10.0

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

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #120

Jul 222021

Sonata

  • miles
Without warning, the Sonata stalls while in motion: - the brake pedal goes close to the floor, - the CHECK BRAKE light goes on, - the emergency brake audio alarm and light go on, - the READY light between the fuel and temperature gauges blinks. I have to pull over and turn the car off / on in order to get the car functional again. The speed of the car doesn't seem to matter. This has occurred 11 times over the past year, including 6 times today (7/22/2021) within a span of 15 min, while at speeds between 30- 60 mph. I took the car to the dealer (initially on 6/22/2021). There were no diagnostic error codes and they could not reproduce the problem. I called Hyundai, both on 6/22/2021 and today, to file a report. Hyundai did not provide any insights into the issue. Online, I have read of others having this same issue with Sonatas. Some believe a faulty power brake booster to be the cause.

- Bel Air, MD, USA

problem #119

Nov 092020

Sonata

  • 136,133 miles
My engine failed while driving.....I had it towed to Hyundai dealer because I was informef about vehicle recall. The dealership will not provide me with loaner car without full coverage insurance. I have been without my vehicle almost 30 days.

- Memphis, TN, USA

problem #118

Nov 012020

Sonata

  • 135,800 miles
When I was driving and going to do a turn the wheel turn to the other side by itself. I went to the Hyundai dealership on route four to get a diagnostic. They replaced my steering column and my brakes.

- Elmwood Park, NJ, USA

problem #117

Nov 132020

Sonata

  • 136,331 miles
Check engine lights comes on and oil light. So im prompted to get oil change. Mechanic says he reset some codes and the engine locked up.mechanic took my running vehicle from the shop to check how it was driving and the car stalled in motion.

- Memphis, TN, USA

problem #116

Aug 112020

Sonata

  • 131,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the brake warning light failed to disengage with the traction control warning light illuminated. The vehicle was turned off when the failure occurred. The contact stated that he pumped the brake pedal a couple of times in order for the brake light to function properly. The vehicle was taken to edwards Hyundai (1029 32nd ave, council bluffs, ia 51501) where it was diagnosed that the brake pedal stopper failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact mentioned NHTSA campaign number: 15V759000 (service brakes, hydraulic) as a possible solution to the failure however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000. The VIN was not available.

- Couli Bluf, IA, USA

problem #115

Apr 092020

Sonata

  • miles
- engine had metal shavings in it which led to excessive amounts of oil consumption, it took the dealership almost a year to admit that the engine was going out -the brake light switch keeps going out, I have replaced my third switch in my 7 years of owning this car. -the taillight wiring harness warp the taillight housing for the brake lights due to excessive heat generated from the 2537 bulbs. In general, the wiring harness don't even last that long

- Round Rok, TX, USA

problem #114

Jun 092020

Sonata

  • 124,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while reversing out of her friends driveway. The vehicle failed to stop as the brake pedal was depressed. No warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle came to a complete stop when it crashed into the curb. No injuries were sustained. No police report was filed. No damaged to the vehicle. The dealer don davis Hyundai (214 highway 332 w, lake jackson, tx 77566) was contacted and informed the contact that no recalls were under the VIN. The vehicle has not been diagnosed. The vehicle was not drivable. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.

- Freeport, TX, USA

problem #113

Mar 232020

Sonata

  • 147,000 miles
Was driving about 30 mph when the car began accelerating without me applying pressure to the gas. I was coming to a light to make a red turn and when I applied the brakes they would not slow down my vehicle so my speed increased. The steering wheel then locked and before I knew it a car had collided with me crossing in front of me. My car was totalled.

- Sheridan, AR, USA

problem #112

Jul 012019

Sonata

  • miles
While in drive and park, brakes lights and tail lights keep going out. Have replaced bulbs 4 times in less than a year. Both seat belt lights constantly flashes even when buckled up. Air bags and tire pressure light will not go out after resetting repeatedly. Dome lights no longer work in automatic

- Columbus, GA, USA

problem #111

Jul 012019

Sonata

  • 200 miles
This issue has been going on for months now. And I have driven around seeing many other Hyundai Sonatas with he same issue. When I hit my brake, the brake lights will not go out. I have finally figured out how to get them to go out (pulling my brake upwards with my foot). This has resulted in my lights staying on and my car dying a few times. It is a very dangerous problem as others are not able to tell when I am braking because my brake lights stay on wihtout putting my foot under the brake and pulling up on it.

