2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: October 27, 2026 · Filed: October 29, 2026

One or two times a week, while driving at night, my headlights and head unit display both power off briefly, typically about 1/2 a second. Then they resume as if nothing had happened. No warning lights or errors, no boot up screen... just back to normal instantly. The only thing that changes is my seat belt indicator illuminates for a few seconds, then goes back off. After some online digging, it seems plenty of other people have this issue, but no one has found an official cause or solution.

Incident: October 17, 2026 · Filed: October 18, 2026

The latest software update, Oct 2026, no longer combines my FM favorites stations with my Sirius stations and now requires me to take my eyes off the road so that I can change from listing to FM to listening to Sirius. Prior I only needed to scroll all my stations using the toggle on the steering wheel allowing me to keep my eyes on the road. This requirement decreases road safety and should be reversed.

Incident: October 13, 2026 · Filed: October 13, 2026

Radiator is leaking coolant at the bottom. Upon close inspections it is noted the front grill design of the vehicle leaves the radiator super exposed to the elements and road hazards causing excessive damage to the radiator during normal everyday use. During a call to the dealer it was discovered the radiator is not covered by the manufacturer warranty due to the damage being caused by road hazards even though the vehicle design is what left the component vulnerable. Hyundai intentionally sold me a vehicle designed in a way that left a critical component exposed to damage that can caused several engine overheating. Post made on forums and social media indicate this is an issue that affects many owners who own the same vehicle model.

Incident: August 13, 2026 · Filed: September 15, 2026

Making a left turn against oncoming traffic into a convenience store parking lot. There was a car in the driveway waiting to exit the convenience store parking lot. As I crossed the oncoming traffic lane the crash avoidance light on the dash came on and the brakes locked up nearly causing me to be broadsided by the oncoming traffic. An obvious malfunction of the crash avoidance system. I contacted the dealer and reported the issue. They advised my software was up to date and it was probably a ghost reading by the camera and software. No further action taken by the dealer.

Incident: August 29, 2026 · Filed: August 29, 2026

Loss of power while trying to accelerate. RPM's were going up, but the vehicle was very sluggish. Nearly got rear ended as I had turned right on a red from a stop to merge onto a 55mph road. I could not get up to speed and had to pull to the side of the road and engage my hazard lights. I turned the vehicle off and let it sit for a few minutes, then turned it back on and the issue went away. No lights/warnings or sounds were associated with the problem. First time driving the car today. Weather is mid 70's and overcast.

Incident: May 1, 2026 · Filed: July 8, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds at night on several occasions, the headlights were dim and created a shadow across the roadway. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on multiple occasions. The dealer was initially unable to duplicate the failure but later diagnosed that the driver-side headlight bulb needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer on several occasions. The dealer ultimately deemed the headlight performance normal. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200.

Incident: May 6, 2026 · Filed: May 7, 2026

The contact owned a 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a loud popping noise was suddenly heard coming from the engine compartment with no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that immediately following the failure, the power steering and brakes became inoperable, making it difficult to maintain control of the vehicle. The contact also noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment and was able to forcefully maneuver the vehicle to the side of the roadway. Shortly thereafter, the front of the vehicle near the engine compartment caught fire. After the vehicle was pulled over, the check engine warning light and low oil warning light illuminated. The local fire department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire. The cause of the fire had not yet been determined. The vehicle was extensively damaged and deemed destroyed. No injuries were sustained and no medical attention was required; however, the contact stated that a cough was suffered due to inhalation of smoke and fumes from the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 7,738.

Incident: March 9, 2026 · Filed: March 17, 2026

While driving at night I happened to notice that the headlights failed to illuminate the road sufficiently. Specifically, the truck was going downhill. As it approached the bottom and soon to go uphill, I noticed that there was a strict delineation in what was lit up and what was not. Being on a country two lane with no ambient lights and travelling at the posted 55mph I realized that I did not have enough distance to stop safely in the event that something be on the road ahead, e.g., deer. So concentrated is the light that it does not create any vertical illumination. (Picture travelling toward the bottom of a parabola.) I visited the Hyundai dealership in my area the next day. I asked that the headlamps be adjusted (raised) to extend the field of vision. The Service manager told me that there is no adjustment for my headlights. I explained my experience driving without adequate illumination. He did not offer any recourse other than to slow down. I have never had a vehicle that did not have headlight adjustment capability.

Incident: March 1, 2026 · Filed: March 1, 2026

I was driving on a highway at 55mph at night today 3/1/2026 and all of a sudden the headlights, instrumentation lights, and computer display went out, very scary, the all turned back on about 1.5 seconds later.

Incident: July 1, 2025 · Filed: January 16, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that after a month of owning the vehicle, while attempting to start the vehicle, the Forward Collision Avoidance warning light and other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the Forward Collision Avoidance warning light remained illuminated for approximately four miles and then turned off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The dealer suggested that the failure could be related to the camera. The contact stated that the camera was replaced. Most recently, the contact stated that after three weeks, the Forward Collision Avoidance warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired after the most recent failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.