2015 Hyundai Sonata Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,657 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2015 Hyundai Sonata, alongside 9 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 37/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 69,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2015 sits among all Sonata years
What owners report
“Car stopped on the road last week 4/6/26 could not start had to get towed mechanic says no oil in engine received oil change last month”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Sonata
“At 45,800 miles my sonata could not reach 60 mph and the rpm could not reach 2000. I also noticed the gas mileage drops the sonata had 35,000 miles on it. I took the car to the dealer and was told it needs new engine.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Sonata
“As i was driving my vehicle just cut off. The battery and check rngine light came on,but my car has plenty oil and i just got a new battery.a few months ago i got the recall corrected but,i have been having issues since.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Sonata
“This is a transmission issue.check engine light turned on at 15000 miles and now at 31000 miles. As a result of this, car doesn't accelerate as intended. The car accelerates on its own.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Sonata
“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…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Sonata
“The emergency parking brake light does not come on when set, however parking brake does function.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Sonata
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 824 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 57,152 miles. Half of those reports fall between 24,800 and 85,643 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (9)
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,…
Fix: 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…
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.
Fix: 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 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…
Fix: 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 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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
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.
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 23V877.
Led to recall campaign 20V024.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2015 Hyundai Sonata reliable?
The 2015 Hyundai Sonata drew 1,657 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 37/100, scored against the model's worst year (2011).
What are the most common 2015 Hyundai Sonata problems?
The top reported problems for the 2015 Hyundai Sonata are engine (638 complaints), electrical (205), and other (183).
At what mileage do 2015 Hyundai Sonata problems show up?
Owners most often report 2015 Hyundai Sonata problems around 57,152 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 24,800 and 85,643 miles.
Does the 2015 Hyundai Sonata have recalls?
9 recall campaigns apply to the 2015 Hyundai Sonata. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
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.