Most common 2011 Hyundai Sonata problems
Share of the 3,378 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Hyundai Sonata complaints by model year
Best Sonata years: 2025, 2019, 2020. Years to avoid: 2011, 2013, 2012, 2015, 2017. Compare all years →
2011 Hyundai Sonata recalls (14)
Engine
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2013-2014 Santa Fe Sport vehicles previously repaired under recall numbers 15V-568 and 17V-226. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned, or improperly torqued during the engine replacement…
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 1, 2019. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.
Air bags › Air bag/restraint control module
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Sonata and 2011-2012 Sonata Hybrid vehicles. On February 27, 2018, Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) notified NHTSA that they were recalling 154,753 model year 2011 Sonata vehicles.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install an external wire filter kit, free of charge. The recall began October 15, 2018. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.
Seat belts › Pretensioner
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrid vehicles previously repaired under recall campaign 17V-152. The seat belt linkages for both front seat belts may detach from the seat belt anchor pretensioners.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will again verify the connection between the seat belt linkage and the pretensioner and additionally install a warning label to prevent future seat belt linkage detachment, free…
Seat belts › Front › Anchorage
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrid vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the seat belt linkages for both front seat belts may detach from the seat belt anchor pretensioners.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners and dealers will inspect the connection between the seat belt linkages and the seat belt anchor pretensioners, repairing them as necessary, free of charge.
Steering › Electric power assist system
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011 Sonata vehicles manufactured December 11, 2009, to October 31, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) circuit board may be damaged and result in a loss of power steering assist.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EPS control unit, free of charge. The recall began May 30, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9640.
Exterior lighting › Brake lights › Switch
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model 2011-2012 Sonata vehicles. The brake pedal stopper pad can deteriorate allowing the brake light switch plunger to remain extended when the brake pedal is released.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake pedal stopper pad with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 6, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059.
Show 8 more recalls
Suspension › Front › Springs › Coil springs
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011 Elantra vehicles manufactured November 12, 2010, to March 31, 2011, and Sonata vehicles manufactured December 11, 2009, to February 28, 2010, originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland,…
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front coil springs, free of charge. Interim notifications were mailed on November 17, 2015. The recall began on January 6, 2016.
Engine
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Sonata vehicles manufactured December 11, 2009, to April 12, 2012 at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama and equipped with either a 2.0 liter or 2.4 liter Gasoline Direct injection engine.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace the engine assembly, as necessary, free of charge.
Service brakes, hydraulic
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011 Sonata vehicles manufactured from December 11, 2009, through September 1, 2010. The affected vehicles may experience a brake fluid leak from the two brake lines that connect the brake system's master cylinder to the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) due…
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake hoses with a revised service part, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151.
Power train › Automatic transmission
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Sonata vehicles manufactured December 11, 2009, through May 29, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable may detach from from the shift lever pin.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, repair the connection between the shift cable and shift lever, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014.
Exterior lighting › Brake lights › Switch
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.
Steering › Gear box › Shaft sector
Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2011 sonata vehicles manufactured from December 11, 2009, through September 10, 2010. On some of these vehicles the steering column intermediate shaft universal joint connections May have been either improperly assembled or insufficiently tightened.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the steering column intermediate shaft universal joint connections for proper assembly and torque. In addition dealers will update the power steering software free of charge.
Steering › Gear box › Shaft sector
Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2011 sonata vehicles manufactured from December 11, 2009, through September 10, 2010. On some of these vehicles the steering column intermediate shaft universal joint connections May have been either improperly assembled or insufficiently tightened.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the steering column intermediate shaft universal joint connections for proper assembly and torque. In addition dealers will update the power steering software free of charge.
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
Hyundai-Kia has notified NHTSA about a defect in certain model year 2011 sonata vehicles manufactured from December 11, 2009 through February 15, 2010. The front inside door lock switch can remain in the unlatched position.
Remedy: Hyundai-Kia will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles by replacing latches affected by this recall campaign free of charge. The safety recall began on March 12, 2010.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 8 possible defects involving the 2011 Hyundai Sonata:
Scope and Timeliness
NHTSA opened Recall Query (RQ) 17-004 to investigate the timeliness and scope of Hyundai?s Theta II GDI engine recalls (Recall Nos. 15V-568 and 17V-226), and Hyundai?s compliance with reporting requirements. On November 23, 2020, the Agency entered into a Consent Order with Hyundai to administratively resolve NHTSA?s assertions of violations of law in connection with RQ17-004.
