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Hyundai GenesisModel year report

2011 Hyundai Genesis Problems

Compared with other Hyundai Genesis years

Typical for this model

48/100 1.0× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2010

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
122filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
65,000miles, 99 complaints with mileage
Recalls
3campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
21 mpgcombined, 3.8L 6-cyl RWD · 18 city / 27 hwy

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

What owners report

Complaints on the 2011 Genesis centre on brakes: owners repeatedly describe a pedal that sinks toward the floor and needs extra travel or pumping before the car slows, and many connect it to the brake-fluid corrosion recall covering 2009-2012 cars. Other repeated themes are brake lights that stop working, self-accelerating or runaway engine speed, and the infotainment screen freezing. Reports span a wide mileage range, from near-new cars to examples past 100,000 miles.

  1. Brakes

    Soft, low brake pedal (brake fluid / HECU)

    • 41 complaints (34%)
    • median 73,700 mi at 7.0 yrs old (38 state mileage)
    • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $2,200 (median of 7 quotes)
    • filed 2011–2026

    Owners describe a brake pedal that feels spongy or drops close to the floor, at times giving little stopping power and requiring heavy pressure or pumping. Several say the dealer replaced brake fluid under the 2013 brake-fluid recall, or replaced the master cylinder, without curing the problem, and some were then quoted for a hydraulic electronic control unit (HECU) or ABS module replacement. A number note their vehicle was not included in the recall despite falling in the covered model-year range. Reported from very low mileage up to roughly 160,000 miles, with many cases in the 35,000-80,000 mile range and some owners describing it as intermittent.

    Recall 13V4890006 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the brake fluid recall work and any HECU or ABS module replacement were done, and check the pedal feel with the engine running - a pedal that keeps sinking toward the floor needs diagnosis before purchase.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My car at 58000 miles whenever I brake on slippery surface where ABS is activated my brake pedal goes nearly down to floor. And continuous for days going down nearly to floor on normal braking before brake pedal comes back up to normal level again. This has happened now every time ABS is activated. Dealer wants nearly $3000. To replace the ABS.”

    NHTSA complaint #11298945, filed 2020-01, 58,000 miles

    “My brake pedal is going all the way down to the floor it used to do it every once in a while but now it is a constant thing. The car does stop but it feels really mushy, I took the car to the dealership and was told that it was a master brake cylinder, however after reading online a lot off people have the same issue and replacing the master cylinder isn't the problem”

    NHTSA complaint #11230440, filed 2019-07, 78,000 miles
  2. Vehicle speed control

    Unintended acceleration or elevated engine speed

    • 13 complaints (11%)
    • median 58,243 mi at 4.3 yrs old (12 state mileage)
    • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2011–2023

    Owners describe the car accelerating with no pedal input, engine speed climbing and staying high in neutral or park, and the condition continuing until the engine is shut off. Some complaints mention a throttle body or cruise control module diagnosis and replacement, and others describe revving that persists after the throttle body work. Reported from roughly 19,000 to 80,000 miles, including at low speed in traffic and when starting the car.

    What to check: During a test drive, check that idle speed settles normally in park and neutral and that the cruise control cancels with the brake pedal; ask for any throttle body or cruise module service records.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “When starting my car, rpms jumped to 4 without press any pedals. And my car was shaking and really big sound from engine while its on park. And I switched to drive mode and suddenly my car move forward by itself. And then hit sidewalk and heatshield got damaged. I went to dealership. But no problem found. I was really scared, I thought im gonna die.”

    NHTSA complaint #10498394, filed 2013-02, 19,200 miles

    “On december 22nd, 2015, I was driving the car into my parking lot at my office when the car began to accelarate on its own. This is the second time in the last 6 months that the engine has accelarated without depressing the accelerator and then continued to rev higher when the car is put into park. If it was not for some quick thinking, I almost went into a wall of the garage. I immediately called the Hyundai dealer and spoke to the service manager. He could hear the reving of the car. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10823628, filed 2016-02, 80,527 miles
  3. Steering

    Power steering stiffness or fluid leaks

    Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners describe steering that is hard to turn when the car is cold, loosening only after warm-up, and power steering fluid leaks that returned after a rack and line replacement. Another complaint describes the steering wheel shaking at highway speed with smoke from under the hood, and others describe the car pulling to one side that repeated alignments did not resolve. Reported from a few thousand miles up to about 100,000 miles, with cold-weather stiffness noted in winter conditions.

    What to check: Check the power steering fluid level and look for fluid at the rack and lines, and turn the wheel from lock to lock on a cold start to see whether it binds.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I've purchased 2011 Genesis dec 2010 that I brought back to the dealer the day after I purchased it for pulling to the left. They have realigned it several times I have been back 5 times in this the first month of ownership. Each time the dealer agreed that it pulled to the left. However the reason for the pulling varied. Some which were that they have tried telling me it was the crown of the road, the air pressure in one tire was 1 lb. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10460636, filed 2012-06, 3,450 miles

    “Hyundai Genesis sedan 4.6; when the car is cold such as in december in northeast, the steering wheel is very difficult to turn. When the car is cold, I have to jerk the steering wheel to get the car to turn, particularly turning to the right. After the car heats-up, the steering words o.k. To avoid having a crash when I am turning right or left, I have to allow the car to heat up for 10 minutes before driving it. New power steering fluid has not improved the steering performance.”

