Your vehicle report

2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz

The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.

NHTSA data through October 2026View original NHTSA data Change vehicle

Your vehicle at a glance

Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.

Owner complaints
185
Received Jan 2022 to Sep 2026
Official recalls listed
4
Naming this model year; check your VIN for applicability
BrakeNews flagged problems
1
Statistical signals, not official defect findings or recalls

Owner reports

Most reported problems

  1. 1
    Transmission fails or loses power while driving19 complaints · 10% of this vehicle’s complaints
  2. 2
    Unintended acceleration despite braking18 complaints · 9.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
  3. 3
    Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips12 complaints · 6.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
See all reported problems

Official NHTSA records

Recalls to check

  • Recall #23V181000Park outsideHyundai 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.
  • Recall #23V038000Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Tucson and 2022-2023 Santa Cruz vehicles. The roof moldings may detach.
View recall details

BrakeNews signals

Flagged complaint patterns

Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.

How flags are identified

Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 5 crashes, 1 fire, 5 people injured, 0 deaths.

Explore by system

Where do owners report problems?

Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.

Schematic car with five system shortcutsGeneric side view, with the front on the left. Numbered links explore engine, brakes, steering, electrical, and body complaints. Text controls below provide the same choices.12345FRONTSCHEMATIC VIEW

Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.

View selected problems

Showing all 12 listed problems by system.

Engine & powertrain

5 more problems

Brakes

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Electrical & lights

Airbags, belts & seats

Steering, suspension & tires

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Body, doors & glass

Driver assistance

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Other

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Complaint history

When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.

Complaints received about the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz
13
Show as a table
MonthComplaints
January 20221
February 202210
March 20225
April 20225
May 20225
June 20225
July 20228
August 20227
September 20226
October 20229
November 20226
December 202213
January 20238
February 20234
March 20234
April 20235
May 20235
June 20234
July 20233
August 20233
September 20235
October 20234
November 20232
December 20234
January 20241
February 20242
March 20242
April 20240
May 20242
June 20242
July 20244
August 20243
September 20243
October 20242
November 20240
December 20241
January 20251
February 20251
March 20250
April 20251
May 20253
June 20251
July 20252
August 20254
September 20250
October 20250
November 20253
December 20251
January 20260
February 20260
March 20261
April 20261
May 20260
June 20264
July 20261
August 20262
September 20266
October 20260
Total185

Problems owners report

Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.

ProblemComplaintsShareShare ratioStatus
Transmission fails or loses power while driving1910%–NHTSA recall #22V746000
Unintended acceleration despite braking189.7%–
Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips126.5%–
Engine stalls and loses power while driving115.9%12.2×BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jul 2025
Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.5%
Headlights dim or fail at night84.3%–
Engine suddenly shuts off while driving73.8%–
Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed63.2%–NHTSA recall #22V746000
Check engine light comes on repeatedly52.7%–
Fuel pump fails and engine stalls52.7%6.8×
Airbags fail to deploy in crashes42.2%6.3×
Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail31.6%–
Glass shatters or cracks without impact31.6%–

AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.

Recalls

  • NHTSA recall #23V181000March 17, 2023584,784 vehicles affected

    Park outside: NHTSA advises this until the repair is done.

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

    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.

  • NHTSA recall #23V038000January 31, 202316,104 vehicles affected

    structure: body: roof and pillars; structure: critical fasteners

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

    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.

  • NHTSA recall #22V746000October 6, 202256,148 vehicles affected

    power train: automatic transmission

    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.

    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.

  • NHTSA recall #22V197000March 28, 202216 vehicles affected

    engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline: turbo/supercharger; 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.

    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.

Other model years

About this data

NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz.

Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.

Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN