On 6/3/15, we were driving on the highway when car suddenly lost power. Thankfully, we were in the right lane and my husband was able to get off on to shoulder. Towed into hyundai who stated engine had seized.told by dot if we were in far lane we would have been dead and the shoulder we were on was actually a lane that was in use from 7 to 10 a.m and it was 10:15. To not be responsible for $10,000 bill we traded care in for another hyundai model. Sonata was 3 years 10 months old and mileage was 41567.
2011 Hyundai Sonata engine complaints
Page 31 of 35: complaints 881 to 910 of 1,012, newest first, as owners wrote them.
2.0 turbo engine. Driving on highway, vehicle stalled without flashing any warning lights. Pulled to the side of the highway and checked all fluids, none were below minimum level. Had car towed to dealer on the same day, dealer called me two days later to say that engine is seized and it will be $8900 to replace the engine.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. While driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine seized. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 144,000.
Driving down the interstate I heard and felt a faint puddering. I looked down and my oil light was on. I was able to immediately exit. As I was going on the off ramp the check engine light came on. I was able to barely pull into a park and ride. 20 minutes later oil was everywhere. The car never overheated, and there was a trail of oil from the road to my car. Since I had taken it to the get the oil changed just on the 5th of may, just 10 days earlier. I had the car towed to that facility. The piston internally slammed through the engine punching a hole in the engine wall, and leaking oil from the engine. The engine did not cease. Pieces and parts of bolts and side wall were found by the mechanic.
While driving home the car just stopped and shut off. Before shutting off it was like the car lost all power. What I mean is that the even though the gas pedal was pressed the car would not move. I had to leave my car on side of a very dark and dangerous road. The next day I went to retrieve my car. I saw oil spots on the ground where I had pulled off the road and under the hood. Again, my car would not start, so I had to tow it home. I called tuscaloosa hyundai and they told me that since my car was past the mileage warranty that the cost would be on me and that I would need a new motor. I informed the mechanic about the complaints on the 2011 model and I was having the same issues before my car stopped. John told me that, I just cant believe everything that I read. I'm very unsatisfied with his comment. He told me that I would just need a new engine. I can not afford this. I know that I have taken care of my car and for hyundai to sat this is my fault is garbage. They know that they have messed up and are refusing to fix this problem. There is a class action lawsuit against hyundai for premature engine failure. I just dont know what else to do. I have been without my car for 6 months now and I haven't gotten any where. I still have a car note and insurance.
Was driving home with my 11 year old daughter during rush hour when the car just died in the middle of the road. Couldn't start it up, then it starting to smell like fire and a lot of smoke was coming out of the engine. Had to jump out of car and get it towed to dealer. This was after a similar incident happened a week before on my way to work where the car just stalled out and stopped in the middle of the road. Brought it into hyundai dealer and they said I had a "sludge" problem. They ran a diagnostics test, but nothing came back. Told me to take to a reputable car repair place and get the oil changed because they didn't want to be liable. When I took it to firestone, the guy there told me it wasn't a sludge problem and the oil wasn't as bad as hyundai made it out to be. He changed the oil there, then a week later the engine died again in the middle of the main road and started smoking. I looked it up and saw numerous other similar complaints about the same exact thing happening to other people with 2011 sonatas. They are trying to tell me it's my fault and will probably not be covered and will cost me about $6,000 to fix the engine. If so many other people have the same issue, then it is not my fault, it should be a recall (a dangerous life threatening one) from hyundai as the car can just stop in the middle of the highway! My daughter refuses to get in the car again. Waiting to hear what they say, but I should not have to pay for a faulty engine problem that hyundai is aware of.
I was on the freeway driving at 65 MPH when the engine stalled and shut off. There were no warning lights indicating an issue with the engine. I was informed later by my mechanic that the engine had a catastrophic failure. The brakes failed because the engine was not running. I was lucky and able to coast to the next exit, the stop light was green and I could make it to safe location. Had the engine failed a few minutes earlier I would have been in the fast lane of the freeway trying to make it to the shoulder. Or trying to stop at a light with no brakes.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. While driving at approximately 60 MPH, the contact merged the vehicle over and noticed that there was an abnormal loud banging noise from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle had to be pushed to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that a piston rod was fractured and the only way to correct it would be with a new engine. The vehicle was towed to a dealer for a second opinion, who provided the same diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
I purchased the 2011 sonata certified used, plus I purchased the extended warranty. I was exiting the freeway when the car just died, no sounds, no warning, no check engine lights, nothing. I was able to coast to a gas station and I noticed a little smoke coming from the engine. I had it towed to a dealership and 2 days later they called & told me the engine seized, but the oil was only about half a quart low. The dealership wouldn't honor the powertrain warranty because they said it's limited to 60k miles (I'm the 2nd owner & my car had 66k miles). I filed a claim with extended warranty service and they sent out an inspector. His finding was it was 2-3 quarts low, there was "sludge and metal bits" in the oil and we'd need a new engine. Because I couldn't produce the receipt from my last oil change, they cited owner neglect and denied the claim. I used royal purple synthetic oil (and have used this same oil for the past 15 yrs in all my vehicles). I changed my own oil in july, approximately 3 months prior. Note: there was never any oil leaks or stains on the driveway, no low oil/engine light at all. To replace the engine, it was going to cost around $6000.00. I couldn't afford that, so I ended up having to get another car. Which sucks because now I am paying 2 car notes, on 2 cars, but I am only able to drive one. I don't want to mess my credit up by letting it go back, so I'm really trying to hold on to it as long as I can, but I really don't know when I'm going to have the extra $$ to get a new engine put in.