    NHTSA complaint #10936485, filed 2016-12, 99,500 miles

Buying note. Brake pedal feel is the single most useful thing to check on this model year, so drive it and confirm the pedal stays firm, and ask for records of the brake-fluid recall and any HECU or ABS work. Also verify brake light operation and that the infotainment screen and steering respond normally before deciding.

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 122 consumer complaints for the 2011 Hyundai Genesis. 99 of the complaints include a mileage, and 33% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 65,000 miles. Of all complaints, 12 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 6 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 68 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 6 Hyundai Genesis model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 48 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: Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (4), Fuel system (3), Body and structure (3), Tires (3), Wheels (3), Suspension (2), Engine cooling (1), Equipment (1), Forward collision avoidance (1).

Example complaints

Brakes: “I purchased my used pre-certified Hyundai Genesis 20 11 car in february 2014 and shortly thereafter I found that my brakes which originally were firm would go down to the floor or nearly to the floor within 6 months I did some research on the car and found that in 2013 Hyundai corporation issued a recall on the ABS system do 2 corrosive brake fluid that was could potentially corrode the ABS system and 2013 the brake fluid was replaced on my car prior to my purchase. …”

NHTSA complaint #11165624, filed 2019-01, 97,000 miles

Other or unknown: “Just recently my brakes have become extremely soft and the vehicle is slow to respond to braking. I have had the brakes pads replaced and still and extremely soft pedal with little to no braking reaction until I am almost to the floorboard. Like others have said there was a recall but my vehicle was not included. This happens every time and is not sporadic as some have stated.”

NHTSA complaint #11205375, filed 2019-05, 68,000 miles

Electrical system: “The car was parked (not running or moving) in an open air grocery store parking lot. I was in the grocery store for approximately 20 minutes and came out to find a crowd and a fire crew who had just put out the fire in the hood area of my car. I have photos of the car but they are on my phone and I don't know how to send them to computer.”

NHTSA complaint #11382916, filed 2020-12, 71,323 miles

Vehicle speed control: “On december 18, 2015 at approximately 4:45pm, my husband and I were beginning our trip to an event. We were stopped at a stop light, about the 4th or 5th car in line to turn left onto a major road. There are 2 lanes for turning left and we were in the turn lane next to the lane that goes straight across the main road because we were going to have to make the first right onto the interstate after getting on the main road. We had already come to a complete stop and had been stopped for probably a minute or so. Cars were also stopped behind us. …”

NHTSA complaint #10818508, filed 2016-01, 38,233 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

33% of the 99 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 36,330 and 88,387 miles.

6%0–109%10–2518%25–5027%50–7524%75–10013%100–1502%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (99 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 65,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’11’13’15’1723’19’21’24’26
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.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2011 Hyundai Genesis. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Genesis · sedan RWDnot rated———5 · 9.5% risk
Genesis · coupe RWDnot rated———5 · 8.2% risk

Driver aids listed by NHTSA for the 2011 model year: forward collision warning not available, lane departure warning optional, automatic emergency braking not available.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2011 Hyundai Genesis 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
Genesis RWD3.8L 6-cyl6-speed automatic182721$3,200
Genesis RWD4.6L 8-cyl6-speed automatic172420$4,100

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 Genesis → · 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. 68 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 68 bulletins →

Other model years of the Hyundai Genesis

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20169745,300452250 · TypicalStable
201529031,0007522100 · MoreRising
20142249,0000—21—Rising
201312634,0000—2240 · TypicalFalling
201226055,8222—2069 · MoreFalling
201112265,0003—2148 · TypicalFalling
20108850,0003—2129 · FewerFalling
200923562,9303—2174 · MoreStable

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

Frequently asked questions

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

Complaints on the 2011 Genesis centre on brakes: owners repeatedly describe a pedal that sinks toward the floor and needs extra travel or pumping before the car slows, and many connect it to the brake-fluid corrosion recall covering 2009-2012 cars. The issues reported most often: Soft, low brake pedal (brake fluid / HECU); Unintended acceleration or elevated engine speed; Power steering stiffness or fluid leaks.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2011 Hyundai Genesis have?

NHTSA recorded 122 consumer complaints for the 2011 Hyundai Genesis as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

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

Brakes is named most often, in 29 complaints (24% of the total), followed by other or unknown with 26.

Has the 2011 Hyundai Genesis been recalled?

NHTSA lists 3 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 Genesis get?

The EPA rates the 2011 Hyundai Genesis (Genesis, 3.8L 6-cyl) at 21 mpg combined, 18 city and 27 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,200 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

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

Among the 99 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 65,000 miles and the middle half falls between 36,330 and 88,387 miles; 33% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. 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.