2011 and 2012 Sonata - Pulling Problem

sonataorcamry

Just how prevalent is the left and/or right pulling problem with Sonatas? I have read that in some cases a tire switch will fix it but... So among those of you who have been driving 2011 Sonatas or the new 2012s, what have you experienced? Currently driving a 2000 Camry LE with 120,000 miles and looking at Sonata GLS with Pop. package or the new Camry. Thanks for your input.
LG

msecc

I just picked up my 2012 Limited 2.0T yesterday (with 18" tires). I was worried about the pull. I've done 200 miles on it and can't feel any kind of pull left or right. I will update if I start to feel anything...

rick2456

I have the 2012 Sonata SE with about 1000 miles on it and have not noticed any pulling. The tires are noisy, but that is about it.

xkevinxx

I just got a 2012 Limited 2.0T last night. 1 hour drive home highway/city mix. Did not detect any pull and I was trying to detect it. Let go of steering wheel with gas and without. Steering on the Sonata has an artificial feel, but I didn't observe any pulling yet.

targettuning

While it must be noted I do not yet own a new Sonata (but just placed a deposit on one) I have been following this issue since it surfaced. Read everything I could and viewed the you-tube clips. It does seem that a certain percentage of cars (numbers unknown) mainly turbo types do exhibit this strange behavior. I personally believe it is related to the electronic power steering rather than front end geometry or alignment. What I find disturbing is that Hyundai, who after all designed, engineered and built the thing will not come out and state once and for all this is the reason....this is the absolute fix...and cars built after XXXX 2011 are trouble free. AND for those who purchased an earlier build date car THIS is the fix for those and that fix WILL work. The end!! I like Hyunda as a product but find the long silence unusual. After all the front end geometry is nothing new or earth shaking and while other manufacturers have had their own teething problems with EPS they were able to find and fix them and have since gone their merry way. Anyhow, complaints have petered out for the most part and what remains are those who are still struggling to get their cars fixed posting updates. Crossing fingers but will test drive "mine" before taking delivery.

jspam

Test drove 3 2011 sonatas.. all pulled left bad so I decided to wait for the 2012s.

Test drove 3 2012s last weekend. 2 had bad noticeable Right pull. One seemed to drive pretty straight.

I dont know how on earth 1 year pulls left and the next pulls right. They obviously tried something that didnt work. At this point im weighing my options before investing in a car that they cannot align straight. Hyundai does not know how to fix this.

mfast1

No pull so far. 2012 SE turbo. Knock on wood and fingers crossed it stays this way. Test drive 15 mikes before purchase and nice straight on the way home. 2012 seems much better than 2011 so far.

targettuning

Not too long ago I stated that I intended to buy a 2012 SE, I did and am happy to report no pull issues either way.

nelson1

I have just passed 4,000 miles on my 2011 Sonata Ltd. I have experienced absolutely no problem with the pulling issue. The car drives beautifully, so far. BUT, the car is damned noisy, tires being the cause, I believe. Be sure you test drive it a highway speeds on the highway. The noise in mine is enough to make me consider trading it off.

fushigi

I'd suggest you consider different tires before trading it in. Or even asking a body shop about adding some after-market sound insulation.

ems1

I traded a 2009 Sonata for a 2012 Sonata and I'm experiencing the pull right problem.
The 2009 tracked straight with no problems for 3 years. The 2012 is annoying to drive, requires constant effort to keep it going straight. It will run right off the road in about 200 feet @ 35 mph. This car has the standard 16" tires.

I have an appointment with the dealer in a few days. I will see if they can get this corrected.

