I test drove the vehicle at an auction, watched several other people test drive the vehicle. Before the auction I test drove it one more time and put my obd scan tool on it to make sure there were no hidden codes or problems. I won the bid,and picked up the vehicle. I drove it approximately 6 miles from the auction and the falshing engine light popped on. I immediately pulled over in heavy freeway traffic. Put my scan tool on it and found out the knock sensor had triggered. The vehicle was shaking and making a terrible racket. It was inoperable in the worst possible spot on Highway 51 during rush hour traffic. I managed to slowing coast down the offramp and roll into a parking lot. I then called Purdy Hyundai and spoke with a service advisor and provided the VIN#. He (Vue Kue) informed me that the vehicle qualified for the recall and warranty work based on exactly that issue. I had the vehicle towed to the Purdy dealership on July 8th 2026. I was told today that it was unlikely that Hyundai would honor the recall because I did not have service records of a vehicle I had owned for 6 miles of driving. I filed a complaint with Hyundai corporate. Claim#43010067 and awaiting the reconciliation of this situation. Of which they appear to to be avoiding.
2011 Hyundai Sonata acceleration problems
95 complaints (3% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 60,000. 18 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 95
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- typical mileage
- 60,000
- crashes
- 18
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Cruise control2
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Hyundai Sonata acceleration problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2011 Hyundai Sonata acceleration
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Throttle control system vulnerabilities
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the federal safety agency received a petition letter dated October 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (ETC) system on certain Kia vehicles resulting in the opening of DP21-003. Accordingly, Model Year (MY) 2005-2016 Kia Optima/K5, MY 2006-2015 Kia Sorento, MY 2007-2016 Hyundai Elantra, MY 2007-2016 Hyundai Santa Fe, MY 2006-2015 Hyundai Sonatas are all part of the subject population. The petition was originally filed as a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire that can be reviewed at under reference (ODI) number 11439675.On November 12, 2021, ODI opened Defect Petition DP21-003 to evaluate the petitioner?s request. ODI performed trend analyses of the VOQs related to vehicle speed control issues for all the subject vehicles and found that none of the 52 Model/Model Year Hyundai/Kia vehicles demonstrated any actionable trend that warranted an investigation.Petitioners submitted 1119 VOQs and non-VOQ cases in which sudden uncommanded acceleration (SUA) or loss of motive power (LOMP) incidents were alleged.For the 1119 reports, 220 were incidents involving crashes, from which 69 subject Hyundai-Kia vehicles were inspected by Hyundai/Kia dealer technicians, Hyundai/Kia engineers, and/or third-party representatives.ODI found the inspections identified no vehicle defects related to the ETC system.Of the 220 crash-involved reports, 13 Event Data Recorder (EDR) records were downloaded successfully and 11 of those indicated driver error: (i.e.) pedal misapplication.A condition where the accelerator pedal is mistakenly applied instead of the brake pedal when the driver wants to stop the vehicle.In addition, ODI reviewed a scientific journal paper published in Forensic Science International in 2016 by Mr. Park et al ., as well as related test videos. ODI does not believe there is any evidence of uncontrollable SUA occurrences in any of the tests reviewed. the federal safety agency's Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance (OVSC) reviewed the allegations regarding the potential noncompliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 124.Based on the information provided, the Agency concludes there is insufficient information for us to determine if a possible non-compliance exists.Finally, both Hyundai and Kia informed ODI that all their vehicles manufactured after 2012 were equipped with an ETC management system, in which the engine speed will go to idle when the system sees signals from both the brake pedal and accelerator pedal at the same time; this is commonly known as the brake-throttle override system.After thoroughly assessing the material submitted by the petitioner, information already in the federal safety agency's possession, information submitted by Hyundai and Kia in response to an Information Request letter, and the potential risks to safety implicated by the petitioner's allegation, the federal safety agency does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. After full consideration of appropriate factors, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing the federal safety agency?s reasons for denial of the petition will be published.
DP21003
What 2011 Hyundai Sonata owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The clock spring went bad causing failure of horn and all buttons on the steering wheel including cruise control. It also caused the airbag light to illuminate.
Electrical needs to be reconnected a reprogrammed. Steering wheel horn doesn’t blow.