I purchased the car on 10/22/13 and I have kept the maintenance up on the car. Then on 2/13/15 (not to mention that it was my birthday) as I was driving home from work the car cut off on me. I had the car towed to the dealership where I purchased the car from and was told that the motor was blown up. Now here I was thinking that I kept very good care of my car and that a car with only 63k miles should not have had any engine problems! Now here it is almost 3 months later I still have to make car payments on a car that I can not drive.
Vehicle stopped functioning at 60 MPH on an interstate on a friday night. Had to coast to side of road dodging other cars. Tried to restart vehicle with no luck. Electrical started going haywire. Interior lights started flashing as well as dashboard lights. Smoke was coming from hood of car. Within 20 minutes a road ranger checked the status of the car and said all fluids looked good. Battery tested good. But was unable to get vehicle to start. Two hours later it was towed to a hyundai dealership. Was told it appears to be the engine but was told they replaced the starter first because they thought it was that. Finally, told it was the engine and it would need to be replaced. Thankfully it is still under warranty. It's last service was the middle of april. They told me that the steering is possibly going on it. They reported a knocking noise. Nothing has been done to steering as of yet but now that they will have car for up to 3 weeks will probably have them check that too especially after reading many of the complaints on this and other websites.
The car was being driven by my son. He said the car started making a funny noise and the check engine light came on. He switched cars with his mother. She could hear a rattle in the engine and made an appointment to have it checked the next day. On the way home, the car completely died. The vehicle was towed in and inspected. The mechanic stated that the engine had thrown a rod and the engine needed to be replaced.
While driving for approx 20mins on hwy at 60mph, the vehicle's engine began to knock, approx 3 mins later a loud exploding sound accompanied with white smoke and loss of power occurred. Oil was changed yesterday because check engine light became illuminated and the oil was checked with no oil registering on the dipstick. Vehicle had to be towed to a local mechanic. When tow truck arrived under the hood inspection noted no oil on top of engine or on underside of hood, new oil filter still in place and snug, oil pan drain bolt still in place. Oil used was 5qts of 5w-20 quaker state per manufacturer's recommendation.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. The contact stated that while driving at 52 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a dealer who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. While driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer who confirmed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,678.
Car began making a loud noise took it to dealer and they said it was engine failure - would have to replace engine at a cost of $7,000. Towed it to a certified mechanic for second opinion who said - may be able to just repair piston and not entire motor - cost could be up to $3-4000. Vehicle now sitting in our driveway - unusable - can't afford to pay to have it repaired - still paying on loan.
I was driving about 40mph and out of nowhere my engine shuts completely off. I have the vehicle towed to the local hyundai dealer, and they notified me after 78000 miles my engine has seized. I just had a oil change about 30 days prior. After a little research I found this to be a common problem. I am discussed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. While driving approximately 2 MPH and depressing the brake pedal to stop the vehicle, the engine suddenly shut off and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who indicated that the engine seized, but the cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 91,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. The contact stated that the air bag light intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 112,000. Updated 6/8/15*cn the consumer also stated a month after getting an oil change, the oil was low and she had to add more oil. Updated 06/11/15
I have a 2011 hyundai sonata,my first car I purchase it almost 4 months ago I'll had 2 oil changes including the one the dealer did before I bought it. I was simply driving home & heard a weird noise so I pulled over my battery died and car engine started to smoke I was giving no warning sign or indicator to check my oil or anything. I had my car towed to suntrup hyundai were I was told my engine was seized and would cost me from 5,000-9,000 for a new or used. How does a well-maintained car go from normal to a total lost? I'll done my research so my question for you is when will you recall this entire car? Will indeed be joining the class action lawsuit against hyundai. I have no warranty & don't even want the car with a new engine. I just want hyundai to buy the car back it's a serious safety risk I'll stick with american made vehicles.
The engine is knocking when I start to drive and the knocking sound has gradually increased. I have to put 1-2qts of additional oil into the car in between scheduled oil changes.
I am having problems with my car not wanting to accelerate sometimes, I typically notice this when I am on the freeway going about 60 MPH and when I try to go past that it will seem to not want to accelerate and then jerk and then go accelerate faster. Lately I have also notice this when going normal speeds it seems like it wants to stall.
