Hyundai Santa Cruz Complaints

312 consumer complaints on file.

#11671265July 4, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My 2022 Santa Cruz Limited Edition keeps losing power intermittently. No accident yet but very risky to drive.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666129June 10, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
My tailgate is opening unexpectedly while driving. Hyundai has assured people that the tailgate locks while the vehicle is on and moving but that doesn't seem to be the case. I always check to make sure the tailgate is latched after accessing it, since this has happened several times now. I have now lost 2 separate items out of the bed while driving with the tailgate unexpectedly down. This issue could pose a safety risk to other drivers.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11662130May 20, 2025
AIR BAGS
1- Air bag light randomly comes on and off. 2- Today (5.20.25) I brought it to dealer. Dealer said they disconnected the sensor switch and cleaned it, then reconnected and light went off (covered under warranty). 3- I got in the truck, started it, and light was off. 4- I drove one block and airbag light came on again. 5- Returned to dealer, who asked me to leave the car with them. 6- Dealer called and said they will replace air bag (did not specify which one). I hope this solves the problem. 7- I checked a Santa Cruz forum: [XXX] and it looks like A LOT of people have the same problem. Some report it's the sensor assembly underneath the seat. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11661401May 16, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I purchased my 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz new from Hallmark Hyundai in Tennessee. Ever since the purchase of my Hyundai Santa Cruz I have had issues with fuel injectors. I have had two fuel injector failures that had to be covered under warranty, the last fuel injector that failed under warranty was on cylinder 3 and was replaced a year ago at Coastal Hyundai in Melbourne, Florida. Three weeks ago, the fuel injector failed again on cylinder 3 and isn’t covered under warranty. This makes the third fuel injector (two on the same cylinder) to have failed in the three years of owning my vehicle. With less than 80,000 miles on it. Hyundai knows it’s a problem as they recently changed their service bulletin mandating all four fuel injectors to be replaced with an upgraded part. However they won’t cover the charges and I’m on the hook for the bill. Also, the new upgrade kit is on back order. I’ve been given three dates know for when it was supposed to be in stock, but they moved the date out again to May 25 and they’re not confident that it will be here then. There needs to be a recall ordered for the fuel injector replacement as Hyundai knows it’s a problem. There are over 3,000 customers waiting across the country for this new upgraded part.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11660778May 13, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I was driving on the freeway at 65mph and experienced a sudden loss of power. I depressed the gas pedal but the car would not accelerate past 45 mph. I had to drive all the way home with my hazard lights on. There were no lights on the dashboard to signify a problem. This happened several times. I took it into the Hyundai Service center and they could not replicate the problem. It happened again. and again. and again. finally got an error "possible condition with your engine control module". Took it into the dealer and after they drove it around for hundreds of miles they said they were able to recreate the problem, pulls some codes and relaced the fuel injection pump. It happened again. and again. and again. I took it back to the Hyundai Service center. They could not re-create the issue. They told me to use Chevron gas only and added an additive to the car. It worked for a while. Then it happened again. And again. I took it to a different Hyundai Service Center. They were not able to re-create the problem. Apparently, every time I drive the car, after 5-10 minutes on the street roads, the car fails to accelerate and I have to pull over, stop the car, and then re-start it. Re-starting it seems to clear the issue. I am driving in SMART mode and my car is at 39000 miles. Every time I take it to the service center, they can not re-create the issue. This is outrageous. Do I need to get into a car accident in order to bring legal action to Hyundai for not fixing this loss of power/failure to accelerate issue? Worst part is, the first Hyundai service center went out of business and I can not get any of the maintenance records for the fuel pump replacement.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11660406May 12, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle intermittently lost automotive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the dealer informed the contact that the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a different dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was a recall related to the failure, for which a software update was needed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11659417May 7, 2025
ENGINE
Received error code P030300 and the third cylinder fuel injector had to be replaced. There is approximately 36000 miles on the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11656960April 26, 2025
ENGINE
Oil filter cap oil leak problem. Typical problem with this vehicles that require attention. These defective oil leak caps are a safety and environmental concern. The engine almost starved of oil while driving on the highway. Manufacturer has been contacted and are not proactive in taking care of this defect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11655846April 21, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