If you are thinking about buying one, be sure to do a test drive and look for the pulling problem.

targettuning

I too wondered/worried about the vocal number of those complaining about pull issues mostly hard left. I waited until the 2012's were released mainly for that very reason. Bottom line I just bought a 2012 SE build date 27 July and it appears to track straight with one or two people inside. My only wish was, and continues to be, that Hyundai would issue a press release clearly stating the cause on early cars, the fix on those affected early cars, the date the fix was initiated on the production line and put this whole possibly destructive (to Hyundai quality) issue to rest. I personally believed it to be the electronic steering programming but who knows? Many other manufacturers had teething problems when they introduced electronic power steering but corrected the issues and moved on.

itsmesueb

Just purchased my 2012 Sonata Limited less than a week ago. Here I am already surfing to find out if I was the only one having this issue. I purchased this car 90 miles from where I live, so I had adequate time (on the interstate) to find any quirks. Within a very short time frame I picked up on the problem, feeling as though I was literally fighting to keep the car centered to the road. I assumed the issue was more me than the car as this is a completely different change for me. As recently as an hour ago I pulled up to a stop light and as I applied pressure to the brakes, I could visually watch the wheel pull to the left. It pulls both ways when there is any discrepancy with the levelness of the road, such as crowning. I am terribly disappointed since this creates an uncomfortable awkwardness the entire time you are driving. I never feel completely relaxed! I did call the dealership and spoke with the service manager and he confirmed they had had complaints with the 2011 models, and a couple with the 2012. He said he felt the problem was with the electronic stability control system trying to take over when the road became uneven. He indicated it was difficult for them to correct because of where this problem is originating from.

johngf1

Funny that 4000 complaints are now reported but 2 months ago my local dealer never heard of any problems. Looks like Sonata is following the Toyota Camry in hiding/refusing to inform owners or buyers of KNOWN problems!

sinned1

How soon after you bought the vehicle did the pulling problem surface? What version of the Sonata didi you buy?

I am leaning toward buying the Sonata over the Accord but now I`m getting a bit antsy.I suppose I could test drive the car I am buying to be certain it doesn`t exhibit the pulling.
Any further details would be appreciated

nelson1

Yes, DO test drive it. And, at highway speeds, on a rough surface. My Limited 2.4 has dang noisy Kumho tires. I should have followed my own advice, and I would not have bought it. That, and the rough downshifting are the 2 complaints I have. My transmission has had the re-programming done, but I have noticed no improvement.

tenbluebirds

We have a 3 week old Sonata withe 900 miles and the salesman said they all pull at first. Go ahead and drive 500 miles and then bring it in if it still pulled. 500 has come and gone and so has our pulling problem. Hope yours turns out the same.

JCC

ryster

They all pull at first? I have never heard of such a thing. There isn't much of anything that wil change during the first 500 miles to cause a noticeable pulling issue to simply disappear.

My 2011 Sonata now has 18,000 miles on it and has never had a pulling issue.

As other posters have mentioned, the Kumho tires get increasingly noisy as the miles pile up on them. My Kumho KH25's are VERY noisy now. They look like they could easily go another 30,000 miles before needing replacement, but if they get any louder they will have to go. Plus they are starting to show a slight hint of traction loss and hydroplaning on wet pavement.

eddieb123

Sure don't understand all this "pulling" talk.Had ours four weeks now and have just over 500 miles and it tracks perfectly. Have also spoken with several other local owners also with no problems.Our GLS was delivered with Kumho tires and they're not noisy at speeds up to 75 mph. Can't comment about hydroplaning or traction loss as we haven't had occasion to drive in the rain yet.

ems1

It seems to be luck of the draw if you get a Sonata that has a pulling problem.
Of course, you wouldn't understand if your car does not have the problem.

I had a 2009 Sonata for three years that didn't have any problems. I traded it for a 2012 that constantly wants to turn right. I don't understand why it steers this way and neither does the dealer. They checked the wheel alignment and pretend that it is "fixed."

It took Hyundai a year to acknowledge there was a left pull problem of some 2010. Hope it doesn't take them a year to figure this proble out.

rhduke00

According to an August 15, 2011 post on the Inside Line Straightline blog, Hyundai has announced a voluntary callback campain

'...Hyundai is alerting owners of the 2011 Sonata of a new service campaign to deal with vehicle tracking issues some owners have reported. Hyundai says that about 3% of 2011 Hyundai Sonata owners have reported "dissatisfaction with vehicle tracking (commonly referred to as 'pulling left' in on-line media and customer reports)."