- Abingdon, MD, USA

problem #110

Nov 262019

Sonata 4-cyl

  • 119,000 miles
I am a senior citizen who in 2015 purchased a pre-owned 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The vehicle has received 15 recalls in the time I've owned it most of which are life threatening safety issues, complete motor lock up, sudden loss of fuel and stalling.(brake stopper pad malfunction 3 times), seat belt anchor failure, complete safety air bag failure, exhaust system failure, high pressure fuel line leaks, my wife and I live on very limited social security monthly benefits and not in a position to afford a new car or repeatedly have to spend 100's of dollars every few months for repairs due to manufacture error / damage in construction of the vehicle. We have been nearly killed several times on the highway due to the fact that the motor either ceases to get fuel while traveling on the freeway or entering such on an onramp just as a semi truck and trailer approached at 70 mph and we had no fuel acceleration. On yet another near fatal situation the motor locked up completely in the middle of a busy four lane highway, which immediately resulted in a a fire under our hood.........all caused by the deficiency of the engine which was the subject of a recall and we were told had been addressed. The fire destroyed most all other components in the engine compartment and had to be replaced, some at our expense. Shortly thereafter, the entire transmission had to be replaced and we had to pay $3500 to repair......fyi, we live on $1700 per month social security and this caused us a very extreme financial difficulty for months thereafter. There is more to our disastrous experience as a Hyundai Sonata product owner and what we're wishing for is that Hyundai might buy back this vehicle at fair price so that we may find a safe vehicle to drive without fear of being stranded, injured in an accident or killed. Other Sonata owners have experienced many of these same issues.

- Hemet, CA, USA

problem #109

Aug 082019

Sonata

  • 88,000 miles
The car is still throwing the ECM code up after its been replaced supposedly the brakes have been grinding since day 1 the brake actuator is bad something is making the throttle position sensor to keep going bad the dealership was aware of all the issues and made us aware of 2

- Hamilton, OH, USA

problem #108

May 032019

Sonata

  • 90,000 miles
I bought this car 3 years ago. Ever since the day I bought the vehicle, it makes loud clicking noises when you turn the steering wheel left or right while in drive and reverse. In the 3 years that I have owned this car, I have had to replace the tires 4 times, the brakes and rotors multiple times per year, tie rods, and cv joints and yet the car still clicks when you turn. I had the engine recall done in may of this year. They gave me the car back a month later. I had to take it back the very next day because it was leaking copious amounts of oil and making a clanking noise that was not present when I left my vehicle with them for a month. They "fixed" the oil leak and told me the noise was from my front brakes yet again. I had to return the car again a few days later because it was still leaking oil! so they "fixed" the leak a 2nd time and again said the noise was from my brakes. Less than a week after that the check engine light came back on. I immediately took it back and was told that it was just a "loose gas cap" which I never experienced prior to the engine being replaced. They cleared the light and sent me on my way. I had brand new brakes and rotors put on, again, and yet the clanking noise is still there. 5 days ago, the car began driving the way it was before the engine recall, same engine failure symptoms and my check engine light came back on a second time 3 days ago. I have not had to fill it up with gas in 8 days so there is no way that it is from a "loose gas cap." My seat belt locks up and stays locked up if I lean forward. I should also mention that when I bought the vehicle I had to inform the manager that the front bumper was only attached to the car because someone drilled screws into it to keep it on. He had no idea!! I made them replace it before I would buy the vehicle. The paint is constantly chipping off of the "new bumper" they put on it.

- Johnstown, PA, USA

problem #107

Jul 182019

Sonata

  • 145,789 miles
My brakes acting almost hit the curve when I was trying to stop, the transmission stalled almost causing another car to hit me from behind as I drove down the highway also the engine is using excessive oil afraid the engine will lock up causing an accident.

- Albany, GA, USA

problem #106

Aug 102019

Sonata

  • 129,400 miles
Brake lights stay on got a recall on it dealer says they fixed it and now want yo charge me over $200 to fix it agin

