2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring has a complaint index of 80, ranking as the second-worst year among six model years tracked, with 29 complaints and 3 recalls. It's rated Avoid, with engine problems making up 38% of complaints.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 80/100
- #2 of 6 Elantra Touring years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 29
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 3
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 4
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 3
- Top issue
- Engine
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 26
- 23 city / 30 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 3 / 0
Top 2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Engine11 (38%)
- Brakes5 (17%)
- Airbags4 (14%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires4 (14%)
- Transmission & Powertrain4 (14%)
- Steering3 (10%)
- Other2 (7%)
- Electrical System1 (3%)
- Fuel System1 (3%)
- Seat Belts1 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Airbags failed to deploy in crashes, including front and side airbags, sometimes preceded by an illuminated airbag warning light.
- Some drivers reported sudden unintended acceleration when shifting from park into drive, leading to collisions with parked cars.
- Rear brakes showed severe rust and required replacement even on lightly driven vehicles.
- Alloy wheels cracked or developed leaks, and tires blew out at highway speed with sidewalls found cracked.
- Front brakes locked up unexpectedly during normal driving, causing the steering to pull and the car to slow abruptly.
- Transmissions dropped into neutral unexpectedly while driving, in some cases requiring transmission replacement.
2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring recalls
3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 20V061000Feb 4, 2020Brakes476,111 vehicles
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2007-2010 Elantra and 2009-2011 Elantra Touring vehicles. On February 21, 2020 Hyundai expanded the recall to include 46,425 model year 2007-2008 Entourage and 2007 Santa Fe vehicles. Moisture may enter the Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and result in an electrical short.
Risk: An electrical short within the ABS Module may cause an engine compartment fire, even when the car is turned off, increasing the risk of an injury.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a relay in the vehicle's main junction box to prevent the risk of an ABS short-circuit while the car is turned off, free of charge. The recall began April 2, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 188.
- NHTSA 14V310000Jun 10, 2014Structure & Body35,000 vehicles
Structure:frame and members
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Elantra Touring vehicles manufactured December 15, 2009, through May 7, 2012. The affected vehicles have a support bracket attached to the headliner that may become displaced during a side curtain airbag deployment.
Risk: If the headliner support bracket makes contact with an occupant during a crash, it may cause a laceration injury.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will apply adhesive strips to the headliner, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2014. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 117.
- NHTSA 13V113000Apr 1, 2013Electrical System1,712,336 vehicles
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.
2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 23 MPG
- Highway
- 30 MPG
- Combined
- 26 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,500
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2011 compared with other Elantra Touring years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring reliable?
- NHTSA data shows the 2011 Elantra Touring has a complaint index of 80, the second-highest among six model years, earning an Avoid verdict. Engine problems account for 38% of its complaints.
- What are the most common problems with the 2011 Elantra Touring?
- Engine issues lead with 11 complaints (38% share), followed by brakes, airbags, suspension/wheels/tires, and transmission & powertrain, each with 4-5 complaints.
- Does the 2011 Elantra Touring have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 3 recalls for this year: a brake relay fix, a headliner support bracket adhesive repair, and a stop lamp switch replacement, none of which are do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2011 Elantra Touring compare to other years?
- The 2011 model ranks worse than the 2009 (Good), 2012 (Caution), and 2013 (Best) model years, but better than the 2010 model year, which has the highest complaint index at 100.
- At what mileage do engine problems typically appear in the 2011 Elantra Touring?
- NHTSA complaint data shows a median mileage of 80,877 miles at engine failure for this model year.