RoadVitals

2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
5
+1 complaint in 30 days
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
3
Latest May 18, 2026
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz, most frequently naming the driver assistance, powertrain (other) and steering categories. 3 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 16 manufacturer communications are on file.

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

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Driver assistance342.9%
  • Powertrain (other)228.6%
  • Steering114.3%
  • Visibility114.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

3 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
26V316000

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

May 18, 2026
423,062 units potentially affected
The defect: 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.
The risk: Unexpected braking increases the risk of a crash.
The 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 became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 20, 2026.
Hyundai Motor AmericaManufacturer number 302View on NHTSA.gov
26V047000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

Jan 26, 2026
41,651 units potentially affected
The defect: 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 may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays."
The risk: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
The 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) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 28, 2026.
Hyundai Motor AmericaManufacturer number 293View on NHTSA.gov
25V809000

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN

Nov 20, 2025
258 units potentially affected
The defect: 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.
The risk: Side curtain air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The 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 this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 22, 2025.
Hyundai Motor AmericaManufacturer number 289 (H); 029G (G)View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Driver assistance
Filed Sep 2, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "You May Want to Consider Taking a Break" was displayed with an audible alert nine times during a thirteen-mile trip, causing a distraction. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the Lane Departure feature was built into the computer system and was unable to be disabled. The failure mileage was approximately 5.

NHTSA ID
11761596
Incident
Aug 5, 2026
Mileage
5 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed 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. Blue Link (the automatic car system) detected this issue at 12:48 P.M. I was driving on a highway with other motorists when I had this issue. Only 3k miles! Brand new 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz. Thank God the person behind me was paying attention or there would have been a crash! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11742481
Incident
Jun 6, 2026
Driver assistanceSteering
Filed May 22, 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 shouldn't be going (either off the road, or into incoming traffic). This is quite a violent jerk, so, unless the steering wheel is held steady with significant force, it could cause the vehicle to depart from the intended driving lane. Moreover, when there is snow on the road, the violent jerks can actually send the vehicle into an uncontrollably spin! This feature could be a way to make driving safer, but when you expect it to work, and it doesn't, driving can actually be more unsafe than if the system didn't exist to begin with. And when it does activate when it is not supposed to, it could actually perform actions opposite to the intended function. The previous Santa Cruz that I had (MY2023) had the same feature, but it actually worked all of the time unless there were no lines on the road. Even then, it still worked most of the time.

NHTSA ID
11739509
Incident
May 21, 2026
Visibility
Filed May 22, 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 windshield gets virtually no fluid applied. This causes a significant safety hazard under many conditions. Most notably: - During light precipitation when the windshield is mostly dry, but not wet enough to actually allow the wipers to clear road dust/dirt. - During wintertime when little of no snow is falling at the time. Salt and/or sand accumulate on the windshield and dry with no way to rewet it to clear it away In these situations, and others, two different issues arise. 1) The part of the windshield that actually can get wet enough to be properly cleared is not in the main line of sight for the driver to see the road and drive safely. 2) When driving toward the sun, close to sunset, the entire windshield becomes heavily streaked, and impedes the drivers entire forward field of view. Again, the driver cannot safely operate the vehicle. Although I do not have documentation, I have brought this up to two dealerships, both of which agreed, but offered no remedy. This was also an issue with my 2023 Santa Cruz, and is an issue that a friend of mine has with her Tucson. It seems that Korean vehicle manufacturers use the same or similar design features, as my wife has this issue with her Kia, as well.

NHTSA ID
11739506
Incident
May 21, 2026
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Apr 30, 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 duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.

NHTSA ID
11734862
Incident
Mar 31, 2026

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

26-01-074H DCS

Certain Tucson (NX4A) and Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may exhibit air bubbles forming on the surface of the dashboard (crash pad) due to poor adhesion caused by prolonged UV and heat exposure. Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 26-01-074H provides instructions to inspect the dashboard (crash pad) for bubbling and, if necessary, to use needling and steel tamper tools to remove trapped air and repair the dashboard (crash pad) surface.

26-01-074H TSB

Certain Tucson (NX4A) and Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may exhibit air bubbles forming on the surface of the dashboard (crash pad) due to poor adhesion caused by prolonged UV and heat exposure. This bulletin provides instructions to inspect the dashboard (crash pad) for bubbling and, if necessary, to use needling and steel tamper tools to remove trapped air and repair the dashboard (crash pad) surface.

26-BD-003H TSB

STRUCTURE:BODY

Some Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may have a tonneau cover that does not latch or unlatch, does not retract properly, and/or has a v-gap that is present when closed. This may be due to a broken or missing clip on the underside of the tonneau cover. This bulletin provides instructions to inspect and, if necessary, repair the tonneau cover function using the Tonneau Cover Repair Kit or by replacing the tonneau handle and latch assembly.

26-AT-005H TSB

POWER TRAIN

This bulletin provides information related to a Transmission Control Unit (TCU) software update for some vehicles equipped with an 8-speed wet dual clutch transmission (8WDCT). The software update revises the touch point learning variation, improving drivability and judder symptoms. Some 8WDCTs (indicated by a new part number) received an updated clutch spring. The correct TCU software update must be matched with the correct corresponding 8WDCT hardware, otherwise, drivability concerns may occur. This service procedure should be performed prior to any 8WDCT replacements done for drivability/judder concerns.

26-AT-003H TSB

POWER TRAIN

Some Santa Fe (MX5A) and Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may exhibit a low idle or excessive vibration while in Drive or Reverse, or DTC P050600 (Idle Air Control System – RPM Lower than Expected) caused by the one-way clutch sprags being misaligned. This bulletin provides instructions to remove the automatic transmission and replace the torque converter.

26-01-044H TSB

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Certain Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may experience Over-the-Air (OTA) update failures due to outdated Central Communication Unit (CCU) software. This bulletin provides instructions to perform a software update for the CCU.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Hyundai Santa Cruz by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026Viewing530—
2025193058.7
2024351048.6
2023792049.7
20221844050.1

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.