- New Madison, OH, USA

problem #105

Aug 212019

Sonata

  • 98,000 miles
I bought this car in 2013 for the Hyundai dealership in gurnee il. Since then I have had nothing but recalls, and issues. All of the recalls for this year and affected my car as in the warning they way may happen actually happen to me. My engine seized up while I was driving with 2 kids in the car on a busy street and I was almost re ended as a result only to have the dealership tell me it wasn't the recall! then later they had to fix it after I work to corporate because it was the 132 campaign recall. The 3 dealership I have dealt with are all rude none want to actually fix your car or help you because its recall work not actually work that they make money off of. Now as of today my airbag light has come on after the "fixed" the newest safety recall, when I called the dealership they informed me they fixed the issue so I will be charged $139.99 for them to even look at it. When will Hyundai be actually held responsible for all of these car issues they are all safety. So far the recalls have been for the engine, seat belts, brakes, air bags, body corrosion, and so on! I thought there was lemon law in place to remedy this, Hyundai product faulty vehicles with the model year 2011 and the consumer if the one lose and spending out of pocket. I had even called corporate before this to try and remedy the issue myself and was told they are sorry some will call in 3-5 days. At this point I am a mother driving around with children in a vehicle that may or may not pop the air bags whenever it feels like or they will not deploy if I do get in an accident. Something needs to be done with these cars they are not safe to be driving at any given time another recall can cause a major safety related crash or death at this point. I have had way to many close call with myself or my kids lives at risk due to Hyundai lack of care for their consumers.

- Harvard, IL, USA

problem #104

Jul 192019

Sonata

  • 135,000 miles
I had smelling a gas smell coming from the vents on Friday July 19th andi took it to Firestone for a new battery and a oil change. I called the Hyundai dealership because Firestone told me about a new recall for the fire pressure fuel regulator and they highly suggested I take it into them. I called Hyundai and they said for me to bring it in and I didn't need an appointment so I told them I would be there around 3-4pm yesterday. So I left work early, picked up my car from Firestone and headed to the dealership which was about 10 miles away. I got on I-35 doing about 40mph or so because of traffic. All of a sudden the car next to me starts honking and waving saying my cars of fire. I try to apply the break but there was no pressure. My instrument column lit up like the 4th of July and then almost immediately smoke starts coming in from the vents, dashboard and floor. So my only option is to tuck and roll doing about 35-40mph on one of the busiest highways in austin. So I tuck and roll, people are stopped to help. I see my car continue to roll into the barrier and while car burst into flames.

- Bastrop, TX, USA

problem #103

Jul 102019

Sonata

  • 80,000 miles
Recall code 136, brake lights stay on. This does not show up in my history of recalls for my Sonata. The vehicle rear brake lights will stay on after full release of the brake pedal. Brake lights may show off, car is then shut off. 2 minutes later, the car brake lights are on (not all the time, but frequent enough). This is a reoccurring event.

- Manville, NJ, USA

problem #102

Jun 222019

Sonata

  • 197,260 miles
I was driving West on sunnyside road after leaving the parking lot of new seasons. I could see that the light was red and I pulled out onto sunnyside road. It was about 200 feet to the traffic that was stopped. I was doing about 20 mph when I realized that my car was not going to stop. I pushed hard onto the brakes but the car continued foreward under the pickup in front of me. Even with the airbags deployed I had no control. I was pushing the truck foreward. The other driver turned onto 157th ave and I was still unable to stop the car. I also turned right onto 157th ave. It was up hill I turned off the key and it came to a stop. My wife was pannicking and so was I. the car was filled with smoke and a lot of heat. My wife was screaming for someone to call 911. The driver of the truck rushed back to see if we were all ok. He called 911. My wife was sore as the airbags deployed and hit her in the chest. She had pain in her neck too. I was ok at the moment. I was worried about the other driver. He said that he was fine. He said that he had to honk his horn to get the car in front of him to move. They did and he was able to turn right. I am upset with ron tonkin Hyundai as I have had to wait almost a month to get an appointment for my oil change and the recalls taken care of. The first recall was for the air bags. The second recall was for the high pressure fuel pipe may have been damaged misaligned or improperly torqued when the engine was replaced allowing the fuel to leak. I am very upset with ron tonkin Hyundai as I have had to wait for almost a month to get an appointment. Jennifer lopez the service advisor. My appointment was set for June 26th 4 days after the accident. I went in to change the cars as I have a 2004 elantra. I have free oil changes on both cars. She told me that the recalls were not the reason and asked me if I was going to buy another Hyundai.

- Damascus, OR, USA

problem #101

Jun 282019

Sonata

  • 113,000 miles
I was driving my vehicle downtown and my eps light came on along as well as flickering of my low tire pressure and ABS light which I believe is breaks failing. But I had failure of my power steering for sure. Out of nowhere I could no longer navigate heavy and slow traffic. I turned the car off and back on only to have all of my gears lock up and not allow me to even attempt at moving it, after turning it off the second time car entirely died and will not start at all. We managed to get the gears unlocked after a few attempts with just the battery on and push it off the busy road to call for a tow truck. I see online that the 2011 Hyundai Sonata has a recall for the power steering failure but my VIN is not covered but I am definitely effected by this recall. The campaign number is 16V190000

- Glendale, CO, USA

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