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2011 Hyundai Sonata electrical complaints

Page 12 of 16: complaints 311 to 340 of 444, newest first, as owners wrote them.

See the summary of 2011 Hyundai Sonata electrical problems: which part fails, at what mileage and related recalls.

Filed Aug 30, 2014 · Airbags, Electrical · 54,000 miles · GA

Hello, I'm not sure if this qualifies, but this vehicle has a major defect in the compressor kicking on for air conditioning (per my own experience and examining forums of other users). The A/C does not come on intermittently, especially when the car hasn't been turned on for 3 or 4 hours. This can be a major safety concern in warm areas.

Filed Aug 11, 2014 · Electrical · 78,728 miles · GA

In february 2014 we started having issues with the car not starting at all. We would put our foot on the brake and press the button and it just sits there. I have been stranded at many locations until it decided to crank. I called rick case in roswell ga and was told to bring it in if it does it again. Now the next thing that started to happen was the transmission lights p, r, n and d would start flashing and go blank as we were driving then you could feel the car loose power. I was told by the dealership to pull over and restart the car so this went on for a bit until it finally quit starting and sat in the garage for the tow truck who had to use a screw driver and it slipped into r easily because it wont start. Went to the dealership they could not get it started and kept it for many days saying everything is fine we think the starter was going and we had bought an extended warranty and they told us it does not cover that so we had to come up with $552,77. I am not working now due to cushing disease so we are down to one car. My husband had to get rides to work daily. I also found it very odd that the manager made us sign a form stating we would not bring this car back with the same issue again. The car is still acting up so we are not sure what to do. We do like the car and would trade it in but we are upside down and the payments would be so much. We feel we do need to get our money back because I truly believe it was not the starter.please advise on what to do with a car we are now scared to drive. My son is 16 and this would be his car but not know. Thank you they gave me case#[xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

Filed Jul 31, 2014 · Acceleration, Electrical · 57,000 miles · MN

When driving 45 miles per hour or 25 MPH, the cars RPM's rev really high and the car gets stuck, I could not accelerate and was almost hit from behind. It has done this several times. I was going 75 miles per hour on the highway, the RPM"s revved really high and I could not accelerate or move. Then the d on the dashboard dropped from d to 4 to 3 to 2...... I had to wait for it to shift back into gear on its own and then it went back into drive and I could move. However it continued to do that 4 times later in the same day. I have had the vehicle in several times for this issue and they keep saying there isn't anything wrong. This is very dangerous and I have 3 small children so I am very concerned about this issue as it is continuing to do it. Getting stuck in gear is not safe nor is having the RPM's rev that high and being stuck on a highway!

Filed Jul 28, 2014 · Electrical · 79,000 miles · CA

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. The contact stated that the key had to be removed from the ignition by turning the steering wheel several times. The dealer inspected the ignition switch however the failure did not duplicate. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 79,000. Updated 09/05/14*lj updated 12/4/2014

Filed Jul 27, 2014 · Electrical, Transmission · 91,735 miles · TX

I was driving my wife's car home from work and stopped by a gas station for a drink. I came back to the car and started it up. As I was engaging in gear, I noticed the shift indicator on the instrument panel and the shifter was missing. I put the car back in park, killed the motor and restarted. It reappeared, but briefly. As I put it in drive, I felt a violent jerking motion from the gearbox; then the dreaded check engine light reared its ugly head. I drove to the nearest auto parts store to have a guy pull the code(s) for me. It was a failing PCM (powertrain control module) that was giving me drivetrain issues. In regards to electrical, whenever my wife (or anyone else) ride in the passenger side, the interior lights turn on whenever I make hard left turns. Interesting :-/.

