2015 Hyundai Santa Fe problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (124) · Service Brakes (19) · Power Train (18)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Hyundai Santa Fe model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
87 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (2)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/Module 2023-09-22 · campaign 23V651000 · 1,649,478 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: 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.
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Latches/Locks/Linkages:hood:latch 2017-06-05 · campaign 17V358000 · 437,400 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (113)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Back Over Prevention: Warnings 2026-10-15 · 26-GI-004H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some hyundai vehicles may be equipped with a parking distance warning (pdw) sensor(s) that may trigger various dtcs and display warning messages on the instrument cluster, resulting in the pdw sensor(s) failing to detect nearby objects or triggering multiple false alarms. this condition may be a res
Engine 2026-10-08 · 26-EM-017H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certain palisade (lx2) and santa fe (nc) vehicles equipped with lambda ii 6-cylinder engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning procedure for vehicles diagnosed with this condition. all internal combustion engines consume s
Engine 2026-10-07 · 26-EM-015H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures for vehicles exhibiting this condition. all internal combustion engines consume engine oil as part of normal engine operatio
Electrical System 2026-05-23 · Z01 Letter · Warranty Program/Extension
certain 2012 – 2017 model year accent, 2012 – 2017 model year azera, 2013 – 2018 model year santa fe sport, 2013 – 2019 model year santa fe, and 2012 – 2017 model year veloster vehicles may exhibit an intermittent airbag warning light and diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) may be set. at hyundai, we ar
Electrical System 2026-04-25 · 26-BE-011H DN · Warranty Program/Extension
some vehicles listed below may exhibit an intermittent airbag warning light and dtc(s) b1763 (ocs ecu defect), and/or b1764 (ocs mat defect) may be stored. hyundai is extending the warranty coverage of the sensor for the occupant classification system (ocs) / occupant detection system (ods) to 18 ye
Electrical System 2026-04-25 · 26-BE-011H TSB · Warranty Program/Extension
some vehicles listed below may exhibit an intermittent airbag warning light and dtc(s) b1763 (ocs ecu defect), and/or b1764 (ocs mat defect) may be stored. hyundai is extending the warranty coverage of the sensor for the occupant classification system (ocs) / occupant detection system (ods) to 18 ye
Showing the 6 most recent of 113 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-16 · Engine“while driving home at approximately 60 mph in our 2015 hyundai santa fe, the engine suddenly shut off without warning. we were able to carefully maneuver the vehicle to the side of the road, but the vehicle would not turn over or restart. we were traveling with our young children at the time, and this sudden engine failure created an extremely dang…”
2026-07-21 · Engine“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 up to date on oil change. my car was towed home and bone dry no oil and no coolant the engine now had loud knocking and needs to be…”
2026-06-12 · Engine“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 to a friends house so that i could get it to the dealership. it was after hours. i regularly get my oil changed and when my sil chec…”
2026-05-17 · Engine“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. a check engine light appeared with no prior warning, the vehicle immediately lost power and stalled, requiring an emergency exit an…”
2026-05-09 · Service Brakes“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 approximately [time] pm, i was driving on [freeway], [state], at 55–70 mph at night. with no prior warning — no warning lights, no…”
2026-04-22 · Engine“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 with oil change within roughly 3,000 miles.…”
2026-02-20 · Engine“i purchased this vehicle one year ago from a used car dealership with 148,000 miles on it. within a few months it was throwing crankshaft position, sensor codes, camshaft codes, and burning oil. i cannot bring my rpms above two without my check engine light coming on and blinking. my car will go into limp mode. hyundai does not have my car included…”
2026-02-16 · Air Bags“passenger airbag dash is cracked risking unpredictable deployment of air bag…”
2025-11-09 · Engine“on 08/15/2025 i started the vehicle and heard a ticking noise that lasted for 3 seconds and stopped. the same noise happened when i would start the car in the mornings. it never lasted more than 3 seconds and i wasn't too sure what the noise was. there was no engine lights that came on so i wasnt too worried about it. on 8/21/2025 my husband went t…”
2025-07-24 · Engine“015 santa fe ultimate. 134,000 miles. original owner. all maintenance done per manual. wife on hwy 2 hrs. started loud engine knocking noise. no warning whatsiever.pulled off closet exit. stalled.restarted.pulled into gas station. trusted mechanic inspected. stated not to drive. he had identical vehicle at shop,identical problem.110,000 miles. need…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.