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.
After 70,000 miles my Sonata suddenly began to pull hard to the left. I had the car aligned twice thereafter and it did not correct the issue. My mechanic says that there is nothing bent. In a call to a Hyundai mechanic friend of his, he was alerted to a problem with the electronic steering module. Isearched the web and have found that this is a recurring problem with this model car but as of this date no recall has been issued. This is a dangerous defect! it is quite a struggle to keep the car in lane particularly on the highway. If I were to let go of the steering wheel, I would be in the on-coming lane in a matter of a few feet.
I was hearing a clunking sound and my steering wheel was shaking alot. I took the vehicle straight to my mechanic and he said that my intermediate shaft is bad and that it is dangerous. He said the connection could break and I could lose the ability to steer the vehicle. I called Hyundai and they said there were recalls on the 2011, but my VIN # is not one of the cars. My VIN# may not be one of the cars in the batch recalled but I have this problem with my car. Why should I have to repair a safety issue that Hyundai should be held responsible for?
The steering wheel has a slight catch when turning. I was told by the dealer that they could fix it but it was going to cost me. I do a lot of highway miles so there shouldn't be any reason to have steering problems after only 3 years. I had the front stabilizer arm fixed twice due to noise on the front end, was not covered because they said I ran over something, which I did not. They didn't fix right the first time so had to pay again to get the other side fixed.
The steering wheel when making a turn felt like it was coming loose and it makes a clunking noise while driving the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number: There was a knocking noise and the steering wheel vibrated. The failure became progressively worse whenever making a turn. Vehicle was taken to a dealer and I was told that their was not any recalls due to any steering column.
I am using the same key that I have used since the car was first purchased new. Several times per week, when I stop the car and shift it into park, I am unable to remove the key from the ignition. The steering wheel is not locked, the car will start fine, and the car will run fine---I am just unable to remove the key from the ignition when the vehicle is turned off an in park.
- Fairport, NY, USA
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The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 mph and making a turn, there was a knocking noise and the steering wheel vibrated. The failure became progressively worse whenever making a turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed that the steering column intermittent shaft connector failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number: 10V426000 (steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
While driving the 2011 Hyundai Sonata at any speed the steering column will make a very audible clicking noise and also exhibits a significant amount of vibration (enough to affect steering) any time the steering wheel is manipulated either clockwise or counterclockwise. Driving over rough areas in the road, or anything not absolutely level (aka freshly paved surfaces) results in the clicking noise and vibration as noted above, even when the steering wheel is not turned. The vehicle feels unsafe to drive and after doing a moderate amount of inquiries on the internet this problem is rather common; though no recall covers the VIN on this specific car or others that have reported the same symptoms. This is an enduring problem and the car has since been placed in a garage and is now only used twice a month.
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 mph, the steering wheel started to vibrate, pulled to the right, and made a knocking noise. The failure recurred on multiple occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the steering shaft connector failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 74,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. While driving various speeds, the steering wheel made a clicking noise while turning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who stated that the steering coupler needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000.
The steering wheel has play in it and it also makes a loud knock when turned from side to side when in motion and not in motion. I spoke to a guy at the dealership at capital Hyundai columbia SC and after I told him what the car was doing he told me it needed a steering coupler and it would cost around $400 and they do a lot of this service for the particular car. But the part only cost $5.
Upon reaching the 70 mph speed limit the vehicle's steering began to vibrate when turning to the right. Recently had new tires and wheel alignment done so that problem it is not.it appears as though it is getting worse as the steering now makes a clunking noise whether moving or not. Also there appears to be many issues with this and Hyundai has issued a safety alert, but no recall. This incident will ultimately result in injuries and possibly fatalities if not addressed. Hopefully the NHTSA will force dealers to replace these faulty parts before that happens.
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. Whenever the steering wheel was turned while driving at various speeds, the contact heard an abnormal noise and it felt like the steering wheel would detach. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.
This vehicle has pulled to the right since I drove it off the lot. I have been to multiple dealerships to address the issue, no one has a fix. Dealership has told me it my driving style that is causing the issue. Dealership has told me the tires are not balanced, and rotated the tires. Dealer has done alignment, told me a special tool was needed to fix that they did not have, claimed a recalled part was the issue. After recall was repaired the car still pulls. I have had 3 full sets of tires done, working on set # 4 now - all previous sets were worn out due to camber issues.
2011 Hyundai Sonata turbo--when driving, the front end pulls to the right. I am replacing tires yearly. The shop says they can't find any problems, turbo when applied smells like burning rubber.
