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:
18 / 83
Injuries / Deaths:
15 / 0
Average Mileage:
72,497 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 engine problems

engine problem

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2011 Hyundai Sonata Owner Comments (Page 5 of 46)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #823

Feb 012022

Sonata

  • miles

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

Aig bag light on, Horn and nearby control panel stop working. Engine noise-??da da da-?? stater fails-??

- Duarte, CA, USA

problem #822

Sep 052022

Sonata

  • 161,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while reversing out of a parking space, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The contact waited for a while before being able to restart and drive the vehicle. The failure also occurred while idling at a red light. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure was 161,000.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #821

Sep 122022

Sonata

  • miles
The engine siezed while driving on the highway. This is the second engine that has done this since I-??ve been the owner in 2019.

- Bluffton , SC, USA

problem #820

Aug 032022

Sonata

  • miles

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

My car had a recall on the engine 3 months ago and now it is not there but long story short when I bought the car I drove it 300 miles, the engine blew the extended warranty company covered the engine replacement I drove it 7,000 miles changing the oil every 3,000 miles as per the warranty needed the engine blew again Warranty company replaced the engine I then found out about the recall and had it towed to the Hyundai dealership but they said since there was a different engine in the car they couldn't honor the recall even though the new engine that was put in was also recalled drove the car 3,000 more miles engine blew again it's been in the shop 6 and 1/2 months of the 12 months I've had it and twice I broke down in the middle of the street and on the highway once at a busy off ramp in the middle of crazy traffic I was stranded this past time for 2 hours during rush hour and in a blind spot and could not move my vehicle off the side of the road and was almost hit numerous times the warranty company has voided the contract since they have capped out the max limit spending the worth of the car but the mechanic says he could put the original engine back in the car so Hyundai would honor the recall however now the recall has suddenly disappeared and I know it was there because the mechanic told me about the recall I called Hyundai's recall customer service number they validated it and told me to have the car towed to Hyundai Hyundai validated the recall and said they could not honor it because it was a different engine it's just been a really big Mess and now I'm out of a car once again and now the recall has suddenly disappeared I'm not too sure what to do at this moment as I'm the only income in the house with a fiance and three kids and no car, since the first week of having the car I've had nothing but issues and I have service records and receipts to prove all of this and the shop verified the breakdown was caused by what the recall was for, engines from AL plant

- Raleigh , NC, USA

problem #819

Sep 112022

Sonata

  • miles
Car stalls when accelerating, beginning to smoke, flashing check engine light in on.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #818

Aug 162022

Sonata

  • miles
drove vehicle down the street when knocking noise started, check engine light turned on, then immediately stalled. Car will not start or drive now. called hyundai recall campain and they gave me a case number of #203-102-81 with recall campaigns that could fall under 953, and or 132. There may have been an issue with the connecting rod bearings wwith a cyclic knocking noise from ther engine

- Enfield, CT, USA

problem #817

Sep 072022

Sonata

  • 150,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while her husband was driving approximately 5-10 MPH into parking lot, the vehicle started shuddering and stalled. The vehicle failed to restart after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine had seized. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer who informed the contact that the wait time for diagnostic test was 2-3 months. The dealer informed the contact that Hyundai Independent Recall Number: 953 (ECM & Cluster Update-Engine Monitoring Logic Product Improvement) needed to be completed on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

- Winston-Salem, NC, USA

problem #816

Feb 132019

Sonata

  • miles
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V934000 (Engine, Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the vehicle would accelerate whenever the volume for the radio is turned up. The vehicle would suddenly accelerate inadvertently when other functions of the vehicle were activated. The vehicle also suddenly stalled at various speeds, causing the contact to turn off and then restart the vehicle several times to regain normal functionality. The brakes also failed intermittently. The vehicle displayed a warning light however, the contact was unsure of the meaning. The failure mileage was unknown due to odometer fraud that was linked with the vehicle. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Erie, PA, USA

problem #815

May 312022

Sonata

  • miles
Car stalled on the highway without warning, putting myself and others in danger. Motor was inspected and the engine needs replaced. Hyundai not honoring recall settlement

