2011 Hyundai Sonata

moontrain

Does anyone know why Hyundai stopped making the color Black Plum Pearl in the 2011 Sonata? The dealer said it is not available anymore.
I thought it was a great color.

shabadoo25

You're one of the very few.

bmccall

Just curious if anyone noticed their cold-start engine idling higher during cooler days? I have 3,700 mi on my 2011 Sonata GLS and about 2 weeks ago, I noticed the idle (when I start my car in the morning) hovering at 2,000 RPM. Tapping the gas pedal doesn't bring it down so I just put it in gear and drive. By the time I stop at the first light or stop sign, the idle is back to normal. It doesn't do this every day so I'm guessing perhaps it has to do with the ambient temperature. Is this something I should bring the car to be serviced for? Or will it self correct?

sb2002

I have about 3,000 cars on my Limited 2011. I have been told by friends of mine that while speaking with them, there are static issues through the bluetooth hands free option on the car.

Has anyone else experienced challenges like this? This happens predominantly when I am on the highway. Road noise could certainly be a factor, but I don't remember this issue when I first bought the car.

Is there an aftermarket microphone that can be installed to better filter any of these noises?

Please let me know your thoughts.

Thank you.

bmccall

The bluetooth in my 2011 GLS works flawlessly. I'm not sure if the bluetooth in the limited is different. Even during a terrible rainstorm (rain pounding on the roof of the car), the person on the other end of the phone couldn't hear anything besides my voice. I was amazed since the microphone is on the inside roof.

m6user

I have about 3,000 cars on my Limited 2011.

I think that would cause static in any car.

Thoughts....
1. When you first tried out the bluetooth you were probably driving a lot slower and didn't have the windnoise, tire noise etc that you get at highway speeds.

2. The newness(psychological, not physical) has wore off and you're just hearing more noises period. I've had many new cars and I always start hearing more noise after the halo and new car smell wears off to some degree.

3. Something happened to the actual mike(dirt, bumped, covered up slightly).

4. Something is actually broke and needs a dealer fix.

If it's 1 or 2 above there probably is a better mike or combination of more than one mike that could help but it will cost to buy and install. Also, be careful with the warranty on your radio system which I think is shorter than the rest of the bumper to bumper.

denp3

Mine on my Limited seems to work just fine. I would think all Sonata models use the same bluetooth setup

poodog13

I contstantly have to hold the steering so the car will not go to the right or left. I am no mechanic, but this is not normal at all!

Is that to say that, up until this car, you commonly drove on the highway without holding the steering wheel? If so, keep away from me!!!

Kirstie_H

Instead of assuming that the OP is a maniacally bad driver, it seems more considerate to assume that he/she is experiencing a steering issue, but didn't explain it in a totally complete fashion. I think it's obvious that the OP is indicating that he/she must hold the steering in order to keep it straight, outside of the holding of the steering wheel that occurs under normal driving experiences.

alookman

Thanks. What OP is saying is very plausible, since I noticed that my on my test drive of Sonata SE, it did have tendency to veer to the right and it was explained by salesman that its engineered to do so for safety reason. That was not a valid answer, all automobiles should drive in straight line and veering to left or right is a flaw in the vehicle.

mazda6dude

I didn't find that funny about not holding the steering. I always hold the steering except in the garbage 2011 Hyundai Sonata, I have to hold the steering just to make the car go straight. Its not engineering, its about quality which Sacramento Hyundai nor Roseville Hyundai know about in Northern, CA. Also, both if their service departments did a horrible job in servicing and customer service.

All in all, I have dumped the Sonata. Don't care to talk to discuss about the car or company anymore. Thanks.

LASHAWN

WOW Man, talk about really bad experience after the sell. Sorry you had to dump the car but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do right?

caseybru

As I stated earlier, I own a 2011 Hyundai GLS. I can release the steering wheel and the car goes straight. I also can release the steering wheel and apply the brakes and the car goes straight. I did both these things in a controled test. The car absolutely does not wander. I don't know where you reside but if you were in North California, you could take it to either Chico or Roseville and they would repair the steering.

johnwho

My steering is the same as yours, caseybru.

