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.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
15 / 6
Injuries / Deaths:
7 / 0
Average Mileage:
57,394 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2011 Hyundai Sonata brakes problems

brakes problem

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2011 Hyundai Sonata Owner Comments (Page 1 of 7)

problem #140

Jan 152024

Sonata

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Abs unit still in need of remedy Engine emitting smoke and harsh smell no incident has occurred yet but there may be damage occurring to my vehicle

- Conroe, TX, USA

problem #139

Jan 202024

Sonata

  • miles
I was gifted the car for graduation and immediately my brakes weren-??t working right my interior electrical stopped working and my window switches stopped working as well as my lights for my car all went out including the brake lights changing the bulbs didn-??t help and my check engine light stays on at all times.

- Saint George, UT, USA

problem #138

Dec 292023

Sonata

  • 202,008 miles
I Craig knight 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

- Lafayette La, LA, USA

problem #137

Jan 022024

Sonata

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

This is a 'Stop Lamp Switch' issue. The car will randomly turn on the ABS light causing the ABS system to engage and not allow you to use the accelerator pedal. This is very dangerous as if you are about to merge on or off a highway the car does not allow you to correctly control your speed. This issue happens more prevalently at night time when the full beam headlights (auto or manually turn on when dark out), which is very concerning. This issue has been going on for a year now and no mechanics at Hyundai can fix or diagnose. It happened again to me this morning and came very close to causing an accident as I could not engage the accelerator pedal on a turn. Please, in the interest of safety and saving lives fix this dangerous defective part issue.

- Dighton, MA, USA

problem #136

Dec 082023

Sonata

  • miles
Code p1326; vehicle equipped with YELLOW diptick

- Quincy, MA, USA

problem #135

Sep 222023

Sonata

  • miles
The ABS system has had a recall due to the potential for an engine fire. The initial recall was set on 9/22/23. Up until today (12/6/23) no action has been taken by the manufacturer but we are left without a car.

- Madison, CT, USA

problem #134

Aug 302023

Sonata

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The brake lights stay on all the time, thus preventing vehicles behind mine from knowing if I'm actually stopping. Hence, they may stop without reason, and endanger drivers behind them. The manufacturer has likely known of this being an issue in Sonatas from, at least, 2007 through 2013 models. The manufacturer is putting the task of solving the problem (if that's even possible), upon a dealer. And, my trip to that (nearest) dealership (75 miles away) creates its own danger. The danger is added to by a pre-existing unsolved issue of the horn not functioning. As per the brake light issue, I've been to the dealership about it twice, and they weren't even aware that the brake light switch they think attaches to my car doesn't. So, I wonder if the manufacturer tried to address the issue in the middle of the 2011 model year, installed a different model switch and wiring on more newly built cars in that model year, and decided to ignore the owners of vehicles sold earlier in that model year. As for an additional related issue, unless I disconnect my battery when not in the car. the lights stay on and run down the battery. That can contribute to its own safety issue.

- Plevna, KS, USA

problem #133

Feb 012023

Sonata

  • miles
The car suddenly stopped idling while driving at around 40-45 mph and everything seemed normal until it would not drive but the car was on and then the steering was difficult to pull over to a safe area and the brakes were hard to brake and stop but when it came to a full stop the vehicle dash warning lights were flickering and shut off. When I tried to attempt and start the vehicle it would not start but everything turns on ike normal al the lights except the engine was not on. Also it started smelling like some sort of electrical components were burning or something but I couldn't see any smoke or anything coming from the engine area but it seemed like electrical burn somewhere in the car. The vehicle is very unsafe to drive since there was no kind of warning lights or sounds and just stopped working while driving. The vehicle is well maintained and up to date with maintenance services. It became inoperable and had to be towed home since I ended up stuck in a unsafe spot in the middle of a busy street and waited hours for someone to tow it back to my house because it was already about 1 or 2 in the morning. The next day had hired a mechanic to come and do the diagnostics and repairs and still doesn't start or drive and I had to hire another mechanic to diagnose the problem again and was told that the motor is seized and I would need a new engine and other work done on it as well and so me and my family are stuck without a car which is our only car and no more money to fix the car and have no way to bring my child to school and also take my wife to work and etc etc since this problem and don't know what's wrong with it after spending so much money trying to have it fixed so possibly a lemon car.

