2015 Hyundai Sonata: common problems

Owners of the 2015 Hyundai Sonata filed 1,156 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 1,156
involving a crash: 34

What fails most often

1 Engine 55% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 15% of all complaints
3 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
4 Fuel/propulsion system 7% of all complaints
5 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
6 Steering 6% of all complaints
7 Vehicle speed control 5% of all complaints
8 Structure 4% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Engine: 631 complaints (55% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 168 complaints (15% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 135 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Fuel/propulsion system: 78 complaints (7% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 77 complaints (7% of all), 11 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

1.6 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cylnamed in 1 complaints
2 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cylnamed in 3 complaints
2.4 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 12 complaints
2.4 L · hybrid · 4 cylnamed in 12 complaints
automatic, 6-speed
dual-clutch (DCT), 6-speednamed in 6 complaints
dual-clutch (DCT), 7-speednamed in 6 complaints

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 1,156 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

warning lights, check engine311 · 27%
stalls while driving165 · 14%
knocking, grinding or other noise138 · 12%
loss of power / limp mode107 · 9%
smoke, burning smell, fire103 · 9%
engine failure or replacement102 · 9%
oil leak or consumption101 · 9%
vibration74 · 6%
hesitation when accelerating54 · 5%
jerking, harsh shifts52 · 4%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Engine	631	4
Electrical system	168	3
Powertrain	135	1
Fuel/propulsion system	78	3
Service brakes	77	11
Steering	74	4
Vehicle speed control	61	8
Structure	52	5
Exterior lighting	38	0
Visibility	30	0
Air bags	25	7
Engine and cooling	21	0
Seat belts	21	1
Suspension	17	1

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

âThe engine âstalled âtwiceâ when driving over 2 months! The lawyer won't be forgiving.
Engine · crash · 2026-04-08 · NHTSA complaint #11729990
My 2015 Hyundai Sonata has demonstrated multiple instances of unintended acceleration and braking failure: April 20, 2024 â 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.
Service brakes · crash · 2025-05-12 · NHTSA complaint #11660512
Trying to break after being hit to prevent hitting another driver . Ended up hitting the driver still and my car ended up catching on fire .
Electrical system · crash · 2023-09-29 · NHTSA complaint #11547288
My 2015 Hyundai Sonata has issues when switching from eco-to standard to sports, it constantly shakes when approaching a red light or stop.. my vehicle is constantly stock and vandalize and stole. Need you to easy assessability by thieves. this constitute higher insurance for me and consistent problems
Fuel/propulsion system · crash · 2023-06-10 · NHTSA complaint #11526312
The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated no air bags were deployed. The contact stated no one was injured nor sought medical attention. The contact did not contact the police department nor filed a police report. The vehicle was not drivable and was left at the locations of the incident.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2022-11-07 · NHTSA complaint #11492550
Engine failure while driving on freeway. Lost control unable to accelerate, almost got hit by semi due to inability to move out of way swiftly. All engine oil came out due to rod bearing punching hole in engine block and car started smoking, fire department said I had maybe 2 minutes before my car wouldâve been…
Engine · crash · 2022-08-23 · NHTSA complaint #11480681
Power steering assist failed upon making a right hand turn. Steering failure led to an injury accident. Vehicle was inspected by Green Light Auto and EDR codes retrieved. No codes specific to steering was found. Vehicle was inspected by insurance adjustor.
Steering · crash · 2021-11-09 · NHTSA complaint #11439880
steering wheel locked up while driving causing vehicle to run off the Hwy. vehicle flipped causing injuries
Steering · crash · 2021-08-23 · NHTSA complaint #11430233

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

201546
201664
201775
201880
2019126
202088
2021114
2022170
2023127
202490
202591
202685

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 165 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 1% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Sonata has 403 complaints (40 years in the data). This year has 1,156, above average.

What to check before buying

Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2015 Hyundai Sonata?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 1,156. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (27%), stalls while driving (14%), knocking, grinding or other noise (12%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2015 Hyundai Sonata?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2015 Hyundai Sonata from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2015 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.