2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN), that have been identified in U.S. vehicles following prior crashes, theft, or non‑certified airbag replacements. These inflators are not approved for use, may rupture during deployment, and have caused serious injuries and fatalities. Please see attached announcement, provided by NHTSA, for more details.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN). These inflators were not supplied, approved, or authorized by the vehicle manufacturers and have primarily been found in vehicles that previously experienced a crash and underwent airbag replacement using non-genuine parts. These dangerous inflators have ruptured during deployment, posing a serious risk of injury or death due to metal fragments entering the vehicle cabin. To date, Hyundai is aware of three people who have died while driving a Hyundai vehicle with one of these substandard replacement airbag inflators that deployed in what likely would have been a survivable crash. NHTSA has issued a public advisory urging vehicle owners and service professionals to have vehicles inspected if there is reason to believe that a non-genuine replacement airbag may have been installed. Vehicles with salvage or rebuilt titles, prior airbag deployments, or unknown repair histories may present a higher risk. NHTSA strongly cautions against self-inspection by vehicle owners and recommends inspection by trained technicians.