I believe ours are the way it is supposed to be and anything else is an anomaly that can be corrected.

jsmit86

It may be helpful to see this post:

link title

schdy

If the car does not come with an adjuistable cam bolt, how did they add one. Wouldn't that be an illegal mod? Sounds fishy to me.
And if that's a fix maybe someone should alert Hyundai Corporate.

schdy

All in all, I have dumped the Sonata. Don't care to talk to discuss about the car or company anymore. Thanks.

Sorry about your bad experience. Which car did you replace it with. I'll look for you on that Forum. Hope you have some real positive posts.

poodog13

Geez....lighten up a bit. Far be it from me to offer a little bit of levity.

Kirstie_H

Just understand that what you see as levity may not be perceived that way in writing, not like it would if you were talking in-person.

johnwho

Uh, there will be no levity on this board

until people's sense of humor improves!

:confuse:

nj2pa2nc

Since his poster name is mazda6dude-maybe one of them

Sandman6472

As a person who's also a bit anal about a car going straight when the wheel is dead on center, I did that test when letting go of the wheel and when braking, letting go of the wheel & both times the car tracked straight & true. I did have a radial pull on a tire awhile back which was replaced and also have a 3 year alignment policy on both cars so it can be aligned whenever I wish. Trust me, there is something wrong there...be it a radial pull or an alignment issue and it can be adjusted or tweaked. Just need to find the right dealership & the right tech.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

bucwild

I am not quite in the market yet but will be in early November. I have narrowed my search for a new vehicle down to the Sonata. I have an elantra now and it has never given me any issues (knock on wood). Anyway I am coming into some money in about a month or so and wanted to get you guys opinion on the following.

1. Does paying cash have any effect on the negotiation process?

2. What would you guys pay for an SE minus the nav/sunroof package?

3. I see on many sites that the TMV is 21,377 + 720 dest. I should qualify for the loyalty owner discount -500, which leaves it at around 21,500. In your opinion would it be fair of me to just demand a price of 23000 cash? that obviously would cover tax,tittle, reg,doc fees, etc.

4. When do the 2012 models come out, if so would you wait to buy a 2011 in case there are any end of year extra rebates on teh 2011's?

Thank guys..

alookman

The good price to pay for SE plus floor mats without any add-ons is about $21k w.dest. included. Cash vs. financing doesn't impact dealers profit, so I am not sure. Use American Express Car buying service its an excellent tool especially if you have cash and can travel to another state. It gives you an instant quote based on zip code entered and any factory incentive has to be passed on to buyer!

Since dealers love to quote TMV I suppose it favors them more than buyers, I think it's way off the true market price. Yes there is small hidden factory to dealer incentive to discount Sonata despite being a hot car.

nj2pa2nc

dealers make money from car loans so paying cash will not give you a huge discount. As fas as rebates-there might be another one by the time you buy the car. We purchased a "11 venetian red 6MT sonata on 7/26. We traded our 05 Elantra gt with 100,000+ problem free miles. Great cars.

keyman2

You have to look around alot,I was givin a great quote for the Sonata SE with the Nav/Sunroof and free pinstripes for $23,750 before taxes but still that's a good price and I may even get that lower.Good Luck

connecticut2

Can someone please comment on 2011 Sonata's handling in the snow? I live in the North East and have to factor this in..