- Hartville, MO, USA

problem #814

Aug 192022

Sonata

  • miles
I have code P1326- Manufacturer Control show up on code scanner, first appearing on 08/19/2022, the engine light blinks on and off. Looking up the scan code one of connecting rod bearing is possibly getting to the point of failing through wear and tear on my 2011 Hyundai Sonata Limited. The problem has been reproduced while Accelerating to 40mph before car will Decelerate and only shifting between 1800-2000 rpm, on a busy road near my home, that may could have caused an incident

- Lutz, FL, USA

problem #813

Aug 152022

Sonata

  • miles

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

I own a 2011 Hyundai sonata limited edition 2.4 my sonata is making a horrible knocking sound from the engine in 2019 Hyundai dealership installed the knock sensor which is default my sonata is knocking no engine light has come on to make me aware of the knock the problem has progressively gotton worse I can hear the knock now is why I'm aware of this my sonata has a salvaged title also is one of the many built in Alabama the engine recall campaign says metal matalic shavings are stuck in oil ports which could ruin rod bearings crankshaft and other internal components I took my car to Hyundai dealership they ran a mpt test on rod bearing and ignoring the faulty knock sensor that they installed dealership said the bearing test passed but something else in my engine is knocking really bad and still ignored the faulty knock sensor even after telling them about it mind you the engine light is still not on although the engine is knocking all recalls for this vehicle are up to date Hyundai dealership has denied me of any help with my sonata because it has a salvaged title but didn't deny me in 2019 when knock sensor was installed my sonata has been maintained oil change tune up ECT why am I being denied of this recall they was aware of the engine recall campaign or would have never ran a rod bearing test so why am I being denied my sonata stalled on the freeway in a lemp mode this could have caused serious injuries due to Hyundai dealership not fixing the problem how and why are they able to do this if a vehicle is recalled no matter what needs to be fixed

- New Caney, TX, USA

problem #812

Aug 182022

Sonata

  • miles
I know for a fact that one of the recalls I was told by Green Hyundai they could not do because they did not have a solution for the recall I know in 2019 I had the recall for my seatbelt done and it still comes on buckled I also know because I have one with blue Drive that if you hold the battery for the electric out without turning off blue drive it affects it I did not do this but somebody breaking into my car dead And I-??m not sure all of the effects it had but I have had motor problems because the same dealer who told me they had no resolution for Yoru fact that there is no recalls that were undone even though are not done even though I was told that one they had no solution for and couldn-??t do so I know at least one has not been done, also forgot to connect the coolant line resulting in motor damage..

- Rock Island, IL, USA

problem #811

May 172022

Sonata

  • 110,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle lost power and the engine seized. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,000.

- Easley, SC, USA

problem #810

Aug 012021

Sonata

  • miles
I would like to report a serious Safety Hazard. Hyundai Motor America replaced my 2011 Sonata's defective engine in January 2020. The new engine turned off on its own approximately 20 times without the "Check Engine" light turning on between August 2021 and January 2022. The "Check Engine" light did not turn on until January 24, 2022. I had my car towed to El Cajon Hyundai in August 2021 after the engine turned off on its own while my car was traveling more than 40 MPH. El Cajon Hyundai could not diagnose the cause of the problem in August 2021 because the "Check Engine" light never turned on each time the engine turned off on its own. I had to work when the non-flashing -??Check Engine-?? light finally turned for three days starting on January 24, 2021. The engine turned off on its own approximately 20 more times from January 27, 2021 until July 22, 2022 without the -??Check Engine-?? light turning on. The -??Check Engine-?? light finally turned on again on July 22, 2022, but it was not for Crankshaft Position Sensor. I told the mechanic what my Sonata has been doing since August 2021 after he initially could not diagnose the problem. The mechanic checked the computer again and he was able to locate the Check Engine Light message for the Crankshaft Position Sensor that occurred on January 24, 2022. I paid El Cajon Hyundai $593.71 on July 25, 2022 and July 29, 2022 to replace the Crankshaft Position Sensor. Unfortunately, my car turned off on its own again on July 30, 2022 and August 13, 2022 after the new Crankshaft Position Sensor was installed. My 2011 Hyundai Sonata has been posing a serious safety hazard for me each time I turn the engine on since early August 2021. Hyundai Motor America is ethically and financially responsible for ensuring that my 2011 Sonata is safe to drive. I am also concern that this serious safety hazard may be impacting other Hyundai owners.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #809

