This is my fourth time complaining about my vehicle pulling. I just bought a new set of tires, because my front driver side tire was worn down to the metal. The new tires were properly installed and balanced by discount tire, but my vehicle stills tracks to the right. I cannot let go of the steering wheel for a second without it wanting to change lanes when I am going straight. I've taken my vehicle to the dealer three times already and had the service campaign performed. The condition of the road is not the issue here, as I have been told time and time again. I have also found reports of this tracking issue online. The car is still pulling to the right 60 - 70 percent of the time, and is a constant struggle to control. This is especially difficult when I am traveling at speeds of 45mph, or higher. If I hit the slightest imperfection in the road; the car will bounce all over the place. It still seems to be tracking primarily to the right, but the tracking of this car is so erratic. I have included several reliable sources below, which further explain the issue I am experiencing.
2011 Hyundai Sonata steering complaints
Page 32 of 40: complaints 911 to 940 of 1,171, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The vehicle pulls strongly to the left. A very well documented case of a defective vehicle. Was told by the dealer there is nothing they can do. The car is a lease and I cannot get rid of it and continue to pay for a car which, if I don't hold the wheel with the force of god, will spear off to the left and possibly into a tree.
I leased this hyundai sonata in 2011 brand new and after 3000 miles began having issues with the car not starting by using the start button. The workaround was to place your foot on the brake and hold down the push button start for 1 minute and the engine would start. This was intermittent. It would happen frequently and then suddenly be better for long periods of time. Finally at 18000 miles went to start the car and everything was dead. It drove ok the day before (not like a car who's battery was bad). The car is being towed to the nearest dealership where I happened to purchase it. In addition to the start issue and the completely dying part (and it was not able to be charged by ordinary means) the car also has a low tire pressure warning that stays on regardless of how much or how little air is in the tire. That remained for 4 months and now seems to be staying off. The car also drifts to the left when driven (it has done this since I purchased it). I had several recalls fixed early on at the dealership, but it did not correct the drifting issue. There is also a rattle in the dash which began at 16,000 miles. The back door handle (behind the driver's seat) handle was stuck in an outward position and the door would not open. It finally opened one day and now the handle is back in place, but a small black piece hangs down from the handle. I have read on the internet several complaints that are the same or similar as all of my issues.
We have been having several problems where we have been stranded because the vehicle will not start. It first happened in october 2011, when we first bought the car, and it was fixed. Now the vehicle would not start, making starter noises. Roadside assistance came, played with the transmission shifter, and got the car to start. It has pushbutton start. Yesterday, 3/14/13, the car was loaded up for a weekend trip, and the car would not start again made the same noise, however, the steering wheel failed to lock, and there was no way to shift the transmission. They had to take the vehicle to the dealership by flatbed. I am afraid the vehicle will stall out during driving, and since the powersteering doesn't work or lock appropriately, and the transmission cannot be changed, it's a severe safety threat. What does one do to shift the transmission or steer the vehicle when there is no key, but a pushbutton start? Many problems noted of this type on the internet: should be investigated: https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=utf-8&rlz=1t4skpt_enus424us424&q=2011+hyundai+sonata+push+button+start+problems.
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?
I just bought a certified pre-owned 2011 hyundai sonata limited. Pretty much since the first time I took it on the interstate, the car wants to drift, mainly to the left but sometimes to the right. There are several complaints about this on the web. I took it back to the dealer and they looked at it. They said the tire pressure was the problem. It is less pronounced pulling to the left but now its all over the place. This vehicle will not track straight and that is a dangerous thing imo. I do a lot of interstate driving.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. While driving approximately 55 MPH, the contact noticed that the steering wheel began pulling to the left. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the vehicle would have to have an alignment performed. After the alignment was performed the failure continued. The vehicle was not further repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 200.
The car is a year old. As the passenger was turning left traveling approx 25-30mph the car started to shake violently and then the wheel came off the front passenger side. The control arm assembly failed allowing the whole wheel/drive assembly to come off slamming the front right side of the car down, yanking the car toward oncoming traffic.
I had this car from feb 2011 to present, and the car is constantly drifting left. I almost hit another car when it happened. After this incident I switched out my tires (due to outer wear) and had 2 alignments performed by licensed technicians. The car still drifts left. The technician recommended that the car should be looked at by a body repair shop.
Vehicle pulls to right side all the time brought to dealer did recall for pulling front struts wheel alignment replaced l/front strut again and wheel alignment car still pulls to right.
The passage seat shakes when the car reaches 70mph. Since bringing it to the dealer in may it has been there 2 more times, the second time they actually saw what they call a vibration. Now the passenger seat, drivers seat, steering wheel, and console all shake, not vibrate at 40mph. Hyundai has had my car for 3 days and every time I call for a status check they have some excuse. This is why I did not list the VIN number because the car is not in my possession. Just an fyi: there is no problem mechanically with the wheels, tire rod, etc. Everything has been checked but the car still shakes.
