2011 Hyundai Sonata: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
43%
1,197 of 2,768 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
43% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2011 Hyundai Sonata are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 52% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 608 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 35%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EQUIPMENT03/28/20124 INJURED
FROM: [email protected] SUBJECT: RE: HYUNDAI SONATA 2011 DATE: TUE, 6 MAR 2012 18:01:34 -0700 DEAR JAVIER RIVERA: THANK YOU FOR CONTACTING HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA. WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASSIST YOU, BUT WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT PROMPTED YOUR CONTACT. WE WOULD LIKE TO REFER YOU …
AIR BAGS,ENGINE01/08/2021CRASH3 INJURED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HER DAUGHTER'S FRIEND WAS DRIVING 65 MPH, WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE THE SPEED. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE DRIVE WAS TURNED TO THE RIGHT TO PARK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BUT THE VEHICLE SEIZED ON THE ROAD. THE C…
AIR BAGS,ENGINE12/22/2018CRASH3 INJURED
MY 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA' RECALLED ENGINE SEIZED WHILE DRIVING AND WAS REPLACED BY HYUNDAI MOTORS AMERICA FREE OF CHARGE IN AUGUST 2018, NO ONE WAS INJURED. HOWEVER, IN LESS THEN 2 MONTHS THE NEWLY REPLACED ENGINE ONCE AGAIN SEIZED UP BUT THIS TIME ON THE FREEWAY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE HIT BY ANOTHER DRIVER TRAVELING …
Three of 1,197 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (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. …
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 be…
SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Sonata and 2011-2012 Sonata Hybrid vehicles.
On February 27, 2018, Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) notif…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2011 Hyundai Sonata
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
14 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