Filed Jul 15, 2014 · Body, Electrical · 59,431 miles · IL · crash

Incident details: on friday, june 27th, around 7:15 a.m., I was in my car with my 18 month old son getting ready to leave my garage. I put my car in reverse; however, I noticed the gear readout on the dashboard was non-functional. I looked down at the gear shift and the indicator light was also non-functional. I decided I should run into the house and get my husband to have him look at the car. I put the car back into park, took my foot off the brake, and turned to tell my son I would be right back. I opened the door and started step out of the car. I felt the car jerk violently and then it started to roll backwards. I was knocked off my feet and dragged down my driveway until my car hit my neighbor's tree (approx.. 70? From where the car started inside the garage), where it stopped. The event caught the attention of my neighbor who ran over to my house to alert my husband. He ran out to the car, which was rested against the tree. He attempted to put the car in ?park?, however the gear selector was in its absolute forward position. He then pulled the gear selector back into the drive position (gear indicators still non-functional) and the car made an audible ?snap? And lurched forward. My husband drove the car approx. 20? Where he parked it. My husband, made a phone call to the gurnee, il hyundai dealership, they advised him to call the hyundai customer care number (1‑800‑633‑5151). He was connected with a case manager by the name of merrieta. She took notes of the incident and advised him to have the car sent to the nearest hyundai dealership for an investigation. The car was picked up by tow truck june 27th around 11am and delivered to the gurnee hyundai dealership.

Filed Jul 12, 2014 · Electrical · 32,909 miles · NY · fire

While driving around 10 MPH on the expressway with traffic all the lights on dash board lit up and the car just turned off. I was able to safety pull car over to the right and then a strong odor of fire entered the vehicle. Then smoke started coming from the hood. No flames just smoke. What's extremely disturbing is I just got and oil change from the dealership 3 days prior, I requested a check of the engine because the car shut off 3 times one week prior to incident. The dealership stated they check the engine and test drove vehicle and car was ok to drive. This car has had issues from the very first week of purchasing. And what makes me very upset at the time of this almost catastrophic incident is my wife and 10 month old child were in the car during this incident. This car is absolutely the worst car I have ever owned. And it's unbelievable to me how these are still on the road. Recalling only seems to put a band aid on the problem. What's needed is full cash refunds to all owners of 2011 sonatas. I believe the 2011 sonata must hold the record in a vehicles with most problems ever recorded.

Filed Mar 30, 2014 · Electrical · 53,000 miles · WI

On multiple occasions, my car would not start with the keyless key fob. The car stated they key was not detected although the key was in the car. I could not unlock the car, could not open the trunk or use the buttons on the key fob in any way. This has happened increasingly in the past month.

Filed Mar 6, 2014 · Acceleration, Airbags · 28,000 miles · NJ · crash · 1 injury

While entering a parking spot to a diner, the car unintended accelerated crashing into the side of the diner. Minor damage to the side of the diner as I was no more than 3 feet from the bldg. My foot was on the brake pedal when this acceleration occurred without warning. I was entering the parking spot at no more than 5 MPH planning to put the car in park and exit for lunch. My leg hit the hood latch and I obtained a nasty cut on my shin. *tr the consumer stated other components were replaced, such as the tires and transmission. The consumer also stated, when she turned the ignition, there was an odor of smoke and rubber burning. Updated 11/16/15.

Filed Feb 6, 2014 · Electrical, Lights · 55,946 miles · CA

I have purchase my vehicle in march-2011 as a certified pre-owned vehicle. There are several complaints I have on this vehicle since purchased, but I will stick with a recurring issue. 4/11/12 I took my vehicle in because a blown passenger low beam headlight that went out. They determined that upon inspection found an open circuit due to blown right front bulb. It was "corrected." 06/07/12 took my vehicle once again for the drivers side headlight that went out. Installed bulb 5/2/13 took my vehicle for a blown passenger low beam headlight that went out. "undetermined." 2/5/14 took my vehicle for a blown passenger low beam headlight that went out. "undetermined updated 04/17/14*lj

Filed Jan 10, 2014 · Driver assistance, Electrical · 40,275 miles · LA

The car would not start and all the electrical component lights came on (emergency lights blinking, turn indicators, electronic stability control, battery light indicator, etc.). The horn was blaring also and the key was in my pocket. I thought I hit the emergency button by accident so I pulled out the key and hit the button off. It would not stop. I tried starting the car, but it would not. It went off finally. So, I tried starting the car and all the stuff started again. So, I came home while I could. This is totally unacceptable and dangerous.