From the initial test drive I noticed a pull in the steering. It was mentioned and I was told that it was a simple alignment issue. After purchased I asked about the steering. Unfortunately, (I was told) the dealership did not have the road force balance machine for them to properly test the alignment. I waited till november before this was available. The 2011 sonata wandered the road and pulled constantly to one side or the other (with no rhyme or reason). At one point it would pull so hard the vehicle would "v-line" off road once letting go of steering wheel. After several repair attempts (replaced struts, camber bolt kits, front tires and several alignments) the pull was still there. There was nothing more hyundai can do and I was told "that's just how the car is". I have gone through two arbitration hearings with the bbb and hyundai still continues to say "there's nothing more we can do, the car is performing as it is intended to". Negative hyundai!!! The car still pulls and wanders as it pleases and I have had sway bar links break during normal driving conditions. Hyundai is saying I have hit an "animal" and the impact has bent both of the sway bar links and broke one on the right front. All though there is no body damage from this animal and no scrapes on the undercarriage. I never hit anything in the car and feel this breakage is due to added pressure on suspension/steering parts from adjustment made by hyundai to "try" and get car to drive straight. My warranty has been denied and hyundai refuses to make the repairs. So don't let the 10 year/100,000 mile warranty let you make the decision when buying, when they can deny your warranty anytime they want with any made up excuse. I have been fighting for well over 8 months for a refund on this car and I'm still fighting!!
Car has pulled to the left since it was first bought. It has been in for numerous alignments, eps reprogramming, and single strut replacement. The repairs have made the problem less severe, but the car must be driven vigilantly or it will pull out of the lane. Driving the car on the highway is fatiguing due to constant course correction. While primarily a left pull issue, the car's steering is imprecise and wanders, sometimes even to the right. Hyundai really got this wrong and has a corporate wall of silence around the issue, refusing to acknowledge it. My latest communication from them after an "engineer" drove the car reads, "the distract parts service manager [dpsm] is highly trained and experienced with hyundai vehicles. The dpsm's decision is final and we are unable to give this matter further consideration." very disappointing that there has been no recall activity around this safety issue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, she took one hand off the steering wheel and the steering wheel begin to pull to the right. The contact allowed another driver to operate the vehicle and the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they stated that the vehicle needed a alignment and that the tires were defective. The manufacturer was not notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 7,000.
The car has been pulling to the right from day 1 and still is pulling to the right. I had a wheel alignment done at 8,000 miles and another at approx 21,000 miles. Dealer keeps telling me that the car is tracking straight, however when I drive at any speed the car pulls to right. I have to keep the steering wheel pulled to the left to compensate. The tech at the dealer told me that hyundai recommends a wheel alignment every 12,000 miles. I have looked through the owners manual no recommendation found. I have called hyundai with no satisfaction other then to try another dealer. Getting very frustrated. The company knows there is a problem but will not acknowledge keeps giving the run around.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. The contact stated the steering wheel pulled to the left while driving 45 MPH or more. The steering wheel had to be held with force in order to keep the vehicle under control. The dealer test drove the vehicle, but was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 5 and the current mileage was 19,000.
Service campaign 927 confirmed left pull completed straight trak installed struts. Alignment. Update eps. Still pulls left on crowned roads. Steering light and wanders at highway speeds. Called dealer and was told "it is in spec and to contact hyundai consumer affairs". They will not fix. It is now worse than before they tried to fix. I have contacted hyundai consumer affairs two times with no response.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle continuously pulled into the left direction. The failure occurred whenever the vehicle was in operation. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer seven different times for the same problem. The manufacturer was notified and a filed service engineer inspected the vehicle; however they could not determine the cause of failure. The manufacturer replaced all four tires as a goodwill. The failure persisted after the replacement of the tires. The vehicle has not been repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 35.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. The contact stated that while driving between the speeds of 5 MPH and 60 MPH, he would have to forcibly keep the steering wheel from turning in the opposite direction. The vehicle would not drive straight and would constantly pull toward the right or left. The dealer was notified and stated that there was nothing they could do to remedy the failure. The failure and current mileages were 21,000. The VIN was not available.
The sonata pulls to the left. I took it in and told dealer I thought it was car, not the road -- but told me it was fine. Took it in again because it pulls hard to left going straigt to ditch if you let go of steering wheel, they said they adjusted it 2 points and it was not pulling anymore. Left dealership and it still pulls hard to left.
The vehicle tracks to the left. Despite numerous attempts at fixing the issue the dealers (more than one) can't seem to fix this. Hyundai have issued a recall on it (sonata-tr01) yet this 'fix' doesn't rectify the problem.
Vehichle pulls badly to the left if steering wheel is released. A constant pressure to the right must be mainained to keep the vehicje in it's lane
I bought a 2011 sonata in may 2010. This car has pulled to the left from the first day I bought it. Nothing seems to work. It has been aligned on several occasions with no success.
