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2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Santa Cruz years

Owner complaints for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz are substantially higher than the model-year median of 35.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 21 of 183 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Power Train. Review the 90 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 50 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

5 crash reports1 fire reports4 injury reports

Engine complaints

50 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jul 19, 2023
EnginePower Train

Vehicle begins to sputter and doesn’t want to accelerate. This usually occurs on the highway. Pulling over and turning the car off “resets it” sometimes. Vehicle is less than a year old with 26k mi on it. When the vehicle experiences these episodes I have to gradually use the accelerator, vehicle does not like fast acceleration …

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Vehicle begins to sputter and doesn’t want to accelerate. This usually occurs on the highway. Pulling over and turning the car off “resets it” sometimes. Vehicle is less than a year old with 26k mi on it. When the vehicle experiences these episodes I have to gradually use the accelerator, vehicle does not like fast acceleration when it’s going through one of these episodes. Check engine light comes on and a message stating a diagnostic of the engine control system needs to be conducted. Currently awaiting Hyundai dealership to get me into their service department.

NHTSA ODI #11533300

Mileage unknown · Jul 17, 2023
EnginePower Train

ON 7-13-2023 I WAS GETTING IN MY SANTZ CRUZ LIMITED THAT I BOUGHT BRAND NEW WITH 19,000 MILES, WHEN I TURNED ON MY TRUCK THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. I SAT AND RAN A HEALTH CHECK ON MY INFO SCREEN, IT CAME UP WITH A TRANSMISSION/ENGINE ISSUES. I THEN WENT TO THE SANTA CRUZ APP AND FOUND THE ALERT, WHICH WAS DTC P1C2DO3 WHICH IS A …

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ON 7-13-2023 I WAS GETTING IN MY SANTZ CRUZ LIMITED THAT I BOUGHT BRAND NEW WITH 19,000 MILES, WHEN I TURNED ON MY TRUCK THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. I SAT AND RAN A HEALTH CHECK ON MY INFO SCREEN, IT CAME UP WITH A TRANSMISSION/ENGINE ISSUES. I THEN WENT TO THE SANTA CRUZ APP AND FOUND THE ALERT, WHICH WAS DTC P1C2DO3 WHICH IS A RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSION ENGINE. I HAD THAT SERVICED ALL READY IN FEB OF 2023. WELL, I GUESS IT DIDN'T WORK. I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE IT WHERE IT WAS SO I SLOWLY DROVE TO MY OFFICE WHICH IS GATED. LEFT IT THERE OVERNIGHT AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE HYUNDIA DEALER FROM I BOUGHT IT AT. BUT AS I DROVE IT I CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER, AND IT SEEMED TO WANT TO STALE. YOU DO NOT WANT TO LOSE POWER WHERE I LIVE, THE DRIVING HERE IS SCARY. I AM NOW WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM THE AUTO NATION DEALERSHIP ON WHAT IS GOING ON, BUT THEY ARE NOT IN ANY HURRY TO GET BACK TO ME. I HAVE READ WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN MANY MORE OF THIS KIND OF THING REPORTED. THIS IS REALLY UPSETTING AND SCARY TO ME. IT'S BRAND NEW!

NHTSA ODI #11532791

Mileage unknown · Apr 14, 2023
EnginePower Train

Driving on interstate vehicle suddenly decelerated… pressing the gas pedal on rev’d the rpm’s up no acceleration…had to pull over and park..engine light did come on this time ( second time this has happened although the first time power train reengaged after some seconds passed..I did report that incident as well) First time too…

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Driving on interstate vehicle suddenly decelerated… pressing the gas pedal on rev’d the rpm’s up no acceleration…had to pull over and park..engine light did come on this time ( second time this has happened although the first time power train reengaged after some seconds passed..I did report that incident as well) First time took to dealership was told nothing wrong cannot duplicate… this time wife was with and was able to record ok phone what was happening Had it towed to dealership

NHTSA ODI #11517026

Mileage unknown · Apr 11, 2023
Engine

Loose the power of the vehicle. Can't shift the transmission manually.

NHTSA ODI #11516439

Mileage unknown · Apr 8, 2023
Electrical SystemEngine

After taking my vehicle to get serviced for the 4th time, the vehicle is is not repaired. I still have the problem two hours later when driving the vehicle on April 7, 2023. My vehicle sometimes get stuck in high idle @1200 RPM when driving. The engine is at operating temperature when it get stuck. It doesn't go away unless I sh…

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After taking my vehicle to get serviced for the 4th time, the vehicle is is not repaired. I still have the problem two hours later when driving the vehicle on April 7, 2023. My vehicle sometimes get stuck in high idle @1200 RPM when driving. The engine is at operating temperature when it get stuck. It doesn't go away unless I shut off the engine for a few seconds and then start the engine. It stays in high idle @1200 RPM whether it is in park, neutral, reverse, or drive. It stays @1200 RPM whether the A/C is on or off. The engine control module seem to make adjustments to keep the idle @1200 RPM. It is difficult to stop, additional wear on the brakes, and poor fuel economy. On the highway, when I take my foot off the accelerator pedal the engine feels like the pedal is slightly pressed. A stuck accelerator pedal doesn't make adjustments to maintain the 1200 RPM idle in park and drive or whether the A/C is on and off. It is a problem with the engine control module controlling the idle speed. My dealer already did a engine and transmission value reset which didn't fix the problem. Others have filed a complaint that the RPM gets stuck @5000. The rpm getting stuck doesn't trigger a check engine warning light on my vehicle either. One time while I was driving with the idle problem, the engine shut off while I was braking to a stop at the light. Are Hyundai vehicle parts really being tested to the point of failure or malfunction? How come Hyundai USA doesn't know the cause of the problem? Are we their test subject and crash dummies? The Hyundai dealer said they couldn't reproduce the problem, so when it was malfunctioning again I drove it back to the dealership without shutting off the engine for them to confirm the problem. I have a recent video of the malfunction, but only older photos of the engine or electrical malfunction to upload.

