There are 49 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2011 Hyundai Sonatain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
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.
While driving on the interstate, the car suddenly stopped accelerating even though my foot was still pressing the accelerator. I took my foot off the gas pedal and let the car coast for a moment, though the deceleration seemed faster than normal coasting, almost as if the brake was slightly engaged. When I pressed the gas pedal again, it started to accelerate for a moment but then the same thing happened and it felt like the brake was engaging and the car was slowing down even though I was still pressing the gas pedal. So I took my foot off again and tried this process several more times, and in the meantime moved to the right lane and put my flashers on because I could not get the car to go more than 30 miles per hour and I was nearly hit several times. I was about to pull over when the issue seemed to resolve itself just as quickly as it had started. I called the dealership and they said because the car is not under any active recall, there's nothing they can do. This is a big safety issue! I was nearly run down by a truck! I just read that NHTSA has an active investigation for throttle issues, and that my 2011 Sonata is one of the affected vehicles. Please conclude your investigation and fix this issue before someone gets killed!
Even on a perfectly dry road, the cruise control can't be set and the traction control light comes on. The nearest dealer (75 miles away) said it was likely in need of a new brake light switch. That didn't solve the problem. Now, it is beyond the fact that the brake lights stay on whether the car is running or not. The brake light switch is clearly impacting various other functions and makes the car unsafe to drive, because vehicles following it conclude (incorrectly) that the driver is engaging the brakes. Additionally, if someone doesn't detach the battery cables when spending some time at a destination, they can be stranded as the result of a dead battery. If the manufacturer had integrity, they would replace whatever related parts are needed to make the car drive safely, They know there's a problem in such vehicles, and even the head of the nearest service department is currently stumped. And, today I was told by the manufacturer that I have to drive it to that distant dealer to see what kind of offer they might give for the car "as is". There should be a recall.
My engine keeps making a knocking sound. When I am driving it will reduce speed, and begins to idle while already driving. Which concerns me that these same issues occurred on my same year, make and model on my vehicle and some how Hyundai dealership will tell me that my car does not have a recall. 470,000 cars of the same year make, and model went in for exactly what my car is doing.
motor ticking. car gets hot. car runs rough
I WAS DOING 60 AND MY CAR JUST DIED OUT OF NO WHERE ON MARCH 9 2021. I THEN GOT IT TO START AND EVERY TIME I PICK UP SPEED IT DIES AGAIN. I SMELL WHAT MAY BE ELECTRICAL BURNING. I CALLED DEALERSHIP IN VANDAILA THEY SAID NO RECALL ON MOTOR SO I HAVE TO FIGURE THE PROBLEM OUT.
EVER SINCE I HAD A NEW ENGINE PUT IN MY CAR, MY CAR HASN'T BEEN THE SAME. IT ACTS LIKE IT DOESN'T WANT TO GO WHEN PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL RIGHT AFTER (WAS TOLD IT WAS THE ECO MODE), THEN MY DASH STARTED TO CRACK, NOW IS EXTREMELY CRACKED WHICH HAS AN AIR BAG, GAS GAGE HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN, BURNING A SEVERE AMOUNT OF OIL A WEEK SO THERE IS NO POINT IN 'CHANGING THE OIL', OIL LIGHT NEVER ONCE COMES ON LETTING ME KNOW ITS LOW, NO OIL ON MY DRIVEWAY OR UNDER THE HOOD, INTERIOR DOME LIGHT SOMETIMES DOESN'T SHUT OFF, THE BRAKE LIGHTS SHORT OUT ON A MONTHLY BASIS AND GET PULLED OVER BY THE COPS ALL THE TIME. NOW WITH ONLY 50,000 MILES ON THE 'NEW ENGINE', I TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE ITS SMOKING WHEN I CRANK IT, DOESN'T ACCELERATE SOMETIMES GOING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN I PRESS THE GAS, THEN STARTS SMOKING, HEADLIGHTS FLICKER, ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON AND LOW TIRE LIGHT STAYS ON (EVEN AFTER GETTING NEW TIRES & ALIGNMENT). TOOK IT IN YESTERDAY, HYUNDAI IS STATING MY OXYGEN SENSORS, CATALYTIC CONVERTER & GASKETS AND INTAKE MANIFOLD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT $3,177. THE CAR ISN'T EVEN WORTH THAT MUCH. THIS IS NOT THE REASON WHY MY CAR IS USING EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF OIL, SMOKING WHEN I CRANK IT AND ACTS LIKE THE ENGINE IS ABOUT TO BLOW UP. THEN THEY COME BACK TO TELL ME IT NEEDS THE ABOVE, PLUS AN ENGINE REPLACEMENT BUT OUT OF 'GOODWILL' THEY WILL ONLY CHARGE ME 20% ($2,000) WITH NO LOANER CAR. ITS GOING ON 3 WEEKS NOW. THE CORPORATE OFFICE IS USELESS AND VERY RUDE. I HAVE A VOICEMAIL STATING 'THIS IS THE HIGHEST CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND ONCE THE DECISION HAS BE MADE, THOSE DECISIONS ARE FIANL AND ITS UP TO YOU TO DECLINE OR ACCEPT OUR OFFER.' IT'S THE ENGINE, AGAIN! WHICH THEN LEAD TO OTHER ISSUES! I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER HYUNDAI AGAIN!! THIS CAR HAS CAUSED NOTHING BUT MONEY AND TIME, COMPLETE WASTE OF JUNK!