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that there was an unknown noise coming from the steering wheel while driving at low speeds. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
When first purchased in March of 2014 noticed a little clicking in steering when turned left or right. Now its gotten worst! even when parked it clicks. When we hit the smallest bump on the road it clicks and shakes bad. I'm to the point of scared to drive my own car. I'm scared I would have no control of the steering one day. I can not drive this car with my 3 kids in it. I thought I bought me a safe family car. I was wrong. I'm doing my research right now and see lot others have this problem. It needs to be a recall. My Hyundai dealer says it's the coupling. He knew exactly what problem I was having. Like it isn't news to him. It'll gonna cost me $349 to get this fixed"!?!"
The car make a loud thump and the steering is loose when you turn the steering wheel from side to side had it check out and stated it might be the bearings.
I purchased a used 2011 Sonata on 3/19/14. Within a few days, I noticed that when I reached 70 mph, the steering wheel began to vibrate violently. I called the service manager at the dealership who said it sounded like the wheel alignment. Since I work only 6 mi. From home and I hardly ever drove 70 mph, and the dealership is about an hour's drive from home, it was not until 5/19 that I had the alignment done. I paid $58.40 for the work, on the way home I found that it still vibrated at 70 mph. Due to having recently spent so much to buy the car, I couldn't afford to spend any more on it then and decided to keep my speed under 70 until I had more money. On about 9/8, the steering wheel starting making a grinding noise when I turned the wheel when backing out of my parking place. On 9/10 I called the service manager at the dealership again who suggested I take my car somewhere closer to home. I took my car to an automotive repair company, who was recommended by several friends. He removed the driveshaft and said the coupling was "dust" and it was metal against metal. He then said there was a safety notice but not a safety recall on this problem. From that day forward I have had no vibration in the steering wheel. I believe there should be a safety recall before someone gets hurt or killed. I would also like my $421.40 reimbursed.
Two issues: 1. I purchased the vehicle used in December 2012. Immediately noticed a left pull, so the dealership agreed to align the vehicle prior to us driving off the lot. Since then, the car has never been properly aligned with the dealership consistently stating "you must be hitting too many potholes". I drive a Sonata, not an off-road vehicle. Absolute bologna! I've gone through 2 new tires and three alignments since with the left pull still occurring. Finally, I decided to give up on the dealer and take it to a local repair shop who informed me I'll need to install an aftermarket camber bolt kit and this is a known issue in Sonatas. I'm hoping this will fix the problem, but it seems utterly ridiculous that none of the Hyundai dealerships would ante up and take the blame for this and consistently took my money for an alignment that never fixed the problem. 2. loud clicking when turning left or right at any speed which is getting significantly worse. The clicking was mild when I first purchased the vehicle and has since gotten significantly worse. When I spoke with the dealership about this, they want to charge me another $200+ to fix. **needless to say, I will never purchase a Sonata again. They don't take responsibility for anything.
I recently purchased a 2011 Hyundai Sonata gls on 12-26-14 with 97,300 miles. The car only came with one key so I decided to get another key from local Hyundai dealership. While there I decided to check on any recalls the car may of had and not yet done. The service department pulled up 4 total recalls which hasn't been taken care of yet. I told them about a clunking feel in the steering wheel when I turned it to the left or right. They said it was the flexible coupling........a round thick rubber part that looks like a gear. Rubber.....really......in the steering gear system"????? the technician said this part is a safety hazard and wears out on a regular basis to the point you could loose total control of steering. Come to find out that part was replaced around 26,000 miles. They said it wasn't a recall item and the replaced part was only warrantied 12 months/12,000 miles. They also informed me it was a safety issue and I should get it replaced asap! the total cost is $250.......$8 for part and the rest is labor. Not a big surprise.......labor's always more expensive than the part! I didn't do a lot of research on the car before I bought it. Shame on me!!!! within an hour on the internet I learned a great deal on the unbelievable number of people who are having this problem. I don't understand why Hyundai hasn't recalled the flexible coupling? I'm going to dig a little deeper to see how many accidents/deaths are associated with this particular part. I'd love to know if there's a class action lawsuit against Hyundai on this part" Hyundai you are putting a tremendous amount of peoples lives in risk of injury or death because you will not recall a part which is less than $10!!!!! oh, how about redesigning the part which is rubber and making it out of something more durable!!!!! selling this deathtrap asap and getting a Honda or Toyota!!!!!! seriously!!!!!!!....updated 01/23/15 updated 9/12/2017
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Blairstown, NJ, USA