Reliability & cost of ownership
Hyundai Santa Cruz Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Hyundai Santa Cruz? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Hyundai Santa Cruz problems by model year
13 recall entries and 302 owner complaints on file across 5 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Santa Cruz | 3 | 4 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2025 Santa Cruz | 3 | 16 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2024 Santa Cruz | 1 | 34 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2023 Santa Cruz | 2 | 74 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2022 Santa Cruz | 4 | 174 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Hyundai Santa Cruz, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- power train125 complaints
- engine73 complaints
- unknown or other49 complaints
- electrical system35 complaints
- vehicle speed control29 complaints
- fuel/propulsion system29 complaints
- forward collision avoidance24 complaints
- exterior lighting16 complaints