2015 Hyundai Sonata Problems: Engine (1,198 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2015 Hyundai Sonata is Engine (41% of 1,198 owner reports). There are 12 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Engine — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-10-16 1,198 complaints · 12 recalls
What problems show up on the 2015 Hyundai Sonata?
487 of 1,198 filings named Engine (41% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Transmission / driveline (95 reports).
There are 12 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Electrical, Brakes, Transmission / driveline, Seat belts, Airbags, Glass / wipers / cameras, and Parking brake. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2014 has 775 reports on file; this year has 1,198. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Engine 487 complaints · 40.7% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 38
- Fires 51
- Injuries 38
- Deaths 2
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-10-16 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine (ENGINE) | 487 | 40.7% | 2 crashes · 27 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 95 | 7.9% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 78 | 6.5% | 4 crashes · 8 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 57 | 4.8% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 55 | 4.6% | 2 crashes · 2 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 49 | 4.1% | 7 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 41 | 3.4% | 5 crashes · 1 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 34 | 2.8% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 29 | 2.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 262 | 21.9% | 10 crashes · 13 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-10-16 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 15V678000 was reported 216 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 16V232000 was reported 360 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 16V726000 was reported 211 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 17V152000 was reported 576 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 17V617000 was reported 786 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V749000 was reported 2,382 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 23V651000 was reported 3,167 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 21 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 44 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 32 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 33 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 28 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 30 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 29 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 37 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 48 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 46 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 45 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 32 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 34 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 29 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 42 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 26 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 28 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 28 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 21 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 26 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 30 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 21 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2026-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V325000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V368000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V784000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V414000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V678000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 16V232000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 16V726000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17V152000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17V359000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17V617000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V749000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 23V651000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA19001 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA19001 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP21003 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA21003 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP22003 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP22003 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP22005 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | AQ23002 |
Safety Recalls (12)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Electrical, Brakes, Transmission / driveline, Seat belts, Airbags, Glass / wipers / cameras, and Parking brake.
-
Recall campaign 14V325000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- The reduction of power steering assist can increase the steering effort needed, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 14V368000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- If a brake caliper fractures, brake effectiveness would be reduced, lengthening to distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 14V784000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 15V414000
Seat belts
- Report date
- Component:
- Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 15V678000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 16V232000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- An air bag that does not inflate increases the risk of injury.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 16V726000
Glass / wipers / cameras
- Report date
- Component:
- Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
- Consequence:
- If the sunroof detaches from the vehicle it could become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 17V152000
Seat belts
- Report date
- Component:
- Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
- Consequence:
- In the event of a crash, if the seat belts detach from the anchor pretensioners, it can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy:
- Hyundai will notify owners and dealers will inspect the connection between the seat belt linkages and the seat belt anchor pretensioners, repairing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 7, 2017. Owner's may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for the recall is 160.
-
Recall campaign 17V359000
Parking brake
- Report date
- Component:
- Parking brake (PARKING BRAKE)
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 17V617000
Seat belts
- Report date
- Component:
- Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
- Consequence:
- If the seat belt linkage detaches from the seat belt anchorage, it can not properly restrain the occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy:
- Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will again verify the connection between the seat belt linkage and the pretensioner and additionally install a warning label to prevent future seat belt linkage detachment, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 169.
-
Recall campaign 21V749000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- A turn signal that activates in the opposite direction of what was intended by the driver increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 23V651000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy:
- Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024 through October 11, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 251.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-10-16
Showing 5 of 1,198 complaints · page 1 of 48
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Hyundai Motor America is explicitly refusing to honor the mandatory safety recall and lifetime warranty extension for a catastrophic rod bearing failure on my 2015 Hyundai Sonata (VIN [XXX]). The engine suffered a sudden internal connecting rod bearing seizure while operating, causing a complete loss of motive power and creating an immediate hazard. Hyundai Corporate Escalations issued a blanket denial solely because the vehicle carries a rebuilt title. However, the vehicle's official Hyundai portal confirms that Service Campaign 953 (the Knock Sensor Detection System software update) was successfully completed on XXX. The engine failure matches the exact factory manufacturing defect (internal oil starvation from manufacturing debris) that is the subject of the In re: Hyundai and Kia Engine Litigation. The external collision history that led to a structural/rebuilt brand has absolutely zero mechanical correlation to a sealed, internal crankshaft block defect. Hyundai is acting in bad faith by using an unrelated title status to evade a federal safety recall mandate and escape liability for a dangerous, stalling powertrain defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I received a notice from Hyundai that there was a Service Campaign 9C2 for my car. My car was running fine but I took it to Jones Hyundai in Belair MD for oil change and the Service Campaign. After this work was done my car lost driveability, poor throttle response and transmission searching for correct gear. I notified Hyundai about my concerns and they replied they opened a case number. Corporate advice so far has been to let the car warm before driving, which has been marginaly helpful. It is hard to merge with high speed traffic because of poor throttle response and transmission searching for correct gear, I have had some close calls. I think cold weather will increase this problem.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I am filing this complaint regarding transmission and drivability problems with my 2015 Hyundai Sonata 2.4L following Hyundai Campaign 9C-2. My vehicle was running and driving perfectly before this update. I have always maintained it on time, followed proper maintenance schedules, and have records documenting its maintenance history. I never experienced these transmission issues before the update. The problems began immediately after the campaign was performed. In fact, I noticed the abnormal shifting before I even left the dealership after picking up my vehicle. Since the update, the vehicle has experienced poor and abnormal shifting behavior. I contacted the dealership to report the problem and also filed a complaint directly with Hyundai Corporate. I was told that Hyundai is aware of the issue, yet my complaint remains unresolved. I also located a document online indicating that Hyundai is aware of this problem. Additionally, I have seen numerous reports from other Hyundai owners describing similar transmission problems after receiving this same update. My vehicle has approximately 82,000 miles. The engine was replaced approximately one year before this complaint. Given the vehicle's excellent operation before the update, my documented maintenance history, and the immediate onset of the problems at the dealership, I am seriously concerned that Campaign 9C-2 caused or contributed to these transmission issues. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether this software update causes or worsens transmission shifting problems in affected Hyundai vehicles. Hyundai's awareness of the reported issue and the apparent number of similar owner complaints make this especially concerning. I believe this issue deserves investigation to determine its cause, assess any potential safety risks, and establish whether corrective action
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Ever since the 9C2 software update was completed on 94/26, the car is experiencing hesitations not only in the first few minutes of driving but after the engine is hot. It was driving perfectly before this update.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Recently got the engine rebuilt (2024) and then it broke down on me yesterday with the engine light flashing and a warning sign stating pull over don’t drive
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2015 Hyundai Sonata?
Owners named Engine most often — 487 of 1,198 reports (41%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2015 Hyundai Sonata?
NHTSA lists 12 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Electrical, Brakes, Transmission / driveline, Seat belts, Airbags, Glass / wipers / cameras, and Parking brake. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2015 Hyundai Sonata?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-10-04
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-10-16. YearTell is not a government agency.