2025 HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ
3 recalls — 25 complaints — 5/5 safety rating
26V316000 May 18, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Defect Description
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Tucson, Tucson Hybrid, and Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) vehicles. Software in the front cameras may cause the forward collision avoidance system to activate prematurely and unexpectedly apply the brakes.
Consequence
Unexpected braking increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will update the front camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 17, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 302. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall bec... Read more
25V809000 Nov 20, 2025
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN
Defect Description
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson, 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2026 Genesis GV70 vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not have been installed properly, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.
Consequence
Side curtain air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will reinstall the side curtain air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning December 29, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 289 and 029G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in t... Read more
24V877000 Nov 20, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
Defect Description
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson and Santa Cruz vehicles. The console extension wiring assembly may be routed improperly, allowing the transmission to be shifted out of Park without applying the brake pedal.
Consequence
A transmission that can shift out of Park without applying the brake pedal can result in a vehicle roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Owners are advised to use the parking brake when parking the vehicle. Dealers will reroute the console extension wiring assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 17, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this rec... Read more
Complaint Statistics
25 total complaints
2 crashes
Top Reported Components
| Component | Complaints |
|---|---|
| ENGINE | 7 |
| POWER TRAIN | 3 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS:DRIVER MONITORING:CAMERA/SENSOR | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 1 |
| LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS | 1 |
ENGINE
May 7, 2026
Incident date: May 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that an abnormal, knocking sound would emit upon depression of the accelerator pedal as a check engine light appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic where the diagnosed the vehicle with a defec... Read more
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Mar 17, 2026
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
While driving at night I happened to notice that the headlights failed to illuminate the road sufficiently. Specifically, the truck was going downhill. As it approached the bottom and soon to go uphill, I noticed that there was a strict delineation in what was lit up and what was not. Being on a cou... Read more
SUSPENSION
Mar 1, 2026
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
The rear passenger and driver side coil springs failed along with the bottom rubber seats. Both springs were broken/cracked and had slide off the rubber seats.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Mar 1, 2026
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
I was driving on a highway at 55mph at night today 3/1/2026 and all of a sudden the headlights, instrumentation lights, and computer display went out, very scary, the all turned back on about 1.5 seconds later.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Jan 16, 2026
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
the Infotainment system is malfunctioning. the screen is delaminating and pressing ghost buttons, flickering between screens or not functioning at all and I am unable to press any buttons on the screen. safety: when making calls hands free with the system, it will mute calls, end calls, or switch ... Read more
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Nov 16, 2025
Incident date: Nov 15, 2025
Injector failure
ENGINE
Nov 11, 2025
Incident date: Apr 2, 2025
The e-Torque motor generator unit is failing, rendering the truck unsafe to drive. Catastrophic failure of this unit while in operation would likely cause loss of control. Signs of failure primarily have been increasing noise in the unit common to bearing failure. The component was inspected by an i... Read more
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Nov 11, 2025
Incident date: Apr 2, 2025
This is an ongoing safety issue with a 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited. The forward collision-avoidance system activates frequently and without cause during normal driving. The system will engage when another vehicle is simply turning, merging, or slowing down at a traffic light—normal, predictabl... Read more
Crash
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Nov 11, 2025
Incident date: Apr 2, 2025
This is an ongoing safety issue with a 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited. The forward collision-avoidance system activates frequently and without cause during normal driving. The system will engage when another vehicle is simply turning, merging, or slowing down at a traffic light—normal, predictabl... Read more
Crash
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Oct 20, 2025
Incident date: Oct 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2007 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact, who was an independent mechanic, researched and diagnosed the failure with water damage to t... Read more
ENGINE
Oct 1, 2025
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
NHTSA Complaint – 2017 Hyundai Tucson Oil Consumption, Engine Defect, and Branded Title I am filing this complaint regarding my 2017 Hyundai Tucson, which suffers from abnormal oil consumption and engine problems. In addition, Hyundai Motor Company internally “branded” the title without discl... Read more
POWER TRAIN
Sep 7, 2025
Incident date: Sep 5, 2025
Vehicle will all suddenly while driving on the roads with speed, dash will blink and start saying to select the gear. At this point vehicle either has to be put in parking (while trying to figure out where to pull over) and reselect the gear, or completely shut off, re start and select gear in order... Read more
AIR BAGS
Aug 15, 2025
Incident date: Aug 12, 2025
Indicator light came on for passenger side airbag says it has recall and it looks as though the airbag is trying to come out of its compartment
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Aug 15, 2025
Incident date: Aug 12, 2025
Headlights are unable to be adjusted using the headlight adjuster leading to a safety issue when operating the vehicle at night. Headlights point down and don’t light up the road properly during night time driving.
