2011 Hyundai Elantra Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
2011 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO LOUD TICKING NOSE FROM ENGINE. *LD *TR THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER FOUND DEBRIS IN THE OIL PAN AND THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THERE ARE OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER DECLINED TO ASSIST WITH REPAIRS DUE TO THE VEHICLE'S AGE, MILEAGE, AND NUMBER OF OWNER'S. *JS
I NOTICED A TICKING NOISE COMING FROM MY VEHICLE. I TOOK IT TO A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP AND THEY INFORMED ME I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE MY ENGINE. THE VEHICLE HAS 73,000 MILES AND WAS MAINTAINED (OIL ALWAYS CHANGED ON TIME). I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FROM MY GRANDFATHER AND HAD IT LESS THAN A YEAR. BECAUSE I WAS THE SECOND OWNER, I WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE 10 YEAR/1000,000 MILE WARRANTY. THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP SUBMITTED DOCUMENTATION AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE ENGINE TO SEE IF HYUNDAI WOULD COVER ANY OF THE COST OF A NEW ENGINE. HYUNDAI DECLINED TO COVER ANY OF THE COST OF THE ENGINE. I CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS ASSIGNED A CASEWORKER TO LOOK AT THE SUBMITTAL IN GREATER DETAIL. THE CASEWORKER INFORMED ME THEY WOULD NOT COVER ANY OF THE COST REGARDLESS THAT MANY PEOPLE WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THEIR ENGINES.
CAR STALLS WHEN IDLING AND AT TIMES WHEN DECELERATING. THE CAR STARTS RIGHT BACK UP AS SOON AS I AM ABLE TO BRING IT TO A STOP. WHEN DRIVING AT A HIGH SPEED ON THE FREEWAY I DON'T NOT HAVE PROBLEMS.
CAR RANDOMLY WOULDN'T START THIS MORNING.
WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, ENGINE WENT INTO A LOUD WHINE SOUND AND THE CAR LOST POWER. CAR WOULD NOT START OR EVEN TRY TO TURN OVER WHEN TRYING TO START. WE HAVE HAD PREVIOUS PROBLEMS INVOLVING THE ENGINE AND EVEN CONTACTED HYUNDAI BECAUSE I WAS TOLD BY MY MECHANIC THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE EXACT ENGINE THAT IS INVOLVED HERE, BUT HYUNDAI REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS BECAUSE IT WASN'T THE SAME MODEL CAR INVOLVED IN THE ENGINE RECALL. BUT IT WAS THE EXACT ENGINE MODEL. ATTACHED IS A LETTER FROM MY MECHANIC
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2011 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE MADE AN ABNORMAL TAPPING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO WINNER HYUNDAI (591 S DUPONT HWY, DOVER, DE 19901) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A NEW ENGINE WAS NEEDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TRADED IN; THEREFORE, THE CONTACT NO LONGER OWNS THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.
I HAD MY CAR FOR A YEAR. WHEN I FIRST GOT MY CAR , THERE WAS A KNOCKING NOISE THAT CAME FROM THE ENGINE , I TOOK IT BACK TO CARMAX TO FIX AND THEY STATED THEY DID. MY CAR RAN GOOD FOR A WHILE AND AROUND AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER AFTER LEAVING FROM WORK THAT SAME NOISE STARTED AGAIN. THIS TIME IT WAS BAD AND I ALMOST GOT INTO A WRECK. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC THEY STATED THAT I NEEDED MY ENGINE REPLACED. I HAVE SEEN THAT THIS IS A ONGOING ISSUE WITH THESE MODELS. I ALSO SHOW THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON MY VEHICLE AND MY CAR IS SHOWING THOSE EXACT SIGNS. I HAVE DOCUMENTATION OF INFORMATION FROM THE MECHANIC AND THE COST OF THE LABOR AND NEW ENGINE
CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN IN THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR STALLED. OIL FLOW IS MALFUNCTIONING IN THE ENGINE CAUSING ROD PROBLEMS. ACCORDING TO DEALERSHIP IT'S A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL. I AM TOLD THAT THE ENGINE RODS ARE BAD AND THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACE. I CONTACTED THE WARRANTY COMPANY HOWEVER THEY REFUSED TO COVER THE REPAIR DUE TO TIRE ROTATIONS AND SPARK PLUGS PURCHASED AT THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS REPLACED PERSONALLY.
