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.
Paint coming off by itself, car shakes, speed is awful, and now the transmission will not change gears at all. I went to a gas station, went inside come out and now the car will not go from park. And now it's not shifting gears at all. People spend their hard earned money on Hyundai. For this car to do what it did... I was very very disappointed. I have a 2008 Altima which still runs perfectly fine without any issues but the 2011 Hyundai Sonata just crapped up after several months. Hyundai should fix all these issues.
Hyundai sonata 2011 model is not really that competent. I have faced several issues with this model. One issue (transmission shifting lever stuck) is repeated for the third time and I even asked Hyundai representative why Hyundai is not fixing the problem permanently as it is a known/repetitive problem. I didn't receive any positive feedback from them. It is a disaster to be owner of Hyundai as you don't know when your car will breakdown and it needs repair. I rate Hyundai 4 out of 10 and suggest buyers to go for Toyota/Honda/Ford/etc., except Korean brands.
Auto transmission gear box problem: Huge sound comes while shifting the gear from parking to Drive mode. Gear indication on the screen disappears and huge sound comes while driving the car. I used to stop my car and turn off the engine and again start it to come to normal stage.
My 2011 Sonata has randomly started not shifting properly. I've taken it to the dealership and they cannot figure out what is wrong. When I come to a stop (or just start the car) and shift from my current gear (park or drive) it will shudder and not show any gear selection on my dash or at the gear shift. I can move the gear shift from park to reverse to neutral to drive and the car will shutter and grind but not engage in a gear. If I push the gear shift to park and restart the car, that usually "fixes" it temporarily.
- greta21,
Belton, TX, US
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Paint coming off by itself, car shakes, speed is awful, and now the transmission will not change gears at all. I went to a gas station, went inside come out and now the car will not go from park. And now it's not shifting gears at all. People spend their hard earned money on Hyundai. For this car to do what it did... I was very very disappointed. I have a 2008 Altima which still runs perfectly fine without any issues but the 2011 Hyundai Sonata just crapped up after several months. Hyundai should fix all these issues.
- MOE E., Atlanta, GA, US