Filed Dec 1, 2013 · Brakes, Electrical · 28,159 miles · CA

Hyundai sonata 2011 push button start. I am the original owner of the vehicle. Yesterday I went into my car and proceeded to start my car. I had to push the start button three times before it actually started up. This happened twice within 2 hours. 5 days prior my vehicle had been to the hyundai dealership for the recall on the stop lamp switch. An existing recall (the federal safety agency campaign number: 13v113000) indicates that for the 2011 hyundai sonata the stop lamp switch may not function correctly. They, the dealership,performed the service and replaced the stoplamp switch. As result my car is experiencing intermittent switch point contact with the push-button start. This is crazy.

Filed Nov 17, 2013 · Electrical · 50,000 miles · PA

While driving to work my instrument panel and gauges started flashing, my speedometer and RPM odometer would "jump" from 0 RPM and 0 MPH to 2500 RPM and 70 MPH "bouncing" between those readings. There had been a recall on the stop lamp so I took my car in to get this replaced explaining what my car as doing. The hyundai dealer "confirmed" that this issue was the cause. After having the stop lamp replaced it did not do it again for a few months. On 10/29/2013, 10/30/2013 and 11/01/2013 it began to do the exact same thing. When I took it back in they ran a diagnostic costing me $100 dollars, which they then "informed" me that it was the instrument cluster. So I spent $1377 to replace it (of course I was 2,000 miles outside of the warranty at this point as my husband did not think it necessary to get the extended one when we purchased it), I finally got my car back on wednesday 11/13/2013 and it seemed fine until today 11/17/2013 when it started doing it again. Not only did I have to deal with a complete lack of professionalism from the dealership but my car is still not fixed.

Filed Oct 28, 2013 · Body, Electrical · 29,715 miles · NC

Complaintant walked out of home to vehicle. Upon approaching vehicle, complaintant noticed that the left rear brake light housing (driver's side) was detached, and sticking out about 1 inch from the vehicle. Complaintant carefully slid the housing back into its cavity, where it stayed. Complaintant then departed. About 3 days later, complaintant noticed that the housing was again detached from the vehicle, and again slid it back into place. Over time, the complaintant repeated returning the housing into the cavity three (3) additional times. When the complaintant was confronted with a 5th event of the housing detaching from the vehicle, complaintant shined a flashlight down into the cavity, and saw that the housing mounting sockets were fractured/shattered, and none of the several mounting studs/bolts were attached. But, the studs/bolts were still attached to the vehicle shell. The only thing holding the housing assembly onto the car, were the wires to the brake light, back-up light, and turn signal light. No surface scratches, nor body damage experienced. After inspecting the defective housing, complaintant surmised that hyundai tail light housing is made of hard, brittle plastic, which shatters when overly tightened at factory, or due to the vibration of this overly hard riding vehicle. Additionally, complaintant noticed when vehicle was purchased new, that the driver's side tail light was not flush with the rear trunk gate, and was extended outward about 1/4 inch. The light assembly on the right/passenger side was flush with the trunk gate, and has not produced a similar issue, yet. Complaintant secured housing to the vehicle cavity by using duct tape. Complaintant scheduled vehicle repair with hyundai dealership for tomorrow. Update to follow.