THE CAR MAKES A REALLY BAD TICKING NOISE IN WHEN I CAME TO AN COMPLETE STOP THE ENGINE STALLED IN IT KINDA JUMPED LIKE IT DIDN'T WANT TO GO I'M SO AFRAID OF THE CAR JUS COMPLETELY NOT WORKING ANYMORE IN I DRIVE EVERYDAY WITH MY KIDS THIS IS REALLY A SAD THING HYUNDAI HAS TO KNOW THESE ENGINES ARE BAD.
MY DAUGHTER BOUGHT THE CAR USED FROM CARMAX WITH 88,000 MILES AND 2 WEEKS LATER HAD A KNOCKING AND CLICKING SOUND FROM THE ENGINE. SHE TOOK IT BACK TO CARMAX AND THEY REPAIRED IT NOTING THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE CAM SHAFT. 2 YEARS LATER AND 110,000 MILES, THE SAME NOISE OCCURRED WITH REGULAR OIL CHANGES. WHEN WE HAD THE CAR ENGINE DIAGNOSED, THIS TIME SHE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE.
BOUGHT THIS CAR USED IN 2014 WITH APPROX 24,000 MILES. RAN GREAT FIRST 2 YEARS BUT AT APPROX 39,000 MILES A VERY LOUD ENGINE KNOCK DEVELOPED AND HAS EFFECTED THE ENGINE PERFORMANCE. THIS ISSUE IS PRESENT AT START UP, IDLE, IN MOTION, EACH TIME THE CAR IS RUNNING. HYUNDAI SERVICE MYSTERIOUSLY COULD NOT HEAR OR DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. ENGINE KNOCK HAS CONTINUED GET WORSE AND POWER HAS DIMINISHED. THE ENGINE HAS NOT YET FAILED BUT MOST CERTAINLY WILL VERY SOON. MY FAMILY IS AT RISK EACH AND EVERY TIME WE USE THIS CAR. THE ENGINE PROBLEMS ARE SIMILAR TO THE SONATA'S AND SANTA FE'S AS WELL AS THE KIA OPTIMA MODELS FROM 2011 THRU 2014 WHICH WERE PART OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AFTER WHICH THERE WAS A ENGINE RECALL. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT HYUNDAI HAS EXTENDED WARRANTY TO USED ELANTRA MODELS TO 5 YEARS AND 60,000 MILES. AT THIS POINT WE HAVE ONLY 56,000 MILES BUT THE CAR IS 7 YEARS OLD. THEY HAVE A KNOWN MANUFACTURING PROBLEM AND ARE NOT OWNING IT FOR ALL AFFECTED AND THAT'S CATASTROPHIC FOR THOSE OF US NOT COVERED. DEALER HAS TOLD ME IF I HAVE ENGINE FAILURE THE COST OF A NEW ENGINE WILL BE NEAR $5000. HYUNDAI MAKES ATTRACTIVE CARS BUT THEIR LACK OF COMPASSION TO THE VICTIMS OF THEIR POOR MANUFACTURING PROCESS MAKES HYUNDAI A POOR CHOICE. THERE HAVE BEEN CLASS ACTION SUITS FOR THE SONATA AND OPTIMA BUT NO JUDGEMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF ELANTRA MOTORS WHO'S ENGINES SUFFER THE EXACT SAME ISSUES. THERE WAS A WHISTLE BLOWER WHO OPENED THIS ALL UP AND SAID THE JUDGEMENT WAS NOT FAR REACHING ENOUGH TO COVER ALL VICTIMS. HTTPS://WWW.REUTERS.COM/ARTICLE/US-HYUNDAI-WHISTLEBLOWER/BLOWING-THE-WHISTLE-IN-SOUTH-KOREA-HYUNDAI-MAN-TAKES-ON-CHAEBOL-CULTURE-IDUSKCN18B0J5 SOMEONE LIKE THE NHTSA HAS TO STEP UP AND PROTECT THE CONSUMERS WHO HAVE FALLEN VICTIM TO THIS CORPORATE MALFEASANCE.
"TAKATA RECALL" ITS WAS ALRIGHT GOING TO STORE BUT GOING BACK HOME THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF AND IT WONT START
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT NOTICED AN ODOR OF ANTIFREEZE COMING THROUGH THE AIR CONDITIONING VENTS WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AFTER NOTICING SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO PIAZZA HYUNDAI OF POTTSTOWN (84 AUTOPARK BLVD, LIMERICK, PA 19468 (484) 933-4074) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE BLOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE LONG ENGINE BLOCK WAS NO LONGER BEING MADE BY HYUNDAI AND THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE CONTACT INQUIRED ABOUT HYUNDAI BUYING BACK THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.
