2011 Hyundai Sonata

connecticut2

tbone_rare, thanks for your response. How would it work logistically? If I were to purchase a car from your dealership, who would pay for the freight?

Thanks again...

schdy

The case number is my personal case number questioning the safety defect. It has nothing to do with you number if you ever filed one.
They surveyed all Dealers because you would not name the Dealer and when I told them there were 5 cars with the same defect at your Dealer they put out a bulletin.
And yes I believe they would have shared that information with me since a very good friend of mine is a Hyundai Dealer in NJ and he hasn't heard anything either.
Good luck with your new purchase!

bobad

You really felt a noticeable difference in your driving just from that first oil change?

That's what I was thinking. Unless the original oil were straight 50 weight, I can't imagine feeling the difference. Perhaps the dealer did something else during the visit,,, like correcting low tire pressure or a computer update. Or maybe different gas made it peppier. :confuse:

marsha7

Or maybe he released the parking brake when he drove it???...

Kirstie_H

A reporter for a major magazine is looking for consumers who recently purchased a new car and to talk about their bargaining experience. If you are interested in speaking to the reporter, please send your daytime phone number to ctalati@edmunds.com by June 14.

Thanks,
Chintan Talati
Edmunds.com
Corporate Communications

backy

Is a lease ok, or just a purchase?

Kirstie_H

Hm... good question. I'd just email Chintan and ask. I suspect the story is about negotiating deals, so a lease might work (if you negotiated, that is).

shabadoo25

Not exactly sure what they did, though the first oil change is free with this dealer.

All I know is that the car was much more peppy and responsive after the OC.

jbob3798

I have had my 2011 Sonata LTD since March. I drove from Seattle to Louisiana and back. I have put almost 10,000 miles on it so far. My point is (maybe I am just lucky so far??) that I have had zero problems with power steering and brakes. Thanks

schdy

And thank You for the good news!

zornundo

Your 24 highway mpg seems absurdly low. I have a 2009 four cylinder Sonata, too, and when I go 60 mpg I get 35-36 and when I go 70 I get around 32-34. Also, I didn't notice an increase before or after a certain mileage point.

jbob3798

I got 32 mpg and as high as 35 on my trips back and forth Seattle-New Orleans-Seattle. About 6000 miles. Good test. 2011 Sonata LTD.

mommyt

That is great to hear! Best of luck! =}

mommyt

Oops...Sorry...I misread about the case number. Perhaps your friend, the Hyundai Dealer in NJ would be able to collect more information if he was to contact Hyundai in California. They "should" have the report in their files. Our case was finally filed there, after numerous conversations, emails and letters. Our Hyundai dealership didn't even file! The woman in California was very angry about that. I still feel that your friend may not tell you though. The Service Manager where we purchased the Sonata would not tell us anything, and we are the ones that were almost killed. They won't want that information getting out to the public. It would be admitting that they are not perfect.
Thanks for wishing me luck with my new car. It gets me where I need to go. =}

tbone_rare

That can vary from case to case. Where are you located?

tjdd01

Hello All,
Can someone tell me where on line I can find how to change the in cabin air filter.
Thanking you in advance

tjdd01

Hello All,
Can someone tell me where on line I can find how to change the in cabin air filter on a 2011 Sonata
Thanking you in advance

bobad

It's easy, and in your owner's manual

Mt filter lasted 40000 miles (on a 2006 Sonata), and it was still fairly clean. We don't eat or smoke in the car, so YMMV.

ergsum

The owner's manual for your Sonata should give you step by step directions. It did for the 2006-10 models.

sftl97

I finally received a response from Hyundai Customer Service regarding the horn:

"Thank you for contacting Hyundai Motor America. We appreciate the opportunity to address your horn inquiry for your 2011 Hyundai Sonata.

Beginning September of 2010 Hyundai will install an enhanced horn on all 2011 Sonata being produced. The time frame for the older production models and your 2011 Sonata has not yet been determined. We recommend you routinely contact your local Hyundai dealer who will be in the best position to determine when this enhanced horn will be available for your Sonata."

They may not do a retrofit, but hopefully we can just buy one.