- Vallejo, CA, USA

problem #132

Jan 262023

Sonata

  • miles
Unknown

- Columbus, OH, USA

problem #131

Nov 302022

Sonata

  • miles
When Driving the Alarms go off indicating a brake issue, my brake peddle goes to the the floor, car looses power and slows down to 5 MPH. Car will not accelerate past 5 MPH when i am trying to pull over or get off the freeway. Brakes are grinding as i try to use them, very dangerous while on the freeway. When I am able to pull over. I will turn off the car and turn it back on and the issue goes away. Now this may happen several more times before i am able to get some where safe. Dealership has no clue why its doing this after showing the video of the Alarms and describing it. No codes are found either. They just want to start replacing parts stating at 3k a round hoping it will fix the issue. This issue doesn't happen every day but it does happen while driving on the freeway. I have read online others having the same safety issue while driving and having thes same brake failures. Not sure where Hyundai is at with this issue and the fix for it" Yet does someone have to be in a serious accident before someone takes action with this issue"

- Chula Vista, CA, USA

problem #130

Nov 102022

Sonata

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have had to replace my brake lights, sometimes, every few months. My third brake light only works intermittently. Recently, my brake lights and my door lights failed to shut off after I turned the engine off. Also, my abs light came on on the dash, but after turning the engine off and back on, that light went out. After re-starting my car and repeatedly, stepping on the brake, my lights finally shut off. I checked the internet for similar problems and found out that there had been a Hyundai recall for this issue. I phoned Hyundai customer support. They told me the recall had been repaired on my car by the dealer. Obviously, it had not. (The dealer also claimed to have corrected another recall regarding seat belts, but that too is a lie, since my seat belt dash light is on although I have never been involved in an accident) I believe that the dealer billed Hyundai, but failed to either deliberately or inadvertently failed to perform the recall work. The recall involved replacing the brake stopper pad which engages the brake light switch. Obviously, Hyundai considered this a safety issue since the brake lights are always on, so the driver behind my car never knows what I'm doing. This has also affected the interior overhead light which only intermittently goes off when I close the door, so I have to keep the light in the off position.

- Evanston, IL, USA

problem #129

Apr 202022

Sonata

  • miles
Even on a perfectly dry road, the cruise control can't be set and the traction control light comes on. The nearest dealer (75 miles away) said it was likely in need of a new brake light switch. That didn't solve the problem. Now, it is beyond the fact that the brake lights stay on whether the car is running or not. The brake light switch is clearly impacting various other functions and makes the car unsafe to drive, because vehicles following it conclude (incorrectly) that the driver is engaging the brakes. Additionally, if someone doesn't detach the battery cables when spending some time at a destination, they can be stranded as the result of a dead battery. If the manufacturer had integrity, they would replace whatever related parts are needed to make the car drive safely, They know there's a problem in such vehicles, and even the head of the nearest service department is currently stumped. And, today I was told by the manufacturer that I have to drive it to that distant dealer to see what kind of offer they might give for the car "as is". There should be a recall.

- Plevna, KS, USA

problem #128

Aug 182022

Sonata

  • miles
I can-€™t drive my car in the dark. This has been on going since I bought the car and has just gotten worse. Everytime I turn my lights on all of my rear lights stop working and if I-€™m driving and the back light stop working my gas peddle also will not let me accelerate until I let my foot off and go back on to it but at this point I have no tail lights or brake lights.. I-€™ve tried so many things to fix this but this is a serious issue I had another friend who bought the same car and sold it a week later because of the same issue. I also can open my trunk and wiggle the wires and it-€™s a whole light show back there.

- Lebanon, IN, USA

problem #127

Jul 222021

Sonata

  • miles
The taillight socket is melting disabling the effective use of the brake system to alert other drivers the vehicle is stopping. The light works but can not be reinserted into the given space because it has melted close on the tailight cause my entire tail light to have to be replaced. The light bulb then melted into the trunk space and could have caused a fire but luckily we smelled it and moved the placement. I have almost been rear ending multiple times cause long the oncoming driver to swerve off the road to avoid hitting me because they were not able to see I was stopped. I have been stopped by law enforcement and given a warning thankfully. I have sent a complaint to hyundai and have seen multiple complaints and myself seen multiple sonatas on the road with no tail light/brake light issues. My dealer wants to charge over $600-1000 to repair this imperative issue. There was no indication they were malfunctioning until they had melted into the socket. On both lights. I have read multiple complaints on this same issue. This is an important part of the car that needs to be fixed for driver safety.

