2026 HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ
3 recalls — 6 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
26V047000 Jan 26, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
Defect Description
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson Hybrid, Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 IONIQ 5, Santa Cruz, Kona, Palisade, Palisade Hybrid, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, Sonata, Sonata Hybrid, and Tucson vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display... Read more
Consequence
An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 24, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai's customer service at 855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 293. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs... 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
Complaint Statistics
6 total complaints
Top Reported Components
| Component | Complaints |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 |
| LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
POWER TRAIN
Jun 6, 2026
Incident date: Jun 6, 2026
I was traveling southbound on XXX from [XXX] to [XXX] While traveling in this major highway, the vehicle shunted forward and it felt like something hit us from behind. In reality, a transmission issue flared up on the dashboard along with a "Check Engine" light. Vehicle was left at the dealership. B... Read more
VISIBILITY/WIPER
May 22, 2026
Incident date: May 21, 2026
The windshield washer fluid dispensing nozzles do not effectively cover the windshield. Almost all of the "spray" is in a very concentrated area of the lower windshield. The fluid squirts onto the two locations on the windshield and gets wiped away by the wipers as soon as they move. The rest of the... Read more
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
May 22, 2026
Incident date: May 21, 2026
The lake keep assist safety feature works inconsistently. Many times, the system has allowed my vehicle to cross the yellow or white lines, when it shouldn't have. Even worse, during wintertime, the vehicle gets confused as to what is road and what is not, jerking the vehicle in directions that it s... Read more
STEERING
May 22, 2026
Incident date: May 21, 2026
The lake keep assist safety feature works inconsistently. Many times, the system has allowed my vehicle to cross the yellow or white lines, when it shouldn't have. Even worse, during wintertime, the vehicle gets confused as to what is road and what is not, jerking the vehicle in directions that it s... Read more
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Apr 30, 2026
Incident date: Mar 31, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and merging into highway traffic, the vehicle hesitated and surged forward after depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicat... Read more
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Apr 30, 2026
Incident date: Mar 31, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact stated that while her son was driving 25 MPH, the brake warning light and the traction control warning light illuminated. Additionally, while the contact's husband was driving, the driver’s side rear brake seized, and there was smoke coming fr... Read more
NHTSA Safety Ratings — 2026 HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ
2026 HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ PU/CC N/A FWD
| 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 | No |
| Lane Departure Warning | No |
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