, IN, USA

problem #133

Jan 102020

Sonata

  • 132,000 miles
I have had issues with this vehicle since Oct 2019. At that time I had a recall for the hard knock sensor after that it continues to give me issues. The check engine comes on continuously every week. I fix one issue then the lights comes back on for another. My car shakes while driving like engine wants to stop, doesn't want to accelerate over 40 miles in the middle of the highway streets it's not safe for a vehicle to stop accelerating without any warning theirs other bystanders that can crash into me.I contacted hynduai every month since Oct urging them to do a full diagnostic cause my vehicle already has 13 recalls on it previously and I strongly feel this vehicle is one of the defective ones. Hynduai keeps turning their back on me and tells me I need to fix this then this then that. I also have a fuel smell and a evap code that keeps coming on which this recall was supposed to be fixed and if it happend again its guarantee to be fixed again. Hynduai told me no. They keep turning their back on me. I fear that my vehicle will cause harm to me and others due to the lack of Hyundai not taking my vehicle safety seriously.

- East Chicago, IN, USA

problem #132

May 092017

Sonata 4-cyl

  • 169,000 miles

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

Steering vibrates and becomes erratic when changing lanes or over gravel/rough roads. Dealer tells me it is a function of the speed controlled device, appears to be controlled by computer. Speed up or dwn triggers violent shaking.

- Channing, TX, USA

problem #131

May 012019

Sonata 4-cyl

  • 126,000 miles
Early summer of 2019, I noticed a small crack along my dashboard, coming from the windshield toward the seat. It was about 2 inches long. By August of 2019, the crack had grown to approximately a foot. I have contacted Hyundai and gone to the dealership and the only thing they would do is give me an estimate on repair. The odd thing about this is when googling this issue, it is quite common.

- Houston, TX, USA

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problem #130

Mar 102020

Sonata

  • 188,000 miles
Every time I stop and start to go again in first and second gear it feels like my car is slipping and not wanting to catch the gear seems to me like it's going to stall in the middle of the road one day

- Hartford, AL, USA

problem #129

Feb 242020

Sonata

  • 147,000 miles

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

My car is burning a extreme amount of oil. After filling up my oil or getting a oil change within two weeks I'm down to one quart of oil.

- Fort Walton Beach, FL, USA

problem #128

Feb 132020

Sonata

  • 170,000 miles
The brakes lights and head lights goes out alot.. bulbs melting into socket and burning out frequently and having to replace the whole assembly. It's very hazard because it can catch fire. I was driving on highway doing rain and noticed my head light just went out and I pulled over to check and checked the back as well cause I smelled something burnt. The rear break light was burnt and melted into socket. I've replaced the back assembly aleast once to twice a year.

- Laurel, MD, USA

problem #127

Dec 202019

Sonata

  • miles
SE agriet la parte de arriba del dash en dos reas Y a los das prendi la seal de las bolsas de aire, auto duerme en marquesina.

- Bayamon, PR, USA

problem #126

Dec 152019

Sonata

  • 174,000 miles
While I was driving my car on a two-way street, all of the sensor lights on my vehicle came on. I pulled the car over and now it won't crank. The radio is working, but the car is not cranking. Also, whenever I place my car into park, I would have to turn the car off and start it back in order to shift my gear into drive or reverse.

- Hollywood, SC, USA

problem #125

Oct 012019

Sonata

  • 150,000 miles

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

The rear passenger door latch is cutting my hands when opening the door. The chrome paint on the plastic door latch is peeling and very sharp.

- Salt Lake City, UT, USA

problem #124

Oct 112019

Sonata

  • 40,000 miles
1. steering feels tight and unresponsive. Have hadthis checked as a complaint at service center with no help. 2. gear sticks in park. Recently was in service for another recall and was told for 130$ they would look at it. Very next week I was stuck for 1.5 hrs until I could get it to move. Both problems hqve been reported numerous times with no repair. It only has 40000 miles. Do not call me with offer to look at it. They have seen it and problem is not addressed. Your service is just as important as the sell.. how can anyone recommend this kind of service?

- Attalla, AL, USA

problem #123

Oct 012019

Sonata

  • 106,841 miles
While the vehicle is in park and I try and turn the car off the dash display reads put the vehicle in park and as a result the car won't turn off.

- Litchfield Park, AZ, USA

problem #122

Oct 012019

Sonata

  • miles
My 2011 Sonata suddenly lost power while driving at 65 mph after pulling over restarting car check engine light came on. Car only has 107599 miles

- Henrico, VA, USA

problem #121

Jan 032019

Sonata

  • 70,000 miles
Dashboard has developed cracks. 70,000 miles and garage kept.

- Oviedo, FL, USA

problem #120

Aug 222019

Sonata

  • 125,000 miles
After putting car in park, the key gets stuck in ignition intermittently. Dealer states new gear shifter assembly required at $550 cost. A simple google search shows many are having this same problem.

- Hammonton, NJ, USA

problem #119

Jun 282019

Sonata

  • miles
Making a squilling noise as I'm driving and the noise is coming from the driver front tire. Front end (axel's) sounds like it's loose

- Baldwin, GA, USA

problem #118

Jun 042019

Sonata

  • 185,000 miles
When I'm turning I hear popping noises. And as I'm driving I hear a squilling noises from the front

- Baldwin, GA, USA

problem #117

Aug 202019

Sonata

  • 125,000 miles
Steering coupler recall needed! front dash crack randomly appeared I read it could be due to the damaged coupler. I had a wreck and my car was about $400 from being totalled. The insurance refused to fix the coupler and it is now my responsibility. It sounds awful and it is scary driving around with my steering wheel sounding like it is going to fly off the dash.

- Graham, NC, USA

problem #116

Aug 092019

Sonata

  • 100,000 miles
The key to my 2011 Sonata is stuck and I cannot get it our of the ignition. The car operates just fine. But when you turn the motor off you cannot get the key out.

- Fayetteville, NC, USA

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