Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Hyundai Sonata owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started swerving in the lane to the right and the left. The contact heard an abnormal thumping noise from underneath the floorboard. The contact stated that the power steering and brakes functioned as needed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear cross member needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V354000 (Suspension). The failure mileage was approximately 162,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard a ticking sound and then heard something detach from the vehicle. The contact pulled over and checked underneath the driver's side front of the vehicle and became aware that the coil spring had detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
I started to get engine knocking noises about 6 months after the purchase of the used car. This knocking noise began to increase in frequency as I pressed my foot on the accelerator and the car would not accelerate when I pressed my foot on the gas pedal. Then the car would shut down in the middle of traffic. After waiting about 30 -45 mins, I would try to start the car again and would start and initially run as long as I drove less than 20 miles/hour the knocking noise level would decrease but if I went above 15 - 20 mph the car would shut down. The check engine light and engine oil light would come on. So I would check the engine oil level oil using the dip stick and it showed oil levels were ok. On October 10 2023 while driving to Walmart the engine turned off and would not start after waiting over 1 hour and I was stuck in the mall entrance road. …
The contact's daughter owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would bounce up and down without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer where she was informed that her vehicle was not covered under warranty or recall. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with a fractured front coil spring. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V629000 (Suspension). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided the contact with the same information as the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
While driving at highway speeds on the us 101 northbound into san francisco my 2011 Sonata suddenly began veering out of its lane and was hard to steer or control. I was able to brake and steer just enough to get to the right highway shoulder without hitting anything as there were no cars immediately to my right. I was stuck on a dangerous part of the highway shoulder for an hour waiting to be towed, with the vehicle seeming dangerous to drive to a safer spot. While waiting for a tow on the highway shoulder I was able to look at the rear-left wheel which was inclined into the wheel-well at about 30 degrees on the top side. After getting towed off the highway the tow-truck driver was able to look under the car and noticed that the upper rear control arm of the back left wheel had broken. The back left wheel was loosely moveable using just our hands. …
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. …
While driving on the highway and attempting to brake the steering wheel shook rapidly. The steering wheel makes a click when in park and I move the steeping wheel slightly off center to the left or the right. When driving at any speed and go over bumps on the road the steering wheel makes a clunk noise. The steering feels loose when driving on the highway at speeds of 60+. This is an issue that needs to be recalled. When I spoke to the dealer they said that my car doesn't have any recalls on the steering! But found right here on this website, shows the TSB#10-01-32. We purchased this car in 2011 with the full warranty intact from crain Kia, which also owns crain Hyundai the vehicle was a dealership demo vehicle. After running a VIN search on this website, it has not been inspected or repaired. …
Steering column recall (campaign 97) was identified as performed by Hyundai on November 12, 2010. While having repairs done to 2011 Hyundai Sonata, the mechanic identified that the car had a recall which was characterized by the steering problems/shaking identified. Hyundai was contracted and they scheduled an appointment to have the car diagnosed stating their policy... "once a recall / always a recall." I really did not really like it when I was told that if the problem was not the steering column recall, I would be charged for the diagnosis. I really did have a problem when I was told that they would not tell me what the charges May be. Compounding this, the rims have corroded to the point where they are almost completely black. This has been contributed to be corrosion of some sort by three independent inspectors. When I asked Hyundai mfg. …
The original equipment tires wore uneven (cupping) producing a loud sound as speed increased. These tires were replaced with new toyo proxes tires, which eventually wore the rear tires in the same manner producing unacceptable tire noise. The current (third set) of new tires, hankook 727's, have apx. 20K miles and have started to wear the rear tires in the same (cupping) pattern. The dealer was made aware of this years ago during a maintenance visit. He suggested replacing the tires and rotating them every 5K miles. This suggestion is not a satisfactory fix. Outside of this problem the car is perfect. However, replacing tires before they're worn out is too expensive. Tire replacement off-sets the fuel efficiency rating that prompted the purchase of this car! Not one of the 3 sets of tires on this car got close to the manufacturers mileage rating! …
I purchased this car less than a year ago. The steering wheel is making a clicking noise when moved from left to right and there is a clunking sound coming from the steering column when driving between 10 - 40 MPH. When searching online, I have noticed that hundreds of Hyundai owners that have this make and model are experiencing the same issue. I feel unsafe when driving this car, especially when my grandchildren are with me. I understand there was a recall but I was told my car did not qualify. The dealer wants to charge me $100 just to look at it. This is a major safety issue!!!! Is Hyundai waiting for someone to be killed before they do something and take responsibility for their cars. I now have 64,000 miles on this car, 4000 over the warranty and Hyundai refuses to fix unless I pay up front. …
Related 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.
Suspension complaints in other Sonata years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2011 Hyundai Sonata?
NHTSA has 148 complaints about the suspension of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata, 4% of the model year's 3,378 complaints. The component named most often is front (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Hyundai Sonata suspension problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-629 (coil springs, Oct 7, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2011 Hyundai Sonata suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries to suspension problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.