Thanks...

denp3

We'll have to see.
I had a 2006 which wasn't too bad.
I would assume my 2011 will be about the same.
I don't know if anyone had one in the snow last winter.
I would also be curious to hear.

osaka75

I currently have a 2006 V6 Sonata that performs well whether it's just me or a carload of people. I have test driven the 2011 and really like it. However, it was just me in the car. Can someone who has driven it with 3 or 4 other passengers please comment on how it drives when loaded? I only ask because 20 years ago my 99 hp Accord was great with just me but 4 passengers really stressed the transmission and engine. Thanks so much.

denp3

I failed to mention that by your name I assume you are in CT, I also am in CT.
What part of CT are you in, and where do you plan on buying?
Just a suggestion to you, my wife and I have bought a total of 5 Hyundai's since 2002, and I have dealt with Meriden Hyundai on all of them. Very pleased with the dealer.

shabadoo25

It stresses it somewhat, but unless you are going up the side of a mountain, you likely won't notice too much.

denp3

I have had 3 and it does not seem to stress much.

shot_mos

*** COMEDY OF ERRORS ***

Had the same issue this morning with the brake pedal sensor - this is an issue where the brake pedal is extremely stiff, car will not start (push-button start), regardless if the key is "within range" or even if it's in the slot inside the center console.

Wife had backed the car out of the garage into the driveway, stopped it, went inside to get her things for work, came back out and the car would not start. Called me to come back home, same thing for me (LOL) - screen says to push the brake pedal but the brake pedal was stiff.

Called our dealership's service line, service tech immediately stated that it was probably the brake pedal sensor, and advised me to call Hyundai road-side assistance. I called and set up a tow.

Here's where it gets fun.

Tow truck company advised us that they would be about 20 minutes - well it was about 20 more minutes before they called us back and said that they would be late by another 10-20, and showed up much later than that.

Now, I KNOW and confirmed with road side that it was going to go to dealership "A". In fact, the tow truck driver also asked me if it was going to dealership "A". Our conversation was something like
- Tow Truck Driver "This is going to A, right"
- I said, "yeah, going to "a""

Well somehow the driver thought I said "YEah, it's going to Dealer A, but at their other location which is about 25 miles out further away from the real location".

Tow truck driver tells us to go out to Dealer A to make arrangements with service and to get a loaner/rental, so the missus and I drive our other vehicle out to Dealer A.

The eye candy at the service desk counter tells us that it's probably the battery (wrong), and that they don't have any loaners and that we won't be reimbursed for a rental and pretty much TFB, so sorry, can't help you, have a nice day.

GRRRRRRRR

Called Enterprise and then drove over to their location to get Missus in the rental car.

Called Dealer A, and don't have vehicle there (about 5 hours later, still not there). On a hunch I called Dealer A West, they have vehicle and they had already fixed the issue.

Called tow truck dispatch line, dispatch line tells me that their dispatch notes say that it was supposed to be taken to Dealer A and sometimes the lots don't see the vehicle there and don't worry Mr Sho_Mos we're sure its there....then I told her that no, I'm positive it's not at Dealer A because I already called Dealer A West and it's there and the work's done.

Just to make a long story short the missus is reaaaaaaaaaaally mad at me for some reason -- does anyone have a couch I can sleep on for about a week?

Hyundai Consumer Affairs already notified, btw.

kenym

*** COMEDY OF ERRORS ***

Soooooo glad I didn't buy one. Close really close but just couldn't pull the trigger.

connecticut2

Yea..I am in Hartford, CT...still looking at other cars...not totally sold on the Sonata for a few reasons, not the least of which is the first year model, so all the kinks are still there...I am also looking at the Camry and the new Jetta..Thnx for the heads-up on the dealer..

salty10

Dealer connected first time bluetooth did not recognize my vocie but did recognize ph # from cell - (dilaed number from cell)

deleted the phone to start over stalled at paitring with code LG phone wouldnot pick up 0000 code
Help

stickguy

any FWD car is going to be decent in the snow, especially with all the modern electronic controls (stability, traction, etc.) But by far the biggest difference is going to be the tires. You could see what tires come on it, and check the reviews on tire rack (if they carry the same tire).

If it is really important to you, get dedicated snows make a world of difference.

