The 2011 Hyundai Elantra is a safe buy, but not the safest. Though rare, the compact car’s issues are severe, including engine knocking that may lead to total failure, broken clock springs in the airbags, and sudden blowouts due to a faulty strut spring.
Key Points
- The 2011 Hyundai Elantra‘s biggest problem is the engine’s tendency of failing. Early signs include excessive oil consumption, stalling, and persistent knocking sounds.
- Some drivers have seen their airbags fail due to a broken clockspring, but no recall addresses the problem. Another possible issue concerns airbag deployment, which may send projectiles towards occupants.
- A suspension spring in the front passenger side may snap while in use, slashing the tire and potentially causing a blowout and increasing the chances of an accident.
2011 Hyundai Elantra’s Problems are Many, Including Engine Knocking that may be Accompanied by Stalling, Failure to Start, or Excessive Oil Consumption
“The problems with my vehicle are many,” reports one 2011 Elantra driver in New York. Engine problems take the lead, making up 81 of the 383 complaints registered with the NHTSA.
“The clearest pattern here is knocking noises,” an Illinois driver reports “my daily driver began to make a knocking noise and my dashboard brake light indicator came on,” with the repair resulting in an entire engine replacement. In Philadelphia, a driver reports a “knocking noise from the engine. I’ve done all the oil changes on time, and it only has 60,000 miles. What’s going on?”
And if you think it’s just a matter of these cars getting older, a Wisconsin driver reports way back in June of 2013 hearing an “engine knocking noise, even after engine replacement.”
The engine knocking may be accompanied by stalling, failure to start, or excessive oil consumption, and it’s not unusual for the problem to eventually escalate to total engine failure. Considering that these cars are too old to cover under Hyundais’ Certified Pre-Owned program, that means that the replacement costs are coming out of the owner’s pocket, and you can only hope that the replacement engine doesn’t have the same problem.
On the upside, we’re looking at an incident rate of fewer than one in 2,000 units ending with engine failure. Hyundai sold nearly 200,000 Elantras in the U.S. in 2011, and we have fewer than 100 reports. So the problem is severe but rare.
Airbag Light could Signal a Broken Clock Spring, which may Warrant a Replacement or the Airbag Won’t Deploy in a Crash
After engine complaints, airbags are the most common reported issues on the NHTSA website, at 74 out of 383. These complaints are pretty much the same across the board. As a California driver puts it: “Airbag light came on and won’t turn off. Shop said the clock spring has to be replaced or the airbag won’t deploy in a crash.”
Usually, this sort of complaint leads to a recall even if the incident rate is fairly low, but that doesn’t seem to have been the case this time. The 2011 Elantra does have a recall listed under “airbags,” but that was for an interior piece that had a tendency to come loose and cause injury from airbag deployment.
As with the knocking noise and engine failure, this is a problem that could be catastrophic, it’s a problem that has not been recalled, but we have fewer than 100 incidents so far. That’s the irony of a car that’s pretty reliable. When something does go wrong, it’s such a rare occurrence that the automaker and the NHTSA don’t bother to do anything about it.
Recall Over Front Coil Springs Reports a Fracture may Contact and Puncture a Tire, Increasing the Risk of a Crash
The 2011 Elantra has 56 complaints on file for suspension, and 57 for steering, and when you take a look at the complaints, there’s some clear overlap. In Ohio, a driver stated that while reversing out of the driveway, the front passenger side strut spring fractured and punctured the front passenger side tire.
“While driving, I heard a loud pop, and immediately, the front passenger tire went flat,” reports a driver in New Jersey. “Apparently a coil spring fractured off and slashed the tire.” The issue has led to a recall over front coil springs that may fracture and contact the tire, possibly puncturing it, increasing the risk of a crash.
However, that recall was issued in 2015 for just over 28,000 units. Complaints are still rolling in as recently as 2021, with a number of drivers stating that while their car does suffer from the issue, and Hyundai does have the replacement parts, their VINs are not covered. With the initial warranties now expired, this leaves the owners to cover the fix out of their own pocket.
The 2011 Hyundai Elantra is Still a Solid Buy, but there are Better Budget Compacts
Here’s the frustrating thing about the 2011 Hyundai Elantra: The car’s biggest issues, while rare, are pretty severe. We’re talking about blowouts, airbag failure, and total engine collapse, and you might not be able to count on a recall to cover it. The 2011 Elantra isn’t a bad car. Most drivers will never have to deal with these problems. But, for about $1,000 less, a 2011 Kia Forte delivers similar performance plus a little more peace of mind, with just over 100 NHTSA complaints in total.
Photos: Hyundai
