Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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 that while her husband was attempting to shift from drive to reverse, the gear shifter seized in the drive. The contact stated that the shifter cable had detached. The contact's husband informed the contact that a pin was missing from the shifter cable. The contact's husband opened the hood and shifted the gear manually with someone seated in the driver's seat. The contact's husband was able to drive the vehicle to their residence. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while his wife was driving 10-15 MPH, the vehicle jolted, and the transmission slipped into 1st and 2nd gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that his wife veered to the side of the road, shifted into neutral(N), and then shifted back into drive(D), and the vehicle responded as needed. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to tow the vehicle to their location because the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that after the vehicle was stopped at a red light, the contact depressed on the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle did not accelerator properly. The contact was able to pull over on the side of the road and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic informed the contact that the failure was related to the transmission, but the vehicle was not fully diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the mechanic. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,700.
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the vehicle in Drive Mode, the transmission erroneously shifted into the sport mode. During the failure, the gears failed to shift as needed, and the vehicle would not accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. After restarting the vehicle, the failure had self-corrected but would eventually the failure had recurred. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,000.
While driving on the highway, the motor all of a sudden lost all power and the brakes locked causing a collision. I've never had any problems until then. My car was in tip top shape with no issues until the engine / motor decided to defect. Hyundai she recall this engine issue before someone gets killed
My engine has failed, and my steering wheel column has locked. I had the software update on my engine with Napleton that qualified me for a lifetime engine replacement. I submitted maintenance records for my car and pictures of my valvetrain that are well maintained, and hyundai denied my engine claim for exceptional maintenance neglect on Dec8. On December 14th, after reviewing my oil changes, they still denied me for using low quality oil that's obscured. The problem I am having with my car is oil, not being able to get to the pistons inside my engine. It's not fair when the company know they engines have a manufacture defect. Then they blame the customers for lack of maintenance to have an excuse not to replace the engine. …
My daughter and a passenger were driving our car at night October 3, 2021and the entire car suddenly and without notice began shaking and convulsing, became non responsive and all the electrical components and the engine went dead including inside lights, brakes, power steering and lighting system. It was nighttime and the traffic was medium but she was able to ease the vehicle onto the shoulder without incident but had a few close calls as drivers eased around her. They could have been severely injured by the traffic as it attempted to get past her on this narrow two lane road. The vehicle was towed to a mechanic who diagnosed that the engine had blown, was seized and locked up. He also mentioned that there is a recall for the 2011 Sonata and numerous problems such as this have been reported. We had no idea there was a recall on this vehicle. …
when driving randomly the cars engine will rev really high while pressing the gas pedal but the car doesn't move. After a little while the car eventually makes a loud clunking noise which shakes the car and typically causes the tires to spin. It seems to happen when the car is trying to decide whether to switch the gas engine or back to EV mode. This has been happening for a long time an even after the engine was replace under the recall. This is a safety issue that causes major concerns for myself an passengers. Also it happen when turning onto highways or exits which at high speeds there is a high likelihood of causing an accident. I have reported this to Hyundai several times but they cannot figure out the cause but rather keep trying different things an charging me. the car also seems to burn oil fast which doesn't make any sense being that its a newly installed engine.
I was driving my 2011 Hyundai Sonota and it felt like a truck had slammed into the back of my vehicle but it didn't, the car was knocking and finally stopped and wouldn't accelerate when pushing the pedal. I had to have it towed and the shop didn't know what to do and I had it sent to Rick Case Hyundai and I explained the situation about the debris being washed out of the engine and they asked for $1700 just to look at the engine. I had a few recalls and they should have looked at the engine with no problems and no charges. They had my vehicle towed and it took me a few months to figure out what happened to my car? I have been denied EVERYTHING BY HYUNDAI CORPORATE AND TAMMY OFFERED TO LOOK AT THE ENGINE AFTER SENDING THE INFORMATION TO BBB AND SHE SAID SHE WOULD DO IT FREE OF CHARGE BECAUSE THERE IS A RECALL ON THE END
I was driving my vehicle and a warning light indicating hybrid system charging failure warning. The vehicle had intermittent power problems and would not move appropriately in relation to the pushing the gas pedal. It would not go then would jerk forward. I was finally able to pull over to the side of the road safely. I turned my car off and when turned back on the error message failed. This happened on two other occasions. Later there was a whining noise when shifting into second gear. I took in for service and the hyundai dealership told me the transmission needed to be replaced. My safety and others were at risk due to loss of ability to drive the vehicle appropriately due to loss of power.
Related recalls
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.
Transmission complaints in other Sonata years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2011 Hyundai Sonata?
NHTSA has 173 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata, 5% of the model year's 3,378 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (22 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Hyundai Sonata transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 14V-434 (automatic transmission, Jul 18, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2011 Hyundai Sonata transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 49,000 miles, and 35% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 5 fires and 7 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.