2022 HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ Recalls, Complaints & Safety

"The 8-speed Dual Clutch Transmission and engine (Cylinder 4) failed on my 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL Premium AWD with 37,780 miles. Both components are available for inspection upon request. While merging onto the highway in Sport Mode, the vehicle experienced violent shuddering and noise so severe I believed I had multiple flat tires simultaneously — specifically both front and rear passenger side tires. I immediately activated hazard lights and exited the highway. I was unable to safely operate the vehicle. Other drivers on the highway were also put at risk by my sudden need to exit. The dealer has NOT been able to reproduce or confirm the transmission issue despite multiple documented visits over the past year. However, AutoZone confirmed diagnostic code P0304 Cylinder 4 Misfire Detected on March 19, 2026 via OBD-II scan. The vehicle has been inspected multiple times by the Hyundai dealership over the past year. Hyundai Motor America has an open case on this vehicle and has escalated it to their buyback department. The Check Engine Light illuminated during the highway incident then self-cleared. Transmission slipping, shuddering at low speeds, high RPMs at low vehicle speeds, and failure to shift properly have been reported to the dealer for over one year. This vehicle contains the identical DCT transmission covered under Hyundai Recall 236 but my VIN was excluded despite identical symptoms. Backup camera has also failed twice — a federally mandated safety device."

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. The failure of the airbag system to deploy raises serious safety concerns regarding the vehicle’s restraint system and crash sensors.

Crash 2 injured

My 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz has an ongoing powertrain/transmission malfunction that occurs during cold starts. The vehicle will not upshift out of 1st gear and becomes stuck around 25 mph with the accelerator fully pressed. There are no warning lights or messages. The only way to temporarily fix the issue is to pull over, turn the vehicle off, and restart it. This creates a serious safety risk because I am unable to accelerate to normal traffic speeds when merging or crossing intersections. The vehicle and components are available for inspection upon request. The issue has been brought to two Hyundai dealerships multiple times. One dealership replaced the entire transmission, and on a later visit they topped off the transmission fluid. Despite these repairs, the problem continues to occur. Hyundai corporate is involved and has an active case open, but the defect remains unresolved. The problem has not been consistently replicated by the dealers because it only occurs on cold starts, but it happens repeatedly in daily use.

ALL SAFETY FEATURE WARNING ALERTS (3) OF THEM, SINCE IT WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO CHECK ALL THAT APPLY THEY ARE THE FOLLOWING ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL NOT WORKING, BLIND SPOT WARNING NOT WORKING, FORWARD COLLISON DETECTION NOT WORKING, LANE DEPARTURE WARNING NOT WORKING, LANE KEEPING ASSISTANCE NOT WORKING, PARKING COLLISION WARNING NOT WORKING REAR CROSS TRAFFIC WARNING NOT WORKING.

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Cruz. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power but was unable to accelerate above 30 MPH. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V760000 (Power Train); the VIN was included, but the vehicle was already repaired in 2022. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 63,000.

2nd replacement DCT transmission failed Loss of power while driving on the interstate , upon acceleration no increase in speed, went from 65mph to 38mph before able to pull off the highway. Intermittently it is not shifting, shuttering, hard reverse shift, hesitation from park into drive

when pulling out on a intersection I was hit by a large box truck on the front and side drivers side at aprox. 20 to 25 mph. 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

Crash 1 injured

when pulling out on a intersection I was hit by a large box truck on the front and side drivers side at aprox. 20 to 25 mph. 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

Crash 1 injured

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving 62 MPH, the Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking system erroneously engaged. The Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but offered no assistance and informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The failure mileage was 30,000.

Vehicle began running roughly. CEL came on. Began to misfire. Limped it off the FWY under limited power. Had vehicle towed to dealership. Was diagnosed as having bad fuel injectors. Was told by service writer that Hyundai Santa Cruz trucks have been experiencing a lot of injector failures. Looking at the various Hyundai Santa Cruz forums, it appears that this has been a very common issue and has occurred in 2022 through 2025 model year vehicles

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed to pass another vehicle however, the vehicle started to lose motive power. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stopped the vehicle but did not turn off the vehicle. The contact stated that after shifting to drive(D) the vehicle failed to accelerate above 15 MPH. The contact stopped the vehicle and had the vehicle towed to the local dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that a fuel injector had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

My 2022 Santa Cruz Limited Edition keeps losing power intermittently. No accident yet but very risky to drive.

