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:
50 / 5
Injuries / Deaths:
53 / 2
Average Mileage:
74,310 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 seat belts / air bags problems

seat belts / air bags problem

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2011 Hyundai Sonata Owner Comments (Page 11 of 21)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #205

Sep 052017

Sonata

  • 68,000 miles

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

The airbag warning light will not go off. I read a number of other Hyundai owners with the same complaint

- Mission Viejo, CA, USA

problem #204

Oct 242014

Sonata

  • miles
2011 Hyundai Sonata. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle sudden acceleration. The consumer stated the vehicle suddenly accelerated and caused an accident. The airbags did not deploy.

- Devon, PA, USA

problem #203

Nov 282017

Sonata

  • 135,761 miles
Air bags did not deploy. I was involved in a severe car accident on highway I-64 in Virginia 6 miles from richmond, va. My car was hit on the rear-left side, I was sent to the er to receive ct and other examination for head injuries following the car crash. The adjuster and police at the scene were surprised that the air bags did not deploy additional information in geico claim 0379313090101155

- Zion Crossroads, VA, USA

problem #202

Feb 272018

Sonata

  • 0 miles

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

Air bag light stays on, car was never hit.

- Elizabeth City, NC, USA

problem #201

Mar 032018

Sonata

  • miles
The light for airbag is on the dashbborad

- Delry Beach, FL, USA

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problem #200

Jan 022018

Sonata

  • miles
Air bag sensor is on horn stopped working

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #199

Feb 232018

Sonata

  • 115,000 miles

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

Airbag light illuminated, dealership says sensor needs replacing which requires replacement of front passenger seat track assembly. Sensor is part of assembly and can't be replaced separately. Cost with tax will be $975. Another code came up along with this one. One on steering column was covered by Hyundai so can't understand why this one shouldn't be as well. Seems asinine to have sensor integrated into seat track and not replaceable on its own.

- Mount Joy, PA, USA

problem #198

Jan 032018

Sonata

  • 137,000 miles
My 2011 Hyundai Sonata had the air bag light come on. It was diagnosed as a bad sensor in the passenger seat. To buy this sensor you have to buy an entire seat track assembly at a cost of $1259 plus labor to install it. After looking this up on the internet, I see many Hyundai vehicles have had this issue. This should be covered in a recall as it is a safety issue and been a problem with many vehicles.

- Catonsville, MD, USA

problem #197

Dec 032017

Sonata

  • 142,000 miles
Driver-side air bag light is illuminated at all times showing that there is a problem, but no solution presented. No matter what we do, the warning light is engaged. Concerned that the airbag system will not work properly in accident, or that the airbag may deploy while driving.

- Hummelstown, PA, USA

problem #196

Jan 132018

Sonata

  • 87,000 miles
The contact owned a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. While driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle was involved in a front end collision. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a storage facility and then to an independent mechanic where it was deemed destroyed. There were no injuries. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 87,000.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #195

Nov 112017

Sonata

  • 79,000 miles

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

I had a warning light turned on my display and when taken to the dealership, they charged me 240$ for the repair. Now I see that the part they replaced was on the recall campaign which started 4 months prior to my servicing. Are they supposed to charge for the parts which are in the recall?

- Rochester Hills, MI, USA

problem #194

Dec 282017

Sonata

  • 80,000 miles
Airbag sensor light on the dash has been on for weeks while in motion, does not turn off.

- Lombard, IL, USA

problem #193

Jun 152017

Sonata

  • 83,000 miles
Airbag light wont shut off. No collision involved

- Leesburg, VA, USA

problem #192

Jan 042018

Sonata

  • 83,095 miles
Airbag light is remaining on, despite not being in an accident.

- Schertz, TX, USA

problem #191

Dec 092017

Sonata

  • 96,000 miles
Vehicle airbag light went on and stays on when starting car on 12/09/2017. Passenger airbag indicator blinks. Vehicle has never been involved in a crash. There was nothing done to the car that should have caused an issue with the airbags or any sensors.

- Saint Paul, MN, USA

problem #190

Oct 262017

Sonata 4-cyl

  • miles
Airbag warning on dashboard, steering wheel components such as volume, cruise control, reset mileage and the rest of the tabs do not function on the steering wheel, rear left side brake light bulb has to be replaced every four months, front right side/driver's side head light bulb wont' come on after replacing the light bulb, inside the cab the above night/passenger and rear guest lights won't come on, after an overall tune up such as oil, filters, liquids and plugs the engine warning light comes on for two days/48 hours. The vehicle engine starts and runs normal every day. The problem is more electrical by the above information. The local Hyundai dealership would like for us to take the vehicle in to check for the problem. About a year ago or less we had a vehicle recall on two specific items. After taking our vehicle to the dealership to see about the two recalls. One of the recalls was looked into and fixed. The second recall was never fixed and the car engine was running in the worst manner, the engine would run and stall, at a stop light while the engine was running, the engine would misfire. We were at the dealership and they wanted us to leave our vehicle so that it could be checked by their technicians while in the process we were told that we were responsible for the problem or vehicle misfiring/stalling of the engine. We called the 888-327-4236 for assistance and our problem was solved. By having your group contacting the dealership and having our second vehicle recall fixed and solved. That's the main reason for not going back to the dealership, apparently they are the only ones in town. Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. If we have to go back to the dealership, we'd go back but only with your assistance. Thank you. Email [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- El Paso, TX, USA

problem #189

Dec 132017

Sonata

  • 56,500 miles
Airbag indicator light came on (and stayed on) when I started the vehicle in a parking lot on 12/13/2017. I immediately brought the vehicle to the dealership and the dealership said it was related to the passenger side and that the passenger side airbag would not deploy until the problem was found and necessary repairs completed. Research shows that this is a pervasive issue in Hyundai Sonatas for all model years to date. Several forums discuss this same issue and I see that several complaints have been submitted through the NHTSA as well. This issue involves both the airbags and the electrical system (sensors; passenger seat track) and poses a major safety risk. I was allowed to bring the car home, in order to weigh my options. I have driven the car once, and cycled the car on and off in my driveway. The airbag dash indicator remains illuminated. The cost to repair this issue feels exorbitant, especially since it appears to be more related to manufacturer defect that normal wear and tear. I am now stuck paying $1500 or feeling completely unsafe having a passenger ride in my front seat.

- Saint Cloud, MN, USA

problem #188

Oct 012017

Sonata

  • 97,000 miles
Airbag light is on, Hyundai dealer inspected and said replacement was required at a cost to me of appt $ 1,200.00.

- Huntley, IL, USA

problem #187

May 012017

Sonata

  • miles
Airbag light is illuminated and seatbelt light blinks on the passenger side

- Evansville, WI, USA

problem #186

Nov 032017

Sonata

  • miles
The airbag light has been on for over a year and there has never been a deployment of the airbags. It remains on and never goes out.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

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