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Aug 15, 2025
Incident date: Aug 12, 2025
Make: Hyundai • Model: Santa Cruz • Year: 2025 • Trim: Limited • Mileage: 2600 miles • Date of Purchase: July 2025 Description of the Problem: I am reporting a safety issue with the Forward Attention Warning (FAW) system on my 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited, which unexpectedly disabl... Read more
STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 8, 2025
Incident date: Dec 21, 2024
I purchased this vehicle on [XXX] from Sunnyvale Volkswagen and have experienced ongoing issues with the electrical system, infotainment, safety features, and OTA software updates. In early 2023, all error lights came on while driving, followed by a complete electrical system failure. The car would ... Read more
POWER TRAIN
Mar 26, 2025
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle lost automotive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was scanned with an OBD2 scanner with a transmission sensor failure. In addition, several days later, while dri... Read more
ENGINE
Mar 26, 2025
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle lost automotive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was scanned with an OBD2 scanner with a transmission sensor failure. In addition, several days later, while dri... Read more
ENGINE
Jan 23, 2025
Incident date: Jan 23, 2025
I am on my third 6.2L engine at 80k miles due to engine failure. It is absolutely ridiculous and is a safety issue for sure. It has left me stranded twice. And now GM is giving me a hard time about not wanting to cover it under warranty.
ENGINE
Jan 19, 2025
Incident date: Dec 7, 2024
Two weeks after purchasing our 2022 slightly used Cadillac Escalade, my family and I were on our annual Thanksgiving camping trip. December 1, 2024 we were on our way back home from this trip on a very busy highway frequented by semi trucks and large RVs (nearby desert camping). While driving and to... Read more
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Dec 26, 2024
Incident date: Sep 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed that the instrument panel became inoperable. The contact stated the multiple warning lights would inadvertently illuminate with no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was... Read more
POWER TRAIN
Dec 26, 2024
Incident date: Sep 21, 2024
Transmission doesn’t seem to shift right sometimes. Lurches forward, rpm’s go high and seems like it slams back into gear
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS:DRIVER MONITORING:CAMERA/SENSOR
Nov 14, 2024
Incident date: Nov 12, 2024
While driving at highway speeds with Smart Cruise Control set during the day I put on sunglasses and the driver attention system turned off the system 6 seconds later. I repeated this event set several times at various speeds and driving conditions with the same 6 second failure result. I made the d... Read more
SERVICE BRAKES
Nov 14, 2024
Incident date: Nov 12, 2024
Failure of brake valve between primary and secondary tanks. does not isolate the two systems
ENGINE
Nov 14, 2024
Incident date: Nov 12, 2024
Losing coolant, told possible blown head gasket. Come to learn, this is a FREQUENT issues with the 10th gen Accords!
NHTSA Safety Ratings — 2025 HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz PU/CC AWD
| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 5 / 5 ★★★★★ |
| Frontal Crash | 5 / 5 ★★★★★ |
| Frontal Crash — Driver | 5 / 5 ★★★★★ |
| Frontal Crash — Passenger | 5 / 5 ★★★★★ |
| Side Crash | 5 / 5 ★★★★★ |
| Side Crash — Driver | 5 / 5 ★★★★★ |
| Side Crash — Passenger | 5 / 5 ★★★★★ |
| Rollover | 4 / 5 ★★★★☆ |
| Rollover Risk | 16.4% |
Safety Technology
| Feature | Status |
|---|---|
| Electronic Stability Control | Standard |
| Forward Collision Warning | Standard & Optional |
| Lane Departure Warning | Standard |
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings Program. Ratings are based on crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ — All Years Overview
Complete safety history for the HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ across all model years (2022–2026).
13
Total Recalls
454
Total Complaints
0
Investigations
10
Reported Crashes
1
Reported Fires
0
Reported Deaths