The fix, says Hyundai, involves checking the alignment and, if necessary, installing new front suspension struts and a new alignment. The repair is estimated to take 4.5 hours and a free loaner will be provided to those who need one...'

itsmesueb

Hi,
Sorry for the late delay. The problem started on the way home from the dealership after I bought it. As I said, I purchased the car 90 miles from my home so I had plenty of drive time to determine if I came across any noticeable quirks. I purchased the 2.4 Limited. I did not opt for the Nav. system but now too am regretting that choice. Not because of the camera/Nav feature, but because of the irritating buzz from the right side door speakers. In fact the entire sound system set up is as frustrating as any I have ever owned. To start with the built in antenna sucks! I don't know where it is or what kind it is but the music constantly fades and I can't pick up half the channels I could with my old Buick. Then, every song sounds totally different in terms of the equalizer being able to stabilize the sound quality. In other words a song will play and sound almost like listening to an am station, then the next song will come on and sound beautifully balanced with the right amount of everything, and the next will come through with what sounds like 90% coming out of the front speakers and the base buzzing out the drivers side door speaker!! It's crazy. I am constantly reaching across going through the entire sound menu setup(which is what you have too do) to try and change the settings so that the music will sound balanced! Anyway, I hate to make this car sound as though it has no redeeming qualities, but for having been the Limited model I am really surprised at some of the things I did not pay closer attention too when shopping around. In case any of you make the assumption I did and overlook this other little detail....it does not come with the passenger side seat powered. Limited only has power on the driver side seat, so be prepared to feel like you are sitting on the floor. Sorry for all the negative...can you are tell I might be experiencing just a tiny bit of "buyers remorse"?

torres_sa

My 2011 Sonata also had some hard downshifts, but they went away about 6 months after I purchased it. I don't think the tires are overly noisy unless I'm on rough surfaces which is going to happen for almost any car in its segment.

sonataorcamry

Is the pulling issue on all models or just specific ones (ie, SE, Turbo, Ltd, GLS)?

LASHAWN

Mostlymodels with the 18" wheels

gls2011

I had terrible road noise in my 2011 GLS. I just replaced all of the tires with new Michelin tires, and it is very quite. I complained to the dealer about the original tires and how loud they were, and basically he said that there is nothing that he could do, and that it is a corporate problem. Other than the road noise (that is gone now), the car drives perfect. The only other problem that I am having is sometimes my cruise will not turn on.

itsmesueb

The advice posters gave saying to "give it a few miles", actually seemed to work in my case. I still notice a slight pull if the road has severe crowning , tapper off either side, as it tends to want to follow the road in whatever side is angled. Still not nearly as bad as it was though. Now for the good news. I was really disappointed with the gas mileage I had been getting as that was something I spent a significant amount of time on message boards looking at from others experiences. I couldn't believe my mpg was averaging between 25.5 & 26.5 mpg. This was on any road and any condition, be it interstate, country roads, or around town driving. It just wasn't budging! Then my husband suggested I fill up with pure gasoline (no ethanol) on the next tank. I kicked up my heals at first given the cost difference, but decided to try it once. I pulled out of the station and couldn't believe my eyes as the mpg indicator started ticking up by leaps until settling out at 43 mpg!! It has sense leveled out at around around 33 mpg in and around town. Haven't made any long trips so not sure what it will get on the interstate. Also, I stopped filling as soon as the pump kicked off per the manual, rather than filling it to the rim as with my previous fill ups. I would highly recommend pure gasoline for those of you who already get decent mileage. You may just see it adjust up by another 25% as I have!

