2015 Hyundai Sonata Power Train
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
The engine/powertrain on my 2015 Hyundai Sonata (VIN: [XXX] ) has failed due to extremely low compression in all four cylinders, causing severe misfires, hard starting, loss of power, and intermittent rattling noises, and the vehicle is currently available for inspection at the Hyundai dealership. This failure created a safety risk because the engine hesitates, struggles to start, and can stall or lose power during driving, which could lead to a loss of control or an inability to accelerate in traffic. The problem has been confirmed by both an independent mechanic and the Hyundai dealership, who documented low compression across all cylinders. The vehicle has been fully inspected by the dealership on Hyundai’s behalf after I opened a case with the manufacturer. Prior to the complete failure, the car showed warning symptoms such as repeated cylinder 4 misfires, rough starting, reduced power, rattling noises on startup, and the check engine light appearing several times beginning earlier this year. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While traveling on local roads and highways the vehicle transmission randomly down-shifts one or two gears. This has occurred when traveling in any gear from gears 3 through 6. It probably doesn't happen in 2nd gear because that is a transitory gear and not a cruising gear. After quickly moving the shifter from automatic mode into manual mode and then back into automatic mode the transmission returns to the proper gear. However sometimes it has down shifted again in as little as 30 to 60 seconds after resetting the shifter. This has been happening for years. The dealership has been unable to fix it. Because it is random, the issue is not readily reproducible by the repair shop. Sometimes it has happened several times within a 15 minute period. Sometimes it has occured multiple consecutive days. Other times a week or two has passed with no incident.
When I press on the brake the vehicle accelerate before it slows down. Sometime the car accelerates for no reason. This has been a recent problem for the past few months. The engine has been replaced from a prior recall.
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the car stalled and struggled to remain running. The contact stated two days later the vehicle was parked and while hitching the RV to the trailer hitch, the vehicle independently moved and collided with a dolly. The contact stated that the dolly was used to load the RV to the hitch. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was being repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be diagnosed until the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The vehicle's transmission seems to be slipping or something. As you begin to come to a stop, the vehicle bogs down and you can not accelerate. There is a long hesitation and then suddenly it kicks in and jars the car. This happens on a daily basis. The vehicle is also burning through oil at an unprecedented rate.
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would suddenly fail to accelerate above 25 MPH with the check engine warning light illuminated. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer was informed of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,000.
My car keeps stalling while I am driving and sometimes when I turn to a street and is consuming motor oil with in a mile or less. It has been inspected by a Hyundai dealership and no leaks were found, consumption test has been done and they said that they can’t do nothing about it because I am the second owner. Hyundai needs to extend warranties to second owners as well if the car was bought through a certified dealership. I trusted their brand and dealership. I have been going back and forth with the dealership. My car is in the Napoleon Hyundai dealership in Carmel, Indiana. I have a video explaining the situation and showing my engine measuring stick with very low oil.
Transmission shudder, reverse gear not working, stuck in 3rd gear.
WHEN YOUR APPLYING BRAKE ON THE 2015 SONATA HYBRID TO SLOW DOWN WHEN U HIT GAS AGAIN THE TRANSMISSION STUMBLES AND HESITATES TO SPEED UP AGAIN. IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME AT ANY SPEED.
My Sonata Eco is a 2015 model with less than 46,000 miles. I take it for scheduled maintenance at least twice every year since I purchased it. The vehicle was experiencing stuttering, vibrations and lack of acceleration, most frequently when turning, moving uphill or early after startup. The stuttering would vary in it's intensity, from barely noticeable to strong enough to shake passengers. Sometimes when performing a turn, my car would not be able to accelerate, leaving me in the path of oncoming traffic until it would start working again. This would also occur when travelling uphill. No warning lights or other messages were given by the car. After taking it to the Hyundai dealership they informed me that my transmission was faulty and would require a full replacement. They specifically mentioned it was a mechanical issue with the dual clutch not engaging properly. All electronic/software in the vehicle was confirmed by the dealership to be up-to-date so this was purely a mechanical issue.
2015 sonata intermittent problem which involves loss of acceleration when taking off from a stop. One has the accelerator to the floor and vehicle goes to 10 to 12 miles/hour until it gets to about the 3rd or 4th gear. This car has done this 5-6 times since the 20th of May. Took car to dealer; they hooked it up to the computer and got no codes, so I was told it was OK. I told them the car was unsafe to drive. This car has a duel-clutch automatic transmission which I believe has a major problem. Not sure what I can do about it. It has 71,000 miles and should be under warranty.
WHILE DRIVING OR IDLING THE ENGINE HAS ALWAYS MADE KNOCKING NOISES WOULD OFTEN HESITATE AND JERK ALSO OIL CONSUMPTION WAS EXCESSIVE FOR A NEW CAR. THE ENGINE SEEMED TO BE FAULTY FROM THE BEGINNING NOW IT SMOKES ,KNOCKS AND MISSES CONSTANTLY. I REPORTED TO DEALER THE PROBLEM THEY DID NOTHING TO REPAIR THE BAD ENGINE.
