2015 HYUNDAI SONATA — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 1,183 complaints · 12 recalls
Most-reported system: ENGINE (476 complaints · 40.2%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 38
  • Fires 50
  • Injuries 37
  • Deaths 2
Compare with 2014 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 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.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution ENGINE appears in 476 of 1,183 owner complaints (40.2%) in this vehicle snapshot. ENGINE: 476 complaints, 40.2% of reports ENGINE 476 · 40.2% · 2 crash reports 27 fire reports POWER TRAIN: 95 complaints, 8.0% of reports POWER TRAIN 95 · 8.0% · 1 crash reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 77 complaints, 6.5% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 77 · 6.5% · 4 crash reports 7 fire reports STEERING: 57 complaints, 4.8% of reports STEERING 57 · 4.8% · 3 crash reports FUEL SYSTEM: 54 complaints, 4.6% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 54 · 4.6% · 2 crash reports 2 fire reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 49 complaints, 4.1% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 49 · 4.1% · 7 crash reports SERVICE BRAKES: 41 complaints, 3.5% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 41 · 3.5% · 5 crash reports 1 fire reports STRUCTURE: 34 complaints, 2.9% of reports STRUCTURE 34 · 2.9% · 2 crash reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 29 complaints, 2.5% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 29 · 2.5% UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 260 complaints, 22.0% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 260 · 22.0% · 10 crash reports 13 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
ENGINE 476 40.2% 2 crashes · 27 fires
POWER TRAIN 95 8.0% 1 crashes · 0 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 77 6.5% 4 crashes · 7 fires
STEERING 57 4.8% 3 crashes · 0 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 54 4.6% 2 crashes · 2 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 49 4.1% 7 crashes · 0 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 41 3.5% 5 crashes · 1 fires
STRUCTURE 34 2.9% 2 crashes · 0 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 29 2.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 260 22.0% 10 crashes · 13 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 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.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 2015; the first recall shown was reported in Jun 2014. 2015-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2015-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 2015-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2015-Q4: 17 owner reports 17 2016-Q1: 14 owner reports 14 2016-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2016-Q3: 17 owner reports 17 2016-Q4: 25 owner reports 25 2017-Q1: 20 owner reports 20 2017-Q2: 19 owner reports 19 2017-Q3: 25 owner reports 25 2017-Q4: 17 owner reports 17 2018-Q1: 21 owner reports 21 2018-Q2: 24 owner reports 24 2018-Q3: 24 owner reports 24 2018-Q4: 20 owner reports 20 2019-Q1: 22 owner reports 22 2019-Q2: 44 owner reports 44 2019-Q3: 32 owner reports 32 2019-Q4: 33 owner reports 33 2020-Q1: 18 owner reports 18 2020-Q2: 15 owner reports 15 2020-Q3: 28 owner reports 28 2020-Q4: 27 owner reports 27 2021-Q1: 30 owner reports 30 2021-Q2: 29 owner reports 29 2021-Q3: 19 owner reports 19 2021-Q4: 37 owner reports 37 2022-Q1: 48 owner reports 48 2022-Q2: 46 owner reports 46 2022-Q3: 45 owner reports 45 2022-Q4: 32 owner reports 32 2023-Q1: 34 owner reports 34 2023-Q2: 29 owner reports 29 2023-Q3: 42 owner reports 42 2023-Q4: 26 owner reports 26 2024-Q1: 22 owner reports 22 2024-Q2: 28 owner reports 28 2024-Q3: 28 owner reports 28 2024-Q4: 17 owner reports 17 2025-Q1: 21 owner reports 21 2025-Q2: 20 owner reports 20 2025-Q3: 25 owner reports 25 2025-Q4: 26 owner reports 26 2026-Q1: 30 owner reports 30 2026-Q2: 21 owner reports 21 2026-Q3: 20 owner reports 20 Owner reports Jun 2014 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 14V325000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V325000 Recall campaign 14V368000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V368000 Recall campaign 14V784000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V784000 Recall campaign 15V414000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V414000 Recall campaign 15V678000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V678000 Recall campaign 16V232000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V232000 Recall campaign 16V726000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V726000 Recall campaign 17V152000 ◆ Recall campaign 17V152000 Recall campaign 17V359000 ◆ Recall campaign 17V359000 Recall campaign 17V617000 ◆ Recall campaign 17V617000 Recall campaign 21V749000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V749000 Recall campaign 23V651000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V651000 Investigation EA19001 ● Investigation EA19001 Investigation EA19001 ● Investigation EA19001 Investigation DP21003 ● Investigation DP21003 Investigation EA21003 ● Investigation EA21003 Investigation DP22003 ● Investigation DP22003 Investigation DP22003 ● Investigation DP22003 Investigation DP22005 ● Investigation DP22005 Investigation AQ23002 ● Investigation AQ23002
  • 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 20
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
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (12)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 14V325000

    Report date
    Component:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 14V368000

    Report date
    Component:
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 14V784000

    Report date
    Component:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 15V414000

    Report date
    Component:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 15V678000

    Report date
    Component:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 16V232000

    Report date
    Component:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  7. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 16V726000

    Report date
    Component:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  8. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 17V152000

    Report date
    Component:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  9. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 17V359000

    Report date
    Component:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  10. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 17V617000

    Report date
    Component:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  11. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 21V749000

    Report date
    Component:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  12. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 23V651000

    Report date
    Component:
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 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.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 1183 complaints · page 1 of 48

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 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.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources