2015 Hyundai Elantra: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
47%
110 of 236 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
47% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2015 Hyundai Elantra are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 58% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 26 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 42%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE08/11/2026
Failed engine due to class action recall
ENGINE07/13/2026
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, and that was the star…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE05/22/2026
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 independent repair facility and…
Three of 110 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (3)
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
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…
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Elantra vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside.…
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Elantra and 2016 Elantra GT vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may rupture during deployment.
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2015 Hyundai Elantra
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
3 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.