Fred

ewg54

I have a 2011 limited and I am looking at a chrome exhaust tip. Mercedes has one for the AMG that looks promising it is a chrome dual that connects at a single pipe.
Has anyone started to personlize there new ride. Other than Mudflaps.

ergsum

AutoPacific President's Award

toysax

http://www.jdpower.com/autos/articles/2009-Initial-Quality-Study-Results/page-2

toysax

years ago I bought an acura TL.When I went to pick it up an entire panel of the car hadnt been cleaned well.. I asked them to rewash the car and they did. I think your post is great! Before taking the car, do a thourough inspection. Open and close doors , trunk, glove box, gas filler door, etc.Walk around and look for scratches, dents, imperfections...
I would never ever go on a Sat to deal with a car salesman!! Amazing your survived at all!!.I did lots of price reseasrch, on both my purchase and trade before I spoke to anyone,, called 3 dealers to get best price based on web informationtold them what I wanted for trade/purchase.. and knowing my credut is good told them I wanted to aplly for the 2.9.. I wound up with the limited at invoice and my trade $350 less than I asked ... 2006 civic... good resale value.. and I got the 2.9... the number crunching payed off... I went during the week when there was no sense of pressure... so it worked out well!

backy

I would never ever go on a Sat to deal with a car salesman!!

I recently leased a car (Nissan) on a Saturday. Also bought a car (used Sonata) last Black Friday. The Nissan dealership was a ghost town that Saturday. Might have had something to do with the weather being gorgeous, which doesn't happen that much in early April where I live. Anyway, no pressure at all and a pleasant leasing experience. But I had done my homework up front and knew exactly what I wanted to pay for the car. The Hyundai dealership where I bought the Sonata was very, very busy that Black Friday, and although I had to wait a couple of times, I felt no pressure--the salesperson was pretty laid back and professional. But it was a simple, binary transaction: take my Rabbit in an even-up trade with no money out of my pocket except title and doc fee, or not. I knew what I wanted to pay (basically zero) and had no pressure to buy a car that day. But I had time that day to go shopping, so I did. I think if you don't put pressure on yourself to make a purchase right then and there, and always are ready to get up and walk out if the deal isn't just right, you can shop any time and any day you choose.

ewg54

I tinted the windows, this week 18% in back and 50% in front.

dash5

How did it come out? Can you post some pictures of how it looks?

connecticut2

does anyone have any links or docs regarding the Sonatas repair history? I have always had Japanese cars (Toyota's Honda's) and have had pretty good luck with them. Unfortunately, they have gone up in prices a lot, so I am looking at less expensive alternatives.

Thanks..

Kirstie_H

The term "repair history" would refer only to an individual vehicle. Even if we owned identical year/make/model, our "repair histories" could be entirely different. If you're looking for a document or link to tell you all of the repairs that have been needed on all Sonatas, those data don't exist, and they wouldn't be helpful, as you could probably find at least one instance of every single part needing repair. Also, it's going to depend on which model year. Some years were less reliable than others.

I suspect what you're asking is for reliability ratings...??
Edmunds has a projection chart called "true cost to own." For earlier model years, it's not so much a projection as an amalgamation of existing data, but of course for the brand new years, it's projection.
For example, here's the one for the 2011 Sonata (in my ZIP code): http://www.edmunds.com/new/2011/hyundai/sonata/101277164/cto.html?setzip=64075

If that doesn't help, please be more specific with your question.

backy

The funny thing is, the 2011 Sonata isn't necessarily less expensive than the Camcordimas at this time. Maybe in the future once the newness wears off the Sonata and the next-gen Camcordimas come out, the Sonata will cost significantly less as in the past. But it doesn't seem that way right now.

Good example: ads this week for 36 month sign-and-drive leases: Accord LX $219/month, Sonata $249/month. And there's been reports in Town Hall of buyers getting excellent deals on Accords. So if you are nervous about buying a Hyundai (and I don't think you should be), price might not be the factor you think it is.

dash5

I agree, the Sonata is apparently selling well enough that the price is not much lower than the competition if at all. That said, the value is still there in terms of more horsepower and torque, better gas mileage, better warranty and so on.

rascal06

I have had the 2011 Sonata Se with Nav/sunroof for 2 weeks now and so far I have 3 different Rattles from the front passenger side of the car C-pillar, door and gloverbox and a bad sunroof rattle. PLUS the sunroof leaks. Not to mention the the breaks are starting to make a roaring noise under light pressure at slow speeds. And now the passenger seat shakes so violently it is hard to see the patterns on the cloth seat. So much for all of the awards and praises the "new" Hyundai is getting. WHAT Have I DONE?????