- Wesley Chapel , FL, USA

problem #126

Dec 012011

Sonata

  • miles
Brake lights have been needed to be replaced multiple times a year, since I purchased the car. Now this past year I have had to replace my break lights more often and noticed the port that holds the light appears to be burnt. So after I noticed the situation, I googled to see if there were any recalls and there have been, but my dealership advised me that my car had no recall for the break lights but had other recalls (which nothing was ever sent to me stating any recalls). Also be advised approximately every 5 hyundai sonata has a break light out. I am EXTREMELY upset that there has not been a recall for the break lights and also upset that the dealer charged $115 for two break light bulbs and -€œlabor-€) and why was I not aware of recalls on my vehicle until I went into the dealership with a problem.

- Bayonne, NJ, USA

problem #125

Jan 152022

Sonata

  • 99,000 miles
All the lights appear os dash. Tpms, taction control, maintenance check engine, , brake malfunction message power steering light. Car start beeping alarm. Transmision weard beheaving. Brakes weard, acceleration. Scare moments, stop the car. Dangerous driving. After 5 mjnutes problem desapear and afret 10 more milles problem appear again. Bring car to the dealer february 10th for diagnostic they charge $457.38 dolars fr diagnostic. Almost a month after they found anything nothing. Feel robbed by dealer.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

problem #124

Mar 032022

Sonata

  • miles
The connection between the brake light and the socket is very poor and the motion of the vehicle often causes them to go out. I have replaced the bulbs and sockets multiple times and I find myself routinely conducting this same repair. This is a safety issue as functioning brake lights are a crucial safety feature for night time driving. I have had this issue diagnosed and repaired by an auto service professional a year ago and I am still having the same problem recur. No warning lights come on when the brake lights fail so I am required to routinely check them myself.

- Columbus, OH, USA

problem #123

Feb 152022

Sonata

  • miles
My husband took car to Rainbow City, AL location to have some recalls fixed. 2wks later we go to pick up the car & as we go to to leave, me following behind him, I noticed passenger brake light out. I call & tell him, then I notice the middle brake light isn-€™t going off at all- it-€™s staying lit. I then notice, when he adjusted the headlights the passenger brake light came on & driver side brake light went off. But middle brake light wasn-€™t going off, it continued to stay on. I looked it up & it-€™s a known issue with this model. I then look up for any further recalls and yes there are but my vin isn-€™t attached to this recall as it obviously should be. We took it back to dealer & call then go rounds with them and they blame it to be cold weather, absurd, but looking into this issue it could result in an accident if driving because I nearly rear ended my husband not knowing if he was on the brakes or not on his way back to the dealership service center. I also know if the car recognizes the brakes to be pressed while actually driving it could easily jump out of gear! Being that the lights no matter if altering sides when on stated off as if someone we-€™re staying on the brakes. This needs to be added to your recall listing immediately! I-€™m afraid of driving it! I-€™m definitely not putting my children in this vehicle! Please help! You may respond to me via email traci688@gmail.com. Thank You, Traci

- Steele , AL, USA

problem #122

Jan 242022

Sonata

  • miles
The ABS system just stopped working while driving, loud brake warning beeps and the brakes stopped functioning making a vibrating sound then stopped working all together, I pulled over as safe as i could and found no leaks, fluid is good. started the car again and after 2 minutes did it again... was told by hyundai that a new abs modulator will be needed but it could not be reset to the computer so I would need a new ECU as well to match....are you kidding, ,,thousands of dollars of work and labor, ,,,"""FOR BRAKES, """,,, I bought a money pit not a car...

- Tampa, FL, USA

problem #121

Oct 092021

Sonata

  • miles
on my 2011 hyundai sonata BOTH of my brake light bulbs and wiring caught fire and started smoking from the inside of my trunk. I have notified Hyundai of this and they refused to do anything about it even though it is an EXTREMELY dangerous issue that hyundai should fix free of charge!!!!! Now i have no brake lights on my vehicle because of this !!!!!!

- Las Vegas , NV, USA

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