Filed Sep 23, 2013 · Electrical · ID

Last night, I was told, I had left a dome light on. After several attempts trying to get it off. Thought I had it off, locked car all lights were off when I left it. Come out this morning to head to work and it would not start. This is not my first incident. If I leave the keys in the car it kills it? I use to do this with my bmw and no problems at all. Why does it suck the life out of my battery? This morning, tho I dont understand. I had all the lights off,,,I thought. Do not know what drained it. Is the battery a cheap battery? Do I need to change it out? Its just a 2011, thought should last longer. Any other issues with dead battery?

Filed Sep 6, 2013 · Electrical · 22,000 miles · DC

While traveling, the car suddenly stop in traffic. We had to move to a safe point. Car eventually was towed to the nearest dealer. They pinpointed the problem as the fuel pump. Told us no gas in the car, not so, gas was nearly full. Called and told us car was ready to be picked up. Went to dealer, told to put gas in car. Notice fuel guage not working and full panel was blinking. Droved about 1/2 mile to closest gas station, got gas, headed back to get rental car at dealer, car suddenly stopped again. This has been going on for nearly a monthly. Finally had car towed to another dealer, and behold, this time, said, it was an eletrical problem and wanted $2600 to repair, said not covered by warranty. Manufacturer got involved and agreed to repair at their expenses. Talked with another owner of same model and year, she too is experiencing sudden stops. Major safety problems, and it needs to be recalled, and this time making sure that some kind of compensation for rental is included in the recall.

Filed Sep 3, 2013 · Electrical · 26,300 miles · PA

Started engine in order to pull out of parking space. All red lights on dashboard lit up, AC failed to start blowing cold air, "park (p)" lit although gear was in "drive (d)" mode. Immediately turned engine off. Repeated procedure for two more times. Eventually AC kicked in, "d" lit up and all but air bag light went off. Passengers seat belt light kept and keeps flashing continuously and driver's side air bag light stays on. Called dealer from where vehicle was purchased and was told repair should fall under warranty and any dealer can take care of my issue. Stopped by at dealership close to home and was told that diagnostic test needs to be performed to determine if this repair will fall under warranty. Second dealership requested that I leave the car with them an entire day for diagnostic tests, which will cost me about $90 (+) in order to determine if this is a warranty issue or not.

Filed Aug 14, 2013 · Electrical · 20,000 miles · NC

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start after pressing the push-to-start button. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer who stated that they could not find a defect with the ignition. The manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 20,000.

Filed Jul 26, 2013 · Electrical · 53,000 miles · VT

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under the federal safety agency campaign number 13v113000 (exterior lighting , service brakes, hydraulic). After the repairs, the vehicle would sporadically fail to start. The vehicle was not further repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 53,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Filed Jul 25, 2013 · Brakes, Electrical · 10,174 miles · CA

The constant recurring problem is my car will not start. I have been stranded several times and have each one documented. I also have problems with the steering wheel locking and the brakes are unable to press. I have contacted an attorney regarding the lemon law and she has notified the hyundai motor america. My car is currently in the repair shop again and this has gone on for the 2 1/2 years I have owned it. There are over 598,000 complaints against this model of car and the problems are very serious and can cause deadly accidents. My car will not click out of the cruise control feature so I cannot use that feature. The brake lights do not always work and I have been stopped by cars behind me to tell me I have no lights and they almost hit me. What does it take to get this model of car recalled before many deaths occur. The internet has this problem documented and a recall was issued to replace that switch. I have taken my car in to have the brake light sensor replaced twice and it still occurs. I have to continue to pay payments on this car while I drive a rental car. I basically do not have a safe car to drive so I can't go anywhere in fear of being stranded. Can you please look into this and safe lives before it is too late?

Filed Jul 21, 2013 · Electrical, Transmission · 25,956 miles · PA

The key will not come out of the ignition. Replaced shifter assembly then replaced lock cylinder. Today, 7/21/13 I have the same problem.