On the other hand I am getting about 36 miles a gallon and I love the Navigation and bluetooth and the proximity entry and push button start. Guess you can't have everything!

ral2167

your 100,000 mile warranty should cover those defects.

backy

Actually the 5/60k bumper-to-bumper warranty covers those kinds of things.

FWIW, I'm not sure I'd be looking down at the passenger seat when driving over bumps big enough to violently shake the passenger seat. But that's just me.

Since the owner has been able to identify 3 separate rattles in the C pillar, it should be pretty easy for the service tech to find them.

Looks like time to take the car in for some touch ups! If the Hyundai survey hasn't been filled out yet, might want to hold off doing that until these issues are corrected. And let the dealership know that their getting a high score on the survey is dependent on their taking care of these issues.

alookman

Honda has unadvertised incentives that dealers will not reveal nor like it if you say so. Got an LX-Premium 5sp. AT, 4cyl sedan with protection pkg. for sis at 19,300 plus TTL with driveout price of close to 21k. Accord EX at 21k with DOP at 22,600 is also a great doable deal. Undecided b/w Accord and Sonata. Accord is a sure bet with excellent reliability and best resale value and rates highly in Intellichoice also. Sonata is a great produuct but being newer model offers some risks. Gas direct injection cars be loud but also injectors on German cars clog easily.

CR April 2010 Issue ranks Hyundai as 4th best car brand based on all the relevant factors: reliability, safety, road performance and value. No 1 was Honda followed by Subaru & Toyota.

connecticut2

This 100000mi powertrain warranty is a pretty good marketing ploy as, by and large, the power train does not go bad within the first 100000 miles. So, I would not buy a car just because of that. I usually buy a new car and drive it to the ground...My last two cars have been Camry and Accord and I have 130000 mi on my 1995 Camry without ever touching the transmission or the engine. I also drove my Accord to the ground with 140000mi on it, so these cars have great reliability. I have never owned a Hyundai and was wondering if they have a similar durability and reliability.....

Thanks..

jlflemmons

Well, the shop foreman at my local dealer bought a 2006 (I believe) Accent with air and auto to make the long commute back and forth to work. He has something like 120K on it now, and all he has done is oil, filters, tires, brakes, tuneups, and the tranny fluid changes. Not bad for a cheap little car. I think he did change the timing belt somewhere around 75K.

And it still looks good, too.

m6user

I had a new transmission put in a '03 Toyota Tundra at 43k. It was just under the 5yr/60k powertrain warranty mark. You can say it's a ploy but then again you may have been lucky. I have owned over 30 vehicles and most of them have been auto transmissions. Had to replace two. One, the one I just described and another in a Pontiac Bonneville with about 80k. So a 100k powertrain warranty would have saved me about $1200 bucks(not adjusted for inflation).

I realize it is fairly rare just based on my experience. But then again, based on my experience having those long powertrain warranties literally saved me thousands of dollars.

ryster

Even the 5yr/60K has "gotchas":

•Radio and audio systems (i.e., radio, compact disc player, DVD player, navigation system, and Bluetooth®): 3 years / 36,000 miles
•Paint: 3 years / 36,000 miles
•Battery: 3 years / unlimited miles (100% covered 2 years / unlimited miles; after 2 years and within 3 years, 25% cost of battery and 100% labor cost covered)
•Air conditioner refrigerant charge: 1 year / unlimited miles
•Adjustments: 1 year / 12,000 miles
•Wear items: 1 year / 12,000 miles (e.g., belts, brake pads and linings, clutch linings, filters, wiper blades, bulbs, fuses)

Squeaks and rattles might be considered "adjustments". Best to have them checked before 1yr or 12K miles.

bhmr59

If the 10 yr/100K miles warranty is just a marketing ploy, why don't the other major manufacturers also offer it? If their cars won't break before those limits, it won't cost them anything to offer this marketing ploy. :P

jlflemmons

Well, Hyundai doesn't make:
Radios
Paint
Batteries
That said, a good A/C should hold its charge for years. And today, at 4K miles, our new Tucson blew its compressor to bits. Total catastrophic failure. For which we got apologies from the service manager, shop foreman, and service writer. Along with a new Elantra to drive, no charge, until they can get a new compressor in.

