2015 Hyundai Sonata
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 1,144 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 4th highest complaint count among 26 Sonata model years with reports.
Of the 2015 reports, 34 involved a crash and 48 involved a fire. 32 people were injured and 2 people died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Exterior lighting, turn signalSep 24, 2021
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Sonata, 2016-2017 Sonata Hybrid, and Sonata Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. The Smart Junction Box (SJB) software logic may not properly interpret the signals received from the multifunction switch, which could cause the turn signal to activate in the opposite direction of what the driver intended.
A turn signal that activates in the opposite direction of what was intended by the driver increases the risk of a crash.
Dealers will update the SJB software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 210.
Campaign 21V749000 on NHTSA.gov
Parking brake, indicator lightJun 5, 2017
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Sonata and Genesis vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the warning light to indicate that the parking brake is applied may intermittently not illuminate in the dash due to corrosion in the switch.
If the parking brake indicator is not illuminated when the parking brake is applied, the driver may operate the vehicle with the parking brake partially engaged, increasing the risk of a crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the parking brake switch, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 164.
Campaign 17V359000 on NHTSA.gov
Visibility, sun/moon roof assemblyOct 11, 2016
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata Hybrid vehicles manufactured December 8, 2014, to August 18, 2015, and Hyundai Sonata vehicles manufactured May 28, 2014, to March 18, 2016, equipped with the panoramic sunroof option. Due to a bonding issue with the sunroof wind deflector, the sunroof panel on the affected vehicles may detach while driving.
If the sunroof detaches from the vehicle it could become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will repair the wind deflector anchor plate, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 152.
Campaign 16V726000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontalApr 21, 2016
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata vehicles manufactured May 29, 2014 to February 11, 2016, 2017 Elantra vehicles manufactured January 12, 2016 to February 22, 2016, and one 2016 Sonata Hybrid vehicle manufactured October 15, 2015. In these vehicles, the driver's frontal air bag may be missing a chemical enhancer required for the second stage air bag deployment, resulting in the second stage not deploying in certain crashes. The primary stage will deploy as intended.
An air bag that does not inflate increases the risk of injury.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on May 5,2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 144.
Campaign 16V232000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, instrument cluster/panelOct 20, 2015
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata vehicles manufactured May 28, 2014, to August 21, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with an Antilock Braking System (ABS) warning light intended to warn the driver if there is an ABS malfunction. In the event of an ABS malfunction, the Brake System warning light will illuminate, but the ABS warning light will not illuminate. Since the vehicles have ABS malfunction lights that do not illuminate, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
If the driver is alerted there is a brake system malfunction, but not specifically with the ABS system, the driver may operate the vehicle unaware that the vehicle's brakes may lock up during hard braking, increasing the risk of a crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the ABS control unit software, free of charge. The recall is expected began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 134.
Campaign 15V678000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, front, buckle assemblyJun 30, 2015
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015 Sonata vehicles manufactured April 25, 2014, to December 4, 2014. The affected vehicles have a front passenger seat belt whose buckle latch assembly may prevent the front passenger from fastening the seat belt.
If the front passenger seat belt cannot be latched, an occupant sitting in the front passenger seat has an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will repair or replace the front passenger seat belt buckle, free of charge. The recall began on September 15, 2015. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 130.
Campaign 15V414000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, axle assembly, axle shaftDec 9, 2014
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 1.6 liter model year 2015 Sonata vehicles manufactured August 29, 2014, to October 28, 2014. The affected vehicles may have been assembled with an incorrect left axle shaft which may result in the shaft separating from the transaxle differential.
If the left axle shaft separates from the transaxle, the vehicle may stop moving, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, a separated axle shaft may allow the vehicle to roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Hyundai will notify owners, dealers will inspect and replace the axle shaft, as necessary, free of charge. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 126.
Campaign 14V784000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, foundation components, disc, caliperDo not drive until repairedJun 24, 2014
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015 Sonata vehicles manufactured April 25, 2014, through June 16, 2014. Due to a manufacturing error, one or both of the front brake calipers may fracture.
If a brake caliper fractures, brake effectiveness would be reduced, lengthening to distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Hyundai contacted the affected owners on June 19, 2014 and instructed them not to drive their vehicles. Hyundai dealers will replace the affected brake calipers, free of charge. The recall began on September 12, 2014. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 120.
Campaign 14V368000 on NHTSA.gov
SteeringDo not drive until repairedJun 12, 2014
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015 Sonata vehicles manufactured May 2, 2014, through May 23, 2014. A poor connection within the vehicle's wiring harness may result in a reduction of steering assist from the vehicle's motor driven power steering system or the inability to move the vehicle's shifter from the Park position.
The reduction of power steering assist can increase the steering effort needed, increasing the risk of a crash.
