2015 Hyundai Sonata Problems & Recalls
Comprehensive defect analysis based on official US Federal safety databases.
2015 Hyundai Sonata Top Failure Categories
Distribution of driver complaints across vehicle components according to federal taxonomy.
Official Safety Recalls for 2015 Hyundai Sonata (9)
Defect 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.
Safety Hazard: If the sunroof detaches from the vehicle it could become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Free 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.
Defect 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.
Safety Hazard: If the parking brake indicator is not illuminated when the parking brake is applied, the driver may operate the vehicle with the parking brake partially engaged, increasing the risk of a crash.
Free 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.
Defect 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.
Safety Hazard: An air bag that does not inflate increases the risk of injury.
Free 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.
Defect 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."
Safety Hazard: If the driver is alerted there is a brake system malfunction, but not specifically with the ABS system, the driver may operate the vehicle unaware that the vehicle's brakes may lock up during hard braking, increasing the risk of a crash.
Free 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.
Defect 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.
Safety Hazard: If the front passenger seat belt cannot be latched, an occupant sitting in the front passenger seat has an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Free 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.
Defect 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.
Safety Hazard: If a brake caliper fractures, brake effectiveness would be reduced, lengthening to distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Free 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.
Defect 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.
Safety Hazard: The reduction of power steering assist can increase the steering effort needed, increasing the risk of a crash.
Free 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.
Defect 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.
Safety Hazard: If the left axle shaft separates from the transaxle, the vehicle may stop moving, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, a separated axle shaft may allow the vehicle to roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Free 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.
Defect 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.
Safety Hazard: A turn signal that activates in the opposite direction of what was intended by the driver increases the risk of a crash.
Free 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.
Verified NHTSA Owner Complaints
Excerpts of actual incident reports submitted to the federal Office of Defects Investigation (ODI).
"On Wednesday, October 21, 2026, our 2015 Hyundai Sonata with the 2.4L Theta II GDI engine suffered a sudden, complete engine seizure while traveling about 75 mph on I-25 Southbound near Castle Rock, CO. A family member was driving. Warning lights across the car began flashing, the engine made a loud grinding noise, and the brakes stopped working. O..."
"A franchise dealership performed a federally mandated safety recall service (ECM Software Update) and a knock sensor replacement on this 2015 Hyundai Sonata 2.0L Turbo. To perform these specific repairs, the technician had to work directly around the intake and turbocharger assembly workspace. Immediately after picking up the vehicle, it suffered a..."
"Hyundai Motor America is explicitly refusing to honor the mandatory safety recall and lifetime warranty extension for a catastrophic rod bearing failure on my 2015 Hyundai Sonata (VIN [XXX]). The engine suffered a sudden internal connecting rod bearing seizure while operating, causing a complete loss of motive power and creating an immediate hazard..."
"The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the driver-side windshield wiper failed to function properly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the wiper blade was not making proper contact with the windshield due to a bent driver-side windshield wiper arm. The dealer was ..."
"I received a notice from Hyundai that there was a Service Campaign 9C2 for my car. My car was running fine but I took it to Jones Hyundai in Belair MD for oil change and the Service Campaign. After this work was done my car lost driveability, poor throttle response and transmission searching for correct gear. I notified Hyundai about my concerns an..."