Table 1 shows one common unknown or other related problems of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other problems |
After getting to work and putting the vehicle in park, when attempting to shut the vehicle off and retrieve the key, the key would only go to off and would not go to lock or let me pull the key from the ignition.
While driving my car a "check charging system" display appeared on the dashboard. The car turned off as I exited the highway and I had to pull over on the right shoulder. It later started again but shut down after slowing down for traffic on the highway. When attempting to restart the car it would jerk until reaching speeds above 30-40 mph.
My wife brought it to my attention that two of four vents on the dashboard blow 10%-20% capacity despite which setting (low, mid, high).
Tpms: tpms light goes on, although tires are correctly inflated to 35 psi. 4000 miles on the new CA, 18" wheels and hankook optimo h431 tires installed as original equipment. Car purchased in portland oregon (town 'n country) and driven back to albuquerque, nm about 8/6/11. Ran 12 weeks without incident, but then tpms light intermittently came on. Sometimes in regular weather, sometimes in cold, and would remain on throughout drive. Turned car off, then restarted, condition persisted. Other days, not at all. Checked psi and was at factory spec. Took vehicle to local dealer (southwest Hyundai, abq, nm) which checked the psi and confirmed properly inflated. Tested/cleaned tpms but condition not rectified. Then dealer overinflated tires, claiming that altitude and temperature affected tires and tire pressure. Claimed that over inflation rectified condition. Told that this was a frequent problem in albuquerque, that regional office had been contacted on other occasions, but never received an answer or bulletin how to handle the problem. Protested, since both car and tire mfgrs specify 35 psi, and tpms light did not go on for first 12 weeks driving at this altitude; that over inflation affected tire contact with road, tire life, and comfort of ride. Called hankook tire mfgr who said that neither temperature nor altitude could explain problem. Said likely defect in tpms system. Called customer service and was initially told that condition had been fixed per dealer. After repeated calls, customer service had no answer and referred me back to dealer. Spoke with dealer again and service rep again claimed that condition is due to altitude and/or temperature. Message pending for james sanchez, service dept. Manager.
I drive the Hyundai Sonata hybrid. The first time the problem occurred at approx 9800 miles, I was driving 60 mph on a highway when the vehicle lost battery power and an alarm sounded, and then a signal indicating to "check charging system. " I immediately took the vehicle to my Hyundai dealership where they were aware of the issue, but did not know how to fix it and suggested I just simply turn off and then restart my car. It happened two additional times, one while approaching a stop light, and another time while I was stopped at a stop light. The last time it happened, I could not get my vehicle to reset by restarting once. I had to shut the vehicle off, then attempted several times to restart. The 4th time I tried to start it, I was able to do so sucessfully. I did notice the last time it happened, the engine light remained on even after battery power was restored. I am taking it back to the dealership tomorrow and demanding a solution. This is just too dangerous to lose power in high-speed traffic, and the problem seems to be occuring at all speeds.
I was driving on a busy los angeles freeway when the "check charging system" light came on and a chime began to sound. My car totally shut down and lost all power. I was stranded in the middle of a busy freeway in what was a life threatening situation. The battery indicator was at the half way mark, which is the norm for the car. I was towed to a dealer who told me that they could not find anything wrong with the car. I had to call Hyundai corporate to get Hyundai technicians to look at the car. They said that a team of technicians repaired the car and that it was fixed. Except that it happened to me again last week on a busy parkway. This is an extremely unsafe car that puts occupants in very dangerous circumstances. It is in for repairs again, but I will not trust that it is fixed. I am afraid to drive it.
Was pulling on to a road and the engine did not engage, the hybrid system",green ready" light began blinking and the yellow sevice " with the wrench " engine light also came on. I could only get it up to 3 to 5 mphs and the echo gage was up to red pegged out,, we pulled out on a county road that has a speed limit of 45 , a van had to stop ,because we pulled out in front of him, I had no doubt the vehicle would go ,but it did not. We had just drove up a hill that always requires engine ,grade steep, stoped and pulled out . Nearly causing an accident. . We pulled off road and tried again driving in electrical only mode light blinking we pulled back over and restarted car and everything was fine. . It s a dangerous problem that needs to be addressed ,when I push the peddle it should go !!!!.
