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:
20 / 6
Injuries / Deaths:
5 / 1
Average Mileage:
50,849 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.
Was driving fine for a few minutes, made a stop at a light then when I proceed to make my left turn, my steering wheel was completely hard to turn. A light EPS came on right away and I was able to move forward but made it completely hard to turn towards my destination. Drive my car home at 10 mph I could not steer my steering wheel
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact-??s mother stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed with needing the EPS control unit replaced however, the vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V190000 (Steering). The vehicle was then repaired but continued to experience the same symptoms. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and told the contact that they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 21,000.
UNKNOWN....Dome lights got switched and the car wouldnt turn back on after that.. Thought it was the alternator so a brand new one got put in it... Wasnt it.... Thought it was the battery terminal so got a brand new 1 of those... Not it.... Without the key being in the center console faub the car doesnt have power at all..... Car just wont start at all now.... So Really Unsure with what going
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at 70 MPH, the contact noticed the EPS warning light illuminated. The contact continued to drive but noticed the steering wheel of the vehicle was very loose causing the vehicle to swerve on the road. The contact lost automatic power steering which caused the contact to crash into a medium wall on the side of the road. The air bags did not deploy. There was no medical treatment at the scene. No one was injured. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who inspected the vehicle and diagnosed the failure as an electric issue with power steering that would need to be repaired by a local dealer. The vehicle was not repaired..The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 195,000.
There is looseness/excessive play in the steering, causing a jerkiness motion side-to-side with minimal movement of the steering wheel. There is also a clunking noise when turning and when going over bumps in the road, sometimes the bumps cause the steering wheel to jerk to the side resulting in the car veering to the left or right. When this occurs traveling at a higher speed, I'm afraid it could result in either veering into the ditch or into oncoming traffic. I had my mechanic inspect the issue, thinking it was a suspension problem, but was informed it was a faulty "steering column flexible coupler" that is a known issue with this particular vehicle. This steering issue seems to be getting worse and worse by the day.
- Neenah, WI, USA
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The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while her husband was driving 30 mph, the EPS warning light was illuminated, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The driver was able to continue driving to the residence. The contact stated she also experienced the same failure while driving. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed it was an electronic failure. The contact towed the vehicle to local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the electronic steering assembly to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V190000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
The contact's father owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while his father was attempting to make a turn, the electric power steering failed, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed as a steering column failure. The contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,181.
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, an abnormally loud popping sound was heard inside the vehicle and the steering wheel was shaking and vibrating while driving at high speeds. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and the vehicle was diagnosed with an intermediate shaft failure. The contact was informed that the intermediate shaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
After purchasing this car in 2018, I learned this vehicle had many recalls. After disagreements and arguments Hyundai, supposedly installed a brand new engine. I was then notified that I would have to pay out of pocket for the other 'recalls' on this vehicle. After more debates and arguments they cleared out all of the 'recalls' on this vehicle as if they were fixed, and they were not fixed. This is a safety hazard and needs to be investigated. I still have many issues with the 'so-called' recalls such as airbags, driver seatbelt and steering column.
I bought my vehicle from a local dealership a week ago. The horn and none of the features on the steering wheel work. The front panel of the steering wheel feels lose. I also smell gas often and my left muffler smokes and I sometimes smell burning rubber. Navigation does not work as it should and my xm features don't work because of a bad xm antenna (shark fin.) there is vibration in the steering when braking. My tire pressure light blinks and then stays on. The key doesn't operate the locks sometimes.
Steering gets locked while driving cannot make rite or left turns as needed, also it makes knockings sound while turning. Car got 45ooo miles & got 6-7 recalls for deferent items, very dangerous, almost involved in accident couple of times. Called dealer, they said is not cover in warranty & it cost $500 to 1000 depend on parts, labor required.
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and making a left turn, the steering wheel failed to operate as designed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact manually turned the steering to the left and to the right and the steering wheel resumed normal function. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. Neither the manufacturer nor the dealer were contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.
There is a thumping coming from the driver front wheel area when going over minor bumps. Upon turning the steering wheel left or right when at a stop there is a cluncking sound. Driving around 55 car shakes. Suspect steering coupler
When I was driving and going to do a turn the wheel turn to the other side by itself. I went to the Hyundai dealership on route four to get a diagnostic. They replaced my steering column and my brakes.
While driving there is a noticeable "clicking" noise, especially while turning the vehicle. And it is getting louder. Has been occurring the past two months.
My engine light has been on for 6 months and I had the timer sensor replaced twice. And it is still on. My car steering wheel vibrates at times. The steering wheel makes a cracking noise while parking or pulling out. Also my airbag light has been on continuous for 6 months over the steering wheel. Keep taking it to the shop and told to check recalls but my car is never listed.
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 mph, the steering wheel was shaking violently, without warning. The contact contacted dick smith Hyundai (825 congaree rd, greenville, SC 29607, (864) 284-7777) where they informed the contact that the vehicle was previously repaired under an unknown recall for the steering column. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 164,295.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Dekalb , IL, USA