I purchased a brand new hyundai sonata (2011) in march of 2011 and the day I test drove it I felt the car pulling to the right and hand to apply pressure on the steering wheel to keep it going straight. I was told that this was not a big issue and would be repaired. Nine months later and three times being serviced for the pull and the steering wheel issue it is still functioning with the same problem. Each time I was told the problem was fixed drove out of the service area to find it was still with the same problems. Was told to open up a case with the regional office which I did, and was told that the service manager at puente hills hyundai [xxx] said that the problem was fixed and there was nothing wrong with the car. There is something wrong with this car. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
On 7/7/11, I purchased a 2011 sonata gls. The next day I notice the car pulled to the right at various speeds. I set up an appointment for 7/18/11. I picked up my vehicle and immediately noticed that the vehicle was still pulling to the right. I had to continue to correct the vehicle so I would not go into the next lane or off the road. I brought the car in on 7/25/11 and went on a test drive with the technician. Technician stated he could see the vehicle pulling right. The vehicle was released to me and immediately I noticed the vehicle was now pulling to the left especially at higher speeds. The service department rotated the tires and performed a four wheel alignment. Now I noticed that the vehicle had returned to pulling to the right at all speeds. Brought the vehicle in 8/2/11 and the service manager test drove the vehicle with me and verified a pull to the right. I returned on 8/4/11 to pick up my vehicle. Service manager stated that the tires were road forced balanced and an alignment was performed. Again, immediately as I left the dealership I noticed that the vehicle was still pulling to the right. I returned to the dealership and stated that it had not been corrected. The service manager test drove the vehicle with me again and reconfirmed that the vehicle was pulling to the right. After the car was looked at again it was test driven by district parts and service manager who released the vehicle. I was frustrated as the vehicle was still pulling to the right and I had to continue to correct the steering. However, I was moving out of state in 3 days and would need to deal with issue after the move. Car broke down in pa during move and was there for 2 weeks for a ground wire. Received a urgent recall notice in the mail and brought car back to original dealer. Car was released to me and is still pulling severely to the right after being in the shop 6 times.
I received a notice from hyundai that my vehicle was covered by a recall or campaign to address the pulling issue noticed by so many other fellow 2011 & 2012 sonata owners. Brought the vehicle to the dealer and the vehicle was worse than when I brought it in. Vehicle now pulls to right. Returned to dealer. Service manager felt that vehicle was driving fine and that there were no problems. Upon return visit I had a technician ride with me and he confirmed that the pull to the right is excessive. Have been dealing with hyundai customer service to no avail. Will be returning to dealer for 3rd and final time to address issue. If not fixed after 3rd visit, will be seeking legal counsel.
Vehicle pulls to the right. Returned it to the dealer and they did an alignment and they said the alignment was correct, however the car continues to pull right.
Pulls violently to left..dangerous car to drive.
I bought the sonata 2011 turbo in 7/15/2011 the first day I test drove the car I asked the sales man if they aligned the car and he said it was done already. Several months later I called them and said the car is out of control the steering keeps to the right and I am tired of pulling it to the left. Also the speed is uncontrollable I have to take my foot of the accelerator in order for the car to slow down other wise I would be going 80mph on the fwy. It is very hard to keep consistency of the speed. I took the car back on october 21 the first time and they told me its normal. I was upset and told them that my 17 year old almost got into an accident due to not being able to control the car at a turn. They ignored me and still insist that the car was normal. I went back yesterday for the second time and test drove the car with their mechanic and he said that the car was fine and its all normal. I was never told that there was a recall on the car. I only found out about this today when I went back to speak to the manager for the third time is when they told me that all the sonata 2011 have a pulling problems and it has no return memory after its done pulling so I have to get used to this cause that's what they all do. I am now very upset that I found this out on my own and that they didn't tell me about the recall and that me and my daughter are at risk of an accident at any given time. I had over 25 cars in the past and I know that this car is very unsafe to drive and if nothing is done about this someone will get hurt. I opened up a claim with sonata customer service and I hope this will be taken care off right a way.
After the manufacturer's recall on tracking issues with this model neither this attempt at fixing the problem nor the other previous two attempts has fixed the tracking problem with this vehicle. In the left lane at highway speed if the steering wheel is released the vehicle immediately turns abruptly left and must be corrected immediately to prevent it leaving the lane and then the highway. The dealer states that the car is within specs but that is only when they take it to a certain section of a local highway where there is no crown. When this car is in the left lane where there is any type of crown it will abruptly move left the instant the steering wheel is released in 98 percent of the times I've tried it. This car could be very dangerous if you aren't alert at all times because of the rate of drift. The federal safety agency should force a recall that fixes this problem, hyundai seems to be whitewashing this with claims that under perfect conditions the car is in spec. The dealer must drive the car to a stretch of highway about 5 miles from the dealership to find this perfect strip of highway to test the cars in order to claim they are in spec. Amazing!
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2011 Hyundai Sonata?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history