Reliable Auto DB

2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport has 82 complaints with NHTSA after 12 years, or 2 per year. That is about even with the other Santa Fe Sport years here. Their median is 2 complaints per year. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Brake control module and Latch.

2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
Photo by SsmIntrigue, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

82

Per year

2

Recalls

3

Years on the road

12

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (41 of 82), then Hydraulic brakes (16) and Electrical system (9). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 6 that report a fire.

Next to 2014 and 2016

The 2014 Santa Fe Sport has 161 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2016 has 69 complaints, 2 per year. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2016.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall Brake control module 2021-04-28 · NHTSA campaign 21V303000
Summary Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. Brake fluid may leak inside the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) module, possibly resulting in an electrical short.
Remedy Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures as a precaution until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS multi-fuse, and inspect and replace the ABS module, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 25, 2021. Note: This recall includes all vehicles previously recalled under NHTSA recall number 20V-520. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 205.
Recall Brake control module 2020-08-27 · NHTSA campaign 20V520000
Summary Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. Brake fluid may leak inside the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) module, possibly resulting in an electrical short.
Remedy Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ABS module and replace it if necessary, free of charge. Owners are advised to park outside as a precaution until the recall repair is complete. The recall began December 22, 2020. Note: This recall has been superseded by NHTSA Recall 21V-303 and all affected vehicles will now be repaired under 21V-303. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 194.
Recall latches, locks, and linkages, hood, latch 2017-06-05 · NHTSA campaign 17V358000
Summary 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 when the hood is closed.
Remedy 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. Hyundai's number for the recall is 163.

Complaints by component (82 total)

Engine
41
Hydraulic brakes
16
Electrical system
9
Powertrain
7
Service brakes
7
Engine and engine cooling
5
Steering
4
Air bags
3
Fuel and propulsion system
3
Latches, locks, and linkages
3
Exterior lighting
2
Structure
2
Fire-related
1
Forward collision avoidance
1
Speed control
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Show 8 more Show less
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

6

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

520171020189201972020820211020223202342024132025132026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "See Attached Letter For Complaint"
    Engine and engine cooling · filed 2026-08-21
  • "The vehicle suffered a severe engine overheating failure that created an immediate fire risk and electrical safety signaling failure. A brand-new replacement engine was installed by an authorized dealership in April…"
    Electrical system, Engine · filed 2026-08-13
  • "While I was driving my Theta engine got seized and Hyundai denied extended warranty of power train."
    Engine · filed 2026-07-15
  • "Today while driving to church we started hearing a ping noise ever so often. This just started then . After leaving church to go home the pinging noise got louder than the engine stalled and wouldn't start again. I had…"
    Engine, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-07-12
  • "For a few months- the ABS light, Downhill assist light, and Slippery road light have all been on. Read it could be due to a bad sensor. Then on Saturday July 4th, I turned the car on and the Ebrake light was on but my…"
    Electrical system, Service brakes · filed 2026-07-08

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport SUV AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport SUV FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Specs and fitment

DM generation, 2013–2018
Body styles SUV
Oil 5W-30/5W-40 (2.0L turbo); 5W-20/5W-30 (2.4L) , 5.1 qt capacity
Tire size 235/65R17, 235/60R18 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 20V-520 covers certain 2013-2015 Santa Fe Sport vehicles: brake fluid may leak inside the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) module, possibly resulting in an electrical short and an increased risk of an engine compartment fire. Dealers inspect the ABS module and replace it if necessary. Owners are advised to park outside until the repair is complete. Recall 21V-303 is a related ABS module campaign for certain 2013-2015 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. Recall 17V-358 covers certain 2013-2017 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport vehicles where the secondary hood latch cable may corrode and bind.

Compare

Previous year 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Next year 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport See every Hyundai Santa Fe Sport model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport reliable?

The 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport has 82 complaints with NHTSA after 12 years, or 2 per year. That is about even with the other Santa Fe Sport years here. Their median is 2 complaints per year. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Brake control module and Latch.

What are common problems with a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (41 of 82), then Hydraulic brakes (16) and Electrical system (9). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 6 that report a fire.

Is the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2014 Santa Fe Sport has 161 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2016 has 69 complaints, 2 per year. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2016.

Has the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport been recalled?

The 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport?

Owners have filed 82 complaints about the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport with NHTSA.

What oil does a Hyundai Santa Fe Sport take?

Viscosity and capacity depend on engine and model year; use the generation specs here and confirm in the owner's manual.

What generation is the 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport?

DM generation (2013-2018) for the US years this site tracks.

What tire sizes does a Hyundai Santa Fe Sport use?

Common US sizes include 235/65R17 and 235/60R18 depending on trim.