I STARTED MY CAR AND IT HAD DEVELOPED A LOUD KNOCK. MY CAR HAS JUST OVER 82K MILES. MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT IT NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. I TOOK MY CAR TO TWO DEALERSHIPS AND BOTH SAID IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM/DEFECT FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL YEAR. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY A COATING ON THE PISTONS COMING OFF THAT EVENTUALLY CAUSES THE KNOCK AND ENGINE FAILURE. ONE DEALERSHIP HAD 3 ELANTRAS IN THEIR SHOP FOR THE SAME ISSUE. MY CAR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AS I AM THE SECOND OWNER. THIS DEFECT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AS IT IS EXACTLY THE SAME ISSUE AS THE SONATAS WHICH WERE RECALLED.
WHILE DRIVING CITY OR HIGHWAY THERE IS A LOUD KNOCKING SOUND AND AS YOU ACCELERATE IT GETS FASTER AND LOUDER. MY CAR HAS BEEN AT HYUNDAI IN VALLEY STREAM, NY FOR 4 DAYS WITH NO CONCLUSION.
OUR CAR HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY NOT STARTING AND RATTLING. WE IT TOOK TO A HYUNDAI DEALER THREE TIMES IN 9 MONTHS AND PAID OVER $600 BUT EACH TIME THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. FINALLY THE MECHANIC DRAINED THE OIL AND TOOK A MAGNET TO IT. METAL FRAGMENTS WERE PULLED OUT. THE MECHANIC SAID THE CAR NEEDED A NEW ENGINE AS THE RESULT OF A MANUFACTURER DEFECT-SAME AS THE SONATAS THAT HAVE BEEN RECALLED. WE CALLED HYUNDAI TO REPORT THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID SINCE THE CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY THERE IS NOTHING THEY ARE ABLE TO DO.
I BOUGHT MY CAR BRAND NEW IN 2011. I DON'T DRIVE MUCH AT ALL SO MY CAR HAS 33,000 MILES. SO WHEN MY CAR STARED MAKING A TICKING NOISE IN THE ENGINE, THAT WAS LOUDER WHEN IDLING BUT NEVER WENT AWAY COMPLETELY. I DIDN'T THINK TO MUCH OF IT. DROPPED IT OFF TO GET LOOKED AT AND THAT'S WHEN I FOUND OUT THERE WAS METAL IN MY ENGINE. THIS MEANT I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE, THIS WAS ABOUT 14 MONTHS AGO, SO IT WENT IN FOR 3-4 DAYS AFTER WAITING A MONTH TO GET THE PART. AFTER THE REPLACED ENGINE IT WORKED WELL AND THE NOISE WAS GONE, SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE END. SO WHEN THE NOISE CAME BACK JUST 11 MONTHS LATER I WASN'T HAPPY. DROPPED IT OFF AND SURE ENOUGH IT NEEDS A NEW ENGINE. THIS TIME IT TOOK 3 WEEKS FOR THEM TO REPLACE MY ENGINE. THE SERVICE AT MY LOCAL HYUNDAI IS SO BAD. EVERYDAY I CALLED TO SEE IF MY CAR WAS READY BECAUSE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO LAST 3 DAYS, 3 WEEKS LATER I HAD A SECOND NEW ENGINE. NOW YESTERDAY JUST 2 MONTHS LATER MY CAR IS YET AGAIN MAKING THE TICKING NOISE AND NOW IS HAVING TROUBLE STARTING. I CALLED MY LOCAL HYUNDAI TO MAKE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT AND HAD TO LEAVE A MESSAGE, STILL HAVEN'T HEARD BACK ITS BEEN 2 BUSINESS DAYS. I'M REALLY DISAPPOINTED MY CAR IS 6 YEARS OLD AND HAS JUST 33,000 MILES AND WORKING ON ITS 3RD NEW ENGINE.