Upon pu;;ing out from a stop sign the engine stalled, after coasting to a stop and placing in park I tried to restart engine. All lights went off and motor did not turn. Attempted again, same thing then passenger compartment filled with smoke. Fire dept arrived and determined somewhere in dash a component had fried. They then disconnected battery. Vehicle was towed to dealer, per dealer engine locked up and they have to disassemble dash to determine what had fried.
Sonata hybrid. Driving on the freeway at 60 mph on cruise control. Exit ramp with cruise control off and car gliding to stop light in ev mode. Stopped at red light for 3-5 seconds. Then pushed the accelerator . . . The car lost power, would not move, instrument panel lights flashed, audible ding warning sounded. Display screen showed "check charging system" then screen showed to put car in park. I then placed car in park and pushed the ignition button and car had power to drive off the street and out of the flow of traffic. I then looked over the car, no warning lights or sounds. I test drove it in a parking lot to make sure it would not stop again. Conditions at time of event: blue driving mode, gas tank level at 1/2, hybrid battery charge at 1/2 radio on, headlights on, air conditioner off, and the outside temp. About 77f. I'm not sure which component failed. Electrical, engine or the hybrid power control unit.
I placed the car in park to when I got home from work went inside my house for a few minutes came outside, when I turned the car on and tried to take it out of park it would not change gears. I tried it for almost 20min. I had to turn the car off and back on a few times for it to work. It does it almost everyday. Yesterday 09/14/2011 I had to drive the car away from my job due to an emergency and it would not change gears. I tried after 10min and just left the car behind and had to get a ride from a coworker. . If this was a life or death situation I would likely not make it due to this safety issue. This is an ongoing problem.
The first incident occurred in a thunderstorm: "check charging system" warning lit up and alarm sounded. Car lost power. Had to pull off on the side of the highway. Restarted the car and it was fine. Called dealership and was told it was "water on the serpentine belt and not to worry about it. " second incident was approx. 1 week later when the "check engine" light came on along with the "check charging system" light and alarm and car lost power. I pulled over on the side of the highway. Turned car off and restarted. Third incident, a couple of days later, "check charging system" alarm. Same scenario. Took to dealership. They conducted a system download to onboard computer. Now it is a daily occurrence. Couldn't get out of the driveway today after restarting the car 4 times. Will be contacting dealership tomorrow.
Hyundai Sonata hybrid stops loses power comes to complete stop - while driving down the road at about 40 mph car lost power and came to complete stop. I had to completely shut off the car and restart it before it would move again.
The Sonata pulls to the left. I took it in and told dealer I thought it was car, not the road -- but told me it was fine. Took it in again because it pulls hard to left going straigt to ditch if you let go of steering wheel, they said they adjusted it 2 points and it was not pulling anymore. Left dealership and it still pulls hard to left.
Car pulls to the left most of the time, sometimes forcefully. Occassionally pulls to the left. Vibrates at multiple speeds. Spent four visits to two different dealers for service that did not correct the issue.
Engine can easily become hydro-locked in heavy rain and road splash back from other vehicles due to the design of the direct air intake of the Sonata hybrid. With its design, it does not have any water baffles to prevent water from entering the air filter and once it enters the air filter box, there are no drain holes for it to drain out. This forces the water through the engine as that is the only way for it to get out of the filter box. When the engine stalled, no electronic control warning lights were illuminated and the car remained in the “ready� state. This could lead to damage of the hev system and battery pack. Per the technician servicing the car, they stated that the hev warning light only illuminated when the hev battery reaches 15% charge (the point at which they have to replace it), this contradicts with the owner’s manual as well as counteracts the purpose of a warning lamp. Due to the nature of the design where the computer controls when the engine start/stops, the engine can damage itself before preventative action can be taken. For example, when the engine stalls due to water ingestion through the air filter and the oxygen sensor determines it cannot compensate, the engine will stall, but before the situation can be rectified, the computer attempted to restart the engine causing it to become hydro-locked. With my experience, I am convinced that the design of the car is flawed and is unreliable to drive in a heavy rain scenario which leaves it unusable several times a year. I have owned several hybrids in the past (2001 and 2005 Toyota prius) that I operated through the same conditions as your vehicle and I did not experience any problems with them. Additionally, with the Toyota, when the engine stalls against the computer’s control (e. G. : running out of fuel), the hev and engine warning light both illuminated and the “ready� light was DE-illuminated.