clohrer

the 2012 sonata stereo system sounds awful!!! It sounds as though its coming from a closet. And you are right about the convoluted system set up that you have to go through.... ridiculous. I traded a 2011 sonata that had a Killer sound system for a 2012 that has an awful one. I love the car but I am dissapointed in the change to the stereo. I was told at the dealership that they put a "regulator"on the stereo so the speakers wouldnt blow???
Im trying to find out now if I am able to take off the regulator. You have to turn the volume up to mid 30's and it still isnt loud..... the old system would blow you away at 14. Also, no matter what you do in SETUP, it never sounds good.... This is my 4th sonata so I love the car.... just hate the new stereo they felt a need to change. I never had any pulling issues.

sonataowner3

I have a Sonata that does the same thing too. It often pulls to the right noticeably - but not terribly. Sometimes it tracks very nice. I too took it to the Hyundai Dealer - twice. They fumbled around with it and too pretended like it was fixed. Other that that we really like the car.

But it is ashamed that dealerships and manufactures are so inclined to play these games with consumers. They know it is a problem - why can't they just honestly say that they will keep working on it and let you know when there is a solution. The dishonesty is what really makes the problem a problem.

steven39

went to look at a 2012 sonata gls today that i was interested in.asked the salesman before the test drive if they are still haveing problems with the left or right pull issues like the 2011 sonatas.the salesman stated that the pulling issues have been corrected for the 2012 sonata's.we then began the test drive of a red 2012 huyndai sonata gls.within a few blocks i noticed a left pulling at around 35 mph that was enough for me to keep both hands on the steering wheel or the car would veer to the left.the salesman was embaressed after he told me that the pulling issue was solved for the 2012 sonatas.needless to say,the test drive for me was over quickly and i will look at other vehicles.

steven39

right pull,left pull.......PULL THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

magrx

2012 Sonata GLS 6 spd manual.
When sitting at idle and you gently move the steering wheel left or right it clicks to the next position like the detents in the volume knob on a digital radio. The stiffness of the steering along with the lack of smoothness exaggerate my steering adjustments at speed. This tends to make me drift left and right in the lane when driving at highway speeds. Alignment is perfect. Their software isn't. I haven't noticed this in Kias.
I don't have this issue with my other cars. Personally I'd like to see them reduce the steering effort in their programming. This 3,000 lb car feels heavier than my old Buick station wagon when maneuvering.

rbc2

I have owned a 2011 Sonata for over a year and have had it in for "pulling" at least 4 times. It seems like every time I sneeze it needs to be re-aligned. It is frustrating. It is to the point that before I even have my tires rotated, I tell the dealer that if the car is pulling afterwards (if it wasn't before) I expected them to do an alignment...

mikeyp53

I have 32,000 miles on my 2011 Sonata GLS. The Kumho 25 tires have worn well but there is a minor cupping problem. Moved front tires to rear and now I have a rumble. Thought it might be rear bearings but dealer says its the tires and I need an alignment and they want to sell me 4 new Kumho 25's. Went to Firestone and the alignment is right on except the Camber is off. There is no adjustment for camber in the Sonata. Tomorrow its back to the dealer with the alignment info from tire dealer to see how they plan on correcting the camber error. Should be interesting.

ems1

I had a 2012 Sonata that I got rid of after 6 months because of the pulling/wheel alignment problems. If your problem is a camber adjustment, there are steering knuckle bolts that can be installed that allow a degree or 2 of camber adjustment. These bolts were installed on my Sonata by the dealer as part of a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that was intended to correct the pulling problem. Your Sonata may be covered under the TSB.

