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
1,144 reports, newest first.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jun 26, 2025
Our 2015 Sonata has experiencing Engine failure several times due to excessive and irregular oil consumption. Our family’s safety and the safety of others on the roadway were put at risk as the engine slows, shudders and stalls without prior warning and the check engine light does not come on until the vehicle slows and stalls. The vehicle was inspected at a local Hyundai dealership, and they indicated that this is not covered under warranty. Summary of Engine Issues and Failures: 1.May 3, 2022 – 68,671 miles (local Hyundai dealer) Check engine light on, shudder; oil change performed. No cause identified. Paid out-of-pocket. 2.August 23, 2022 – 75,527 miles (retail shop) Car engines failed on highway, towed to service shop. Valve cover gaskets replaced. Paid out-of-pocket in part and extended warranty paid part of the invoice. 3.April 29, 2024 – 109,229 miles (local Hyundai dealer) Excessive oil consumption noted; valve cover gasket replaced again. Paid out-of-pocket. 4.January 22, 2025 – 118,341 miles (local Hyundai dealer) Vehicle stalled en route to airport, towed to dealership; dealership advised oil change. Paid out-of-pocket. 5.May 20, 2025 – 122,000 miles (local Hyundai dealer) Engine codes P0300, P0302, P0303 identified. Dealer diagnosed excessive oil consumption likely due to ring wear or sticking rings, contributing to spark plug misfires. Recommendation: Engine replacement. Despite consistent and timely service, including multiple visits to the Hyundai dealership, the root issue has not been properly addressed. The current diagnosis of internal engine failure is a clear continuation of a pattern of unresolved engine problems (stalling in motion, oil leaks and oil consumption) all of which originated well within Hyundai’s original warranty. The vehicle has been well maintained, and all recalls have been addressed in a timely manner. Hyundai’s failure to acknowledge and take responsibility for this widely documented engine issue is a safety concern.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, Jun 20, 2025
The car has had an electrical issue ever since taking to to get a recall around may of 2023. It will randomly brake and shift the transmission badly while downshifting. I feel as if my make and model falls under the theta II campaign they had to replace certain engines for having a knocking rod be fault and release shaving into the engine causing it to misfire. Not only that but the electrical issue is completely random it happens atleast once or twice a week. It had began ever since I took it for a recall, and when I took it back they found no issue and left food in the back of my car and the chairs leaned back. This was the Fontana Hyundai dealership
Electrical system, Jun 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the instrument cluster failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the instrument cluster displayed a black screen. In addition, the contact stated several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The contact stated that an unknown recall repair for the ECM software update was performed; however, the software update failed to fix the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle remained at the dealer for four months without being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 140,000.
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.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 6, 2025, fire
The contact owned a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that after the daughter reached the destination and parked the vehicle, a popping noise suddenly occurred from the engine compartment. After exiting the vehicle, flames were present coming from under the engine hood. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. The vehicle was later towed to an impound lot. During the incident, the vehicle was destroyed. The cause of the failure was not determined. No injuries were reported. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact indicated that the engine had been previously replaced as part of a recall repair. The failure mileage was 155,000.
Exterior lighting, May 24, 2025
My lights come on when the car is parked and the engine is off,mostly during the night its happened twice in 2months.
Structure, May 24, 2025
Peeling / Chipping Paint
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, May 12, 2025, crash
My 2015 Hyundai Sonata has demonstrated multiple instances of unintended acceleration and braking failure: April 20, 2024 – While idling in a drive-thru line, the vehicle suddenly lurched forward without any attempt to accelerate and crashed into the vehicle in front of me. I was unable to stop it. This resulted in the other car being totaled. I took it to a Hyundai dealership afterward, but they found no definitive cause. April 4, 2025 – My daughter was driving and attempted to stop at a red light. Despite applying the brakes, the car did not stop and continued through the intersection, striking the door of another vehicle. May 12, 2025 – Today, while using cruise control set to 55 mph, the car began accelerating beyond the set speed without input. It appears the cruise control system is malfunctioning and not disengaging as expected. The vehicle currently shows no open recalls, but I found that similar issues were previously investigated under NHTSA action DP21003 for this model year. These incidents occurred months apart, but the behavior is consistent and extremely dangerous. I am requesting a formal investigation. The safety of my family and others on the road is at risk.
Electrical system, May 10, 2025
MI AUTO NO ENCIENDE Y NO DETECTA LA LLAVE SIMPLEMEM NTE NO FUNCIONA NADA NO PUEDO ARRANCARLO
Seat belts, Engine, May 8, 2025
Multifunction box is in the steering column that controls your lights, signals, I put my turn signal on right or left at night and my lights go out,but they come back on.also I have zero warning lights on my dashboard for when something happens it let's you know,well I have none. Hyundai of California says it's not unsafe.it should be a recall because it's a thousand dollars for update..