Had an Engine recall for the 2015 recall, was told that Transmission was the reason for the Engine failure, but the dealership would not fix the Transmission. Shortly following the replacement of the Engine, the problems that reside in the transmission are now costly up to $3000 or more for this issue. After extensive research found that the 2015 sonata has had plenty of issues with its Transmission. Responsibility for the Faulty Transmission causing engine to completely shut down and not work (happened while on highway) should fall on the dealership.
WHEN I START TO DRIVE, THE CAR JERKS A FEW TIMES WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE, THEN IT WILL NOT GO OVER 62 MPH WHEN ON THE HIGHWAY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE BRAKING AND ACCELERATING, THE VEHICLE EMITTED AN ABNORMAL NOISE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO SUNTRUP HYUNDAI DEALER (5926 SOUTH LINDBERGH BOULEVARD, SAINT LOUIS, MO 63123, (314) 892-2552) TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST PERFORMED. THE MECHANIC LOCATED THE FAILURE CODE AT THE VEHICLE FRONT LEFT AXLE SPLINE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V784000 (POWER TRAIN). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,000.
MY 2015 SONOTA HAS 92 K ON IT AND HAS HAD A LIFTER RATTLE FOR ABOUT THE LAST 5000 MILES TRIED USING HIGHER OCTANE FUEL WITH NO CHANGE RATTLES UPON ACCELERATION PLZ HELP ME WITH THIS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE VEHICLE HESITATED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WITH THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT INTERMITTENTLY, THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION AFTER BEING RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER NOR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000.
MY ENGINE IS BURNING OIL. I HAD TO ADD 1.5 QUARTS BETWEEN OIL CHANGES WITH ONLY 50,000 MILES ON THE MOTOR. THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP STATES NOTHING IS WRONG WITH MY CAR. I HAD DETAIL NOTES EXPLAINING THE MILEAGE AND OIL CONSUMPTION. I BELIEVE THE DEALERSHIP WANTS MY CAR TO RUN OUT OF WARRANTY BEFORE REPAIRING THE VEHICLE.
AFTER THE WHEEL OF MY CAR STARTED VIBRATING WHILE TURNING AS WELL AS ROLLING BACK WHEN ON A SLIGHT INCLINE, I DECIDED TO LOOK THE ISSUE UP AND FOUND OTHER SONATAS WITH THE SAME YEAR HAD A RECALL. WHILE MY VIN# DID NOT HAVE THE RECALL DOES NOT MEAN THE CAR WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. AFTER VISITING A DEALER, HE DETERMINED THE AXLE WAS INDEED THE ISSUE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HAVING DEALT WITH RECALLS IN MY OWN COMPANY, IT IS 100% POSSIBLE THAT A RECALL DOES NOT CATCH ALL OF THE VEHICLES WITH THE ISSUE. HYUNDAI CALLED ME ON MY CONCERN AND SAID THEY WOULD MAKE A NOTE OF IT, MEANWHILE, I COULD VERY WELL HAVE A FATAL ACCIDENT DUE TO AN AXLE SEPARATION FROM A KNOWN ISSUE. THIS ISSUE BEGAN WHEN TURNING LEFT AND HAS NOW STARTED WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT WHICH CLEARLY INDICATES IT IS GETTING CRITICALLY WORSE.
THE VEHICLE HAS INTERMITTENTLY FAILED TO ENGAGE IN REVERSE. THIS IS ONLY REMEDIED BY SHUTTING THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTING IT. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN INTERMITTENT INCIDENTS OF SEVERE HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING, SURGES IN THE TACHOMETER AT INAPPROPRIATE TIMES ACCOMPANIED BY THE ENGINE RACING (WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT INDICATOR ON), AND JOLTING ACCELERATIONS. THE VEHICLE IS USUALLY GOING FROM A STATIONARY POSITION AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR INTERSECTION WHEN THE PROBLEMS WITH HESITANT ACCELERATION OCCUR. THE FAILURE TO REVERSE ISSUES OCCUR WHEN TRYING TO LEAVE PARKING SPOTS OR MY OWN DRIVEWAY. THE ENGINE RACING HAS OCCURRED AT TAKE OFF FROM A STATIONARY POSITION AT INTERSECTIONS AND WHILE IN MOTION. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP TWICE OVER THESE SAME ISSUES AND BOTH TIMES THE DEALERSHIP STATED THEY RESET THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER. THE MANAGEMENT OF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ASSIGNED BLAME TO THE DOUBLE CLUTCH TRANSMISSION AND SAID IT MUST LEARN THE DRIVER'S SPECIFIC DRIVING HABITS. THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS HAVE ALWAYS RETURNED AND REMAINED PRESENT THE ENTIRE TIME THE CAR HAS BEEN OWNED.
VEHICLE SHUDDERS AND SHAKES AND LOSES POWER (WITHOUT COMPLETELY STALLING) WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP SUCH AS PULLING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY OR AT AN INTERSECTION. DEALER RESET THE COMPUTER AND IT HELPED FOR A FEW HOURS, THEN STARTED ACTING UP AGAIN.
