Car Yearsto Avoid

2011 Hyundai Sonata Airbag Problems

From NHTSA owner complaints and recalls. Updated Oct 17, 2026.

How common are airbag problems on the 2011 Hyundai Sonata?

419 owners have reported airbag problems on the 2011 Hyundai Sonata, 12% of all complaints for this year and the 4th most reported problem area. Most reported problems happened at about 69,000–116,000 miles. 1 recall covers this area.

419 complaints 12% of all 2011 complaints 94,000 miles typical

Which parts fail

The specific part named in each complaint.

Frontal 1
Driver clockspring / spiral cassette 1
SRS malfunction warning lamp / light 1

Mileage when it failed

Each dot is a complaint that gave a mileage (238 of 419). The amber line is the middle value.

When problems were reported

Airbags complaints by the year the problem happened.

Airbags complaints by Sonata year

2009 Sonata 30
2010 Sonata 20
2011 Sonata 419
2014 Sonata 31
2015 Sonata 25
2016 Sonata 21
2017 Sonata 22
2018 Sonata 4
2019 Sonata 9
2020 Sonata 7
2021 Sonata 4
2023 Sonata 1

Related recalls

Pretensioner, Side / window

On February 27, 2018, Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) notified NHTSA that they were recalling 154,753 model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. On April 18, 2018, Hyundai expanded the recall to include an additional 425,305 model year 2012-2013 Sonata and 2011-2012 Sonata Hybrid vehicles. In the event of a crash, the air bag control unit (ACU) may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags from deploying. If the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.

Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install an external wire filter kit, free of charge.

Recall 18V137000 · Feb 2018
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Other 2011 Hyundai Sonata problems

Common questions

What are common 2011 Hyundai Sonata airbag problems?

Complaints most often name the frontal, driver clockspring / spiral cassette and SRS malfunction warning lamp / light.

At what mileage do 2011 Hyundai Sonata airbag problems happen?

Most complaints that gave a mileage fell between about 69,000–116,000 miles. The middle value is about 94,000 miles.

Is there a recall for 2011 Hyundai Sonata airbag problems?

Yes: 18V137000. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if the work was done.

Which Sonata year has the most airbag complaints?

The 2011 Sonata, with 419 complaints.

Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls databases. Complaints are unverified owner reports.