I know the topic is wandering a bit, but the paint warranty is an interesting one. You need someone who really knows his stuff to determine what is a paint defect, and what is a "somebody screwed up and got something on the paint" type issue. I do know that I had two GM products repainted under warranty because of a documented issue with the primer that was widely used in the early '90's.

backy

Squeaks and rattles might be considered "adjustments". Best to have them checked before 1yr or 12K miles.

Yes, that's a good idea. Although I've had some "adjustments" done to my Hyundais and bulbs replaced long after 1 year/12k miles--under the 5/60k warranty. And having found that kind of dealer, I stick with them.

toysax

The car I am trading in towards my sonata purchase is a 2006 Civic.. after 54k miles.. the engine developed a crack!! A Civic!! Some consider it the best 4 "banger" in the industry!!. my car was builtt in Japan, not the USA I freaked expecting to see a big bill. Fortunately, even though i was out of warantee.. my dealer installed new engine/transmission at no charge.. even payed for my rental car ...two weeks to get new engine... point being... ALL cars... even the best cars have defects.. some large some small.. and some of us get no defects.. but having a car that rattles, or squeaks a bit is not a sign of inferior quality. Its mass produced, and thus.... there will be some that have problems, it would seem. To expect otherwise may be expecting too much from an assembly line

rascal06

That is the problem, I was not driving over bumps and really the road was not even that rough. I have been driving on the road for ten years and have driven about 10 cars in that time frame over that same road because my office is on that road. None of my others cars had a problem. I would not have been looking at the seat except is was shaking so bad that it caught my attention.

I did take the car to service and they gave me a 2010 Sonata to drive. It has 4 times the miles that my car has and does not have a single unwanted noise or vibration over the same roads that I drive my 2011 on.

I guess I am just worried because I had a new 2005 Volvo S60 that rattled so bad and they could not keep it fixed. Every 500 miles the Volvo needed the new lift rails in the passenger door and the sunroof had to be replaced and countless other problems. Not to mention faulty turbo, brake problems, transmission problems and really something new everyday. I only had the patience to keep that car for 6 months and of that time Volvo had it for 3.5 months.

I don't mind problems with cars as long as the can be repaired and STAY fixed.

I will admit I am very picky and I drive 150 per day, so I have a lot of time to pick cars apart, but Leaking Sunroof and excessive rattles on a brand new car is very disappointing,

toysax

Got the call from my dealer that my car is here.. I am getting the Ltd pacific blue pearl grey interior, no option package... it has a wind deflector on the sunroof.. and although that ruins the lines of the car a bit visually, since i do use it a lot..It should be good! I'll let ya know how it looks later in the week

rascal06

Well, got my car back from service they said that it is Normal for the sunroof to leak into the car??? I have had countless sunroofs in the past and NONE of the leaked water!!????????

The passenger seat was not installed properly so the shaking seat in a LOT less, but still not completely gone. They fixed the glove box rattle and another random rattle is gone, But they could not "duplicate" the sunroof rattle or the C-Pillar tapping sound.

I did however get the car back with the XM Not WORKING (I have reset the radio/nav and had XM resend the signal) After the radio is reset XM works for about 1 minute and then gets a lot of static and then loses signal entirely. PLUS this morning the lights on the dash went dark and then flashed bright and now are stuck on full illumination.

:lemon:

moontrain

I did some new wood grain in my Limited with camel interior.

See Post # 2950 and 2961 for pictures.

ewg54

That looks great, is it wood overlays?or contact paper ? It looks like overlays to me from picture.
I want to show how the window tint looks but have not fiqured out how to post pics on this sight yet.

pegasus17

REF: 3479
1. Don't apologize for being picky, I am too. Pls tell me what they did to the pax seat - mine shakes too when empty but doesn't make any noise. I checked the 4 mounting bolts attaching the seat to the car frame and they were all tight.
2. I am still battling excessive tire/road noise entering the cabin in the rear. Complained to Hy and now have a case number; some guy from the regional office called me and wanted me to be more proactive in getting it checked out :surprise:
3. Tire pressure seems to be more critical for this car...

Kirstie_H

I can't comment on the other issues as I don't have a Sonata or XM radio, but it is NEVER "normal" for a sunroof to leak. That's absurd. That statement implies that sunroofs are designed and installed to allow a bit of leakage, rather than to be watertight. If that were the case, manufacturers would never be able to sell a vehicle with a sunroof, as no one buys a car thinking they're OK with water in the interior every now and then.

I'd be tempted to call Hyundai and tell them about this dealership brushing you off.