2015 Hyundai SONATA problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
1,142 owner complaints analyzed
9 distinct recall campaigns
56,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2015 model year. Data snapshot: . 597 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 621 of 1,142 complaints (54.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Engine operation | 180 | 15.8% |
| Braking behavior | 141 | 12.3% |
| Steering behavior | 98 | 8.6% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 80 | 7.0% |
| Transmission and shifting | 62 | 5.4% |
| Fuel system concerns | 39 | 3.4% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine | 621 |
| Unknown Or Other | 164 |
| Electrical System | 161 |
| Power Train | 133 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 74 |
| Service Brakes | 73 |
| Steering | 72 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 58 |
Engine: 621; Unknown Or Other: 164; Electrical System: 161; Power Train: 133; Fuel/Propulsion System: 74; Service Brakes: 73; Steering: 72; Vehicle Speed Control: 58
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 163 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 104 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 122 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 101 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 83 |
| 150,000 and above | 24 |
Under 25,000: 163; 25,000 to 49,999: 104; 50,000 to 74,999: 122; 75,000 to 99,999: 101; 100,000 to 149,999: 83; 150,000 and above: 24
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (163). 545 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 46 |
| 2016 | 64 |
| 2017 | 75 |
| 2018 | 80 |
| 2019 | 126 |
| 2020 | 88 |
| 2021 | 114 |
| 2022 | 170 |
| 2023 | 127 |
| 2024 | 90 |
| 2025 | 91 |
| 2026 | 71 |
2015: 46; 2016: 64; 2017: 75; 2018: 80; 2019: 126; 2020: 88; 2021: 114; 2022: 170; 2023: 127; 2024: 90; 2025: 91; 2026: 71
Pattern summary
Engine leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 180 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 141 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 98 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10695016 · 2015-03-18 (March 18, 2015)
AT 1540 MILES 2015 HYUNDAI SONATA LIMITED ENGINE CAM ADVANCE SENSOR FAILED. THIS CAUSED ENGINE RUNNING ROUGH AND LIMITED POWER WITH INABILITY TO CLIMB HILLS WITHOUT CONSTANTLY DOWNSHIFTING. HIGHWAY DRIVING IS DANGEROUS DUE TO INABILITY TO ACCELERATE AND MERGE AND LOSS OF POWER ON HILLS. OTHER OWNERS ARE UNABLE TO START THEIR CARS ALTOGETHER. ENGINE MONITOR WARNED OF PROBLEM AND RECOMMENDED FULL SYSTEMS DIAGNOSTIC WHICH POINTED TO CAM SENSOR ISSUE. SUPPLY OF SENSORS WAS BACKLOGGED DUE TO MULTIPLE FAILURES NATIONALLY. THIS IS ALSO EVIDENCED …
Owner-reported narrative. 1,540 miles reported. Look up ODI 10695016 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10706175 · 2015-04-16 (April 16, 2015)
ON 04/06/2016, THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND HESITATED. LACK OF ACCELERATION, EVEN AT 4000 RPMS (TOP SPEED 20 MPH AT 4000 RPMS). THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO STALL AND REQUIRED THE GAS PEDAL TO BE PRESSED DUE TO LOW RPMS AT IDLE. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT, WITH NO WARNING TO THE OPERATOR, AND POSES A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RISK ON ROADWAYS WITH SPEED LIMITS ABOVE 40 MPH. NO ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON TO WARN THE OPERATOR. AFTER THREE OCCURRENCES OF THIS PROBLEM, IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS, THE VEHICLE, WITH ONLY 1,351 MILES ON THE ODOMETER…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,351 miles reported. Look up ODI 10706175 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10676407 · 2015-01-19 (January 19, 2015)
THIS IS A NEW HYUNDAI SONATA 2015. THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ERRATICALLY. THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS CAN BE A SAFETY CONCERNS: 1. SOMETIMES WHEN IDLING AT INTERSECTION THE ENGINE RPM GOES UP ALL OF A SUDDEN AND THE CAR STARTS MOVING FORWARD AND ONLY A STRONGER PUSH ON THE BRAKES STOPS THE CAR FROM CRASHING INTO THE VEHICLE AHEAD OR RUNNING A RED LIGHT. 2. WHEN DRIVING ON HIGHWAY THE CAR LACKS POWER EVEN IF THE GAS PEDAL IS DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY INTO THE FLOOR. THIS PREVENTS THE CAR FROM PROPERLY ACCELERATING WH…
Owner-reported narrative. 3,552 miles reported. Look up ODI 10676407 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10676853 · 2015-01-20 (January 20, 2015)
I PURCHASED MY HYUNDAI SONATA ON 1/05/2015 WITH ONLY 6 MILES FROM SHEEHY HYUNDAI OF WALDOR IN MARYLAND AFTER 11 DAYS OF PURCHASE ON JANUARY 16 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:45 PM (RUSH HOUR IN THE DC METRO AREA) MY SONATA CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP WITHOUT ANY WARNING SIGNS ON THE HIGHWAY IN MIDDLE LANE WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS AND VERY SCARY AND PUT ME IN A VERY VULNERABLE POSITION. THE ENGINE SHUT OFF, I WAS UNABLE TO STEER OUT THE WAY OF TRAFFIC AND THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND I WAS UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC…
