Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Hyundai Sonata owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at 45 MPH and approaching a stop sign, the vehicle started shuddering and stalled. The contact noticed smoke coming out of the hood of the vehicle. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The contact was able to push the vehicle to the side of the road with the assistance of a bystander. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who informed the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for repair. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer sent a claim with diagnostic report to the manufacturer ; however, the manufacturer declined to cover the repair. …
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that after the vehicle was at the dealer for a routine oil change and an engine flush, the following day while driving at approximately 10 MPH in a stop-and-go school zone, the vehicle stalled and smoke emitted from underneath the hood. All the warning lights on the instrument panel were illuminated. The contact merged to the shoulder of the road and safely exited the vehicle. The vehicle was engulfed in flames. The police department was at the scene and attempted to extinguish the fire. The fire department later arrived and successfully extinguished the fire. The contact mentioned that the flames consumed the vehicle and only the framing was left but it was not determined destroyed yet. The vehicle was towed. A police report was filed. …
The contact owned a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 mph, the vehicle decelerated independently while the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the sparks plug and the PCV valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the vehicle check engine light recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed but the failure was undetermined. The vehicle was taken to another dealer St. Charles Hyundai where it was diagnosed but the check engine light continuously illuminated. In addition, the contact mentioned while driving, there was a pop noise and noticed white smoke was coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the side and exit the vehicle. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. …
The contact's friend owned a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while her friend was driving at 20 MPH, a motorist informed her that there was a fire visible underneath the hood. As her friend opened the driver-side door, the vehicle became engulfed in flames. The contact's friend was taken to the hospital where she sustained severe burns to the left side of her body. The contact's friend had her skin grafted from the right side of her body to repair the severe burns sustained to her left thigh and ankle as well as other parts of her body. A police and fire report was filed. The vehicle was completely incinerated due to the failure. The remains of the vehicle were towed to an independent tow yard where it was deemed a total loss. According to the fire report, the fire was caused by an unknown electrical failure malfunction; the source of the failure was undetermined. …
The contact owned a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that soon after refueling the vehicle, there was a strong fuel smell and that when he was stopped at a traffic light, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that once he was home and parked the vehicle, he was unable to open the hood because of how hot it was and he then saw flames coming from underneath it. The contact attempted to extinguish the flames with two fire extinguishers but was not successful. The fire department was called and they extinguished the flames. A police report was filed. The contact stated that the instrument panel and all of the front of the vehicle were melted. The vehicle was deemed totaled by the insurance company. The contact's insurance company and attorney advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. …
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle stalled and failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that there was white smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle and unlatched the hood when it was discovered that the engine caught on fire. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. No fire department or police report was filed. No injuries were sustained however the contact mentioned his arm hair did burn off and no medical treatment was needed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.
The contact owned a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 30 mph, light gray smoke began to emit from under the hood with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle began to stall while the vehicle was being pulled off to the side of the roadway. The contact and two passengers inside the vehicle exited the vehicle and the smoke turned from light gray to black as the smoke became thicker. There was an abnormal popping sound before the vehicle caught on fire. The fire department was contacted and the fire was extinguished. A fire report was not filed. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,643.
The contact owned a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that after the daughter reached the destination and parked the vehicle, a popping noise suddenly occurred from the engine compartment. After exiting the vehicle, flames were present coming from under the engine hood. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. The vehicle was later towed to an impound lot. During the incident, the vehicle was destroyed. The cause of the failure was not determined. No injuries were reported. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact indicated that the engine had been previously replaced as part of a recall repair. The failure mileage was 155,000.
The contact owned a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while her 16-year-old son was driving at 25 MPH and making a right turn, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled without warning. The driver attempted to restart the vehicle but failed. The driver saw smoke coming from the passenger side of the hood and stated that the vehicle was locking and unlocking independently. The vehicle caught on fire. The driver could not get out of the vehicle was locked in however, eventually was able to exit. A fire report was filed. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated after having the oil changed. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic and the contact was informed there was no oil in the engine. The contact had paid for a better grade of oil in the vehicle. The mechanic inspected the engine and could not find any failure. After having the oil changed the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to another mechanic approximately 3 weeks later who was unable to find any failure with the engine. The mechanic had reset the sensor. While driving approximately 5 MPH, the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was returned to the mechanic who reset the sensor again. After having the vehicle serviced, while driving approximately 50 MPH, the warning light illuminated again, and the vehicle stalled. …
NHTSA investigations
Engine Fires
On March 29, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened two Preliminary Evaluations (PE19-003 on Hyundai and PE19-004 on Kia) to broadly investigate incidents of non-crash fires (regardless of origin or operational status of the vehicle) on various model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles.
Loss of Motive Power
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021.
Engine complaints in other Sonata years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2015 Hyundai Sonata?
NHTSA has 648 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2015 Hyundai Sonata, 56% of the model year's 1,153 complaints. The component named most often is engine › engine control module (ecu/ecm) (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2015 Hyundai Sonata engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2015 Hyundai Sonata, though it has 9 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2015 Hyundai Sonata engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 66,000 miles, and 22% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 37 fires and 10 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.