2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 86,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

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…Owner complaint, filed 2026

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…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 66,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was notified and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded…Owner complaint, filed 2024

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he observed smoke emanating from the engine compartment, prompting him to pull to the shoulder of the roadway. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed flames originating near the firewall. The contact…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 126,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 100,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

I drove approximately 40 miles to a gas station and went to park in a parking spot and my passenger exited the vehicle and yelled my car was in reverse even though I thought it was in park, upon trying to again put it in park it would not go in the park position. I was stuck in reverse and the vehicle would not park without using the…Owner complaint, filed 2022

This vehicle is an All Wheel Drive. While approaching an intersection right before coming to a stop the vehicle's rear differential locked up. Attempted several times but the vehicle would not move forward. The vehicle would drive forward but would move in reverse. I drove the car in reverse back to the house. We lifter the car and the…Owner complaint, filed 2022

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 73,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

My vehicle was taken from my residence due to the individual being able to take apart my steering wheel column and starting my vehicle. This is very alarming to know that my vehicle can be stolen anytime with this trick that is being shown all over social media and the news channels.Owner complaint, filed 2023

The sunroof screen will not close therefor is no protection if the sunroof were to shatter. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer. It is not covered by the warranty. There were no warnings prior to the incident. I have tried to close it regularly and it still won’t close.Owner complaint, filed 2021

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 51,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Misfire code P0302 Injector failed open, flooded cylinder with fuel. Gas in the oil Possible cylinder failure Lack of compressionOwner complaint, filed 2024

For a week (july 4-11, 2015) I rented a santa fe sport suv from national at hobby airport in houston, tx. Only after driving it during the week did I discover the worst problem with this car ' it had a predominant tendency to hesitate when accelerating from a stop, especially when a left or right turn was to be executed at the same time.…Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 11,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 28,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the panoramic moonroof suddenly shattered, raining shards of glass down on the vehicle’s occupants. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 128,000 miles

Low beam headlights are very dim. I have taken it in to be checked and have had the bulbs switched out numerous times. It does not help. They said the inside of the headlight assembly is flaking off and that both of the headlight assemblies need replaced. I can not afford to do that! It is a defect on the inside of the assembly its self.…Owner complaint, filed 2023

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 42,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (7).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

Following warranty work on defective door locks, the rear tailgate opens electronically but oftentimes will close immediately on you. It is inconsistent, sometimes it occurs twice in a row and sometimes it is every third opening. It has come down on my head and that of my wife. This happens when the vehicle is turned off and happens when…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 59,850 miles

We have been warned that the hood may blow off into the windsheild while traveling down the highway. Said they have a fix but it has been a couple of months before they say they have a part to fix it. We are afraid to drive this car at this pointOwner complaint, filed 2017

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 75,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

Passenger airbag light flashes in the instrument panel, while passenger airbag indicator shows Off in amber color when a person is seated in the passenger seat.Owner complaint, filed 2021

The contact owned a 2015 hyundai santa fe. The contact stated while making a left turn at 5 MPH, when another vehicle impacted the front passenger wheel. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. No airbags deployed. The contact sustained a fractured left wrist and right shoulder sprain and did not seek medical attention at…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 85,400 miles

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

The brake light switch is malfunctioning and causing the brake light to stay on continiously. This is dangerous because the brake light stays on so theres no indication that I'm getting ready to stop because the light is already on, increaseing the risk of a crash. The cruise control is also afecteced with this issue because it stop…Owner complaint, filed 2024

We were on our way home from the children's hospital in Philadelphia for my daughter (4 hours away from home) and my 2015 Santa Fe with the 3.3L motor began to knock. My dad (who is very mechanically inclined) pulled over at a gas station and checked oil and other fluids. It was low, even though I just had oil changed 900 miles before…Owner complaint, filed 2024

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

I was driving on the highway when, out of nowhere, my car started shaking whenever I went over 40 miles per hour. It was quite alarming and honestly a bit scary. So, I would like to request a recall on it. A week after I took it to Hyundai, they informed me that they sent it to you to see if it would be approved to cover the motor. I’ve…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Recent cold weather starts in the morning (40-50 degrees fahrenheit) have caused my car to have poor or stalled acceleration. It will occasionally not go past 20 or 40 mph while the RPMs rev high. The DTC error code would read P2565 as a pending code. An independent mechanic changed out my transmission fluid and switched out my boost…Owner complaint, filed 2024

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

My power steering failed without notice while driving. This has happened several times. The first time I just happened to need to pull off the highway because my 4 year old had to go to the bathroom and couldn't hold it. It went out as soon as I exited the highway and entered the parking lot. The steering became very hard and heavy to…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Used vehicle (80,000 miles). Power steering cut out while my wife was driving along curve at approximately 35 MPH with our infant son in the back. Managed to safely stop, took to dealership for evaluation. Dealership indicated it had fixed problem with electronic power steering system, but the power steering cut out again the following…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 80,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

Passenger seat belt warning does not function. With adult in the seat, no warning light or alarm to indicate the belt is not in use anytime when vehicle is in motion.Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 36,100 miles

Seat belt warning inoperable for passenger seat. It doesn't provide a warning light or audible alarm with a passenger in the seat and the vehicle underway in drive position.Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 36,100 miles

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2015 hyundai santa fe equipped with continental crosscontact lx tires, size: 235/65r17. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the rear passenger side tire suddenly blew out. The contact managed to coast over to the emergency lane and noticed that the entire sidewall was damaged. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.…Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 2,200 miles

It appears to be a problem with all the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. It has abs, downhill, stability control lights on at the same time. It appears to be wheel speed sensor but they do not know which one. The service manager had said it happens to be a lot of the time the rear sensor that goes out. The service manager made it seem like it…Owner complaint, filed 2022

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

This vehicle has only 25,000 original miles on it, and I am the original owner and bought it new. In separate incidents, several months apart, first the right-front coil spring broke, with a piece falling out and nearly puncturing the right-front tire. Several months later, the same thing happened to the left-front coil spring, with the…Owner complaint, filed 2022

The contact owns a 2015 hyundai santa fe. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle veered to the left and right intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The [VIN] was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 25. Updated 7/9/15Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 25 miles