CT guy, the new Jetta is also, well, new! seems the powertrain (engine/tranny) is carry over, but the rest of the car is new, so you may see teething problems there too.

kadenj

Any advice I can get before I purchase 2011 SE sonata, I live here in houston, what's the best price ( OTD ) anyone paid for it? first time buying a new car, we want to be extra careful, any recommendation of reputable dealer in this area? ,,,,,

targettuning

Sooooo, exactly what does a mixup between two (same company) dealer locations...the tow driver...and all the rest of the compounded human errors have to do with not buying one? Dealer location #2 fixed the car while the owner was running around trying to find out where it was. Human error is all it was and aside from the original sensor failure it has nothing to do with Hyundai quality.

kenym

nothing to do with Hyundai quality.

Lack of quality and lack of trained techs to fix them has every thing to do with it

connecticut2

You're absolutely right - both the Sonata and Jetta and new models and, considering I have never owned either VW or a Hyundai, if the choice boils down to these two, I am gona have to factor in other tangibles, like handling on the snow, etc....

Kirstie_H

Hi - the best place for that question, and to find other members posting about pricing, is Hyundai Sonata Prices Paid. You can just click on my link to get there.

jimbres

But by far the biggest difference is going to be the tires.

Completely agree. Most mid-priced sedans come with OEM tires that are, at best, merely acceptable.

Tires are the only parts of the car that actually touch the road, so money spent on good tires is money well spent. Don't wait until the OEM tires are worn out to replace them with something better.

I once drove my brand new car directly from the dealership to a tire store to replace the OEM tires with something much better.

LASHAWN

You really can't judge somebody else's experience with Hyundai if you haven't experienced the same thing. I own a 2006 Sonata LX and have never experienced anything problematic with the car or Hyundai. So far I've gotten over 72k trouble free miles(knock on wood) and I'm just waiting for the turbo model to come out so I can trade. Everybody makes some bad cars and have some bad techs that work on them, so you saying that is just like you saying about Toyota, Honda, BMW, MB etc. right?

denp3

Just to give you some encouragement. I have bought a 2002, 2006, 2011, all first year new models and no complaints.

targettuning

I guess you should go back and re-read the original post wherein the poster says the problem was diagnosed over the phone by one of the two dealerships of the same name ( A or AND the car was repaired and waiting for pick-up, albeit at the wrong place, while the owner was trying to track it down. This scenario while indeed a "comedy of errors" is by no means an indication of a lack of training or lack of initail quality. Again I put forth the plea to people like you, those who still decry the lack of Hyundai's ability to build a quality automobile, Please, please tell me (and everybody else in the market for a new car) when you discover the perfect car....that would be the one with no problems from cradle to grave i.e. from new to the cash for clunkers lot. Good luck on that one!!

schdy

Like you I have purchased a 2002 Elantra and 2002 Sonata, a 2006 Elantra and 2006 Sonata and a 2011 Sonata SE all new and have experienced no problems.
very pleased with my Dealer and his service.

shot_mos

update
- Actually in retrospect I think the tow truck driver did us a favor by taking it to location B vs A, because the service tech at B was a little more professional over the phone.
- My estimate was that the car was fixed in under 2 hours after it got to the service center
- The missus yelled at the tow truck company enough to get them to tow it back to our house so we didn't have to get it
- I didn't have to sleep on the couch.

nj2pa2nc

we have owned a 88 excel gls, 2 02 elantras, a 03 elantra GT and a 03 sonata, 04 accent, 05 elantra GT and now "11 sonata. We did have transmission problems with the 03 sonata which was replaced at less than 4,000 miles. The dealer is excellent. We never had any problems with the other hyundais.

samuelg

I have a 2011 Sonata purchased last July, around 3K miles. The radio display fades when the car is out in the sun on a hot day. I have seen some people write about this problem. My dealer is planning to swap out my radio tomorrow.

My question is, are all the Sonata radios like this? Can anyone confirm if their radio display does NOT fade on a hot sunny day with temperatures 95+ ?

The radio itself works beautifully, aside from the faded display. It goes back to normal contrast when it cools off.

Pls post ASAP, so I can make the right decision before tomorrow. Thanks.

SamG (I love this car!!)