2015 Hyundai Sonata reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2015 Hyundai Sonata has 1,144 complaints with NHTSA after 12 years, or 62 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Sonata years here — over the median of the other years, which is 22. NHTSA has 9 recalls on file, including Turn signal, Indicator light, and Sunroof.

2012 Hyundai Sonata — Photo by MercurySable99, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

1,144

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (623 of 1,144), then Electrical system (167) and Powertrain (134). Those filings include 34 that report a crash, 48 that report a fire, 24 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2014 and 2016

The 2014 Sonata has 746 complaints, 25 per year, and the 2016 has 723 complaints, 23 per year. The 2015 has more 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 Sonata. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (9)

Recall exterior lighting, turn signal 2021-09-24 · NHTSA campaign 21V749000

Summary 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 in the opposite direction of what the driver intended.

Remedy 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 this recall is 210.

Recall parking brake, indicator light 2017-06-05 · NHTSA campaign 17V359000

Summary 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.

Remedy 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's number for this recall is 164.

Recall visibility, sunroof 2016-10-11 · NHTSA campaign 16V726000

Summary 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 sunroof wind deflector, the sunroof panel on the affected vehicles may detach while driving.

Remedy 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's number for this recall is 152.

Recall air bags, frontal 2016-04-21 · NHTSA campaign 16V232000

Summary 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 driver's frontal air bag may be missing a chemical enhancer required for the second stage air bag deployment, resulting in the second stage not deploying in certain crashes. The primary stage will deploy as intended.

Remedy 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 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 144.

Recall electrical system, instrument cluster 2015-10-20 · NHTSA campaign 15V678000

Summary 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 an ABS malfunction, the Brake System warning light will illuminate, but the ABS warning light will not illuminate. Since the vehicles have ABS malfunction lights that do not illuminate, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."

Remedy 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 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 134.

Recall seat belts, front, buckle 2015-06-30 · NHTSA campaign 15V414000

Summary 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.

Remedy 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 service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 130.

Recall powertrain, axle assembly, axle shaft 2014-12-09 · NHTSA campaign 14V784000

Summary 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.

Remedy 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 recall is 126.

Recall hydraulic brakes, foundation components, disc, caliper 2014-06-24 · NHTSA campaign 14V368000

Summary 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.

Remedy 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 September 12, 2014. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 120.

Recall Steering 2014-06-12 · NHTSA campaign 14V325000

Summary 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 inability to move the vehicle's shifter from the Park position.

Remedy 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 Hyundai began to contact the affected retail customers. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 119.

Complaints by component (1144 total)

Engine

623

Electrical system

167

Powertrain

134

Fuel and propulsion system

Steering

Service brakes

Speed control

Structure

Exterior lighting

Air bags

Engine and engine cooling

Seat belts

Suspension

Visibility and wipers

Wheels

Seats

Forward collision avoidance

Visibility

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Fuel system, gasoline

Lane departure

Parking brake

Tires

Equipment

Hydraulic brakes

Latches, locks, and linkages

Traction control

Adaptive and mobility equipment

Air brakes

Fire-related

Show 22 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"After receiving the Hyundai Service Campaign 9C2 update on my 2015 Hyundai Sonata on XXX, I have started having jerky acceleration when the car is first started and am driving. Also, while driving at highway speed (65…"
Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-09-11
"In March 2026 Hyundai did an emissions update Campaign 9C2. Since that update my 2015 Hyundai Sonata SE has run rough and shifted hard. Hyundai stopped doing the update in May 2026. Hyundai has not provided any update…"
Powertrain, Engine · filed 2026-09-10
"The engine failed due to the known recall defect, dealer confirmed loss of compression in cylinders 2 & 4. I am a federal employee stationed overseas on official duty orders, and Hyundai Motor America is delaying safety…"
Engine · filed 2026-09-01
"Engine locked up, crank bearing failure, found out there is known failures with this problem and Hyundai had a class action suit against them in the past and issued lifetime warranty for this engine due to this problem.…"
Engine · filed 2026-08-27
"I bought this car new in 2015, when I was at 97000 miles they had to replace the motor and turbo, I am now at 155844 and they are telling me that basically all 4 cylinders have low compression, cylinder 3 is the worst.…"
Engine · filed 2026-08-24

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2015 Hyundai Sonata 4 DR FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2015 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid 4 DR 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.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Sonata	2.4L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	24	36	28 MPG	$2300
Sonata	1.6L, 4-cyl	Automatic (7-speed)	Front-wheel drive	28	36	31 MPG	$2100
Sonata	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	22	31	26 MPG	$2500
Sonata hybrid	2.4L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	35	38	37 MPG	$1750
Sonata hybrid Limited	2.4L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	35	38	37 MPG	$1750
Sonata Limited	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	21	30	24 MPG	$2700
Sonata Sport Limited	2.4L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	24	34	27 MPG	$2400

Specs and fitment

7th generation (LF), 2012–2019

Body styles Sedan

Oil 5W-20 or 0W-20 (2.4L and 2.0L turbo per manual) , 5 qt capacity

Tire size 205/65R16 to 245/45R18 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Owner complaints for early years in this span (especially 2013) concentrate on the engine. Safety recall 17V-226 covers certain 2013-2014 Sonata and Santa Fe Sport vehicles: machining errors during engine manufacturing may cause premature bearing wear that can seize the engine; dealers inspect and replace the short block as needed. Safety recall 22V-312 (replacing 20V-121) covers certain 2013-2014 Sonatas whose low-pressure fuel hose between the low-pressure and direct-injection pumps may crack from engine-bay heat and leak fuel; dealers replace that hose. Safety recall 18V-934 covers certain 2011-2014 Sonatas previously remedied under 15V-568 or 17V-226 whose high-pressure fuel pipe may have been damaged or mis-torqued during engine replacement and can leak; dealers inspect and replace the pipe as needed. Safety recall 16V-956 covers a small build of 2017 Sonatas (and Elantras) whose driver frontal air-bag inflator end seal may be missing; dealers replace the driver frontal air-bag module.

Compare

Previous year 2014 Hyundai Sonata Next year 2016 Hyundai Sonata See every Hyundai Sonata model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Hyundai Sonata reliable?

What are common problems with a 2015 Hyundai Sonata?

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

Has the 2015 Hyundai Sonata been recalled?

The 2015 Hyundai Sonata has 9 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 Sonata?

Owners have filed 1144 complaints about the 2015 Hyundai Sonata with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2015 Hyundai Sonata get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2015 Hyundai Sonata is 30 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Sonata take?

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

Which Sonata years had the engine bearing safety recall?

Safety recall 17V-226 covers certain 2013-2014 Sonatas (and Santa Fe Sport) for premature engine bearing wear; dealers inspect and replace the short block as needed.