Mar 052022

Sonata

  • miles
On March 5, 2020 I was entering a highway and increased my speed a little so I can get into my lane. After I made it into the highway my car lost power in the middle of the road and immediately would not go past 20 mph. I had to drive slowly and get all the way over into another lane and stopped in a nearby neighborhood. I went to not having any dashboard indicators to now a check engine light, oil light, and ABS. I checked my dip stick to see how much oil did I have in my car and I was completely empty but I was not due for an oil change yet. I had to get my car towed to my home. The next day, we tried to let my car rest so it sat. On that Morning, I drove my car maybe 8 minutes up the road to stop at an auto zone place. There weren-??t any dashboard lights so I assumed my car was okay. The representative did a diagnostic on my car and he said he didn-??t find any problems except I needed my brakes worked on & I didn-??t have any oil. He put new oil in my car and told me I should be able to drive it up the road to my mechanic. I let my car run a little with the oil topped off and maybe drove no more than 15 minutes before those previous dashboard lights appeared on my car again and my car stopped power and wouldn-??t drive any more than 20 mph. Long story short, I had to get my car towed twice since then. To my mechanic and then to the Hyundai dealership in Gaithersburg, MD. The rep. at the dealership said her mechanic recommended that I get an engine combustion cleaning, a new pcv valve and a oil change because I didn-??t have any oil in my car. I told her that was weird because I had put oil in my car from the auto zone place and I believe my car must be leaking oil. Today, August 15th I am still having problems with running out of oil before my oil change mileage and date and I am not having any indicators on my dashboard to alert me. This can cause me to drive around without knowing and my engine can lock. That is a safety issue!!

- Germantown , MD, USA

problem #808

Jul 262022

Sonata

  • miles
The car started having issues like turn off itself while running and the oil warning lamp lights up. It did that twice then the engine burst on the third time. Oil leaked on the ground in the middle of the freeway, I am lucky I didn't get myself into a bad accident.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #807

Aug 082022

Sonata

  • miles
No warning lights on. Police and Fire department inspected car. Car towed as total lost. Safety was at risk per car caught fire while been driven

- Oklahoma City, OK, USA

problem #806

Sep 302021

Sonata 4-cyl

  • miles
My vehicle has an excessive oil consumption issue that started approximately in September 2021 after I got an oil change and had to put more oil in it after about 2 months when the oil change light went off. I have taken the vehicle to 2 different mechanics and they are unable to find an oil leak. There has been no oil leaking on the ground, no burning smell, no smoke showing, but the oil is somehow being consumed rapidly. The check oil light has not gone off since. I literally have to check the oil level every 2-3 weeks to check the levels. I got another oil change in February 2022 and have had to put 12 quarts in since that time. In July 2022 my car started driving funny with low power issues and the check engine light came on. I had the spark plugs and coil packs replaced. Now I'm dealing with low power on inclines and the catalytic converter now needs to be replaced. The mechanic believes it's due to the excessive oil consumption issue. It's my understanding that several Hyundais have been recalled due to excessive oil consumption issues. The contact has stated that during one incident, the vehicle lost power going up an incline. The oil levels were checked and were normal. A tow truck mechanic was able to get the vehicle started back up so that the contact could drive it home. The contact took the vehicle to a mechanic and was told the catalytic converter was bad. Unfortunately, the part is on back order and the vehicle is unable to be repaired. Aside from the catalytic converter, the vehicle has an oil consumption issue.

- Pearl City, HI, USA

problem #805

Jul 062022

Sonata

  • miles
Around 174,000 miles, the motor started knocking, the engine blew, metal shavings in oil.

- North East, MD, USA

problem #804

Sep 092021

Sonata

  • miles
Engine knocking. If engine would-??ve turned off it could have caused an accident. Yes, problem has been reproduced. Component has been inspected by dealer. No, warnings.

- Oklahoma City , OK, USA

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