2011 Hyundai Sonata Lighting Problems

I bought this car from someone in April of 2024 and the person who i bought it from said everything was perfectly fine, they brought it to the Hyundai dealership and according to the mechanic there the engine was fine….i have taken care of the engine since i bought the car, kept up with oil changes and everything….until a few days ago when the whole thing ceased up on me while driving down the road to my sons school. I wasnt going fast either, the speed limit is 40mph where i was when it happened, but I’m glad i have quick reflexes because otherwise we would have wrecked the car. Everything shut off on me and now its knocking. There is alot of metal shavings in my oil and my mechanic tried to drain it a few times to get the debris out of the oil but it does no good.

To Whom It May Concern, Subject: Formal Complaint – 2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS Tail Light Meltdown / Fire Hazard Date: August 3, 2025 I am writing to formally report a serious safety issue with my 2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS, specifically concerning the tail light assembly, which has melted and poses a potential fire hazard and traffic safety risk. Approximately a year and a half ago, I noticed melting in the tail light housing and took the vehicle to a Hyundai dealership to address the issue. At that time, the car had approximately 208,000 miles. Despite the obvious manufacturing defect and safety implications, the dealership refused to repair or inspect the issue without charging a $275 inspection fee, stating the vehicle was out of warranty. I believe this to be an unfair and irresponsible business practice. Tail light assemblies should not melt under normal use, and such a defect could lead to: Electrical fires Brake light failure (increasing the risk of rear-end collisions) Potential traffic citations for inoperative brake lights Damage to other vehicles or individuals I have already notified Hyundai Motor Corporation about this issue, placing them on notice that should any damages or incidents occur as a result of this defect, they may be held liable. This is not a minor cosmetic issue but a major safety defect, and I strongly urge the NHTSA to investigate whether this is an isolated issue or part of a wider trend affecting Hyundai and Kia vehicles. If so, a safety recall may be warranted. I also intend to report this situation to the Indiana Attorney General's Office as a matter of consumer protection and product safety. I have been backwards and forwards with the Hyundai Corporation Via and Emails...... I look forward to a prompt response. Please!

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.

My right brake light has melted my housing due to the bulb getting too hot and my cruise control suddenly stopped working one day the light comes on but when I go to hit the set button it doesn't set or activate

Brake light housing has melted and deformed so that the bulb is stuck in the tail light assembly and cannot be changed. Without working brake lights the car is unsafe to be driven on the road. I’m assuming there is an electrical problem that caused the lights to overheat and melt the housing. This is a common complaint with this make and model based on my research. The socket also does not lock into the assembly due to the deformed housing. My daughter is the owner of the vehicle and made me aware of the issue today.

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the headlights ceased to operate as designed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the headlight bulbs were replaced three times within a month; however, the failure persisted. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

The NHTSA has filed a Consent Order (RQ17-004) for a Engine Replacement due to safety concerns while driving the vehicle on the road, Vehicle may stall and cause / be involved in a accident. Please make this recall public so the affected vehicles can be properly repaired as the Consent Order states I have reviewed the Consent Order and I will not continue to drive this vehicle, I will not risk being involved in a accident The Hyundai dealership in Alexandria Virginia has refused to repair this recall under the Consent Order, My vehicle Vin# is [XXX] My vehicle has been at this dealership location for over 3 weeks and I was told that they were not going to perform this recall and I noted that If I pick up my vehicle and drive it away and the engine fails, stalls or stops in the middle of the highway and I survive I will have to file a lawsuit in this matter and the dealership still told me to pick up my vehicle. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

I have had to replace my brake lights, sometimes, every few months. My third brake light only works intermittently. Recently, my brake lights and my door lights failed to shut off after I turned the engine off. Also, my abs light came on on the dash, but after turning the engine off and back on, that light went out. After re-starting my car and repeatedly, stepping on the brake, my lights finally shut off. I checked the internet for similar problems and found out that there had been a Hyundai recall for this issue. I phoned Hyundai customer support. They told me the recall had been repaired on my car by the dealer . Obviously, it had not. (The dealer also claimed to have corrected another recall regarding seat belts, but that too is a lie, since my seat belt dash light is on although I have never been involved in an accident) I believe that the dealer billed Hyundai, but failed to either deliberately or inadvertently failed to perform the recall work. The recall involved replacing the brake stopper pad which engages the brake light switch. Obviously, Hyundai considered this a safety issue since the brake lights are always on, so the driver behind my car never knows what I'm doing. This has also affected the interior overhead light which only intermittently goes off when I close the door, so I have to keep the light in the off position.

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that after turning off the vehicle, he and his wife exited the vehicle and both noticed that the brake lights had remained illuminated. The brake lights failed to turn off as designed. The dealer and the manufacturer were both contacted and stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V759000 (Exterior Lighting). No additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 120,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the dome light failed to deactivate and remained illuminated. The contact then stated that he had to manually deactivate to turn the light off. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,500.

All of the light wither short out or burn out all the time. I always have an out tail light . I’ve bought replacements at the dealer as well as auto zone. I have noticed many people also have this problem. We get tickets in California for this and half time I don’t even know it’s our because I just changed it 2 months ago. This is not normal and I have all of me receipts and could potentially get someone rear ended they short out it’s very strange !!!

