2011 Hyundai Elantra Problems, Recalls & Reliability
589 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2011 Hyundai Elantra, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 28/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 79,500 miles.
Typical
Where 2011 sits among all Elantra years
What owners report
“The engine in this car is knocking severely. It's really bad upon start up and continues to knock.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Elantra
“The airbag light came on and will not go away. I have not gotten into accident nor have the airbags deployed.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Elantra
“The rev light comes on and my car loses power. I have teken it twice to an authorized hyundai dealer, and it is still not fixed”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Elantra
“When car is idling or while driving straight there is a clunking noise in the steering wheel and wheel moves slightly. This is not noticeable when turning.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Elantra
“Driving over a speed bump both front spring broke causing a front tire to be punctured.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Elantra
“My headlights keep going out , the battery keeps dying and the car will not crank after you put gas in it with the ignition off . I have to leave the car running when i pump gas . My check engine lights comes on and off when it pleases . My tire light is usually always on , just been having lots of…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Elantra
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 380 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 70,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 41,000 and 103,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
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…
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,…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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.
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.…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units…
Led to recall campaign 13V115000.
Technical service bulletins
129 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2011 Hyundai Elantra. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2011 Elantra TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2011 Hyundai Elantra reliable?
The 2011 Hyundai Elantra drew 589 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 28/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2011 Hyundai Elantra problems?
The top reported problems for the 2011 Hyundai Elantra are engine (97 complaints), airbags (77), and other (74).
At what mileage do 2011 Hyundai Elantra problems show up?
Owners most often report 2011 Hyundai Elantra problems around 70,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 41,000 and 103,000 miles.
Does the 2011 Hyundai Elantra have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2011 Hyundai Elantra. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.