My tailgate is opening unexpectedly while driving. Hyundai has assured people that the tailgate locks while the vehicle is on and moving but that doesn't seem to be the case. I always check to make sure the tailgate is latched after accessing it, since this has happened several times now. I have now lost 2 separate items out of the bed while driving with the tailgate unexpectedly down. This issue could pose a safety risk to other drivers.

I purchased my 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz new from Hallmark Hyundai in Tennessee. Ever since the purchase of my Hyundai Santa Cruz I have had issues with fuel injectors. I have had two fuel injector failures that had to be covered under warranty, the last fuel injector that failed under warranty was on cylinder 3 and was replaced a year ago at Coastal Hyundai in Melbourne, Florida. Three weeks ago, the fuel injector failed again on cylinder 3 and isn’t covered under warranty. This makes the third fuel injector (two on the same cylinder) to have failed in the three years of owning my vehicle. With less than 80,000 miles on it. Hyundai knows it’s a problem as they recently changed their service bulletin mandating all four fuel injectors to be replaced with an upgraded part. However they won’t cover the charges and I’m on the hook for the bill. Also, the new upgrade kit is on back order. I’ve been given three dates know for when it was supposed to be in stock, but they moved the date out again to May 25 and they’re not confident that it will be here then. There needs to be a recall ordered for the fuel injector replacement as Hyundai knows it’s a problem. There are over 3,000 customers waiting across the country for this new upgraded part.

I was driving on the freeway at 65mph and experienced a sudden loss of power. I depressed the gas pedal but the car would not accelerate past 45 mph. I had to drive all the way home with my hazard lights on. There were no lights on the dashboard to signify a problem. This happened several times. I took it into the Hyundai Service center and they could not replicate the problem. It happened again. and again. and again. finally got an error "possible condition with your engine control module". Took it into the dealer and after they drove it around for hundreds of miles they said they were able to recreate the problem, pulls some codes and relaced the fuel injection pump. It happened again. and again. and again. I took it back to the Hyundai Service center. They could not re-create the issue. They told me to use Chevron gas only and added an additive to the car. It worked for a while. Then it happened again. And again. I took it to a different Hyundai Service Center. They were not able to re-create the problem. Apparently, every time I drive the car, after 5-10 minutes on the street roads, the car fails to accelerate and I have to pull over, stop the car, and then re-start it. Re-starting it seems to clear the issue. I am driving in SMART mode and my car is at 39000 miles. Every time I take it to the service center, they can not re-create the issue. This is outrageous. Do I need to get into a car accident in order to bring legal action to Hyundai for not fixing this loss of power/failure to accelerate issue? Worst part is, the first Hyundai service center went out of business and I can not get any of the maintenance records for the fuel pump replacement.

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle intermittently lost automotive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the dealer informed the contact that the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a different dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was a recall related to the failure, for which a software update was needed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

On multiple occasions the car had trouble starting and while on the road it would idle like it was struggling. My concern was the car dying on me while on the road and causing an accident for myself and the other drivers or pedestrians. The manufacturer hasn't inspected it nor has it been confirmed by the dealer. I haven't had any warning and they first started to appear in the beginning of 2024. I just recently read the fuel injectors are the cause of this and so far there has not been any recall by the manufacturer

On the interstate mid-route, the engine light went on and the car started acting sluggish and slightly shaking on the interstate and would not respond to pressing the gas to accelerate and started to slow down. When I pulled over to the berm it was vibrating as if it was going to stall out. I turned the car off and returned to the interstate with no issues for the rest of my ride (the engine light remained on). On the next trip to the dealership for an appointment to have it checked, I was merging onto the interstate, and again, the car was not responding to me putting on the gas and would not accelerate. Could not push the car over 35MPG, and had to ride to the dealership with the car varying in speed anywhere from almost a complete stop to 30MPH on the berm where I could with flashers, often it felt as if it would stall out. It was a very dangerous & unsafe ride. FYI - The dealership replaced all 4 fuel injectors to fix

While driving in wet snow, the front windshield wipers stopped working. The windshield was clear, interior was warm, defrost was running, all normal winter settings. From my internet search, seems like this is a known issue, snow building up between the blade and the home position not allowing the wiper to complete its cycle, disabling the motor. Once cleared it will work again, but stopping wipers at speed is quite dangerous, not to mention pulling over on a icy road to rase the car hood to clean. Very unsafe. Internet forums says its been going on for years, why is this not been addressed?

