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Hyundai ElantraModel year report

2011 Hyundai Elantra Problems

Compared with other Hyundai Elantra years

Typical for this model

60/100 1.3× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with a typical complaint level and no open NHTSA investigation: 2009, 2010, 2014

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
433filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
72,500miles, 286 complaints with mileage
Recalls
5campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
32 mpgcombined, 1.8L 4-cyl FWD · 28 city / 38 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2011 Hyundai Elantra (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2011 Elantra most often describe steering that feels loose, clicks or pops, and suspension noise or broken front coil springs, with many reports coming between 60,000 and 150,000 miles. Airbag warning lights, often traced to the clock spring, and engine concerns such as knocking and oil consumption or leaks are also common. Reports range from gradual wear to sudden failures, and some owners say dealers described symptoms as normal or declined to cover repair costs.

  1. Engine

    Engine knocking, oil consumption and stalling

    • 76 complaints (18%)
    • median 82,500 mi at 7.5 yrs old (54 state mileage)
    • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $3,250 (median of 6 quotes)
    • filed 2011–2026

    Owners report engine knocking, oil loss, metal debris in the oil, and in some cases stalling or a thrown rod, with several saying the engine needed replacement. Some complaints describe sludge forming despite regular oil changes. According to complaints, dealers sometimes covered only part of the repair cost or told owners the engine required full replacement. Mostly reported from about 55,000 to 180,000 miles, with some occurrences at highway speed.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check the oil level and look for a fuel or burnt smell, listen for knocking at idle and under load, and ask whether any oil consumption inspection or combustion chamber cleaning service has been done.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was told that metal shavings were found in the engine block and they also covered my camshaft position sensor. The metal shavings lead to the pistons not getting enough oil and it threw a rod, as a result of these medal shavings and little oil viscosity. The car was in motion, on the highway.”

    NHTSA complaint #11301386, filed 2020-01, 105,500 miles

    “Engine has trouble starting or stalls often. Was told to replace whole engine when I went in awhile ago due to issue of starting, noise and oil leak. Tpms sensor I think is shot to every time I fill up air it still suggests issue with tires. Windows also get stuck down or up.”

    NHTSA complaint #11378238, filed 2020-12, 98,000 miles
  2. Steering

    Loose, clicking or popping steering

    • 66 complaints (15%)
    • median 73,000 mi at 7.9 yrs old (41 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $400 (median of 8 quotes)
    • filed 2011–2026

    Complaints describe a steering wheel that clicks, pops or feels loose, sometimes with play before the tires respond, and a wobble or vibration when turning from center. Some owners report a clunk or noise over rough roads or when turning at low speed. According to complaints, dealers and mechanics have attributed this to a worn steering coupler or column and quoted repairs, while in other cases the dealer said no repair was needed. Mostly reported between about 60,000 and 130,000 miles, with some reports at lower mileage.

    What to check: Turn the wheel slowly from lock to lock while parked and listen for clicks or pops, and check for play before the tires move. Ask whether the steering coupler or column has been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “A coupler between electric motor and steering roar is torned out and it's something that make may steering vibrate and noice everytime I turn from center to right or center to left..it's $ 8 coupler but to fix you have to pay labour of $ 300 and of don't than we might end up having locked steering on the road or loose steering”

    NHTSA complaint #11350727, filed 2020-08, 62,000 miles

    “When I turn my car I hear a clicking sound and the steering of the vehicle becomes wobbly. I have noticed this for the last 3 months but early was only occasional but recently have become more frequent. Happens in slight turns and while street driving. Last time it occurred while parking.”

    NHTSA complaint #11320389, filed 2020-04, 103,000 miles
  3. Air bags

    Airbag warning light on (clock spring)

    • 63 complaints (15%)
    • median 101,000 mi at 7.2 yrs old (45 state mileage)
    • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $300 (median of 5 quotes)
    • filed 2014–2024

    Owners describe the airbag warning light coming on intermittently or staying lit without any impact or warning, sometimes along with loss of cruise control. Complaints state that mechanics diagnosed a failed clock spring and warned the airbag may not deploy in a crash. Some owners report dealer diagnostic fees quoted before any repair. Often reported from about 90,000 to 150,000 miles, appearing with no triggering event.

    Recall 13V1150003 related service bulletins

    What to check: Confirm the airbag light goes out after the bulb-check sequence on startup and stays off. Ask whether the clock spring has been replaced and whether the extended clock spring warranty applies to this vehicle.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “There was no major or minor incident that would indicate an issue with the airbags. At about 07/10/20 I began to notice my airbag service light would light up after a couple minutes of driving indicating the driver seat airbag would be inoperable; however, the passenger airbag light that typically is lit off would not be lit indicating the passenger airbag would be currently operational. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11341751, filed 2020-07, 120,000 miles

    “While I was driving on a non-highway street my airbag light turned on. I was not turning, I did not hit any bumps, I have no idea what could have caused it. The light will stay on for a few minutes, then it will shut off and repeat. This has been occurring for about 1 week now.”

    NHTSA complaint #11327703, filed 2020-06, 120,028 miles
  4. Suspension

    Front coil spring breakage and tire damage

    • 48 complaints (11%)
    • median 79,350 mi at 7.7 yrs old (38 state mileage)
    • owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 5 quotes)
    • filed 2011–2023

    Complaints describe a loud pop followed by a flat tire or sudden loss of control when a front coil spring fractures and contacts the tire. Several owners say the spring looked otherwise sound and that the strut assembly had to be replaced. Some report the dealer said the vehicle was not covered by the front spring recall. Reported from about 20,000 to 240,000 miles, sometimes at low speed in a driveway or parking area.

