RoadVitals

2015 Hyundai Sonata Steering Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Steering reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
74
Latest May 26, 2026
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
7%
of 1,137 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
4
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
4

What this page shows

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2015 Hyundai Sonata submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 74 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming steering

The 25 most recent of 74, in the owner's own words

Other / unspecifiedSteering
Filed May 26, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at lower speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to steer in either the left or right direction. The Traction Control, Power Steering, and the high-beam warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent service center, where it was diagnosed with error codes: C167286, C126008, C136008, C126002, and C168808. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 195,000.

NHTSA ID
11740078
Incident
Mar 15, 2026
Mileage
195,000 mi
Steering
Filed Sep 22, 2025

The steering column locks up. When start vehicle and make turn to get on road the steering locks up and cannot turn the wheel. This is safety concern and not safe to drive.

NHTSA ID
11688827
Incident
Sep 1, 2025
Steering
Filed Sep 1, 2025

While driving a EPS light came in and the steering was extremely hard to drive. I was on the highway so I had to pull over to turn off the car and then turn it on. After turning it on it worked ok for a little and then messed up again and I couldn’t turning the steering wheel again. While driving in the highway my safety was at risk because I could have crashed into another car and hurt my self or other people driving. The car can be inspected at any point in time because it is at a Hyundai dealership where it got fixed a few months before. The problem was confirmed by the dealer. The vehicle has not been impounded and a selected dealer. The EPS warning light and key not detected light came on. Hyundai has multiple issues with their staring and wiring with multiple different Hyundais, including elantra and Sonata, but directly with the Hyundai Sonata hybrid. There are multiple warranties for recall 14325000. I bought this car in November 20 24 and went into the shop December 30 of 2024. It stayed in two shops, including a Hyundai dealer from December 2024 to April 2025 it had been out from April till August and went back into the shop in August. His car I believe is defective and shouldn’t be on the road whatsoever. In logically how does a whole steering column go out and need to be replaced at only 109,000 miles?!

NHTSA ID
11684346
Incident
Aug 2, 2025
ElectricalSteering
Filed Jun 12, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while her son was driving the vehicle at approximately 65 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to steer. The contact stated that the driver pulled to the side of the road. The contact stated after the driver turned off and restarted the vehicle several times, the steering wheel responded as needed. The contact stated that the message "Power Steering Fault" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the loss of power steering assist was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V325000(Steering, Electrical System). The contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the electric power steering assist motor and unknown related parts needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V325000(Steering, Electrical System); however, the dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

NHTSA ID
11666593
Incident
Mar 13, 2023
Mileage
65,000 mi
ElectricalSteering
Filed Jun 10, 2025

My steering rack had to be replaced at less than 55,000 miles. I asked the dealer if this was covered under warranty and they said no. I was charged $4,800 for this repair. I contacted Hyundai USA and they refused to cover the repair. I then realized that I had received a letter from Hyundai stating my car had the extended warranty of 15 years/150m miles for this exact repair. I am on the phone with Hyundai now and they are still refusing to cover this repair, even though they sent me the letter stating my car has this extended warranty. My car is available for inspection upon request. Yes, my safety and the safety of others was put at risk, my power steering would intermittently go out while turning. Yes, my car was inspected twice, once in 2023 and again in May of 2025. Repairs were done in May. I was told this was not covered under warranty but I have an extended warranty from Hyundai for this exact problem. That extended warranty is for 15 years/150m miles. Yes, the occurrence in 2025 threw a code of C168708 - CAN time out VSM (MDPS) and C1814 - CAN message failure SAS.