Backup camera doesn't work 50% of the time (black screen) when in reverse OR when it works stays on after being put into drive. Has happened numerous times (over 20). Took to dealer, they said if there's no error code, they can't do anything. (Of course it worked fine the 15min I was at the dealer).

First shift issue, no warning lights present, was able to get to dealer they hooked up computer and reset/restart vehicle and told me I probably hit gas and brake at same time and it was probably in limp mode. Month later went to store just fine, got back in my vehicle and check engine light was on, shift issues, was told to keep driving for over 2 weeks till they had available appointment, during that time battery died and check engine light went off but shift issues were still there and they had to drive it I believe they said 60 miles to get light to come back on so hyundai would approve transmission replacement. After that finally got replaced and I put almost 4k miles on their rental (yeah... took a while). I was back in less than a week before service transmission immediately indicator comes on, again got to my destination fine, got back in vehicle and I'm on my way back in the dealer again. I was told I was the third transmission back in to get replaced again after a week of being on the road. but wait, battery dies again, warning lights gone and they give back the vehicle. They were nice enough to offer me 10k less than what I purchased it for 6 months ago.

Hi, my car is a certified 2022 hyundai santa cruz I've been in touch with hyundai and they're very unhelpful. I'm experiencing jerking while creeping uphill or driving in traffic at low speeds as well as in reverse. and its way worse when i have any bit of load in the bed. its extremely invasive, its really dangerous particularly when in reverse, because its hard to modulate the speed properly, when you feather the brakes when rolling into a parking space or reversing to a hook up a trailer it either is dead on power or jerks at a slight speed which makes it difficult to control. this is something that passed hyundai's certified program but concerns me because there is no way its safe. I've lent my car to other people and they were concerned as well. please note i got my brakes and replaced and system bled but the issue persists. additionally I've experienced this issue for over 5000 miles (41k - 47k miles) please consider this complaint because its a legitimate safety issue and i have a feeling its related to this cars transmission woes. Thank you!

- What component or system failed or malfunctioned: Code P019185 main fuel rail pressure regulator sensor. -Is it available for inspection upon request? Yes -How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? At highway speeds, sudden lose of power and speed. Unable to accelerate. -Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No, happens randomly, vehicle has to be shut down and restarted to resolve problem. -Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No -Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No warning, shortly after purchase and several time after purchase to date.

2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited 29K miles bought in March at CarMax. I had 6/8 fuel injectors replaced under warranty but it took MONTHS and 5 trips to the dealer. I first had an issue with cold starting the engine and I got a cylinder 3 misfire code, and the first time I dropped it off in April they said they could not repro and sent me home...and then the story got worse.... May 10, 2024 I dropped off the vehicle for a second time due to an intermittent issue with rough cold starts and check engine light. May 24, 2024 All 4 of the high pressure fuel injectors were replaced and I was able to take home the vehicle after two weeks. May 25, 2024 one day later, after the repairs were made, another check engine light DTC P23F5F0 came on while driving the vehicle. May 29, 2024 I dropped off the vehicle due to DTC P23F5F0 as reported by Bluelink . May 31, 2024 The DTC was cleared from the system after a brief diagnosis and I was sent home with the vehicle with no repairs being done. June 1, 2024 One day after I picked it up, DTC P23F5F0 showed up again for me on the Santa Cruz. June 2nd, 2024 I dropped it off for this DTC for the second time. They drove it 250 miles and could not get the light to come back on. July 12, 2024 They released the vehicle over one month later, doing nothing but clearing the light, citing that they needed to replicate the issue for Hyundai corporate to pay for a repair. July 13th 2024, the day after I picked it up for this DTC the second time, the same malfunction indicator DTC 23F5F0 light came back on for me. I finally got the vehicle back in August after they replaced 2 of the low pressure fuel injectors. I've heard from others that failing fuel injectors can cause catastrophic failures on the highway.

