AutoUtility currently tracks 262 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2015 Hyundai Elantra. Engine & Cooling issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 91 complaints (34.7% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 27 filings cite a crash, 8 cite a fire, 16 report one or more injuries.

Key Problem Findings
  • Total NHTSA Complaints: 262 reports
  • #1 Reported Problem Area: Engine & Cooling (91 reports • 34.7% of submitted complaints)
  • Secondary Problem Areas: Brakes & Traction Control (55), Steering System (26)
  • Crash-Citing Complaints: 27 filings
  • Fire-Citing Complaints: 8 filings
  • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 16 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Reporting Methodology: Statistics describe unverified consumer submissions voluntarily filed with NHTSA. Complaint volume is not normalized for vehicle sales volume or miles driven. Multiple components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission.
Total Complaints
262
Submitted to NHTSA ODI
Crash-Citing Complaints
27
Filings citing a collision
Fire-Citing Complaints
8
Filings citing smoke or fire
Complaints Reporting Injuries
16
Filings citing one or more injuries
Complaints Reporting Fatalities
0
Consumer filings citing fatalities

Most Reported Problems for 2015 Hyundai Elantra

Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records

#1 Problem Area 34.7% of complaints

Engine & Cooling

91 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 1 crash report 🔥 1 fire report
#2 Problem Area 21% of complaints

Brakes & Traction Control

55 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:

  • Campaign #23V651000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 7 crash reports 🔥 3 fire reports 🩹 7 injury report entries
#3 Problem Area 9.9% of complaints

Steering System

26 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 2 crash reports
#4 Problem Area 9.2% of complaints

Air Bags & Restraints

24 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 17 crash reports 🔥 2 fire reports 🩹 21 injury report entries
#5 Problem Area 8.8% of complaints

Electrical System

23 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
🔥 2 fire reports
Domain Share Note: Share percentage represents the proportion of unique complaint filings referencing each vehicle system. Because single complaints may cite multiple systems (such as engine and electrical simultaneously), domain percentages represent individual category incidence and may sum to over 100%.

Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2015 Hyundai Elantra

Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis

AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.

Powertrain & Transmission 5.3% of complaints

Loss of Motive Power While Driving

14 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Engine & Cooling 2.3% of complaints

Engine Stalling / Sudden Shutdown

6 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Symptom Identification Method: A complaint may describe more than one symptom, so percentages may sum to more than 100%. Symptom identification reflects text contained in consumer-submitted complaint records and does not establish a confirmed mechanical diagnosis.

Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2015 Hyundai Elantra

Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Steering System NHTSA ODI ID: #11757270
Filed: 08/16/2026

"I am writing to formally report a serious vehicle safety concern involving a 2015 Hyundai Elantra, VIN [XXX], which is owned by my mother. The vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power steering assistance, creating an immediate and significant safety concern. This could have caused a series issue..."

Incident Date: 08/07/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STEERING
Powertrain & Transmission NHTSA ODI ID: #11756134
Filed: 08/11/2026

"Failed engine due to class action recall"

Incident Date: 06/17/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: POWER TRAIN,ENGINE
Engine & Cooling NHTSA ODI ID: #11749911
Filed: 07/13/2026

"I purchased the vehicle from a private party on 8/18/21 with 38,310 miles. Almost immediately after owning the vehicle I noticed the engine oil level was low.. The owner had said she had just got an oil change so I thought maybe the shop just left it low. Then I noticed it low again a month later,..."

Incident Date: 05/08/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: ENGINE
Brakes & Traction Control NHTSA ODI ID: #11739608
Filed: 05/22/2026

"The engine failed on a 2015 Hyundai Elantra with approximately 71,000 miles. The vehicle has an open, unresolved safety recall (Recall 251, NHTSA #23V651000) for an ABS module brake fluid leak that Hyundai has acknowledged but has not provided a remedy for. The vehicle is currently at an..."

Incident Date: 05/15/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE
Electrical System NHTSA ODI ID: #11732469
Filed: 04/20/2026

"Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2015 Hyundai Elantra. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was approximately 182,204 - 215,000; and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage..."