NHTSA ID
11665977
Incident
May 17, 2025
ElectricalSteering
Filed Feb 27, 2025

Power steering failed, car diagnosed with code C2412 & Hyundai refuses to take accountability

NHTSA ID
11645375
Incident
Feb 1, 2025
ElectricalEngineSteering
Filed Feb 11, 2025

For about a month now the power steering was going in and out and then just the other day, the power steering went completely out, I am now having it towed to the dealership today 02/11/2025. I've also had oil consumption problems to the point where there is only 1 quart of oil left in the engine when getting the oil changed, had the combustion cleaning done and no help. Hyundai said no to a new engine, car only has 102,000 miles on it, only 10 years old and Hyundai hasn't helped a bit, said that I would have to come out of pocket but I ended up having to spend $600 on the cleaning, which is absurd.

NHTSA ID
11641876
Incident
Feb 7, 2025
Steering
Filed Jul 29, 2024

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel and the contact observed that the steering wheel had become very difficult to turn. The contact stated that the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that before the power steering failure, the engine had been replaced by a dealer. The contact pulled over, turned off, and restarted the vehicle, and the power steering functionality returned. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent and occurred at various speeds. The contact took the vehicle back to the same dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

NHTSA ID
11605028
Incident
Jun 21, 2024
Mileage
92,000 mi
Steering
Filed Jul 14, 2024

Steering wheel locked with skid slip lines and red steering wheel and exclamation mark lights on. Steering wheel locked up while driving. The car will no turn and is not drivable because the wheel will not turn.

NHTSA ID
11602031
Incident
Jul 14, 2024
Steering
Filed Feb 22, 2024

WHEEL LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING, RED LIGHT CAME ON THE DASHBOARD. ONCE I TURNED CAR OFF AND BACK ON IT WAS FIXED, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. ANY IDEA WAHT IT COULD BE?

NHTSA ID
11573316
Incident
Feb 21, 2022
Mileage
136,930 mi
Steering
Filed Nov 21, 2023

The wheel of my car as I would turn literally locked on me and the car went off to the other side of roadand engine shuts off .this seems to only happen when I make a right turn quickly it is random and I never. Know when this will occur it hurt my hand because the wheel snapped out of my hand as to keep straight . So it's very scary I am looking for help to get itfixed . But I won't feel safe driving it until then I had to buy another car so that I could drive meanwhile I see what I can do about this car

NHTSA ID
11556309
Incident
Nov 2, 2023
Steering
Filed Oct 9, 2023

Steering Column making Clicking sound. Steering Wheel completely locked during a turn.

NHTSA ID
11549000
Incident
Oct 6, 2023
Steering
Filed Aug 24, 2023

While driving, I was in the middle of a left turn and had a reduction of the power steering assist system. I had to hit the brakes before entering the opposing traffic. I had to muscle the steering wheel to get out of the middle of the road.

NHTSA ID
11540559
Incident
Aug 23, 2023
Steering
Filed Aug 8, 2023

The power steering went out on two different occasions. The power steering assist light came on (red steering wheel light in the lower left corner of panel). The car was extremely difficult to drive. Once the car was shut off the system reset and the steering was normal. I brought the car to the dealership twice and they told me they could not duplicate the problem and could not repair the car unless they could duplicate the problem. Hyundai USA basically told me the same thing; even though there must be a known issue because they have extended the warranty on the power steering assist system. The dealership and Hyundai's only solution was to have the car inspected at another dealership. This is a ridiculous solution since the problem seems to be an intermittent issue. Having the car inspected by another dealership will not solve anything. I believe this issue makes my car UNSAFE to drive! Hyundai will not reply to my questions such as: why an error code was not recorded when the power steering light is triggered? Hyundai should pay for the repair of these issues as they are reported by the owner and not only when it is occurring at the dealership.