When my car is turned on there is a very noticeable shake coming from the engine area. It's not that bad once the car is driving. However, I was driving 40 miles an hour when my check engine light came on, then I was unable to accelerate and my car stalled (it's an automatic car).Once my car started up again, the check engine light was flashing, and I could only drive at like 15-20 miles per hour for my speed. Made it to O'Reilly and had them run the check engine light codes for me and it popped up with the P1326 code regarding the knock signal range/performance. I recently got a check engine light code for a p0449 EVAP vent control valve (it wouldnt allow me to pump gas into the car). I'm unsure if the issues are related but wanted to provide all the details.
I changed my oil on Saturday and it now has no oil. The engine light started flashing and my engine seized up. Now it does not run at all. It turns on halfway where the dashboard turns on but the motor/engine does not turn. It appears to be white smoke coming out of the car after trying to turn it back on.
On 1/3/2024 the car was at a low speed - once when parking and once stopping at an intersection - when it suddenly accelerated without the accelerator being touched. The only way that the car stopped was that I was able to shift it into neutral. According to online forums, this has been a known issue with several Kia and Hyundai models.
This is a 'Stop Lamp Switch' issue. The car will randomly turn on the ABS light causing the ABS system to engage and not allow you to use the accelerator pedal. This is very dangerous as if you are about to merge on or off a highway the car does not allow you to correctly control your speed. This issue happens more prevalently at night time when the full beam headlights (auto or manually turn on when dark out), which is very concerning. This issue has been going on for a year now and no mechanics at Hyundai can fix or diagnose. It happened again to me this morning and came very close to causing an accident as I could not engage the accelerator pedal on a turn. Please, in the interest of safety and saving lives fix this dangerous defective part issue.
My car had engine seized while driving on the road with no warning light prior nor other mechanical issues. When the engine seized, all mechanical powers are have lost power including brakes and power steering in which have almost caused a near accident at an early morning rushed hours. The vehicle's odometer reading at 120,836 and was up to date on all normal tune up performances. Other issues that have arise after purchasing the car are: warning light came on for airbag, real loud clunking sound on roof when hitting a bump on the road and engine will not start because of fuel line system issues. Cruise control had also stopped working after a year of purchased.
in July of 2022 the buttons on the steering wheel like cruise control trip/reset button as well as radio controls eventually all quit working did not become fully aware of this until I was on the interstate and was driving with the cruise control set and when I needed to turn off cruise control it wouldn't turn off by the steering wheel thankfully I know can hit the brakes and the car will shut it off however after this all happened the air bag light came on and stayed illuminated I called my dealer and they insisted that there was no recall on the CLOCK Spring in the steering wheel of my car and wanted me to pay out of pocket for an issue that they claim was non existint as well them also telling me all the recalls were taken care of when I purchased the vehicle in novemember of 2020 and im only the second owner had the car for 3 months and Hyundai stated that my vehicle had the knock sensor update and then a week later the motor went
The brake lights stay on all the time, thus preventing vehicles behind mine from knowing if I'm actually stopping. Hence, they may stop without reason, and endanger drivers behind them. The manufacturer has likely known of this being an issue in Sonatas from, at least, 2007 through 2013 models. The manufacturer is putting the task of solving the problem (if that's even possible), upon a dealer. And, my trip to that (nearest) dealership (75 miles away) creates its own danger. The danger is added to by a pre-existing unsolved issue of the horn not functioning. As per the brake light issue, I've been to the dealership about it twice, and they weren't even aware that the brake light switch they think attaches to my car doesn't. So, I wonder if the manufacturer tried to address the issue in the middle of the 2011 model year, installed a different model switch and wiring on more newly built cars in that model year, and decided to ignore the owners of vehicles sold earlier in that model year. As for an additional related issue, unless I disconnect my battery when not in the car. the lights stay on and run down the battery. That can contribute to its own safety issue.
Questions about the 2011 Hyundai Sonata acceleration
Does the 2011 Hyundai Sonata have acceleration problems?
Owners have filed 95 complaints about the acceleration of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata, 3% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2011 Hyundai Sonata acceleration problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 60,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Hyundai Sonata acceleration?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Hyundai Sonata have the most acceleration problems?
The Hyundai Sonata model years with the most acceleration complaints are 2011 (95 complaints), 2013 (86 complaints) and 2012 (84 complaints).
Other 2011 Hyundai Sonata problems
Steering 1,171Engine 1,012Electrical 444Airbags 419Lights 250Brakes 175Transmission 173Suspension 149Fuel system 135Seat belts 107Body 73Driver assistance 70Wheels 33Tires 27Visibility 25Seats 15Locks 11
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