AI DamageHyundai Santa Cruz: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Hyundai Santa Cruz across 6 model years: 320 owner complaints and 96 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 39% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 25% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel/propulsion system 10% of all complaints
- 5 Vehicle speed control 9% of all complaints
- 6 Forward collision avoidance 8% of all complaints
- 7 Exterior lighting 5% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 126 complaints (39% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 36.
- Engine: 79 complaints (25% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 10.
- Electrical system: 41 complaints (13% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 51.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 32 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 2.
- Vehicle speed control: 29 complaints (9% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 3.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl 2022–2027named in 1 complaints
- 2.5 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl 2022–2027named in 1 complaints
- automatic, 8-speed 2022–2027
- dual-clutch (DCT), 8-speed 2022–2025named in 9 complaints
Drive: AWD, FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 320 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 126 | 2 | 36 |
| Engine | 79 | 0 | 10 |
| Electrical system | 41 | 0 | 51 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 32 | 1 | 2 |
| Vehicle speed control | 29 | 0 | 3 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 26 | 2 | 5 |
| Exterior lighting | 17 | 0 | 10 |
| Service brakes | 12 | 2 | 2 |
| Lane departure | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| Visibility | 7 | 0 | 26 |
| Air bags | 7 | 6 | 10 |
| Structure | 5 | 0 | 24 |
| Suspension | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Backover prevention | 4 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Sudden Unintended Acceleration: Coming to a stop in a driveway and planning to put vehicle in to reverse, the Santa Cruz suddenly accelerated and kept accelerating ... it would not stop moving, brakes were applied continuously and forcefully, but with no effect.
The vehicle was involved in a collision in which the airbags failed to deploy. Despite the severity of the impact, no airbags deployed. As a result, both adult occupants (my daughters) were injured.
No warning lights, error messages, or other indicators appear before the system activates. I have adjusted the collision-sensitivity settings from high to standard, but the issue persists. There is no option to disable the system entirely. The component is available for inspection upon request.
my air bags did not go off and my seat belt did not hold me from hitting the steering wheel Hyundai is saying the impact was not enough to force either one to help in this situation
The point of this report is that the airbags never deployed and I have discovered this is a pending lawsuit by several attorneys. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Impact did not seem that severe, my air bags did not deploy but both front seat belts were locked up after the accident. My damage seemed just cosmetic, grill, bumper, hood and right front fender & headlight were damaged.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- Certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil…
- Certain Tucson (NX4A) and Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may exhibit air bubbles forming on the surface of the…
- Certain Tucson (NX4A) and Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may exhibit air bubbles forming on the surface of the…
- Certain 2022 – 2025 model year Santa Cruz and 2022 – 2025 model year Tucson vehicles may have front wipers…
- Some Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may have a tonneau cover that does not latch or unlatch, does not retract…
- Some Tucson (NX4A and NX4M) and Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may have front wipers that do not return to the…
- Some Tucson (NX4A and NX4M) and Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may have front wipers that do not return to the…
- Some Tucson (NX4A and NX4M) and Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may have front wipers that do not return to the…
- This bulletin provides information related to a Transmission Control Unit (TCU) software update for some…
- This bulletin provides information related to the navigation and head unit software changes introduced in…
- Some Santa Fe (MX5A) and Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may exhibit a low idle or excessive vibration while in…
- Certain Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may experience Over-the-Air (OTA) update failures due to outdated…
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
- Hyundai Santa Cruz 2022 за 5300💲у США🔥Вигідні ціни на аукціонах на авто з США в Україну #автоизсша
- 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz Accident Costs to Repair - Insurance Estimate😱
- 2023 hyundai santa cruz transmission fill drain
- HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ 🔥🔹Рік випуску: 2023🔹Пробіг: 31 тис.км🔹32 500💰0️⃣6️⃣8️⃣3️⃣0️⃣2️⃣7️⃣7️⃣7️⃣7️⃣
- 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz Is the Truck America Didn’t Expect
- Why Hyundai isn't making the Santa Cruz anymore | Consumer Reports
Other models of this make
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.