Went to take off from a stop sign and noticed I did not have the power it usually does. Drove appr 3 miles, came to a stop light. The oil light came on and the car stalled. Started the vehicle back up, drove appr 3/4 mile to the nearest gas station with flashers on and <20 miles per hour, all the while the car was hesitating and knocking/tapping. I called my husband who came to get me. We checked the oil and it was barely registering oil. We purchased 2 quarts and drove the car appr 2.5-3 miles home. The next day my husband drove it down the road about a mile. It was running very rough with knocking/tapping and hesitation. Then the check engine light came on. He called the hyundai dealer and had it towed as we were still under warranty. Their diagnosis was no oil, lack of maintenance yet there was no oil leak or burning of oil. Since this is "our fault" according to the dealer, it will not be covered under warranty and we need a new engine at $6,000+. We have done regular maintenance on it since we purchased it sept 2014 - 2 oil changes in 7 months, the last change being the 1st week of january. My husband does our oil changes (he used to work at goodyear and has done oil changes since he was a teenager) so we have no receipts from oil purchases at walmart.
I was driving on the highway (295 south towards washington dc) and when I tried to accelerate, nothing happened. When I examined the dashboard, all of the lights were on. As a precaution, I pulled over to the shoulder. After bringing the car to a stop I noticed a burning smell. After opening the hood I discovered smoke coming from the engine area. I tried to start the car but to no avail. I immediately called roadside assistance and the car was towed back to pohanka hyundai in capital heights md. After an inspection of the vehicle, the technician discovered no oil was found on the dip stick and the engine had locked up! As I pulled up my last oil change record it showed I received 5 qts of 5w20 synthetic blend oil at 110,641 miles. I told the technician that I never had any leaks or knocking sounds. Also I never had my check engine light illuminate. It amazed me how after 5000 miles no oil was in engine and I had no apparent and visible leaks.
The cars ignition key does not release from the ignition for up to 6 hours. The ignition cylinder was changed by hyundai but the problem continued to happen even with the change of the keys and the cylinder. Also, the engine seizes when I took my son and his girlfriend to the airport. Hyundai did not honor the warranty and charged me $3600.00 for a new engine. Their 10 year warranty is a fraud. I had to pay for the key change which did not work.
I was making a right turn when the vehicle stopped. I could not restart it and had to have it towed. When the vehicle was inspected I was informed that the engine has seized. There was never any oil or check engine light that came on. The oil was changed when it should be.there was oil in the engine. Since the warranty was up I had to come out of pocket for an engine. .
My wife was driving the car than all of a sudden she thought she heard a muffler sound like a rattling sound. She checked the muffler but the muffler was intact. Than as she was driving the car idled low as if it wanted to die. Than she got out at a parking to investigate the sounds turns out the engine is knocking bad. I call to get vehicle towed to hyundai. Before they received the vehicle a service employee tried to tell me that the maintenance of the vehicle is determined also by the previous owner and how well he maintained it in order for the warranty to be valid (my vehicle is precertified it has 44487 miles and oil change is due at 44906) and the vehicle will not be looked at for a week. I called another dealership because I knew the employee was lying to me and the other employee at the different dealership assured me that the warranty starts with me and the previous owner has nothing to do with it. So I am waiting to hear back to see what they will do regarding the warranty. I know a knocking engine is a severe matter and the fact they lied to me before looking at the car already seems as if things are to just get worst in regarding with dealing with them.
Driving down hwy @65mph. Car lost power. Was able to get to side of road. Car smelled and smoking. Checked oil...2 liters low. Had oil changed 1000 miles ago. No oil light came on. Have been routinely checking my oil because 2 weeks after oil changed had car serviced for brakes and mechanic checked oil and was low. He put oil in. No oil leaks anywhere. Now I have to pay 4500 for another 2011 hyundai sonata engine which I really don't want to put it because there is obviously a problem with this engine and replacing with the same I will end up with the same problem.
Was driving the car when I noticed some "clicking" noises coming from the engine. I immediately began experiencing severe engine power loss and, as I was on my way home from work and a local hyundai dealer was nearby, I went there. Upon arrival, I advised the service person of the symptoms I'd experienced. After a call from the dealer the next day, I was advised that hyundai wanted them (the dealer) to completely tear the engine down to take pictures of the internals to assess the damage. The representative also told me that the oil was extremely low on the dipstick, so low that it didn't even register. Note: the car was next scheduled to receive an oil change at 57,600 miles, and this occurred at 56,000. A few days later, I hear back that "hyundai" had declined the warranty coverage, so I contacted hyundai and they stated that the dealership is the one who had in fact denied the warranty coverage, and would be contacting them to understand the reason(s) for the denial. After researching the issues, I've found a lawyer opening a class action lawsuit, as others have reported this same issue. Lawyer: http://www.chimicles.com/2011-hyundai-sonata-engine-failure-class-action-lawsuit?post-subscriptions-status=subscribe complaints: http://www.carcomplaints.com/hyundai/sonata/2011/engine/engine_seized.shtml.
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