2015 Hyundai Santa Fe: common problems and reliability

The 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe has 330 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 4 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are engine and service brakes. Owners most often flag catastrophic engine failure (theta ii and related gdi engines, ~2013-2019): sudden engine seizure, knocking, bearing failure, leading to complete replacement. often preceded by excessive oil consumption. warranty coverage is a frequent point of conflict. frequency: very frequent.

Safety record for the 2015 model year

330
Owner complaints
4
Recalls
10
Crash reports
19
Fire reports

Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles (US, public record).

Is 2015 a good year for the Santa Fe?

Across the 14 Santa Fe model years we track, complaint volume runs from 106 (2006) to 1,272 (2017). With 330 complaints, the 2015 Santa Fe sits about the same asthe model's median of 330.

These are raw NHTSA complaint totals, not adjusted for how many cars sold or how long each model year has been on the road. Older and higher-selling years accumulate more complaints.

Where owners report problems

engine
197
service brakes
52
power train
29
electrical system
27
hydraulic
24

Recalls affecting the 2015 Santa Fe

latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch

Campaign 17V358000

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 lat

service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module

Campaign 23V651000

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 T

service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module

Campaign 21V303000

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.

service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module

Campaign 20V520000

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.

What owners say across generations

Sentiment is sharply divided by model year and engine type, creating a high-risk, high-reward ownership profile. Long-term owner reports for models equipped with the Lambda V6 engines (primarily 2007-2012) are overwhelmingly positive,…

  • Catastrophic Engine Failure (Theta II and related GDI engines, ~2013-2019): Sudden engine seizure, knocking, bearing failure, leading to complete replacement. Often preceded by excessive oil consumption. Warranty coverage is a frequent point of conflict. Frequency: very frequent.
  • Excessive Oil Consumption (GDI engines, ~2013-2019): Burning 1 quart or more of oil every 1,000-1,500 miles. Leads to engine damage if not constantly monitored and topped up. Frequency: very frequent.

Owner insights cover all generations of the Santa Fe. See the full Santa Fe owner picture and every model year.

Typical used price

Used Santa Fe listings typically run $23,697–$33,997 across 2016 to 2026 model years.

Other Santa Fe model years

Compare every Santa Fe year side by side to see how 2015 ranks against the rest.

Compare the Santa Fe against its rivals