Engine, May 5, 2025
I've been in communication with Hyundai Henderson, Nevada and Hyundai Corporate as result of engine problems with my 2015 Hyundai Sonata. Corporate instructed Hyundai Henderson to submit a "Goodwill Warranty Repair order. However Hyundai Henderson, who has already determined that the vehicle has total engine failure, is requiring that I complete the thousand mile oil consumption test. My car has already proven to be unable to drive a couple hundred miles before losing acceleration. This is a huge safety issue to ask a consumer to drive this vehicle or to put this vehicle on the road as it is. Please advise on how I may move forward with Hyundai Henderson and Hyundai Corporate. * I have my entire battery/oil/repair/tire history - will scan and submit if needed/ upon request - unable to attach here. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Apr 28, 2025
I was driving down the road the engine started making a loud knocking noise and as I pulled over it lost power and shut down it would not crank back up I had to have it towed to my house. There was no warning sign.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 26, 2025
The car just stopped while driving.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was shaking and vibrating abnormally. Additionally, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 40 MPH. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 136,000.
Engine, Apr 21, 2025
As we were driving on the highway at 65 mph, the car completely cut off. Fortunately, we were able to immediately steer it off the road to avoid an accident. We had it towed and the mechanic at the auto repair shop said the engine was completely shot. He advised us to have it towed to a Hyundai dealership because he had seen this same situation with other Hyundais with limited mileage and said there may be a safety recall or a class action lawsuit. My car has 60,000 miles and is well maintained.
Structure, Apr 19, 2025
On Friday, April 18, I opened my panoramic sunroof on my car. When I did, the wind deflector became detached from the sunroof mechanism. So I attempted to close the sunroof and when I did, the would not close all the way and the sunroof appeared to become off track. No the roof will not close all the way leaving it popped open about an inch. I called a couple of Hyundai dealers and they both said that there was an extended warranty provided by Hyundai. Based on my car’s original purchase date, I am out of warranty by 6 weeks on time but under the mileage of 120,000 mileage limit. . I have read that this has caused the glass portion of the sunroof to blow out of the car because it won’t close all the way. I believe that this poses a threat not only to me and my passengers as well as possibly someone riding behind me me getting hit because the sunroof came loose and hitting them as well.
Electrical system, Engine, Apr 19, 2025
I was driving and when turning into a parking lot, I accelerated and the vehicle stalled. It did not go suddenly when accelerating. A couple days later, I use a code reader and have a code listed as P1326. So I take it for a diagnostic at a local shop and I am told it is the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS). I was advised to take it to a Hyundai dealer because often these vehicles have manufacture warranty since there’s recalls. There have been some vehicles under this recall Hyundai put out as Service Campaign 966 or 982. They have had vehicles deal with this sensor issue before. Hence why there is a campaign issued. I review to see if there are any recalls on my vehicle and tare none but there are other models listed for this particular issue for Hyundai vehicles. My vehicle was driving fine and it’s fairly new. Low miles then suddenly this happened without warning. I believe it is a recall issue for this model as well.
Structure, Mar 31, 2025
While driving under normal highway conditions, the sunroof detached from the vehicle while still in the closed position. This caused extreme danger to other drivers and property and could have caused a fatality if it would have hit a motorcyclist or other unprotected person. There was a recall for this (Recall Campaign 152: 2015-2016 Sonata Panoramic Sunroof) and the vehicle was delivered to the dealer during the recall period for inspection and presumed fix. There was no warning that anything was wrong previous to the incident.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled, and there were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that prior to the engine failure, engine oil needed to be added every week. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was not eligible for an engine replacement because an engine software update had not been performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the engine could not be replaced before the software update had not been performed. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.
Power train, Mar 24, 2025
While traveling on local roads and highways the vehicle transmission randomly down-shifts one or two gears. This has occurred when traveling in any gear from gears 3 through 6. It probably doesn't happen in 2nd gear because that is a transitory gear and not a cruising gear. After quickly moving the shifter from automatic mode into manual mode and then back into automatic mode the transmission returns to the proper gear. However sometimes it has down shifted again in as little as 30 to 60 seconds after resetting the shifter. This has been happening for years. The dealership has been unable to fix it. Because it is random, the issue is not readily reproducible by the repair shop. Sometimes it has happened several times within a 15 minute period. Sometimes it has occured multiple consecutive days. Other times a week or two has passed with no incident.
Other or unspecified, Mar 23, 2025
My pearl white 2015 Hyundai Sonata Sport’s paint is chipping off while im driving causing paint chips to fly which has almost caused me to wreck. This is happening on the trunk roof and passenger front door.
Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 19, 2025
The low pressure fuel line connector to the high pressure fuel pump failed and sprayed fuel over the hot engine. This could have easily cause a vehicle fire and death. This is a KNOW ISSUE and is covered by a safety recall on 2013-2014 Hyundai Sonatas (Hyundai Technical Service Bulletin 20-01-030H). The same issue occurred on this 2015 Sonata that was built in June 2015. A temporary repair had to be made until Hyundai could inspect it. Vehicle was taken to Holler Hyundai in Winter Park, FL and inspected. Results were forwarded to Hyundai Motors America and the repair was declined because the 2015 models were not included in the recall. It is our belief that the same connector was also used on some 2015 Sonata models prior to the issue being discovered.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Mar 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally strong gasoline odor inside the vehicle. There was a warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the fuel pump. The contact was informed that the fuel pump was leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
Electrical system, Structure, Other or unspecified, Mar 14, 2025
On 03/14 I was driving down the road the with the sunroof open the wind flap suddenly went to flying making a loud sound I pulled over and saw that it was loose and hanging I went to press the button to attempt to close it and it semi closed. I went and had it looked at and was told that it was broken and could not be closed and needed to be replaced I was told it was a common issue with Hyundais and to contact the company