NHTSA ODI #11516098

Mileage unknown · Apr 3, 2023
Engine

Drove on highway,parked, went back to vehicle,saw leak.coolant low, radiator punctured from rock or something on road statedfrom dealer, not covered,but grill is made wide for objects to easily get in and could happen over and over

NHTSA ODI #11515303

25,000 miles · Feb 14, 2023
EnginePower Train

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle independently started to decelerate. The contact stated that unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to enter a parking lot before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle…

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The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle independently started to decelerate. The contact stated that unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to enter a parking lot before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a seized engine. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V746000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.

NHTSA ODI #11507179

Mileage unknown · Jan 30, 2023
EnginePower TrainVehicle Speed Control

I was driving on the 394 in Minneapolis and my car had a massive loss of power, dropping my speed from 65 to 35 in seconds, as if i was braking (which I wasn't). The engine light began flashing and I was unable to accelerate beyond the speed it had reduced me to. I was able to limp off the freeway and into a parking lot where it…

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I was driving on the 394 in Minneapolis and my car had a massive loss of power, dropping my speed from 65 to 35 in seconds, as if i was braking (which I wasn't). The engine light began flashing and I was unable to accelerate beyond the speed it had reduced me to. I was able to limp off the freeway and into a parking lot where it kind of fixed itself after 10 minutes. I took it to a local dealership who said the engine had lost 2 cylinders suddenly. The cylinders were not replaced and no additional work was done to the engine (I don't know why). It has since continued to stutter at lower speeds and occasionally lags when accelerating. Hyundai refuses to do anything about it.

NHTSA ODI #11504450

Mileage unknown · Jan 9, 2023
EngineUnknown Or Other

Transmission problems , car went into limp mode.

NHTSA ODI #11500930

Mileage unknown · Jan 6, 2023
EnginePower Train

On three separate occasions the engine developed a misfire after driving approximately 90 miles in inclement weather. During this time period the transmission began to make hard upshiftswhile accelerating and when down shifting the transmission felt as though it would lurch or surge between gear selection. Use of paddle shifter …

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On three separate occasions the engine developed a misfire after driving approximately 90 miles in inclement weather. During this time period the transmission began to make hard upshiftswhile accelerating and when down shifting the transmission felt as though it would lurch or surge between gear selection. Use of paddle shifter to manually select gears would result in limited acceleration after the transmission returned to the drive mode. The transmission would not downshift on its own after the paddle shifters were used unless the floor shift select was manually placed in neutral. Then normal operation would resume.The vehicle was returned to the dealership and had the transmission software update performed. This did not resolve issues. These incidents began in October of 2022 and the vehicle was was put in for service the second week of November. It remains in their possession as of 01/06/2023.

NHTSA ODI #11500415

Official recalls

4

23V181000 · Trailer Hitches

Mar 17, 2023

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 dealership. Water accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is completed. Dealers will install a new fuse and wire extension kit as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed starting May 16, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 244. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 22V-633.

23V038000 · Structure:body:roof And Pillars; Structure:critical Fasteners

Jan 31, 2023

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Tucson and 2022-2023 Santa Cruz vehicles. The roof moldings may detach.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A detached roof molding could become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace, or secure the roof moldings, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 30, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 241.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Structure:critical Fasteners

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Tucson and 2022-2023 Santa Cruz vehicles. The roof moldings may detach.

Consequence: A detached roof molding could become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace, or secure the roof moldings, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 30, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 241.

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.

Consequence: A detached roof molding could become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace, or secure the roof moldings, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 30, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 241.

22V746000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission

Oct 6, 2022

Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Sonata, Veloster N, 2022 Santa Cruz, Elantra N, and Kona N vehicles. The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can result in a complete loss of drive power.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission, as necessary. Dealers will also update the transmission control unit software. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 10, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 236.

22V197000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline:turbo/supercharger; Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:oil/lubrication:pipes, Hoses, And Fittings

Mar 28, 2022

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Santa Fe and Santa Cruz vehicles. The oil supply pipe to the turbocharger may crack, which could result in an oil leak in the engine compartment.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the turbocharger oil supply pipe, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall 222.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:oil/lubrication:pipes, Hoses, And Fittings

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Santa Fe and Santa Cruz vehicles. The oil supply pipe to the turbocharger may crack, which could result in an oil leak in the engine compartment.

Consequence: An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the turbocharger oil supply pipe, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall 222.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline:turbo/supercharger

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Santa Fe and Santa Cruz vehicles. The oil supply pipe to the turbocharger may crack, which could result in an oil leak in the engine compartment.

Consequence: An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the turbocharger oil supply pipe, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall 222.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.