Hyundai notified dealers to suspend sales of affected Sonata vehicles and has published recall bulletin 14-01-024 providing a service procedure to repair the affected vehicles. On June 7, 2014 Hyundai began to contact the affected retail customers. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 119.
Campaign 14V325000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: steering
74 reports, newest first. Show all
Steering, Traction control system, May 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at lower speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to steer in either the left or right direction. The Traction Control, Power Steering, and the high-beam warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent service center, where it was diagnosed with error codes: C167286, C126008, C136008, C126002, and C168808. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 195,000.
Steering, Sep 22, 2025
The steering column locks up. When start vehicle and make turn to get on road the steering locks up and cannot turn the wheel. This is safety concern and not safe to drive.
Steering, Sep 1, 2025
While driving a EPS light came in and the steering was extremely hard to drive. I was on the highway so I had to pull over to turn off the car and then turn it on. After turning it on it worked ok for a little and then messed up again and I couldn’t turning the steering wheel again. While driving in the highway my safety was at risk because I could have crashed into another car and hurt my self or other people driving. The car can be inspected at any point in time because it is at a Hyundai dealership where it got fixed a few months before. The problem was confirmed by the dealer. The vehicle has not been impounded and a selected dealer. The EPS warning light and key not detected light came on. Hyundai has multiple issues with their staring and wiring with multiple different Hyundais, including elantra and Sonata, but directly with the Hyundai Sonata hybrid. There are multiple warranties for recall 14325000. I bought this car in November 20 24 and went into the shop December 30 of 2024. It stayed in two shops, including a Hyundai dealer from December 2024 to April 2025 it had been out from April till August and went back into the shop in August. His car I believe is defective and shouldn’t be on the road whatsoever. In logically how does a whole steering column go out and need to be replaced at only 109,000 miles?!
Steering, Electrical system, Jun 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while her son was driving the vehicle at approximately 65 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to steer. The contact stated that the driver pulled to the side of the road. The contact stated after the driver turned off and restarted the vehicle several times, the steering wheel responded as needed. The contact stated that the message "Power Steering Fault" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the loss of power steering assist was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V325000(Steering, Electrical System). The contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the electric power steering assist motor and unknown related parts needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V325000(Steering, Electrical System); however, the dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Steering, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jun 10, 2025
My steering rack had to be replaced at less than 55,000 miles. I asked the dealer if this was covered under warranty and they said no. I was charged $4,800 for this repair. I contacted Hyundai USA and they refused to cover the repair. I then realized that I had received a letter from Hyundai stating my car had the extended warranty of 15 years/150m miles for this exact repair. I am on the phone with Hyundai now and they are still refusing to cover this repair, even though they sent me the letter stating my car has this extended warranty. My car is available for inspection upon request. Yes, my safety and the safety of others was put at risk, my power steering would intermittently go out while turning. Yes, my car was inspected twice, once in 2023 and again in May of 2025. Repairs were done in May. I was told this was not covered under warranty but I have an extended warranty from Hyundai for this exact problem. That extended warranty is for 15 years/150m miles. Yes, the occurrence in 2025 threw a code of C168708 - CAN time out VSM (MDPS) and C1814 - CAN message failure SAS.
Steering, Electrical system, Feb 27, 2025
Power steering failed, car diagnosed with code C2412 & Hyundai refuses to take accountability
Steering, Electrical system, Engine, Feb 11, 2025
For about a month now the power steering was going in and out and then just the other day, the power steering went completely out, I am now having it towed to the dealership today 02/11/2025. I've also had oil consumption problems to the point where there is only 1 quart of oil left in the engine when getting the oil changed, had the combustion cleaning done and no help. Hyundai said no to a new engine, car only has 102,000 miles on it, only 10 years old and Hyundai hasn't helped a bit, said that I would have to come out of pocket but I ended up having to spend $600 on the cleaning, which is absurd.
Steering, Jul 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel and the contact observed that the steering wheel had become very difficult to turn. The contact stated that the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that before the power steering failure, the engine had been replaced by a dealer. The contact pulled over, turned off, and restarted the vehicle, and the power steering functionality returned. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent and occurred at various speeds. The contact took the vehicle back to the same dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
Steering, Jul 14, 2024
Steering wheel locked with skid slip lines and red steering wheel and exclamation mark lights on. Steering wheel locked up while driving. The car will no turn and is not drivable because the wheel will not turn.
Steering, Feb 22, 2024
WHEEL LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING, RED LIGHT CAME ON THE DASHBOARD. ONCE I TURNED CAR OFF AND BACK ON IT WAS FIXED, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. ANY IDEA WAHT IT COULD BE?
Steering, Nov 21, 2023
The wheel of my car as I would turn literally locked on me and the car went off to the other side of roadand engine shuts off .this seems to only happen when I make a right turn quickly it is random and I never. Know when this will occur it hurt my hand because the wheel snapped out of my hand as to keep straight . So it's very scary I am looking for help to get itfixed . But I won't feel safe driving it until then I had to buy another car so that I could drive meanwhile I see what I can do about this car
Steering, Oct 9, 2023
Steering Column making Clicking sound. Steering Wheel completely locked during a turn.