Loss of power transmission failure Recall issues continue

On [XXX] my new 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz’s transmission failed while driving. Vehicle down shifted with a noticeable loss in power and speed. This was a very dangerous condition as I was in traffic when this incident occurred. The vehicle’s odometer shows ONLY 4761 total miles since purchasing this car brand new at Sheehy Hyundai in Waldorf, Maryland INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz began shaking on the interstate and showing a check engine light on the dash. After pulling off the road to a nearby auto parts store, the ODB reader showed a DTC of P0301, which is a misfiring cylinder. A independent mechanic across the street from the auto parts store diagnosed the issue as a leaking fuel injector, but in order to get the repair cost covered, the vehicle had to be towed to a Hyundai dealership. The dealership did not have any loaner vehicles to offer and estimated 1-2 weeks to even officially diagnose the vehicle themselves. 2 weeks later, the dealership is estimating another 2-3 weeks or more, and Hyundai corporate will not approve any reimbursement for the out-of-pocket costs of hotel, towing, Uber, and rental until diagnosis AND repair is complete, which could be an unknown period of time.

On [XXX] my new 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz’s transmission failed while driving. Vehicle down shifted with a noticeable loss in power and speed. This was a very dangerous condition as I was in traffic when this incident occurred. The vehicle’s odometer shows ONLY 4761 total miles since purchasing this car brand new at Sheehy Hyundai in Waldorf, Maryland INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz began shaking on the interstate and showing a check engine light on the dash. After pulling off the road to a nearby auto parts store, the ODB reader showed a DTC of P0301, which is a misfiring cylinder. A independent mechanic across the street from the auto parts store diagnosed the issue as a leaking fuel injector, but in order to get the repair cost covered, the vehicle had to be towed to a Hyundai dealership. The dealership did not have any loaner vehicles to offer and estimated 1-2 weeks to even officially diagnose the vehicle themselves. 2 weeks later, the dealership is estimating another 2-3 weeks or more, and Hyundai corporate will not approve any reimbursement for the out-of-pocket costs of hotel, towing, Uber, and rental until diagnosis AND repair is complete, which could be an unknown period of time.

A check engine light illuminated and the transmission system malfunctioned. Vehicle lost acceleration and would not shift until RPM was over 3k. It also would not allow manual or paddle shifting. Reviewed recalls and saw there is one for possible need of transmission replacement. I contacted the dealership and they said all recall work was addressed (transmission has never been replaced). They may have changed a part and updated a computer related to this recall but they were ADAMANT my recall had already been addressed. They made noise like I needed to pay for diagnostics. I took the car to an independent shop and paid them to diagnose as I was hesitant the dealer was being 100% honest with me. As it turn out YES. The transmission has failed and needs to be replaced. They provided me with the documentation showing this issue is recall related. (38,000 miles). My concern is that dealerships may mislead customers about this recall and cause possible dangerous conditions.

On 6/22/24 I had issues with my car not picking up speed and shaking while driving a major freeway. The same day I had an issues starting the car. When it finally started the engine light came on with a notice on my screen. Dealership replaced fuel injector. Stating that was the problem. Again, on 7/27/24 the same issues happened. Another fuel injector replaced by dealship. The car is 2 and half years old, under 30,000 miles. 2 of my fuel injector have been replaced. I do not feel safe for other drivers and myself driving the freeway with the hyundai santa cruz. Due to the fuel injectors that randomly keeps giving out. They replace 1 at a time. I feel like hyundai is waiting for a big accident before they replaced all of them. There are multiple complaints that I have seen regarding this problem. They need to be investigated thoroughly, people's lives are in danger. I don't know much about vehicles, but if a car continues to stall, vibrate and stop at anytime it will cause an accident.

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, he was made aware that flames had been observed emanating from the rear of the vehicle. Bystanders were able to safely extinguish the flames; however, local emergency services arrived as an added safety measure. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who had yet to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V181000 (Trailer Hitches), but the VIN was not included. A fire report was filed. A police report was not filed, and no injuries were reported. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 38,000.

Fire