Well my break lights keep burning out the whole harness and light part were the bulbs go burns and melted the harness completely on both sides I have had to replace them twice for both break lights The satellite antenna on the roof of the car is completely out and doesn’t get a signal The key keeps getting stuck in the ignition where the battery had to be disconnected to remove it

my passenger headlight continuously goes out. I also have where my headlights completely go out as well as my interior lights. there is nothing out of the ordinary when it happens. Sometimes it will do it when I use a turn signal, other times just on it's own. I will have it happen very frequently and then not again for months. I also have the taillight burn out very often

Several people we know have the same issue as we do...the brake light wiring harness shorts out and keeps the lights from working and you can smack the side of the fender and it will work for a little while and go back off....my car was already inspected for this issue and it is an electrical issue. The headlights on our friends cars does it also.

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.

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.

THE FRONT BUMPER AND GRILL HAVE PARTIALLY DETACHED FROM BROKEN OR FAULTY CLIPS, WHEELS ORIGINAL SIZE RUB AGAINST WHEEL WELL COVERING AND CONSTANT SENSOR FAILURE FOR TIRE API. ACTUAL SPEED IS LOWER THEN THE SPEED INDICATED ON THE VEHICLE WHERE AS 55 MPH ACTUAL SPEED SHOWS 59 ON THE GAGE. CRUIS CONTROL WILL NOT WORK AND TRACTION CONTROL WILL NOT TURN OFF, AFTER REPLACEMENT OF ALL TIRES AND SENSORS. EXTERIOR- HEAD LIGHTS NEED REPLACED EVERY 2 TO 3 MONTHS DUE TO FAILURE, BREAK LIGHTS REPLACED 6X IN 4 MONTHS AND WIRING HARNESS TO BREAKLIGHTS HAS PARTIALLY MELTED THE CASING AND ENTRY SPOT FOR BULB. REPLACEMENT BULB DIDN'T REMEDY THE PROBLEM, AS BREAK LIGHTS NOW DO NOT WORK AT ALL ON VEHICLE, ONLY TAIL LIGHTS. FOG LIGHT HAVE ALSO BEEN REPLACED 1X IM 1 YEAR AND 1 IS OUT. REAR PLATE LIGHT ALSO NOT WIRING. FUSES ARE GOOD. POSSIBLE WIRING ISSUE. FAULTY BODY ISSUE AND POSSIBLE COMPUTER AND OR SENSOR ISSUE.

FIRST, MY LOW BEAMS QUIT WORKING MONTHS AGO. BULBS ARE GOOD. I EVEN TOOK IT IN TO A SHOP TO HAVE IT CHECKED. THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING AND THAT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE. THAT MAKES SENSE SINCE I JUST STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH THE DOME LIGHTS INSIDE AS WELL. HAVE TO HAVE THE INSIDE LIGHTS TURNED OFF OR THEY WILL NOT GO OFF. MOST RECENTLY, ON THE HIGHWAY ON MY WAY TO WORK, MY CAR LOST POWER AND THE DASH LIT UP WITH LIGHTS AND I HAD TO PULL OVER. STARTED MAKING A LOUD CLANGING NOISE AS WELL. TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AGAIN TO GET IT LOOKED AT. THEY SAID MY OIL WAS ALMOST GONE. NO OIL ON THE DIPSTICK. I JUST RECENTLY HAD THE OIL CHANGED! SHOULD NOT BE OUT OF OIL. THEY FURTHER NOTED THAT THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF OIL LEAKAGE ANYWHERE. SUGGESTED THAT THE ENGINE WAS FAULTY AND WAS EXCESSIVELY BURNING OIL. NOT SURE WHAT I AZA M SUPPOSED TO DO NOW. I HAVE A ISSUES WITH SAFETY DUE TO MY LIGHTS NOT WORKING, AND A BIGGER ISSUE WITH MY ENGINE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. I NEED HELP!

THE DRIVER SIDE TAIL LIGHT BULB WAS OUT. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO REPLACE IT, I NOTICED THAT THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY MOLDING HAD MELTED (DUE TO THE HEAT FOR THE TAILLIGHT) AND I COULD NOT REMOVE THE TAIL LIGHT BULB. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE PASSENGER SIDE, IT HAD MELTED AS WELL. AT THIS TIME, I EVEN HAVE A TAILLIGHT BULB THAT FELL INTO THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BECAUSE IT COULD NOT BE PULLED THROUGH THE MELTED MOLDING. THE LIGHT SOCKETS FOR BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER TAIL LIGHTS HAD BURN MARKS ON THEM. *TR

THE BRAKES LIGHTS AND HEAD LIGHTS GOES OUT ALOT.. BULBS MELTING INTO SOCKET AND BURNING OUT FREQUENTLY AND HAVING TO REPLACE THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY. IT'S VERY HAZARD BECAUSE IT CAN CATCH FIRE. I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY DOING RAIN AND NOTICED MY HEAD LIGHT JUST WENT OUT AND I PULLED OVER TO CHECK AND CHECKED THE BACK AS WELL CAUSE I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNT. THE REAR BREAK LIGHT WAS BURNT AND MELTED INTO SOCKET. I'VE REPLACED THE BACK ASSEMBLY ALEAST ONCE TO TWICE A YEAR.