2011 Hyundai Elantra Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Elantra years
- More complaints than other years 4th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 433 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Hyundai Elantra. That ranks 4th out of 32 Elantra model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (92 complaints, 21%), typically at around 81,000 miles. Complaints mention 17 crashes, 8 fires, 10 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 433owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 17complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2011 Hyundai Elantra problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 92 | 21% | 81,000 | “knocking noise” (10%) | — |
| Air Bags problems | 77 | 18% | 99,000 | “air bag” (36%) | $460 |
| Steering problems | 75 | 17% | 66,000 | “steering column” (21%) | $610 |
| Suspension problems | 66 | 15% | 76,500 | “coil spring” (32%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 51 | 12% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 34 | 8% | 68,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 34 | 8% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 28 | 6% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 21 | 5% | 58,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 18 | 4% | 59,791 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 17 | 4% | 67,861 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 16 | 4% | 44,325 | — | — |
| Tires | 12 | 3% | 24,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 10 | 2% | 109,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 7 | 2% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 1% | 86,378 | — | — |
| Structure | 6 | 1% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 1% | 1,600 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 1% | 13,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 0% | 3,800 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 0% | 10 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 0% | 104,586 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 3,600 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2011 Hyundai Elantra recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/modulePark outside
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Sonata Hybrid, 2012-2015 Accent, Azera, Veloster, 2013-2015 Elantra Coupe, Santa Fe, 2014-2015 Equus, 2010-2012 Veracruz, 2010-2013 Tucson, 2015 Tucson Fuel Cell, and 2013 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module may leak brake fluid internally and cause an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024 through October 11, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 251.
Equipment:electrical
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2012 Hyundai Elantra and Sonata Hybrid, 2012 Accent and Veloster vehicles. The 12V accessory socket outlet may have been over-tightened during installation, possibly disabling the thermal fuse and allowing the outlet to overheat with prolonged use, such as by using the Tire Mobility Kit air compressor to inflate a tire.
Risk: An overheated accessory outlet increases the risk of fire.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the Tire Mobility Kit accessory outlet plug with a direct-to-battery connection wire harness kit, free of charge. The recall began September 28, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 193.
Electronic stability control (esc)
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Elantra vehicles manufactured October 29, 2010, to October 25, 2011. Due to an electronic stability control (ESC) sensor malfunction, the brakes for one or more wheels may be applied unexpectedly and the engine power may be reduced. These symptoms will be accompanied by illumination of the ESC indicator lamp in the instrument cluster.
Risk: If the one or more of the brakes are inappropriately applied, control of the vehicle may be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will verify the proper operation of the ESC sensors, and update the ESC system's calibration, free of charge. The recall began June 6, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 137.
Suspension:front:springs:coil springs
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011 Elantra vehicles manufactured November 12, 2010, to March 31, 2011, and Sonata vehicles manufactured December 11, 2009, to February 28, 2010, originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Road salt may corrode the front coil springs, possibly resulting in the coil springs fracturing.
Risk: If a front coil spring fractures, it may contact the tire, possibly puncturing it, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front coil springs, free of charge. Interim notifications were mailed on November 17, 2015. The recall began on January 6, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 133. Note: Vehicles that were previously registered in salt belt states but are currently registered elsewhere are eligible to be inspected and repaired.
Structure; air bags:side/window
Problem: Hyundai Motor Company is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Elantra vehicles manufactured from November 12, 2010, through March 5, 2013. A support bracket attached to the headliner may become displaced during a side curtain airbag deployment.
Risk: If the headliner support bracket makes contact with an occupant during a crash, it may cause a laceration injury.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will apply adhesive strips to the headliner, free of charge. The safety recall began during April 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 109.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires (AQ23002) — opened Nov 17, 2023, still open.
- Throttle control system vulnerabilities (DP21003) — opened Nov 12, 2021, closed Jun 20, 2023.
- Headliner Bracket Detachment (EA12008) — opened Sep 13, 2012, closed Dec 9, 2013, led to recall 13V115000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Elantra. While the contact's wife was reversing at 2 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle and the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The contact stated that the failure had occurred in the driveway at the residence. While…
My steering wheel began to make clanking sound and lost the tension that allows for smooth turning of the wheel for both left and right. I looked it up and have found that this is a known issue that Hyundai has not addressed. Hyundai had a batch of bad steering wheel couplers that were installed in…
I have a Piston/Engine Defect according to the mechanic at the car shop. Any time any acceleration is applied you can hear the knocking. I believe it should be covered through the class action alleged that 2011-2016 Elantras engines (including the Limited trim) have a piston defect leading to…
The brake lines in our 2011 Hyundai Elantra have rusted out and no longer hold brake fluid, which means the car is not safe to drive. Luckily we were able to get the car to our sidewalk and park it without injury. We found that Sauder Schelkopf is investigating a potential class action lawsuit…
Vehicle: 2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring Date of Crash: [XXX] Location of Crash: Duluth, MN Description of Incident: I was driving my 2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring straight through an intersection when another driver ran a stop sign and Tâboned the passenger side of my vehicle. The impact was severe…
Other Hyundai Elantra years
← 2010 Elantra · 2012 Elantra →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Elantra | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 Elantra | 22 | 0 |
| 2024 Elantra | 54 | 1 |
| 2023 Elantra | 99 | 2 |
| 2022 Elantra | 102 | 5 |
| 2021 Elantra | 132 | 6 |
| 2020 Elantra | 254 | 3 |
| 2019 Elantra | 251 | 1 |
| 2018 Elantra | 283 | 0 |
| 2017 Elantra | 768 | 4 |
| 2016 Elantra | 293 | 2 |
| 2015 Elantra | 262 | 3 |
| 2014 Elantra | 386 | 2 |
| 2013 Elantra | 1,314 | 4 |
| 2012 Elantra | 653 | 4 |
| 2011 | 433 | 5 |
| 2010 Elantra | 380 | 3 |
| 2009 Elantra | 254 | 4 |
| 2008 Elantra | 314 | 7 |
| 2007 Elantra | 267 | 6 |
| 2006 Elantra | 155 | 1 |
| 2005 Elantra | 137 | 4 |
| 2004 Elantra | 182 | 5 |
| 2003 Elantra | 234 | 5 |
| 2002 Elantra | 342 | 6 |
| 2001 Elantra | 315 | 6 |
| 2000 Elantra | 197 | 1 |
| 1999 Elantra | 128 | 2 |
| 1998 Elantra | 55 | 0 |
| 1997 Elantra | 115 | 3 |
| 1996 Elantra | 100 | 3 |
| 1995 Elantra | 112 | 1 |
See all Hyundai Elantra problems by year, every Hyundai model, or the Hyundai VIN decoder.
Similar Hyundai models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2011 Hyundai Elantra?
Owners most often report engine, air bags, steering problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 92 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Hyundai Elantra?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2011 Hyundai Elantra a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Elantra model years, the 2011 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.