Incident Date: 04/20/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Consumer Narrative Notice: Excerpts are sanitized text descriptions submitted by vehicle owners to the federal ODI database. They reflect the reporting consumer's observations at the time of filing and have not been independently confirmed by vehicle manufacturers or government investigators.

Complaint History for Hyundai Elantra

Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)

Model Year NHTSA Complaints Crash Reports Safety Recalls Detailed Report
2015 Hyundai Elantra Current Page 262 27 3 Current
2016 Hyundai Elantra 297 22 2 View 2016 Problems →
2017 Hyundai Elantra 788 37 4 View 2017 Problems →
2018 Hyundai Elantra 330 12 1 View 2018 Problems →
2019 Hyundai Elantra 250 12 1 View 2019 Problems →
2020 Hyundai Elantra 253 20 3 View 2020 Problems →
2021 Hyundai Elantra 158 8 7 View 2021 Problems →
2022 Hyundai Elantra 154 8 8 View 2022 Problems →
2023 Hyundai Elantra 164 16 4 View 2023 Problems →
2024 Hyundai Elantra 58 5 2 View 2024 Problems →
2025 Hyundai Elantra 33 3 2 View 2025 Problems →
2026 Hyundai Elantra 0 0 2 View 2026 Problems →
Comparative Disclaimer: Complaint totals are unadjusted historical counts and are not normalized for vehicles sold, active fleet size, or total road mileage. Newer model years naturally have had less calendar exposure time to accumulate owner filings.

Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2015 Hyundai Elantra

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 63 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications

Vehicle Component / System Total Complaints Crash Reports Fire Reports Reported Injury Entries Reported Fatality Entries
Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE 56 0 0 0 0
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 30 0 2 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 23 0 1 0 0
Steering NHTSA category: STEERING 19 1 0 0 0
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 16 12 1 16 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 15 1 0 0 0
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 8 0 0 0 0
Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE 6 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 6 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 5 1 0 0 0
Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 5 1 0 0 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 4 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 0 0 0 0
Tires NHTSA category: TIRES 3 0 0 0 0
Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 2 0 1 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION 2 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION 2 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE,WHEELS 2 1 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 1 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 1 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 1 0 2 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 1 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 1 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 1 0 0 0
Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS 1 0 0 0 0
Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,AIR BAGS 1 1 0 1 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 1 1 1 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 1 0 0 0
STEERING,STRUCTURE,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 4 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 1 0 0 0
WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
Data Attribution & Reporting Methodology: Complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Because multiple vehicle components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission, component-level rollups may sum to more than the unique complaint count (262). Injury and fatality entries in the detailed table reflect raw values entered by reporting consumers across individual submissions; they are not deduplicated casualty statistics and may include duplicate or unverified entries. Complaint volume is not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and does not represent an audited component failure rate.

Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (2)

1 OPEN 1 CLOSED

Formal safety defect inquiries and engineering analyses opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Official Federal Inquiries: NHTSA opens a defect investigation when safety screening or consumer defect trends indicate a potential unreasonable safety risk. An open investigation is a formal inquiry and does not by itself confirm a defect or result in a mandatory recall.
OPEN Audit Query (AQ) ODI Action #AQ23002
Opened: 2023-11-17 • Currently Active

Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires

Affected Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) manufactured by the equipment supplier Mando. The Part 573 Recall Reports contain varying defect descriptions and differing remedy descriptions fo...

Active federal investigation. Official NHTSA File →
CLOSED Defect Petition (DP) ODI Action #DP21003
Opened: 2021-11-12 • Closed: 2023-06-20

Throttle control system vulnerabilities

Affected Component: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:THROTTLE

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a petition letter dated October 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (ETC) system on certain Kia vehicles resulting in the opening of DP21-003. Accordingly, Model Year (MY) 2005-2016 Kia Optima/K5, MY 2006-2015 Kia Sorento, MY 2007-2016 Hyundai Elantra, MY 2007-2016 Hyundai Santa...

Closed without associated recall campaign. Official NHTSA File →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.