2015 Hyundai Santa FE problems
NHTSA has received 333 complaints about the 2015 Hyundai Santa FE, and 49% of them involve engine. Next are brakes (9%) and drivetrain & axles (7%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 333 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 49% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 13 and 17
- Injuries and deaths
- 12 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 66,000 miles 118 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 22 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 15 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 19 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 15 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 13 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 14 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 12 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 2 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 2 |
| 200k+ miles | 4 |
What the data shows
Of the 118 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 66,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 88,000 miles (41 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 13 complaints mention a crash; 17 complaints mention a fire; 12 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2015 ranks 21st most-complained-about out of 26 model years of the Hyundai Santa FE with enough data (116 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl* the contact owned a 2015 hyundai santa fe. While driving 35 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the front passenger side of the contact's vehicle. The front passenger sustained eye injuries due to door fragments and gashes on the arm. The front passenger side door components were not structurally sound upon impact. The driver and front passenger sustained whiplash and back pains, which required medical attention. Only the curtain air bags deployed on both sides of the vehicle during the crash.
While exiting the highway at a rate of 20MPH on a decline, we began to slide in the snow, as we slid I began pumping the brakes to slow us down but the hill made us gain speed even though the wheels were not spinning. After sliding down hill for close to 100 yards, we made impact with another vehicle driving through the intersection. The front of my vehicle made direct impact with the side of the minivan.
The rear passenger door will not open either from the inside or outside. This happened out of the blue. Car is a 2015...and not covered under warranty. In researching many people have had the same problem with hyundai models and years. We have talked with the dealership, taken it to a locksmith (couldn't open with a slim jim and an independent that used to work for hyundai who said he would have to destroy the panel to get inside to check the assembly and repair. Definitely a safety issue if a fast exit is needed.
On August 2, 2023 I was driving my truck and it completely shut off on me on the highway. I push the start button to turn the engine and it just keep turning like it wanted to start, but it didn't. Called the tow truck to take it to the shop, to then get a call after two days saying that they couldn't find out what was going on, because when they ran the test it didn't come back with any code. The clerk informed me that when he started my truck that next day, it cranked as if nothing was wrong.