Steering, Aug 24, 2023
While driving, I was in the middle of a left turn and had a reduction of the power steering assist system. I had to hit the brakes before entering the opposing traffic. I had to muscle the steering wheel to get out of the middle of the road.
Steering, Aug 8, 2023
The power steering went out on two different occasions. The power steering assist light came on (red steering wheel light in the lower left corner of panel). The car was extremely difficult to drive. Once the car was shut off the system reset and the steering was normal. I brought the car to the dealership twice and they told me they could not duplicate the problem and could not repair the car unless they could duplicate the problem. Hyundai USA basically told me the same thing; even though there must be a known issue because they have extended the warranty on the power steering assist system. The dealership and Hyundai's only solution was to have the car inspected at another dealership. This is a ridiculous solution since the problem seems to be an intermittent issue. Having the car inspected by another dealership will not solve anything. I believe this issue makes my car UNSAFE to drive! Hyundai will not reply to my questions such as: why an error code was not recorded when the power steering light is triggered? Hyundai should pay for the repair of these issues as they are reported by the owner and not only when it is occurring at the dealership.
Steering, Service brakes, Engine, Aug 7, 2023
While turning in an intersection on a highway, car displayed check hybrid system and shut down. power steering could not engage so braking and turning was almost impossible. Car had to be towed, was not able to be restored
Steering, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 1, 2023
Engine failure due to a problem with the type of engine. Hyundai denied warranty and class action settlement claim, due to exceptional neglect. All oil changes etc were accounted for. the car with no warning, had been driving great, lost all power and left me and my two grandchildren on the side of the road. The Hyundai dealership confirmed that the engine was blown. There were no warnings
Steering, Aug 1, 2023
The electric power steering suddenly failed while making a turn on a neighborhood road shortly after beginning a drive. The incident also triggered warning lights for the Forward Collision Warning System, Lane Departure Warning System, and Smart High Beam System. I was able to return the car to a safe location and turn it off. When I turned the car back on later, power steering and other systems worked normally. The service center was unable to recreate the issue. They recommended replacing the steering column for a cost of $3,000+ but did not perform the service due to the issue not recurring. Approximately 10 days later, the electric power steering failed again while backing out of a parking space. It worked normally again after turning the car off and back on. It is unclear if this issue is connected to the known problem with the steering coupler in this vehicle. (My specific vehicle was not included in the recall associated with the coupler issue, but has demonstrated the steering catch/clunk that is the hallmark of that problem.)
Steering, May 31, 2023
My steering wheel locked up and I had to turn the car off and back on again in order to steer.
Steering, May 4, 2023
As I was driving down a highway going 65 my steering wheel pretty much locked up. I got a red steering wheel light and traction control light came on to and I could barely turn. I looked this up and a lot of people are saying it's the wiring with the power steering. How is this not a recall? Me and my kids could of died or I couldn't of hit someone else also. Now it's not doing it. But then today as I was driving the kids to school it happened again.
Steering, Apr 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and turning the steering wheel to the center position, the steering wheel independently turned to left, causing the vehicle to veer to the left. Additionally, the contact stated while attempting to make a right turn, the failure recurred, causing the vehicle to go to the opposite direction. The contact stated that she used physical force to manually turn the steering wheel to the right as the steering wheel was resistant. The steering warning light and the traction control warning light were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring, and the steering wheel was making abnormal clicking sounds while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it diagnosed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,150.
Steering, Feb 10, 2023
Steering wheel hardens as vehicle picks up speed, making it difficult to turn the steering wheel.
Steering, Electrical system, Jan 20, 2023
After driving for 15 or more minutes, the power steering fails. The warning light for the power steering and stability control turn on at that moment, as well. This failure occurs while driving and the wheel jerks a bit if the car is in a turn. There was a power steering recall for other Hyundais of the same era, which is very coincidental.
Steering, Jan 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the steering column. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that an unknown part within the steering column had failed and needed to be replaced. No further information was available. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 29,500.
Steering, Dec 5, 2022
2015 HYUNDAI SONATA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO STEERING DEFECT.
Steering, Dec 1, 2022
As Im driving the ((electric power steering)) goes out. Its happened 4 or 5 times and when you turn your car off for a period of time the errors go off and dont come back till it does it again. It gets to you cant hardly turn the steering wheel. I'm a big guy and struggle to steer the car when this happens. If this happens when youre driving you could kill yourself or someone else by not being able to turn the steering wheel to avoid another vehicle or person. I was at a dealership and because the icons werent on they couldnt trouble shoot the issue. There was an icon with EPS! in red and an icon with skid marks