Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2015 Hyundai Sonata: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 1,126 safety complaints about the 2015 Hyundai Sonata with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved July 14, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

1,126
Complaints
9
Recalls
4
Investigations
5★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 34 crashes, 47 fires, 32 injuries, 2 deaths.

Key findings
  1. Engine & cooling issues dominate. They appear in 56% of the 1,126 complaints on file — an unusually concentrated failure pattern.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 169 of the 1,126 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.
  3. Complaints peaked 7 years after the model year (170 filed in 2022) — a pattern consistent with wear-out failures rather than assembly defects.
  4. 4 NHTSA defect investigations are associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2015 Hyundai Sonata, engine & cooling issues stand far above everything else.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 1,126 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Engine & cooling
630
Other / unspecified
166
Electrical
165
Power train / transmission
133
Brakes & stability
87
Fuel & propulsion
81
Steering
74
Body & structure
65

"The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, exhaust fumes were noticed inside the cabin, and the check engine light illuminated before the engine stalled. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown."

Owner complaint filed July 2026 · Engine And Engine Cooling · NHTSA ODI 11749278

"​I will take ​10k$ for the car or a new engine and steering, damages fixed. . I also need a rental by April 10th and $300 for inconvenience thus far. ​The engine ​stalled ​twice​ when driving over 2 months! The lawyer won't be forgiving."

Owner complaint filed April 2026 · Engine · NHTSA ODI 11729990

When complaints were filed

For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2015 Hyundai Sonata peaked later than usual, in 2022.

Complaints filed per year — 2015 Hyundai Sonata
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
46
64
75
80
126
88
114
170
127
90
91
55
151617181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through July 14, 2026). A late peak is the signature of wear-out failures: parts that don't fail until the vehicle has years and miles on it.

How the 2015 compares with other model years

Across the Hyundai Sonata model years we track, the 2011 has the most complaints on file (3,368); the 2015 ranks 4 of 4.

Total complaints by model year — Hyundai Sonata
All complaints on file per model year, as of July 14, 2026
3,368
1,551
1,895
2015
1,126
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 9 recalls

9 recalls apply to some or all 2015 Hyundai Sonata vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Jun 201414V-325
Steering

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 driven power steering system or the inabili…

Jun 201414V-368
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Caliper

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.

Dec 201414V-784
Power Train:Axle Assembly:Axle Shaft

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 separating from the transaxle differential.

Jun 201515V-414
Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly

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 fastening the seat belt.

Oct 201515V-678
Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel

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 there is an ABS malfunction. In the event of …

Apr 201616V-232
Air Bags:Frontal

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 October 15, 2015. In these vehicles, the…

Oct 201616V-726
Visibility:Sun/Moon Roof Assembly

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 option. Due to a bonding issue with the su…

Jun 201717V-359
Parking Brake:Indicator Light

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.

Sep 202121V-749
Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal

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, which could cause the turn signal to activate…

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★★
Overall
★★★★★
Frontal crash
★★★★★
Side crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2015 Hyundai Sonata have?

As of July 14, 2026, owners have filed 1,126 complaints about the 2015 Hyundai Sonata with NHTSA. The most-reported system is engine & cooling.

How many recalls does the 2015 Hyundai Sonata have?

The 2015 Hyundai Sonata has 9 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2015 Hyundai Sonata safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2015 Hyundai Sonata an overall crash rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved July 14, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.