2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 76 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 2 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
76
Complaints
2
Recalls
2
Crash reports
3
Fire reports
1
Injuries
44.7
Severity index
Severity index 44.7 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 80 2023 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz ranks 42 of 80 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 48% of its model-year peers. See the full 2023 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 25 | 32.9% |
| ENGINE | 20 | 26.3% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 12 | 15.8% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 9 | 11.8% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 6 | 7.9% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 6 | 7.9% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 6 | 7.9% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 5 | 6.6% |
The single most-reported system is POWER TRAIN, cited in 25 of 76 complaints (32.9%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 33 |
| 2024 | 15 |
| 2025 | 19 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 5 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 16.8x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23V038000 | 31/01/2023 | STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Tucson and 2022-2023 Santa Cruz vehicles. The roof moldings may detach. |
| 23V181000 | 17/03/2023 | TRAILER HITCHES | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Santa Fe, 2021-2023 Santa Fe HEV, 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-in HEV and Santa Cruz vehicles potentially equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Hyundai de |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.