646 complaints reported

2011 Hyundai Sonata Engine

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
646
Crashes
6
Fires
45
Injuries
2

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Nov 2024

The car engine seized while driving on the highway.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Oct 2024
Nov 2024

Oil keeps drying out and keep smelling antifreeze

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Oct 2024
Oct 2024

Engine consumes oil profusely. 175000miles. Complaint #: [XXX], 8/23/24. Car is not drivable parked. Common complaint. Should have been RECALLED. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Aug 2024
Oct 2024

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud knocking sound coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V568000 (ENGINE) because the maintenance records were not provided and the dealer deemed that the vehicle was poorly maintained. The approximate failure mileage was 280,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Oct 2024
Sep 2024

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull onto the median. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the repair was not covered under warranty because the oil change service records were not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2023
Jun 2024

The car has throw a rod in the engine. The safety of my dog and I was okay. And the safety of other drivers were good also. Yes it was inspected and there were no lights on when the car went down.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jun 2024
May 2024

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound and while attempting to turn, the vehicle hesitated. The vehicle was restarted but made the abnormal sound and stalled. The contact smelled smoke upon veering to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact exited the vehicle and discovered a liquid substance coming from the under carriage. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the engine was cracked, and the contact was informed to take the vehicle to the dealer for service. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 174,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: May 2024
Apr 2024

The engine locked up on the highway My daughter got over to the breakdown lane . We had it towed to a garage and was told the engine locked up — we called Hyundai and got the run around. So we moved on and paid for an engine and got it installed . Then I have been reaching out to see if we could get some type of reimbursement for motor and labor ( something — 91,000 miles when it locked up engine no good) But know I finally got through to a few different people and now they are telling me , because we didn’t go to a Hyundai dealer they won’t do anything. We bought a engine that was from Hyundai [XXX] And my first claim # from you is 11566045 this is HORRIBLE JUST LOOK FOR SOME HELP ON THIS THANKS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Aug 2024
Mar 2024

Hyundai Theta II engine has known defects with excessive engine oil consumption. Numerous consumers have complained of this issue as it appears widespread to the entire line of Theta II engines. A recent class action has limited the scope of the recall but an easy search can see it impacts (or has the potential to impact) nearly all Theta II (six gen) engines from Hyundai. The issue is that the scope of the recall needs to be widened to cover others who are impacted who currently have no recourse. Many are facing the same situation, which can easily be found with a brief search online. [XXX] At this time the issue is the car stalling at unknown times, fire from oil being displaced in other areas and various other issues due to improper and unusual oil consumption. The best situation would be to force Hyundai to review and expand the scope of their recall immediately. I found that I had excessive oil consumption which was causing my car to grind and shift heavily sometimes jerking on the highway. While I didn't crash, that possibility did exist when my car continually grinded heavy between shifting. I took my car to the dealer where they confirmed this issue. However, Hyundai declined to remediate. There are no warning lights and this could easily result in a crash, or fire. Hyundai has records of my maintenance, as my car is only serviced by the dealership where the car was purchased and I am the original owner. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jul 2024
Mar 2024

Vehicle stalled while driving

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Mar 2024
Mar 2024

November 2021 I was coming home from work when the engine started making a horrible noise. I limped the vehicle home and contacted Hyundai and was told to bring the vehicle in to the dealership. It was stated that Hyundai had closed the campaign on the knock sensor the week before bringing it in, but they would try. About a month later the dealership called and said that I needed to come get the car due to they were selling the dealership lot. I towed it there and towed it home and have continued to peruse actions to correct the lifetime warranty that is offered due to shavings left in the engine when manufactured. Found another recall that said my vehicle is affected by this recall and to scheduled a service appointment. When delivering the car back off yesterday at the new dealership that took over, I was informed that the recall would probably fail due to another recall that had never been preformed, which is a recall that I had never been presented with by mail or communication of any sort. This was in the middle of the global pandemic when the world was shut down, and I have never been presented with any recalls from Hyundai. They may have sent notification through the US POSTAL SERVICE, but never came in to my possession, knowledge or mailbox. The contact stated Hyundai refused to proceed with the recall on the vehicle due to the fact that contact had done his own oil changes. The contact is requesting assistance to get Hyundai to honor their obligation.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Nov 2021
Feb 2024

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle shuddered and then lost motive power. The contact shifted the transmission into neutral(N) while stopping or reversing to prevent the vehicle from shutting off. The check engine, air bag, and fuel level warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the engine was faulty and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V568000 (Engine). The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle had previously been repaired in 2015 under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V568000 (Engine); however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that he did not own the vehicle at the time of the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2024
Feb 2024

My vehicle has the flashing engine light on. The code that comes up is the P1326, causing it to go into “limp mode” making it unsafe to drive. My local Hyundai dealership in Vandalia, Ohio and they only reset the code, giving me the impression they actually FIXED the issue. Five days later, it is doing the same thing. I have asked multiple times for a loaner vehicle while they work on mine, I have been told that is not possible due to the fact they have not found out if my vehicle has a warranted covered issue. I had the engine replaced before in 2019, now I’m having more issues. More assistance should be provided

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Apr 2024
Feb 2024

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the instrument cluster started showing numerous warning lights. The contact stated that the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled and lost power steering and braking functionality. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact started smelling a burning odor in the cabin of the vehicle and saw smoke coming from under the hood. The contact exited the vehicle and opened the hood, and a large cloud of smoke was released. There were no flames, but the contact smelled the odor of melted plastic and rubber. The Fire Department was called but the vehicle did not catch on fire. The contact had the vehicle towed to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the vehicle had been consuming an abnormal amount of engine oil. The contact stated he was adding one quart of engine oil per week. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V568000 (Engine) however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 189,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2024
Jan 2024