    Recall 15V629000

    What to check: Have a mechanic inspect both front springs and struts for cracks or broken coils, and check whether the vehicle was built within the recall production window and whether any recall was completed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The problem with my vehicle are many. When im driving it throws me to the side for any dents the street has, bad control. The coils are bad. The engine block has a noise that gets louder and louder every time I turn the car.im not a mechanic but I know something wrong with my car control system.”

    NHTSA complaint #11373581, filed 2020-11, 104,586 miles

    “While driving my husband heard a loud pop. Immediately the front passenger tire went flat which caused severe loss of control. Thankfully he was on a local road with no other cars at the time. Apparently a coil spring fractured off and slashed the tire. This spring still looked brand new yet it just sheered off which must be some type of defect in manufacturing of the part. While researching this I found a recall #107096 for suspension front spring coil yet my 2011 Elantra does not show up for this recall? …”

    NHTSA complaint #11397106, filed 2021-02, 62,000 miles

Buying note. A pre-purchase inspection focused on the steering column and coupler, front springs and struts, and oil consumption is worthwhile on this model year, and it is worth confirming which open recalls and service campaigns have been completed. Ask for maintenance records and whether any engine or steering repairs have already been done.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 433 consumer complaints for the 2011 Hyundai Elantra. 286 of the complaints include a mileage, and 30% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 72,500 miles. Of all complaints, 17 involved a crash, 8 a fire, 10 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns and 135 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 15 Hyundai Elantra model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 60 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Vehicle speed control (16), Tires (12), Exterior lighting (10), Fuel system (8), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (7), Body and structure (6), Engine cooling (5), Equipment (4), Forward collision avoidance (3), Seat belts (2), Lane departure (1).

Example complaints

Engine: “My car has had engine light on over one year since I bought it used, different shop tried to fix it but they can't get it ,they said it is because of vehicle bad system itself so why it shakes every single time,electrical power system is not good,the heating system was down,the fixed it a couple days from now but still it isn't working properly.the problem came in when I was driving in highway I-295 maine state.”

NHTSA complaint #11308406, filed 2020-02, 90,000 miles

Air bags: “The airbag light comes on and off regularly for some days, then finally it stays on permanently. The steering wheel lights doesn't come on when I turn on the headlights. The car bounces and sway to the side each time I hit a pothole no matter how small the pothole is.”

NHTSA complaint #11206161, filed 2019-05, 134,000 miles

Steering: “I have been back and fourth with Hyundai about the steering. They have claimed to fix the recall but my car is not safe to drive. The steering wheel clicks as I try to drive and I was told in june of 2019 during my state inspection it was taken care off.I recently got my brakes changed and the people serviced my car agreed it had not been fixed and in fact is dangerous.”

NHTSA complaint #11266040, filed 2019-10, 160,000 miles

Suspension: “As I was driving down the road less then a mile from home. I heard a loud clunking sound and seen a part of my coil spring bouncing across the road in my rearview mirror. I have already had to replace the coil spring on the driver side of this car as at another time when pulling out of a parking spot the coil spring broke off and punctured the tire.”

NHTSA complaint #11196806, filed 2019-04, 64,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

30% of the 286 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 40,000 and 103,000 miles.

10%0–106%10–2515%25–5022%50–7521%75–10024%100–1503%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (286 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 72,500 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

’12’14’16’1861’20’22’24’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2011 Hyundai Elantra version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Elantra FWD1.8L 4-cyl6-speed automatic283832$2,100
Elantra FWD1.8L 4-cyl6-speed manual283832$2,100

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2011 Hyundai Elantra → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 135 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 135 bulletins →

Other model years of the Hyundai Elantra

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2025224,0000534—Too new
20245615,5001534Too new to compareToo new
202310115,950253437 · TypicalToo new
202210223,825553551 · TypicalRising
202113219,750653570 · MoreStable
20202549,830343475 · MoreStable
201925250,400143220 · FewerRising
201828426,600043219 · FewerStable
201777044,000443284 · MoreFalling
201629354,964253035 · FewerStable
201526253,500353031 · FewerRising
201438655,500253042 · TypicalStable
20131,31445,3024532100 · MoreRising
201265462,30344–53280 · MoreStable
201143372,5005—3260 · TypicalStable
201038063,5003—2949 · TypicalFalling
200925477,6504—2840 · TypicalStable
200831554,0007—2872 · MoreFalling
200726773,0006—28Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200615567,9001—26Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200513750,0004—26Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200418230,5005—26Not compared (before 2008)Rising
200323461,1005—25Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200234272,0006—25Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200131573,0006—25Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200019754,5001—24Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199912891,0002—24Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19985572,0000—24Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199711573,0003—23Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199610092,0003—24Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1995112103,0001—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199476—2—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199324120,7000—22—Stable
199229—0——Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Hyundai Elantra model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2011 Hyundai Elantra?

Owners of the 2011 Elantra most often describe steering that feels loose, clicks or pops, and suspension noise or broken front coil springs, with many reports coming between 60,000 and 150,000 miles. The issues reported most often: Engine knocking, oil consumption and stalling; Loose, clicking or popping steering; Airbag warning light on (clock spring).

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2011 Hyundai Elantra have?

NHTSA recorded 433 consumer complaints for the 2011 Hyundai Elantra as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2011 Hyundai Elantra is reported most often?

Engine is named most often, in 92 complaints (21% of the total), followed by air bags with 77.

Has the 2011 Hyundai Elantra been recalled?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2011 Hyundai Elantra get?

The EPA rates the 2011 Hyundai Elantra (Elantra, 1.8L 4-cyl) at 32 mpg combined, 28 city and 38 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,100 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2011 Hyundai Elantra reported?

Among the 286 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 72,500 miles and the middle half falls between 40,000 and 103,000 miles; 30% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.