Owner-reported narrative. 386 miles reported. Look up ODI 10676853 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10679236 · 2015-01-27 (January 27, 2015)
POWER STEERING MOTOR FAILED. LUCKILY, IT FAILED SOMETIME BETWEEN WHEN I LAST DROVE IT AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE IT THE NEXT DAY. THE STEERING WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MANAGE, DUE TO THE FAILED MOTOR. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 60 miles reported. Look up ODI 10679236 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10817073 · 2015-12-30 (December 30, 2015)
THE STEERING WHEEL ON THIS CAR WILL LOCK OR GET STUCK AS I AM OPERATING THE VEHICLE. IT HAS HAPPENED AT SLOW SPEEDS AS WELL AS HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND EVEN HAPPENED IN REVERSE ONCE. IT IS INTERMITTENT AND RANDOM BUT THE FREQUENCY IS INCREASING. ON MY FIRST DEALER VISIT 12/10/15 THERE WAS A CODE FOR THE ELECTRONIC STEERING WHICH THE DEALER CLEARED AND RETURNED THE CAR TO ME WITHOUT MAKING ANY REPAIRS. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED SO THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO A 2ND DEALER WHO FOUND A CODE PERTAINING TO ECM OVERHEATING. HYUNDAI ADVISED THE DEALER TO CLEAR THE…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10817073 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10730164 · 2015-06-24 (June 24, 2015)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. ALSO, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED VARIOUS ELECTRICAL FAILURES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURES RECURRED MULTIPLES TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,500.
Owner-reported narrative. 4,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10730164 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10808317 · 2015-12-03 (December 3, 2015)
I BOUGHT A 2015 HYUNDAI SONATA ECO ON AUG 30, 2015 AND SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE LOW TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT AND DISPLAY CAME ON WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH INDICATING THAT THE REAR DRIVE WHEEL WAS AT 9PSI. I PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND INSPECTED TIRE AND THE TIRE HAD A NORMAL FEEL. DROVE FOR 10 MINS AND TIRE PRESSURE WENT BACK UP TO 35 PSI. ON 11/15 THE BATTERY AND OIL LIGHT CAME ON WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE AND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE LIGHTS THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. I SAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND HAD TO RESTART MY VEHICLE AND THEN DROVE…
Owner-reported narrative. 2,684 miles reported. Look up ODI 10808317 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10679238 · 2015-01-27 (January 27, 2015)
I WENT TO ACCELERATE, BY DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, AND THE ENGINE REVVED HIGH, BUT, THE CAR DID NOT ACCELERATE AND THERE DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE POWER AT THE WHEELS. IT ACTED AS IF THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING. I LET OFF OF THE PEDAL AND IT DOWNSHIFTED AND POWER TO THE WHEELS WAS RESTORED. I REPEATED THIS PROCESS 3 TIMES AFTER AND I COULD REPLICATE IT EVERY TIME. DROVE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND LEFT IT FOR SERVICE. THEY DROVE IT THE NEXT DAY AND COULDN'T REPLICATE THE ISSUE. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE SINCE THAT DAY EITHER. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10679238 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10712848 · 2015-04-25 (April 25, 2015)
BOUGHT 2 BRAND NEW SONATA WITH TOP TECHNOLOGY PACKAGE ON 4/15/2015. THE PROBLEM HAPPENED ON BOTH NEW CARS. WHENEVER THE GAS PEDAL IS OFF, THE COMPUTER/SOFTWARE TAKE CONTROL OF SLOWING THE CAR DOWN EVEN WITH OPEN ROAD AHEAD, ON FLAT SURFACE, ON CORNERS, UP OR DOWN HILL. THIS HAPPENED WHETHER IT IS IN ECO, NOR OR PWR DRIVING MODE. AT VARIOUS STAGES, THE BRAKE KICKS IN AT VARIOUS SPEED AND THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFT PREMATURELY; IN DECELERATION, THE RPM WILL ONLY GOES DOWN UNTIL IDLING SPEED, BUT I CAN SEE THE RPM GOES UP A FEW HUNDRED RPM AT …
Owner-reported narrative. 265 miles reported. Look up ODI 10712848 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10712020 · 2015-04-21 (April 21, 2015)
SONATA COMES WITH A 18.5 GAL GAS TANK. UPON FILL UP CAR WILL ONLY TAKE A MAXIMUM OF 12 GALLONS. THE SUPPOSED "RANGE" OF THE CARS COMPUTER SHOW MAYBE 50 MILES WHEN REGISTERING NEAR EMPTY. EVEN SO, ONLY 12 GALLONS CAN BE PUT INTO TANK. WITH APPROXIMATELY 6 GALLONS THAT HAVE TO BE STILL IN TANK, I SHOULD HAVE A RANGE OF 180 MILES AT 30 MILES PER GALLON. GAUGE IS IN NEED OF CALIBRATION APPARENTLY. DEALER CLAIMS TO HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS ISSUE EVEN THOUGH IT HAPPENS UPON EVERY FILL UP. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10712020 at NHTSA ↗