2015 Hyundai Santa Fe reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe holds 254 complaints after 12 years, a rate of 10 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Santa Fe years here — under the median of the other years, which is 33. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Brake control module and Latch.

2012 Hyundai Santa Fe — Photo by Elise240SX, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

254

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (160 of 254), then Powertrain (22) and Service brakes (21). Those filings include 9 that report a crash, 13 that report a fire, and 7 that report an injury.

Next to 2014 and 2016

The 2014 Santa Fe has 493 complaints, 24 per year, and the 2016 has 236 complaints, 9 per year. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has more complaints per year than 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. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (2)

Recall Brake control module 2023-09-22 · NHTSA campaign 23V651000

Summary 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 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module may leak brake fluid internally and cause an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.

Remedy 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, 2024 through October 11, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 251.

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 (254 total)

Engine

160

Powertrain

Service brakes

Electrical system

Fuel and propulsion system

Air bags

Exterior lighting

Structure

Hydraulic brakes

Speed control

Steering

Lane departure

Forward collision avoidance

Seat belts

Visibility and wipers

Suspension

Visibility

Wheels

Air brakes

Back-over prevention

Engine and engine cooling

Latches, locks, and linkages

Seats

Tires

Show 16 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"Driving on highway no warning lights appeared the car made a loud pop noise and heavy smoke appeared from under the hood. Immediately pulled over and noticed all of the oil poured out and was nasty looking. The car was…"
Engine · filed 2026-07-21
"I was driving down the road ( a busy Farm to market road) and my car lost power and died. Luckily i got off of the road. I tried to start the car again, but it kept dying. I had my son in law come help me move the car…"
Engine · filed 2026-06-12
"The engine failed due to complete and sudden oil loss. The vehicle is currently at Fremont Hyundai and available for inspection. Safety risk: the engine failed while driving on the highway with children in the vehicle.…"
Engine · filed 2026-05-17
"2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited, 3.3L Lambda II GDI V6, ~102,000 miles. In December 2022, an authorized Hyundai dealer replaced three specific parts under a Hyundai recall/campaign (records requested). On Sunday [DATE] at…"
Powertrain, Service brakes, Engine · filed 2026-05-09
"Vehicle engine started knocking heavily while driving down the road. Had vehicle inspected for issue and was told vehicle had burned all the oil down to one quart and the engine was destroyed. Vehicle recently serviced…"
Engine · filed 2026-04-22

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2015 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated
2015 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV FWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated

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.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Santa Fe all-wheel drive	3.3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	18	24	20 MPG	$3250
Santa Fe front-wheel drive	3.3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	18	25	21 MPG	$3100
Santa Fe Sport all-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	18	24	20 MPG	$3250
Santa Fe Sport all-wheel drive	2.4L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	19	25	21 MPG	$3100
Santa Fe Sport front-wheel drive	2.4L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	20	27	23 MPG	$2800
Santa Fe Sport front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	19	26	22 MPG	$2950
Santa Fe Sport Ultimate front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	19	26	22 MPG	$2950
Santa Fe Ultimate all-wheel drive	3.3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	17	22	19 MPG	$3400
Santa Fe Ultimate front-wheel drive	3.3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	17	23	20 MPG	$3250

Specs and fitment

3rd generation (DM), 2012–2018

Body styles SUV

Oil 5W-20 or 5W-30 (2.4L and 3.3L V6 per manual) , 5 qt capacity

Tire size 235/60R18 to 235/55R19 (trim dependent)

Towing capacity 5,000 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 17V358000. 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. If the hood is not securely closed or the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. 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.

Compare

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

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?

What are common problems with a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe?

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

Has the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe been recalled?

The 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe has 2 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?

Owners have filed 254 complaints about the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe is 20.9 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Santa Fe take?

5W-20 or 5W-30 (2.4L and 3.3L V6 per manual)

What does NHTSA recall 17V-358 cover on the Hyundai Santa Fe?

NHTSA campaign 17V358000.

What generation is the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe?

3rd generation (DM) (2012-2018).