Filed Jul 15, 2013 · Electrical, Tires · 42,000 miles · PA

My car comes with a TPMS system to monitor the air pressure in each tire. Intermittently the warning light indicating there is a problem with one of the tires comes on. A check with a pressure gauge of each tire always indicates a false alarm. Talking with other sonata owners I have anecdotal evidence that I'm not the only one with this problem. When bringing the car back to the dealer they say they can't fix it because there's no issue when the car is at their garage. This can be a dangerous problem for a number of reasons - 1. The false alarm is distracting, at highway speeds this can cause the operator to think they should pull over in a dangerous environment to avoid having a bigger problem. 2. After it happens a couple of times the operator might ignore a real problem. Yet the manufacturer refuses to address the problem.

Filed Jun 12, 2013 · Brakes, Driver assistance · 19,000 miles · PR

An existing recall (the federal safety agency campaign number: 13v113000) indicates that for 2011 hyundai sonata the stop lamp switch may not function correctly. The recall notice states that: "during the affected models' production periods, some vehicles were equipped with stop lamp switch assemblies that may experience intermittent switch point contact. This condition could potentially result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, intermittent ability to remove the vehicle's shifter from the park position, illumination of the ESC' (electronic stability control) indicator lamp in the instrument cluster, intermittent interference with operation of the cruise control feature, or intermittent operation of the stop lamps." all of these symptoms have been observed in my vehicle, yet this VIN is not covered in the recall notice.

Filed May 8, 2013 · Electrical, Transmission · 33,500 miles · MN

When driving to work I had just gotten on highway when I felt a thud and transmission jerked. I first thought that I hit something on the road but hadn't. I noticed my speed was reduced to 55mph and the RPM,s increased to 3500 from the previous 2000 RPM.I had had this problem twice now and read online that by pulling over to a stop and shut off the ignition will reset the transmission electrical controls.I without doing this the trans. Will remain in whats called limp gear(4th) and will remain in that gear at all speeds untill you shut off the ignition and it will then reset hopefully.I am scheduled to have the dealer look into this and hopefully can come up with a fix, as this is the 2nd time I will have the vehicle in for the same problem.the only bad thing about diagonalizing this problem has been the fact that no check engine code light is on the dash and I was told the first time that without this and the fact that by driving it and duplicate the occurrence they don't know what to fix.

Filed Apr 30, 2013 · Electrical, Engine · 33,793 miles · CA

I purchased/ picked up my certified 2011 hyundai sonata on 4/4/13. On 4/10 the push start failed. I had to call the hyundai service department and was walked thru the over ride process to get the car started. Immediately made a service appointment for this issue and took it in on 4/13. On this day it was discovered that there was an issue with the thermostat and they needed to correct it, I authorized it and it was all covered under the warranty. There was no out of pocket expense. I picked my car up that same evening and drove it home and no where else for the rest of the weekend. 4/18 about 22 miles down the highway the engine light comes on. 4/19 took it in, I was told the thermostat part that was installed was obsolete and they had my car for 6 days waiting on the new part and doing installation. I was provided a rental car at $60+ out of pocket cost for insurance. Picked up my car 4/25 and drove it about 175 miles ( it is 126 miles round trip from home to work) and 4/26 the engine light comes on again. I sit here now with no hyundai because it is at the dealers getting repairs again!!! Again!!! Opted not to use the rental car service this time as it would cost more than $50 per day out of my own pocket for an uncertained amount of time. Nothing but problems and I havent even made my first car payment yet. And on 4/24 the day before I pick my car up for the second time, a recall was issued for the brake lamps...really hyundai??? Really??? What makes this car certified? What was the inspection exactly that occured to certify this vehicle??