Oil consumption excessive. I've been doing my monthly and annual maintenance engine ticks. I've added oil every 2 weeks every 200 miles.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2017
Jan 2024

We bought this used car for my daughter, then I found out there was issues with the engine. We had it for 6 months and the engine seized as she was driving it on the highway . She got to pull off to the side of highway . We had it towed to our mechanic, hoping it was the battery or something simple . He told us it was a blown engine and there was PLENTY OF OIL AND ANTIFREEZE IN IT . HE THEN TOLD US THE HE LOOKED AT IT AND COULD NOT BELIEVE IT WAS BLOWN , WITH THE OIL STILL IN IT . WE had to buy a new rebuilt engine and pay for the mechanics time . There has been issues with this engine’s. How do we get the engine payed for , with the problem they have . This wasn’t a neglect part on us . I would like to get REIMBURSE FOR THE NEW ENGINE ( rebuilt ) not our neglect, but the way they built the engine / oil pan

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Dec 2023
Jan 2024

Engine uses oil excessively, stopped suddenly on highway, Hyundai America refused to authorize oil consumption test car is now in limp mode

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Sep 2023
Dec 2023

I have a problem that Hyundai is known for Hyundai oil consumption. I bought my car into a nearby shop for service because my car shut down while driving on the highway. The shop advised me the engine was full of oil.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Nov 2023
Dec 2023

Engine failed while on interstate at 65 miles per hour. Was almost rearended before I could coast it to the side of the road. Tried restarting it and engine began to smoke. Had it towed to a mechanic and then home. Mechanic stated that engine had seized. Received no warning lights before failure.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jun 2023
Dec 2023

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light was flashing off and on with a knocking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who installed a knock sensor to the engine, but the failure persisted. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 98,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2023
Nov 2023 Fire

I was accelerating from a county road onto a state road, and the engine quit. The dash board displayed a bunch of tiny colored symbols of which I hadn't seen before. I coasted and pulled into an Elementary School parking lot and braked to a stop. I attempted to restart but got nothing. I smelled something and got out and opened the hood. The bottom end of the motor was on fire! I flagged down a lady and described my situation. She was the principal and went to get a matinance man with a extinguisher. Soon, two guys with water bottles stopped and extinguisher the flames. The principal and matinance man arrived and the guys pushed my Sonata into a parking spot. The principal (nice lady) gave me a ride home. I bought it used, no warranty, from a used car lot. I still owe a lot on it. Up until that point, I liked the car as so did my friends. Having full coverage insurance on it, I'm waiting to see what Allstate is going to do. This happened this past Friday , first week of April in the evening.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Nov 2023
Oct 2023

The contact's daughter owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while his daughter was driving 40 MPH, the engine seized. The contact's daughter was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there were metal shavings in the engine. The dealer informed the contact that the engine was replaced with a rebuilt engine. The contact stated while his daughter was driving 50 MPH, the vehicle shuddered, and the engine seized a second time at 96,000 miles. The contact's daughter was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who informed the contact that there was no oil in the vehicle. The dealer performed an oil change on the vehicle, and the vehicle restarted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure recurred a week later and there was no oil in the engine. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there were metal shavings in the oil. Additionally, the mechanic informed the contact that the engine was not replaced but was rebuilt by the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened; however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Dec 2018
Oct 2023

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate and inadvertently decelerated to 10 MPH. The vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and retrieved fault code: P1326 (Knock Sensor Detection System) and performed an engine bearing test, which the vehicle passed. The dealer updated the KSDS and ECM software; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, where the knock sensor and bolt were replaced. The contact stated that the engine was previously replaced in 2019. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 118,392.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Dec 2022
Sep 2023

We bought this 2011 Hyundai Sonata from a local dealer in August 2021. The engine failed in March of 2022 (smoking and then died while my daughter was driving the car). We paid a local mechanic to replace the engine with another used engine, not knowing the engine issues associated with Hyundai Sonata models, specifically the 2011 year. The replaced engine died in July 2023, about 5 months later. The warranty we had on the replaced engine was denied to due to a heat tab melting. The first engine (to us, we do not know if was replaced during the 2016 recall) and now the replaced GDI engine have both died. The engine should not be on the market and we contacted the local Hyundai dealer to see if they could help us out. They denied service because we replaced the engine ourselves with another mechanic. This is a critical safety issue and Hyundai should be held responsible to get these engines off the market and reimburse customers for all expenses related to the repair or replacement of the engines regardless of where it was fixed. Now there is a new recall related to these engines https://apnews.com/article/hyundai-kia-engine-fire-recall-park-outside-93d012a52e7b884889cdaf2e6c22a458, where customers are being told to not park in structures due to fire hazard/risk. And I read recently that Hyundai has been slow to recall cars and fined by NHTSA for this very reason. Our model is not currently in an open recall, but it doesn't make sense that both engines failed...both GDI engines. This should be addressed by Hyundai and we should be reimbursed for the expenses paid by us to fix their poor engine design and the safety issues associated with this make/model/year.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Mar 2023
Sep 2023

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35-40 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that cylinder #4 had failed causing the engine to seize. The engine was replaced with a used engine. The engine was replaced at approximately 109,000 miles. The contact stated that while driving for approximately 45 minutes, the contact noticed that the vehicle would not exceed 60 MPH. The check engine warning light started flashing. The contact continued to drive the vehicle to a rest stop. After being parked for a while and then restarting the vehicle, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle then failed to exceed 45 MPH. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine had seized due to a lack of engine oil. The contact stated that the engine oil had been changed approximately 2 weeks prior to the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 89,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Aug 2021

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata has 646 Engine complaints on file. 6 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.