2011 Hyundai Equus

Showing the 2011 Equus GLS. We haven't verified this trim's engine; the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
18 mpgcombined; city 16, highway 24; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$22,360U.S. average; Ohio $21,070 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
Recall campaigns
2over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
24filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2011 Equus. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 24 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Equus. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by part of the car
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Suspension11202
Service brakes6000
Electrical system4010
Wheels3202
Exterior lighting2000
Air bags1000
Electronic stability control (ESC)1101
Engine1000
Engine and engine cooling1000
Steering1000
Unknown or other1000
Visibility/wiper1000

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

  1. 201124
  2. 20128
  3. 201310
  4. 201436
  5. 20159
  6. 20169

Every Equus year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2011 Equus over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.

Visibility: windshield wiper/washer

NHTSA campaign 16V117000 · reported Feb 29, 2016 · 18,700 vehicles potentially affected

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2012 Genesis vehicles manufactured August 1, 2011, to April 30, 2012, and 2011-2013 Equus vehicles manufactured July 10, 2011, to June 12, 2012. The windshield wiper motor cover seal on the affected vehicles may degrade allowing corrosion on the wiper motor's circuit board. The corrosion can cause intermittent or total loss of wiper function.

Risk: Inoperative wipers during inclement weather can decrease driver visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wiper motor cover and seal, free of charge. The recall began on April 22, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 140.

NHTSA's record and documents

Exterior lighting: brake lights

NHTSA campaign 14V713000 · reported Nov 7, 2014 · 42,925 vehicles potentially affected

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2009-2011 Hyundai Genesis vehicles manufactured April 30, 2008, to November 21, 2010, and 2011 Hyundai Equus vehicles manufactured July 31, 2010, to November 21, 2010. Due to a circuit failure, the stop lamps in the affected vehicles may not illuminate.

Risk: A following vehicle may not recognize that the vehicle is slowing or coming to a stop if the stop lamps on the vehicle do not illuminate as expected. There is an increased risk of a rear-end crash as a result.

Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will repair the stop lamp switch circuit, free of charge. Hyundai issued an interim notification to owners on January 6, 2015. The recall began on March 23, 2015. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 125.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 61 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2011 Equus, the latest on Oct 7, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: equipment (16), visibility (10), power train (8), service brakes (7), equipment adaptive/mobility (6).

NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2011 Equus.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Specs

EPA class: large cars. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Equus
Rear-Wheel Drive
4.6 L, 8 cylAutomatic 6-spdPremium Gasoline16 / 24 / 18

Sources and dates

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data