Filed Apr 19, 2013 · Electrical, Engine · 72,000 miles · VA

I bought a 2011 hyundai sonata in march of 2010 brand new. I have had problems with the tires had to be replaced after year two, and when they were being replaced they said that the air valve on the tire was corroded when I went to hyundai to get the part replaced they said that it wasn't corroded it was broke off because there wan't a cap on it and it got wet. So, they said that I had to buy a new one, and they would send it up under the warranty and I would be refunded that did not happen. After that my push start would not start when I pushed it. I would have to push it about three times and then it would finally start. I took it to hyundai, and had it replaced not under warranty any more is what they told me. So I paid the 287.00 for it. After I got it home and went into grab something came back out and it did it again. Took it back to gateway hyundai in richmond to have it fixed and they said it needed a nother starter. I didn't have to pay for the part but I was going to have to pay for the labor. Nope didn't get it fixed. I would just start it three times instead. Then I had to replace the brakes last year 2012 because it wore only on one side, and now the engine blew a rod. They claimed that it was because of not having enough oil in it, but then told me I had a quart to much of oil. Now really does that make any sense? This is absolutely ridiculous. Then they told me I could trade it in for a new hyundai but would have to put $5000.00 down on it which is convienantly the amount they quoted me to have my engine fixed because they said it wasn't under warranty because I hadn't kept all my receipts for oil changes for the past three years.

Filed Apr 18, 2013 · Electrical · 34,300 miles · NY

This vehicle is equipped with proximity key system. The vehicle would not start even with the key in the vehicle, we tired to use both keys, the vehicle would not recognize either key. Lights illuminated in the dash, engine light and oil light (car not running) other lights lit in gear shifter and still no connection. We could not open the trunk there is no key slot and the key fob trunk button would not unlock trunk. Car was towed to the nearest dealer. Note: this is the second time our vehicle experienced this problem. January 2013 same problem where we needed a tow to the dealership. Same problem 4 months apart.

Filed Apr 8, 2013 · Electrical · 33,869 miles · FL

The push to start button does not recognize the key fob while depressing the break pedal. The vehicle is totally disabled. I was unable to bypass the push button system. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealership under warranty. Apparently, this is a major problem for 2011 sonata's.so far, the hyundai corp. Has not responded to numerous owner complaints. The dealerships just replace what they believe is a faulty brake/ignition switch, even though some vehicles have had the switches replaced more than once. I've been unable to locate any recall information as of yet.

Filed Mar 31, 2013 · Brakes, Electrical · MA

Brake pedal sensor failure resulted in a car that wouldn't start. The key-less entry depends on the brake pedal being depressed, otherwise the ignition will not turn over. Under normal operation when the driver is trying to start the car, the key must be inside the vehicle, the driver must depress the brake pedal and then press the ignition button. The car normally turns over. In this situation all systems function as if the car does not know the brake peddle is being depressed. The battery has full charge, all accessories function normally, but the ignition will not turn over. Because there is no way to manually start the car, the car is rendered completely useless.

Filed Mar 14, 2013 · Electrical, Engine · 23,000 miles · MD · fire

I have several complaints regarding this vehicle. I have had this car two years and about two months and have had nothing but problems (purchased brand new) -- I've had to get a new motor (engine caught on fire (electrical/smoking) while driving down the beltway), replaced tire rod, need 4 brand new tires, transmission slipping, and other electrical problems with cooling/heating system (the blower does not work for air pointed in the floor direction), strong smell of gas fumes inside of the vehicle. The gas mileage gauge is inaccurate -- I get no where near the highway nor city miles. The gas meter is not registering. Parts on the electrical system have been randomly replaced. I have had all schedule services on my vehicle as well as extras such as special replacement filters, etc. I have also had problems with the breaking system. I believe I've purchased a complete lemon. The current mileage on the vehicle is 27700 miles. There is no way I should be having this many problems as frequently as I have been having. The car's steering pulls to the left as well. I should not have to replace tires only after two years of driving after putting nitrogen as advised. I've noticed a noise when turning the steering to the left as well as if the left tire rod or axle wants to break -- weird feeling turn the car. The alarm system is failing to lock all of the doors -- only the drivers door. -- dealers solution...purchase a new one ??? Really?

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