2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems, Recalls & Reliability

443 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 29/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 89,044 miles.

443Complaints
29/100Trouble index
2Recalls
67,430Typical trouble mileage

Typical

Where 2015 sits among all Santa Fe years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Engine 206 complaints (47%) · typically ~89,044 miles
“While driving down the highway the engine stopped. Towed it to a mechanic. They told me the engine seized up and that this was happening alot with Hyundai vehicles.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Santa Fe
Brakes & stability 53 complaints (12%) · typically ~60,000 miles
“The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: (21V303000) (Service Brakes, Hydraulics) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Santa Fe
Electrical 40 complaints (9%) · typically ~66,181 miles
“I have a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe sport and been having electrical issues at the fuse box”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Santa Fe
Other 29 complaints (7%)
“A portion of the sunroof inexplicably shattered. The vehicle was stationary and parked at the time, though there was nothing above, around or even near the vehicle to cause the damage.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Santa Fe
Transmission & drivetrain 29 complaints (7%) · typically ~69,215 miles
“1. Tranny went out at 115,00 miles. 02/22. Replaced $2400.00. 2. Engine went out, 125,000. 10/22. Yet to be fixed. MANY 2.4L HAVE DONE THIS.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Santa Fe
Fuel system 16 complaints (4%) · typically ~44,856 miles

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 171 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 67,430 miles. Half of those reports fall between 36,100 and 100,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (2)

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 23V651000 2023 Park outside

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Sonata Hybrid, 2012-2015 Accent, Azera, Veloster, 2013-2015 Elantra Coupe, Santa Fe, 2014-2015 Equus, 2010-2012 Veracruz, 2010-2013 Tucson, 2015 Tucson Fuel Cell, and 2013…

Fix: 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,…

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 17V358000 2017

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch actuating cable may corrode and bind, causing the secondary hood latch to remain in the unlatched position…

Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary latch cable, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owner's may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059.…

Federal defect investigations

Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →

Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires AQ23002 opened November 17, 2023 · still open

Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units…

Model years named: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

Loss of Motive Power DP22003 opened 2022, closed 2023
Throttle control system vulnerabilities DP21003 opened 2021, closed 2023

Technical service bulletins

171 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2015 Santa Fe TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2015peak 72 in 20232026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?

The 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe drew 443 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 29/100, scored against the model's worst year (2017).

What are the most common 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe problems?

The top reported problems for the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe are engine (206 complaints), brakes & stability (53), and electrical (40).

At what mileage do 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe problems show up?

Owners most often report 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe problems around 67,430 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 36,100 and 100,000 miles.

Does the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe have recalls?

2 recall campaigns apply to the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.

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Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.