Defective tire pressure monitor system. During a 5 month cycle with a distance driven of 4500 miles, the tire pressure monitor system warning light was activated 7 separate times during normal driving conditions. Checks with a pressure gauge immediately following activation showed that the tire pressure was within 1 psi of the recommended tire pressure. On each occasion the tire pressure monitor warning light reset without any manual intervention. It would take from 20 miles of driving up to 200 miles of driving to reset. The service department had inspected the system following the initial activation and suspected radio frequency interference as being the cause.
One morning when getting ready to go to work, I tried to start my 2011 Sonata. I pressed on the brake, which was very hard, pushed the button but the vehicle would not start. The lights, radio and air conditioner would all come on but the engine would not start. The car was in park and the gear shift could not be moved. I attempted multiple times for the next 10 minutes to start the vehicle but was unable. My husband tried putting jumper cables on the battery to see if that was the problem but it did not start. I waited about 5 minutes and tried again but the vehicle still would not start. Finally after almost 20 minutes, the brake pedal was easy to push on and the vehicle started. It caused me to be late to work but I did not have another occurence until about a week later when I had been driving for some time and stopped for about 30 minutes. I got back in the car and once again the brake was very hard and the vehicle would not start. After multiple times over the next 10 minutes, it finally started.
A few times I have nearly had accidents, involving both cars and people because the horn cannot be heard! I think a horn is a safety device, to warn others, but this one cannot. It sounds like it is from a motor scooter. Unfortunately, someone will probably end up being hit, injured or even killed before something is done. I have heard that Hyundai, in effect, admitted the problem by re-designing the horn on later 2011 model year cars. All cars should get the new horn. This type of incident happens everytime someone pulls or walks out in front of me at the last second, and I am unable to properly warn them with the horn.
2011 Sonata se. Will not start. Warning light indicates key not present or press brake to start. When pressing brake, pedal is "stiff". Tried emergency key reset procedure per owner's manual. No luck. Wait 30 minutes, heard relay in dash click, and car returned to normal operation. 3rd time occurred. Noticed I had pulled into parking space by truning hard right prior to shut off. Also, my wife had opened the passenger door and climbed in prior to the driver's door being opened (possible alarm system problem?) no warning. Dealer is stumped. Many others have same exact issue. Suspect either computer or sensor problem. Other possible cause, issue with the alarm system when teh passenger door is opened while car is locked. Car waits until after a time reset to initialize the relay again. . . . Milage 13600.
The sun visors are not long enough (vertically) to prevent the sun from hitting center of windshield area and blinding driver. I've had to stop several times to regain my control and my clear view. The car was purchase on 12/19/10 and at the time I noticed that the sun shield that they sold me at the dealership would hardly stay in place because of the vertical shortness of the sun visors but when the hour was changed to daylight savings time is when I really realized the severity of the problem at the time of the sunset. Even raising the driver's seat all the way up it is impossible to avoid being blinded by the sun; it's an accident waiting to happen. I have notified the consumer service department of Hyundai but have not received a reply. Thank you for your assistance.
Car pulls to the left since brand new. Very noticeable when driving at a high speed for a length of time. Constant right pressure must be maintained on steering wheel to prevent car from moving to the left. At a slow speed on back roads the pull is not that noticeable. For some reason, when taking a right turn off a highway ramp, the left pull increases, which requires increased right pressure on the steering wheel. Have had car checked at dealer, alignment was checked, and told everything is fine. Researching the Hyundai forums, it appears my Sonata is not the only car experiencing this problem, and as of this date, Hyundai/kia have no fix, or even acknowledge their is a problem.
The horn on my 2011 Hyundai Sonata is not loud at all. I honk at people and they have no idea I am honking at them. Its very quiet and high pitch. This could cause a serious accident if the horn was seriously needed on a highway or something.
Vibration in steering, grinding noise in transaxe, low tire pressure (by dealer), refusal to perform 3,750 mile maintince secdule (dealer refused).
I was driving on a major dallas freeway when a truck started changing lanes without visibly seeing me. I attempted to use the horn only to discover it did not work. I took the vehicle back to the dealership and after four hours was told they will need to order one. This is a major issue for an automobile when navigating extremely over utilized freeways. Based on read forums, the horn on this car appears to be an issue. I do not know when they will fix my horn. I was only told they would call when the horn comes in. This is extremely poor customer service and care when a product, with known issues, is not supported with replacement parts, in house, in effort to minimize danger to the end user and customer.
I just purchased a 2011 sonota turbo and am experiencing strong gas smell inside car when going at slow speeds. I also notice it pulling to the left. Cannot tell the difference between high and low beam with the headlights.
2011 Hyundai Sonata has pulled to the left almost continuously since we took possession of the car. The car has been taken back to the dealer 4 times and has never been corrected. It is so constant that my left shoulder hurts after just a few minutes of driving the car.
Since purchasing vehicle last week it drifts to the left. Dealer did alignment but stills pulls to the left. I have contacted Hyundai and I am waiting for a response.
The steering pulls to the left, & somtimes to the right. I have to struggle to keep the car from crossing the center line while it pulls to the left. Steering has wandered since car was new. Feels unsafe to me. I took car back to dealer at 949 miles. They did re=alignment car still pulls, took car back 3 more times to dealer for same steering pull, dealer acknowledges the sever pull, they installed a factory suggested camber kit, car still pulls & wanders. This car is unsafe & should have a recall.
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. While driving approximately 35 mph, the contact smelled an extremely strong toxic odor emitting from the interior of the vehicle. The odor did not subside at any time. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer three times. The technician attempted to correct the failure by placing coffee grounds in the trunk, on the front and rear passenger seats as well as the drivers seat but to no avail. The dealer offered to trade the vehicle for another however, the contact stated that the manufacturer did not adhere to the agreement. There was significant concern of a potential health and safety hazard. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was approximately 11.
I have a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. I purchased the car in August of 2010. About a month after owning the vehicle, the engine light came on. When I took it to the dealer, they recorded the code and then said it was the ac. I was asked to wait 15 seconds before turning the ac on after starting car. So I did that. About a week later or so later, the light comes on again. Take it back twice after this, they record the code and then the switch is replaced. I maintain my car with all maintenance requested and I drive it on the highway. I had the tire light come on a few months later - was told it was the temperature. That eventually went off. Next was the engine light yet again. This time it occured after I took the car in on June 17th for an oil change. They told me a recall was on the transmission and they did the recall update. Immediately after this update, the car drove terribly. Very loud, very rough. About a week after this update, the car breaks down in the parking lot. It has done this now about 5 or 6 times since June (today is July 20th). I take it to the dealer and told I need the engine light on in order to repair. The light needs to come on two or three times before Hyundai will replace. The engine light sometimes comes on, sometimes does not, but it is guaranteed to break down. It is most definitely the transmission as it will stall and then hesitate. The lights on the gear shaft go away completely and the dash lights go away so you have no idea if you are in park, reverse, etc. Last time my engine light came on, it went back off that night. The problem continues and Hyundai can't seem to fix. I read online from a general search on this car that this is a resounding issue across the board with others as well. I am frustrated and something should be done. I called corporate and got nowhere. I continue to get the runaround. They should be investigated before someone dies from their transmission issue/lack of concern for the safety and wellbeing of their drivers.
The car is pulling hard to the left, it requires my constant correction. It has done this day 1 of owning the car, and as you go faster, it pulls harder. I brought it back to the dealer to have them fix the alignment, but that didn't do anything except now my wheel isn't centered and it's cocked to the right and still pulls left.