Non-crash Vehicle Fires
During this Preliminary Evaluation (PE), the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) assessed the scope, frequency and potential safety-related consequences of non-crash vehicle fires caused by both engine failures and failures of other vehicle systems/components in model year (MY) 2011-2014 Hyundai Sonata and Santa Fe vehicles equipped with Theta II and Lambda II engines (approximately 1.3 million vehicles).
Air bags may be disabled during crash
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE18-003 on 3/16/18 to investigate incidents involving crashes, resulting in significant collision related damage, where the frontal airbags failed to deploy. ODI reviewed complaint data, available design, test, and field data on the model year (MY) 2011 Hyundai Sonata, MY 2012-2013 Kia Forte and Forte Koup vehicles.
Steering Shaft Separation
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is aware of 7 complaints and field reports and 10 warranty claims on the subject vehicles that allege the intermediate steering shaft became loose or in some cases separated from the upper steering column and/or the steering gearbox, causing (or potentially causing) the hand wheel to become mechanically de-coupled from the road wheels resulting in a complete loss of steering…
Engine Fires
On March 29, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened two Preliminary Evaluations (PE19-003 on Hyundai and PE19-004 on Kia) to broadly investigate incidents of non-crash fires (regardless of origin or operational status of the vehicle) on various model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles.
Loss of Motive Power
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021.
Throttle control system vulnerabilities
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a petition letter dated October 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (ETC) system on certain Kia vehicles resulting in the opening of DP21-003.
Non-crash Vehicle Fires
In a letter dated June 11, 2018, the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to initiate a safety defect investigation into non-collision related fires on model year (MY) 2011-2014 Kia Optima and Sorento, and Hyundai Sonata and Santa Fe vehicles. In a letter dated July 24, 2018, CAS requested that MY 2010-2015 Kia Soul vehicles be added to the petition.
What 2011 Hyundai Sonata owners say
Steering all 1,171 →
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.
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.
Engine & cooling all 1,012 →
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS. The contact stated while driving at 20 mph and making a turn, all warning lights started flashing and the vehicle began to make an abnormal knocking noise. The contact was able to safely stop the vehicle as he noticed that smoke was coming from under the vehicle. The smoke stopped on its own as the engine was turned off. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the ECM cluster update (Software) which contributed to the engine failure. The contact stated that the dealer informed him that the engine also needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired as the dealer said that the engine replacement was not covered under warranty. The contact stated that the failure was related to a manufacturer warranty recall number: 953. The manufacturer was informed of the failure however no assistance was offered. …
The contact owned a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact initially stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal, knocking noise would emit from the engine. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer where a knock sensor test was performed and the contact had the engine replaced under warranty. A few months later while driving at night at 35 MPH, smoke(color unknown) began to emit from the vehicle without warning as he noticed his feet getting warm. The contact then saw flames emit from the vehicle and immediately pulled over. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the fire(fire report unknown). Police also arrived at the scene and a police report was filed. No injuries were reported at the scene. The vehicle was totaled and towed to an independent body shop. …
Electrical system all 443 →
I [redacted] purchased the vehicle from a dealership Mr. T's world test drive the car was fine left the dealership had to go back he change the brake lights made it back left to go to the store the next day had to pull over they had smoke coming from under the hood open the hood up the wires was on fire
The contact owned a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at 50 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the rear end of the vehicle. The contact depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle skidded and stopped. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to her residence and parked the vehicle. The contact then sought medical assistance and was informed that she had sustained a left shoulder rotator cuff tear. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the air bags failed to engage and did not need to be reset. The vehicle was then taken to an auto collision mechanic where it was repaired. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, another vehicle crashed into the driver's side of the vehicle. The contact was thrown to the right and to the driver's side door. The air bags failed to deploy. …
2011 Hyundai Sonata engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl hybrid | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 34 / 39 / 36 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 6-speed manual | FWD | 24 / 34 / 27 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 22 / 34 / 26 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 22 / 32 / 26 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2011 Hyundai Sonata a good car?
Based on 3,378 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2011 Sonata rates avoid: 10.7× as many complaints as a typical year of the Sonata at the same age. It is one of the Sonata years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Hyundai Sonata?
The steering — 1,171 complaints, 35% of all complaints for this model year, most often about gear box › shaft sector. Next are the engine & cooling (1,012) and electrical system (443).
How many recalls does the 2011 Hyundai Sonata have?
There are 14 recalls for the 2011 Hyundai Sonata, the most recent from December 28, 2018 (engine). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Hyundai Sonata?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2025, 2019 and 2020. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2011, 2013, 2012, 2015 and 2017. See the full Hyundai Sonata years comparison.
At what mileage do 2011 Hyundai Sonata problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 75,000 miles; 30% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.