The TSB didn't work very well on my Sonata but it seemed to be effective for some people.

dave436

I owned 2012 Sonata Limited and 7500 mileage.
You will get feeling so bad and get tired because of wandering while drive. (especially on Highway)
The poor steering won't be centered as much as 1/2 inches.(left and right)
Dealer and Customer center seemed like they have no solution about this so far.
I'd like you to go with Honda accord.
I'm waiting for my payoff day.

mikeyp53

I had a 4 wheeel alignment done at the dealer. This corrected the camber problem and the steering is now perfect. No charge under warranty. Great dealer!

steven39

i test drove a 2012 sonata before purchasing my 2013 elantra about a month ago.test drive lasted about 15 minutes until i took the car on the highway and discovered the pulling issue first hand.the salesman that was with me i think felt kind of embarresed because i asked him before the test drive began if the pulling issues with the sonata was resolved and he said yes they were.i then test drove a 2013 elantra at the same dealership and the were no pulling issues and it ran very well so i purchased it.also,the elantra has much better resale value than the sonata which i wasn't aware of..

mikeyp53

Steven, hope you enjoy your new Elantra. Just one comment, how do you know what the future resale value will be for a brand new car? The new style Elantra has no track record as far as resale. After 3 years, you may get a handle on it. If you look up the 2011 Sonata and the same year Accord, the Sonata has higher resale value than the Accord. Now thats a valid conclusion.

crankeee

Mike: We also needed an alignment at 2000 miles due to very minor feathering on the fronts ( sometimes called cupping). Feathering is almost always caused by toe-in being out. The dealer here agreed and did a minor adustment to correct the problem. I beleive there was a TSB on this but not sure. Now have 5000 and the fix seems to have worked. The worn fronts are now on the back and seem to be flattening out with less feathering apparent. The Kuhmo 25's (H rating) were an unknown for us but seem to be wearing fine, hold air pressure and are not noisy.
Also FYI, there is a camber kit that Hyundai can put on the Sonata if the camber is out of specs - no big deal with the knuckle bolts mentioned on another post. So far our dealer has been most responsive to our minor concerns and promptly fixed the alignment. Oil change was inexpensive and MPG is actually improving so all is good. Hyundai appears to be encouraging dealers to cooperate with owners so they can continue to seel more new cars. Bad service = bad press= bad sales so they are giving good service and so quibbling about warranty issues.

mikeyp53

Thanks for this reply to the camber issue. My camber was off by +9 and the front was not the issue, but the rear. Now all is in spec. I too rotated the tires and the cupping is wearing down, but still has a slight rumble in the rear. At 37,500 miles I am close to replacing the tires anyway as the are now down to 6/32nds of tread remaining. State inspection minimum is 3/32nds, but for safety reasons, I am not waiting that long.

crankeee

Mikey: Godd news on the Kuhmo 25's. 37,500 miles on ANY OEM tire is good enough for me. The dealer advised us that they have had good results with Kuhmos and your mileage supports that. You also must have rotated and checked air to get thet result with the same minor cupping or feathering that we have noted. Our 2012 GLS was OK on Camber settings and even the toe-in was within spec so the tech moved it to the other extreme within the spec. They could have used the ole big three dodge and said we can't do anything but they did not. Our dealer has best practices and apparently has Hyundai behind his service approach. good car and GREAT vlaue for the sub $20,000 price. Thanks for the detailed post on the tires - we appreciated the info that applies to our purchase.

makhtar

I have 31000 miles on Sonata 2011. Front tires are totally worn out. Always pulled to the right. Front end makes grinding noise. Feels like, I am driving a truck. Worst than a 15 years old car. Taking again to the dealership. Never had a car like this. IT IS A JUNK. Will never buy a Korean product again. Learned my lesson.

mikeyp53

Sorry to hear you are having problems. I have 52,000 on my 2011 Sonata. I have no issues with the front suspension. Original tires lasted 46000 miles. I rotated every 6-7000 miles and had an alignment done at 32000 miles at Meineke. Be sure you have a 4 wheel alignment done as the rear was out on mine as well as the front. Not sure why your dealer cannot solve the issues but you have the full warranty. Maybe you need to take it to a different dealer? Good luck with your problem.

