2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (30) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic (15) · Service Brakes (5)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Hyundai Santa Fe Sport model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
44 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/Module 2021-04-28 · campaign 21V303000 · 151,205 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. Brake fluid may leak inside the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) module, possibly resulting in an electrical short.
Risk: An electrical short in the ABS module can increase the risk of an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures as a precaution until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS multi-fuse, and inspect and replace the ABS module, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 25, 2021. Note: This recall includes all vehicles previously recalled under NHTSA recall number 20V-520. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 205.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/Module 2020-08-27 · campaign 20V520000 · 151,205 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. Brake fluid may leak inside the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) module, possibly resulting in an electrical short.
Risk: If the ABS module short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ABS module and replace it if necessary, free of charge. Owners are advised to park outside as a precaution until the recall repair is complete. The recall began December 22, 2020. Note: This recall has been superseded by NHTSA Recall 21V-303 and all affected vehicles will now be repaired under 21V-303. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 194.
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 (140)
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-016H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some vehicles equipped with internal combustion 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 some engine oil during normal operatio
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 140 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-20 · Structure:body“ the factory white paint on my vehicle’s hood is suffering from severe delamination and peeling down to the bare primer and metal. the paint is flaking off in large sheets from the hood with no prior collision or physical damage. hyundai has acknowledged a known manufacturing defect involving primer adhesion failure on white vehicles unde…”
2026-10-02 · Unknown Or Other“i had my engine replaced on xxx from a hyundai dealership in [xxx]. about a year and some months i was at the sansone auto mall on [xxx] in [xxx]. i did have a transmission replaced under warranty xxx at that same dealership. my problem is that every so often i lose acceleration when i step on the gas. it's very random and happens more on highway d…”
2026-08-21 · Engine And Engine Cooling“see attached letter for complaint…”
2026-08-13 · Engine“the vehicle suffered a severe engine overheating failure that created an immediate fire risk and electrical safety signaling failure. a brand-new replacement engine was installed by an authorized dealership in april 2026 under a goodwill warranty and had only been driven ~ 3,100 miles since installation. while operating the vehicle, the air condit…”
2026-07-15 · Engine“while i was driving my theta engine got seized and hyundai denied extended warranty of power train. …”
2026-07-12 · Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control“today while driving to church we started hearing a ping noise ever so often. this just started then . after leaving church to go home the pinging noise got louder than the engine stalled and wouldn't start again. i had to have my car towed to my house. that is where it is now. the tow truck driver said that it was a rod. he said that he was mostly …”
2026-07-08 · Service Brakes“for a few months- the abs light, downhill assist light, and slippery road light have all been on. read it could be due to a bad sensor. then on saturday july 4th, i turned the car on and the ebrake light was on but my ebrake was not initiated. car was making a low humming noise on front passenger side of vehicle as well. i read the ebrake light cou…”
2026-06-28 · Engine“on 4/25/2026 i lost power on business freeway an orange light flash on along with whining noise i had to steer to right side shoulder for safety. had it towed to dealership on 4/27/2026 they informed me 3 days later on 4/30/2026 that my car overheated. my car never overheated no smell of coolant nor no steam from the car when i exit to shoulder a…”
2026-06-28 · Steering“fhw garage used car dealer [xxx], sold this hyundai santa fe 2015 knowing the vehicle is defective. it stalls and stops in the middle of the road in high traffic. this hyundai santa fe 2015 lock up the steering wheel, lock up the breaks, lock up the gas. it stalls and stops without warning then after it freeze and stop it flashes all of the warning…”
2026-04-13 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 155,000 mi“the contact owns a 2015 hyundai santa fe sport. the contact stated that while driving approximately 65-70 mph, the check engine warning light started flashing, and the vehicle stalled. the contact was able to pull over to the side of the road, where the vehicle failed to restart and was towed to a parking lot, where a mobile mechanic diagnosed the …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.