WHILE RUNNING IN PARK, IDLING IN DRIVE, OR DRIVING LESS THAN 30MPH THE ENGINE MAKES A TICKING/KNOCKING NOISE. THE NOISE COULD STILL BE THERE AFTER 30MPH BUT I CAN'T HEAR IT OVER THE MOTOR AND ROAD NOISE. HYUNDAI AND KIA RECENTLY RECALLED 1.4 MILLION CARS FOR THIS EXACT REASON FOR ENGINE FAILURE. BUT FOR SOME REASON THIS MODEL/YEAR IS NOT INCLUDED. RESEARCHING ONLINE, YOU CAN SEE THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE DESPITE BEING ONLY A FEW YEARS OLD WITH LOW MILES. MY VEHICLE IS A 2011 WITH 70,000 MILES.
TICKING SOUND COMING FROM CAR, LOUDER WHEN ACCELERATING , TOOK TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT ONLY 77,800 MILES
OIL LEAKED FROM THE CRANKCASE SEAL WHILE DRIVING. A MECHANIC REPLACED THE SEAL, WHICH FAILED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. THERE ARE METAL FRAGMENTS IN THE FRESH OIL.
THE ENGINE HAS BEEN MAKING A KNOCKING NOISE BUT NO ONE COULD FIND A PROBLEM. CAR CUT OFF A FEW TIMES WHILE DRIVING IN STOP AND GO TRAFIC THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CODE STATED PROBLEM WITH CRANKSHAFT. WENT TO START THE CAR A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER. CAR WOULD NOT START HORRIBLE KNOCKING NOISE CAME FROM ENGINE. CAR TURNED OVER BUT WOULD NOT START. MECHANIC HAD TO REPLACE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR, TIMING CHAIN, CRANKSHAFT PROBLEMS. HAVE HAD CAR BACK A LITTLE OVER A MONTH NOW THE ENGINE IS MAKING THE SAME NOISE AGAIN AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME BACK ON. HAVE READ THE ENGINE RECALL FOR THE HYUNDAI SONATAS AND SOUNDS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT MY CAR IS DOING. THE CAR HAS 115,000 MILES ON IT AND PROBLEMS STARTED AROUND THE 113-114,000 MARK RIGHT AFTER THE WARRENTY HAD EXPIRED. .
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF AND WAS TAKEN IN FOR A DIAGNOSTIC READING. 2011 HYUNDAI ELANTRA AT 56,000 MILES WAS SHOWING SIGNS OF ENGINE FAILURE. AFTER MORE RESEARCH THE MECHANIC STATED THE DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE WAY THE OIL LUBRICATE THE ENGINE APPARENTLY WAS NOT FILTERING FAST ENOUGH. MECHANIC HAPPENED TO MENTION SHE PREVIOUSLY WORKED FOR HYUNDAI AND WAS SEEING MORE AND MORE VEHICLES COME IN FOR THIS AND HAD STOP COVERING THE REPAIRS. PROBLEM IS ALSO SEEN IN THE HYUNDAI SONATAS WHICH HYUNDAI IS STARTING TO OWN TO THAT.
FEBRUARY 26TH, 2016 AROUND 3PM MY CAR STOPPED WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD. I WAS NOT ABLE TO PRESS THE BRAKE SO I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THE CAR STOPPED ON ITS OWN. AFTER THE CAR STOPPED I TRIED TO START THE CAR AND THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER. THERE WAS NO NOISE FROM THE ENGINE WHEN THE CAR DIED ON THE ROAD.
WHEN I START THE ENGINE IT MAKES A VERY LOUD RATTLING NOISE AND WHEN I DRIVE AND I PUSH ON GAS IT IS RATTLES. IT SOUNDS MORE LIKE GRINDING LOUD NOISE TOO. MOTOR KNOCKS WHEN YOU START IT UP AND NOW FOR THE LAST WEEK WHEN I START IT THE CAR WILL SPUTTER AND THEN SHOT OFF. SOMETIMES WILL TAKE MANY TIMES FOR IT TO EVEN START. IT WILL RPM VERY HIGH EVEN WHEN I AM NOT MOVING. I HAVE HAD ALOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR NOW BC OF THE ISSUES I AM USING MORE GAS. I HAVE A LITTLE UNDER 80 THOUSAND MILES ON IT AND IT WILL LEAVE ME SET. WONDERING IF ANYONE KNOWS OF ANY RECALLS ON THIS STUFF OR KNOW WHAT COULD BE WRONG WITH IT AND IF HYUNDAI STILL DOES LIFE TIME WARRANTY... THANKS *TR
KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM CRANKSHAFT AND ENGINE
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2011 Hyundai Elantra has 56 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.