I'VE NOTICED THAT PUTTING MY CAR IN REVERSE IS CAUSING A HARD SHIFT INTO GEAR. ALSO, WHEN YOU COME TO A STOP, FIVE SECONDS LATER IT FEELS LIKE SOMEONE IS REAR-ENDING THE VEHICLE WHEN THERE IS NO ONE THERE. I WENT TO THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP TO ASK THEM ABOUT THE ISSUE AND BEFORE I COULD GET HALFWAY THROUGH EXPLAINING WHAT WAS GOING ON, THE SERVICE ADVISOR FINISHED MY THOUGHT AND SAID HE HAD HEARD OF THAT ISSUE BEFORE AND KNEW ABOUT IT....HE TOLD ME THAT IS WAS PROBABLY A BAD TRANSMISSION. IT SOUNDED LIKE THIS WAS A COMMON ISSUE SINCE HE ALREADY KNEW HOW I WAS GOING TO FINISH THE PROBLEMS I'VE BEEN HAVING. AFTER SPEAKING TO OTHER 2015 SONATA OWNERS FROM THE SAME, THEY ARE HAVING THE EXACT SAME ISSUES. HYUNDAI KNOWS THAT THESE ISSUES ARE GOING ON, THAT IS A FACT BASED ON THE INFORMATION I RECEIVED FROM THE SERVICE ADVISOR. IF THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THEN IT SHOULD BE RESOLVED BY THE MANUFACTURER AND MADE KNOWN TO THE PUBLIC. THESE ISSUES SHOULD BE RESOLVED IMMEDIATELY.
I PURCHASED A NEW HYUNDAI SONATA IN MARCH 2015. IN NOVEMBER 2018 THE ENGINE WAS MAKING SOUNDS WHILE DRIVING AND ACCELERATING ON ROADWAYS DURING HIGHER AND LOWER SPEEDS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR 3.5 YEARS PRIOR. AT THAT TIME THE ENGINE HAD APPROXIMATELY 59K. DIAGNOSTICS WERE RUN AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE WAS BAD AND WAS PART OF A RECALL. THREE WEEKS LATER ( END OF NOVEMBER 2018, HYUNDAI / DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ENGINE. IN LATE MARCH 2019 I BEGAN TO HEAR THE SAME NOISES COMING FROM THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE WHICH I HEARD FROM THE ORIGINAL ENGINE. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. DIAGNOSTICS WERE REPEATED ON THE 2ND NEW ENGINE. HYUNDAI HAS AGREED TO REPLACE THIS ENGINE. THIS WILL BE THE THIRD ENGINE IN THE FOUR YEARS SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR. CONCERN: THE SECOND ENGINE WAS A REPEAT OF THE FIRST. MY CONCERN IS THAT A 4 YEAR OLD CAR HAS HAD 3 ENGINES. THE MALFUNCTION/ROOT CAUSE OF THE ENGINE POTENTIALLY CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN LOSE ALL POWER WHEN DRIVING. SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES WHEN DRIVING ON MAJOR HIGHWAYS AND INTERSTATES NOT TO MENTION NEIGHBORHOOD ROADWAYS. GREAT POSSIBILITY THAT THE 3RD ENGINE MAY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.
MY VEHICLE'S DUAL-CLUTCH SYSTEM HAS BEEN MAKING LOUD, GRINDING NOISES WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, OR LOW SPEED (0-10 MILES PER HOUR). WHEN THIS HAPPENS, I AM NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE UNLESS I SLAM THE BREAK ON, AND TRY TO ACCELERATE AGAIN. THIS HAS BEEN DANGEROUS WHEN CROSSING INTERSECTIONS BECAUSE THE OTHER DRIVERS AROUND ARE NOT ANTICIPATING A FULL STOP. AS THE CLUTCH CONTINUES TO NOT ENGAGE, THE PROBLEM BECOMES MORE AND MORE FREQUENT AND HAS EVEN GOT TO THE POINT WHERE IT WILL NOT ACCELERATE OR GO INTO THE NEXT GEAR WHEN IN HIGH SPEEDS. THIS HAPPENED TO ME WHILE TRYING TO MERGE ONTO A FREEWAY, I WAS GOING ABOUT 30 MPH, THE RPMS JUMPED UP AND DOWN AND I COULD NOT ACCELERATE THE CAR AT ALL. IT WAS EXTREMELY UNSAFE BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SHOULDER LANE AND I WAS CROSSING A BRIDGE. THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR OVER 6 MONTHS. I AM CURRENTLY NOT DRIVING THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT HAS BECOME SO FREQUENT OF A PROBLEM.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE THE GEAR SELECTOR WAS IN REVERSE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE BACKWARDS. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD; HOWEVER, THE SPEEDOMETER INCREASED IN SPEED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE BEGAN OPERATING NORMALLY AFTER IT WAS STATIONARY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED PERIODICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.
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The 2015 Hyundai Sonata has 37 Power Train complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.