bhouseholder

I just bought a certified pre-owned Sonata Limited with 21k miles. I started driving it on the intestate and noticed that it wanted to track left. I could not let go of the steering wheel for a second without it being it crossing lanes. I take it to dealer, show them reports I found of the tracking issue. My car was built Dec/2010 which falls in line with the cars that were having the tracking issues that i read about. They put air in the tires and said they drove it and it seems better. I drove it and while it was slightly better, problem still persists. I take it back. they said they put the car on a tracking machine like RoadTrack and saw it was drifting. They rotate my ties, said at that point it was tracking fine. Now its just seems to be all over the place, still pulling left 60 to 70 percent of the time. This car is a constant struggle to control especially at over 45MPH. If i hit even slight imperfections in the road, this car wants to bounce all over the place. Its still seems to be tracking primarily left but the tracking of this car is so erratic. My last car was a 98 Honda accord with 285k miles on it and at its age it tracked better than this. if I take this car on a mid to long road trip i am going to get exhausted from controlling it and wreck. Does anyone have any advice on what i should do next? I know one of the solutions was to replace the struts? I love the car except for this issue. I need to take it back into the dealer i suppose?

mikeyp53

I have the GLS 2011 model. I have 52,000 miles and the tracking problem was fixed with a 4 wheel alignment done at Meineke, NOT the dealer. Also, these cars have poor tires from the factory by some reports. I had the Kumho Solus 25's on mine for 43,000 miles and replaced them with Nexan CP671 tires. Tracks straight and true, no problems. Good luck!

yourmechanic

My suggestion would be to take it back to the dealer and have them check the alignment and tire balance.

The only time you want to replace the struts is if the vehicle was involved in a collision and it needs to be replaced because of a bent component.

If you want to learn more about struts assembly, here's a good link: https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/strut-assembly-replacement

__________
Otto Ym
YourMechanic.com
facebook.com/yourmech
twitter.com/yourmechanic

usssusan

Just purchased a used 2011 Hyundai Sonata with 45,000 miles. Purchased extended warranty. Live in Virginia. When test driving the car there was a strong pull to the left and the tire pressure light was on (and excessive road noise). The salesman and I decided it must need air/alignment. They offered me a super deal on the car and now I know why. I guess they saw me coming. Female by herself etc. I got home and researched (yes, should have researched BEFORE i bought the car. Found many people have had this problem and it sounded like most people got no resolution in the matter. I'm so stressed out. I have this gut feeling I'm about to go through the same long path that others have had to endure. When I took my car in for the "alignment" (apparently the start of my long path of no resolution) I explained that I was very stressed over this matter of so many people having this problem with no resolution. They all from salesman to general manager played dumb and said they weren't aware of such an issue but assured me that the problem would be taken care of. Fortunately it is still under the original warranty (hopefully my purchase of the extended warranty doesn't change that) and in the state of Virginia it looks like it can still be classified as a used car lemon if necessary. Can anyone out there give my assurance or advice on this matter? I'm guessing this will also affect the wear on my tires which seems to be another issues with this model. I am stretching it to make the car payment and am dreading if I haave to keep buying new tires and live with this horrible noise which will be a constant reminder of how stupid I was.

mikeyp53

I own a 2011 Sonata and now have over 60,000 miles. This pulling issue is over stated. I took mine in and had an alinement done around 20,000 with Meineke. Never had the problem again. I also will tell you that the Kumho Solus 25 tires most of the cars had from the factory are junk. At 40,000 miles I replaced them with Nexen CP671 tires from Walmart. Car handles perfectly and rides smoothly. I do not think there is an inherent problem with the Sonata steering that evreyone claims. I blame it on the tires.

I love my Sonata and just bought a 2014.

mikeyp53

I own a 2011 Sonata and now have over 60,000 miles. This pulling issue is over stated. I took mine in and had an alinement done around 20,000 with Meineke. Never had the problem again. I also will tell you that the Kumho Solus 25 tires most of the cars had from the factory are junk. At 40,000 miles I replaced them with Nexen CP671 tires from Walmart. Car handles perfectly and rides smoothly. I do not think there is an inherent problem with the Sonata steering that evreyone claims. I blame it on the tires.

I love my Sonata and just bought a 2014.