NHTSA ID
11537235
Incident
Jun 12, 2023
BrakesEngineSteering
Filed Aug 7, 2023

While turning in an intersection on a highway, car displayed check hybrid system and shut down. power steering could not engage so braking and turning was almost impossible. Car had to be towed, was not able to be restored

NHTSA ID
11536873
Incident
Jul 27, 2023
EngineFuel systemSteering
Filed Aug 1, 2023

Engine failure due to a problem with the type of engine. Hyundai denied warranty and class action settlement claim, due to exceptional neglect. All oil changes etc were accounted for. the car with no warning, had been driving great, lost all power and left me and my two grandchildren on the side of the road. The Hyundai dealership confirmed that the engine was blown. There were no warnings

NHTSA ID
11535820
Incident
Jul 3, 2023
Steering
Filed Aug 1, 2023

The electric power steering suddenly failed while making a turn on a neighborhood road shortly after beginning a drive. The incident also triggered warning lights for the Forward Collision Warning System, Lane Departure Warning System, and Smart High Beam System. I was able to return the car to a safe location and turn it off. When I turned the car back on later, power steering and other systems worked normally. The service center was unable to recreate the issue. They recommended replacing the steering column for a cost of $3,000+ but did not perform the service due to the issue not recurring. Approximately 10 days later, the electric power steering failed again while backing out of a parking space. It worked normally again after turning the car off and back on. It is unclear if this issue is connected to the known problem with the steering coupler in this vehicle. (My specific vehicle was not included in the recall associated with the coupler issue, but has demonstrated the steering catch/clunk that is the hallmark of that problem.)

NHTSA ID
11535776
Incident
Jul 21, 2023
Steering
Filed May 31, 2023

My steering wheel locked up and I had to turn the car off and back on again in order to steer.

NHTSA ID
11524694
Incident
May 31, 2023
Steering
Filed May 4, 2023

As I was driving down a highway going 65 my steering wheel pretty much locked up. I got a red steering wheel light and traction control light came on to and I could barely turn. I looked this up and a lot of people are saying it's the wiring with the power steering. How is this not a recall? Me and my kids could of died or I couldn't of hit someone else also. Now it's not doing it. But then today as I was driving the kids to school it happened again.

NHTSA ID
11520514
Incident
May 3, 2023
Steering
Filed Apr 21, 2023

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and turning the steering wheel to the center position, the steering wheel independently turned to left, causing the vehicle to veer to the left. Additionally, the contact stated while attempting to make a right turn, the failure recurred, causing the vehicle to go to the opposite direction. The contact stated that she used physical force to manually turn the steering wheel to the right as the steering wheel was resistant. The steering warning light and the traction control warning light were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring, and the steering wheel was making abnormal clicking sounds while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it diagnosed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,150.

NHTSA ID
11518229
Incident
Apr 5, 2023
Mileage
96,150 mi
Steering
Filed Feb 10, 2023

Steering wheel hardens as vehicle picks up speed, making it difficult to turn the steering wheel.

NHTSA ID
11506541
Incident
Feb 6, 2023
ElectricalSteering
Filed Jan 20, 2023

After driving for 15 or more minutes, the power steering fails. The warning light for the power steering and stability control turn on at that moment, as well. This failure occurs while driving and the wheel jerks a bit if the car is in a turn. There was a power steering recall for other Hyundais of the same era, which is very coincidental.

NHTSA ID
11502870
Incident
Dec 20, 2022
Steering
Filed Jan 12, 2023

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the steering column. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that an unknown part within the steering column had failed and needed to be replaced. No further information was available. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 29,500.

NHTSA ID
11501469
Incident
Nov 1, 2022
Mileage
29,500 mi
Steering
Filed Dec 5, 2022

2015 HYUNDAI SONATA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO STEERING DEFECT.

NHTSA ID
11496032
Incident
Dec 5, 2022
Steering
Filed Dec 1, 2022

As Im driving the ((electric power steering)) goes out. Its happened 4 or 5 times and when you turn your car off for a period of time the errors go off and dont come back till it does it again. It gets to you cant hardly turn the steering wheel. I'm a big guy and struggle to steer the car when this happens. If this happens when youre driving you could kill yourself or someone else by not being able to turn the steering wheel to avoid another vehicle or person. I was at a dealership and because the icons werent on they couldnt trouble shoot the issue. There was an icon with EPS! in red and an icon with skid marks

NHTSA ID
11495713
Incident
Nov 17, 2022

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

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