MY CAR STALL WHILJNG DRIVING THEN STOP IN FRONT OF ANOTHER VEHICLES. I HAD TO PUSH IT OVER ON NEUTRAL. MY VEHICLES HAD KNOCKING SOUND WHEN TRYING TO GET IT BACK UP RUNNING . LET IT SIT FOR A WHILE AND IT START BACK UP ON ITS OWN. I TOOK IT TO HYNDUAI 8/8 THE SERVICE WORKER JIM SAID HE CAN'T DIAGNOSTIC CAUSE THE LIGHT IS GONE. I TOLD HIM THAT I CANT RISK DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WHEN I KNOW IT HAD A KNOCK SENSOR RECALL LAST YEAR CAMPAIGN 953 AND ITS DOING IT AGAIN. HE TOLD ME THEIR IS NOTH I NG HE CAN DO AND ADVICE ME TO DRIVE IT BACK HOME UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN AND THEN GET TOW. J SCOLD HIM AND SAID AND RISK MY KIDS LIFE AND OTHERS. IT STALLS IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. THE ENGINE COMPLETELY GOES OUT FOR ALMOST 40 MINUTE. THIS THE 6TH TIME IT HAPPEN BETWEEN OCT 2019 TO AUG 2020.
WHILE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE AT SLOW SPEEDS IN A PARKING LOT, THE ENGINE WENT TO FULL THROTTLE WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GAS PETAL AT ALL. THE VEHICLE WAS PUT INTO NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE KEPT REEVING AT FULL SPEED. THERE WAS NEARLY A CRASH AS A RESULT OF THIS FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER SINCE THE ENGINE WOULD NOT STOP OPERATING AT FULL SPEED. IT IS NOW AT THE HYUNDAI DEALER FOR REPAIR AGAIN. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE OF THIS ISSUE. THE SAME ISSUE OCCURRED 1 YEAR PRIOR AND A HYUNDAI SERVICE CENTER REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. THERE ARE MANY OF THESE ISSUES REPORTED ON-LINE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS APPARENTLY TAKEN NO RESPONSIBILITY. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE . PLEASE HELP US WITH RESOLVING THIS ISSUE WITH THE MANUFACTURE BEFORE SOMEONE GET HURT.
CAR RANDOMLY WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND CAR CAME TO A STOP AND JUST WOULD NOT CUT BACK ON. THERE IS A ENGINE RECALL ON MY CAR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED INDEPENDENTLY AND THE SPEED INCREASED TO 80 MPH. THE CONTACT WAS FORCED TO APPLY THE BRAKE PEDAL TWICE BEFORE THE CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAGED TO APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED.THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,350.
AFTER A COMPLETE STOP, THE VEHICLE WILL DELAY ITS ACCELERATION, AS IF IT WAS GOING TO TURN OFF, THE AFTER 3-4 SECONDS IT ACCELERATES, IT HAPPENS SEVERAL TIME A DAY WHILE DRIVING.
CRUISE CONTROL FAILS TO DISENGAGE BY REPEATEDLY AND FIRMLY DEPRESSING THE CANCEL SWITCH ON THE STEERING WHEEL. CRUISE CONTROL MUST BE DISENGAGED BY MANUALLY DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. UPON HARSHLY HITTING THE WHEEL IN THE GENERAL PROXIMITY OF THE SWITCH IT WILL SOMETIMES BEGIN TO WORK AGAIN RANDOMLY, OTHER TIMES IT WILL NOT FUNCTION AT ALL.
DEFECTIVE BRAKE SWITCH STUCK IN ON POSITION CAUSED THE CAR SLOW DOWN OF ITS OWN ACCORD IN TRAFFIC. CAR DROVE AS IF YOU HAD FOOT ON BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR SIMULTANEOUSLY. BRAKE LIGHTS STAYED ON AFTER TAKING FOOT OFF BRAKE PEDAL.
ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR IS HAVING AN A PROBLEM WITH ACCELERATING. I WAS DRIVING 40-45MPH AND THE CAR DECILARRATED DOWN TO 30MPH THEN TO 20MPH I STEPPED ON THE GAS PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN AND THE CAR SLOWED TO ALMOST A STOP, AND THEN WITH MY FOOT STILL FULLY DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL THE RPM SHOT TO THE NUMBER 4 AND THE CAR TOOK OFF FROM UNDERNEATH ME IF I HADN'T GOTTEN CONTROL I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN INTO AN ACCIDENT THANK GOD NO ONE WAS IN FRONT OF ME. MIND YOU I HAD JUST LEFT HYNDAI MECHANICS FOR THE 2ND TIME THIS WEEK WITH THE REPORTED PROBLEM AND THEY STILL SAY THEY CAN'T FIND NOTHING WRONG. IT HAPPENED RANDOMLY, BUT IN THE PAST WEEK IN A HALF MORE OFTEN THEN I'D LIKE TO COUNT. IT'S A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE A CHILD IN THE CAR AND IT'S FUSTERATING WHEN HYUNDAI TELLS YOU IF IT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN BRING IT BACK, FOR WHAT FOR THEM TO TELL ME THE SAME THING THEY TOLD ME TWICE BEFORE , THE FIRST I WAS TURNING AT A LIGHT THE SECOND ON A HIGHWAY THE 3RD DOWN A RURAL ONE WAY ROAD AND ANOTHER WHILE MAKING A U TURN
CRUSE CONTROLS DOES NOT ENGAGE AND/OR DOES NOT DISENGAGE.
CRUISE CONTROL WILL NOT CANCEL WITH CANCEL BUTTON. WILL HAPPEN ANYTIME I'M DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND SET THE CRUISE CONTROL.
Showing 1–20 of 49 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026