We purchased our 2024 Santa Cruz [XXX]. On [XXX] the Santa Cruz we purchased from Korum Hyundai Dealership died on the highway as my husband and I were heading to town through the mountains. We had to roll to the side of the road as the Santa Cruz just lost all power and would not accelerate, it just died and lost power. I thought it was a fluke. My husband was driving. I asked if he had hit a button or something, he said no. Turned the ignition to off and he restarted the Santa Cruz and it turned on. On Saturday, [XXX], driving on [XXX] , heading west from Glenoma, Washington to Morton, Washington driving approx 60 mph when the Santa Cruz lost all power again driving down the highway. It was a very dangerous situation! We have logging trucks and semi trucks up and down that highway going speeds of 60 mph and more! I lost all power and had to roll to the side of the road in the Santa Cruz. Some of that stretch of highway does not even have places to pull over and some of that highway has metal guard rails as well as drop off cliffs. EXTREMELY HAZORDOUS SITUATION to have the Santa Cruz simply lose all power going down the highway! On this date the Santa Cruz had 4522 miles on it. I looked at the dash panel to see if there were any warning lights and made a point to look at the mileage. There were no warning lights. Nor warning messages. April 3rd the 2024 Santa Cruz Night was dropped of at the Korum Hyundai Service Dept. The dealership has had the vehicle for 3 weeks and states they cannot replicate the problem. There are no warning lights. Since then I have been on Hyundai Forums and have multiple people tell me the exact same situation has happened to them. They ended up finding out it was the fuel injectors. The forums also stated that the dealership could not replicate the issue when take to service department for other owners. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11655517April 18, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
On multiple occasions the car had trouble starting and while on the road it would idle like it was struggling. My concern was the car dying on me while on the road and causing an accident for myself and the other drivers or pedestrians. The manufacturer hasn't inspected it nor has it been confirmed by the dealer. I haven't had any warning and they first started to appear in the beginning of 2024. I just recently read the fuel injectors are the cause of this and so far there has not been any recall by the manufacturer
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11653345April 8, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
-Brake pedal feels unsmooth in temperatures below 75-80 (mainly below 70) degrees as well as extremely noisy squeaking / creaking sounds accompanied. Inspection is always available. -I currently don't believe there is any safety risk to the issue I'm experiencing, but rather that it's unknown if there is one. I'm just being told there is no safety concern while also being told the issue I'm experiencing has never been heard or seen before on any previous model of Santa Cruz (that my local dealer has experienced). -The issue has been reproduced and confirmed by a dealer on my vehicle as well as on a brand new model sitting in the dealers lot that wasn't nearly as bad as my car, but similar noises at reduced volume could be replicated. -As far as I've been told from the 5 total visits I've had by 2 different Hyundai dealers, I was told 1 time that the pedal components were inspected and everything looked as it should (this was visit 1 of 5). -No warning messages or codes. Car was bought brand new (8 miles on odometer) off the lot and began having issues 2 weeks into ownership. Issue has been with the vehicle ever since (at the time of this message 14+ weeks and 1,500+ miles driven). -Overall, I was told rubber inside the booster is likely rubbing together or booster vacuum could be hissing air (or both together). Advisor at dealer could not definitively say whether or not noise would eventually "break in" as I was told to keep trying to do ("Go put on 5,000+ miles and come back if noise persists"). Advisor also stated because issue has never been seen on pervious years models, that it could maybe one day be recalled. Otherwise, I was told there is no fix that would be covered by warranty as well as he feared if they completely replaced all brake pedal / booster components, that the issue would just start over again.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651645March 30, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The system that failed was electrical near or in the Tow Hitch which caused the vehicle fire. Vehicle is available for inspection at Auto Body Evolution Essex MD. The car caught fire in the back of the vehicle while parked in Owner's driveway and engine off. Neighbor pounded on Owner's door at 6:50 am. yelling for the residents to open the door that their vehicle was on fire in their driveway. Fire was dangerously close to the gas cap; parked vehicle was close to the owner's house, two boats in the driveway, and neighbor's house. After the incident, owner googled for any issues with Santa Cruz's. It was then and only then we learned that this vehicle had a fire recall on the Tow Hitch. We NEVER received a recall notice. In fact, we had this vehicle at the dealership approximately 6 weeks ago for another recall issue, thermostat, and the dealership NEVER checked for any additional recalls. Police and Fire Department were called to the scene by using 911. Officer Irwin who arrived on scene, Badge #6560, Police Report #[XXX], had to use his bully stick to bust the window to use a fire extinguisher before the fire department arrived. The car would not unlock and the windows would not operate. If we had been in the vehicle when the fire erupted or any other passengers in the vehicle, we would not have been able to get out of the car due to the electrical fire effecting the operation of the window and doors if the doors were locked. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11650862March 26, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Since day one of purchasing the vehicle brand new, the Automatic Emergency Braking engages for basically no reason. The system is way too sensitive and will engage the brakes out of nowhere. This is very dangerous because the vehicle will come to a stop and it's only a matter of time when this happens and then get rear ended. Please address this issue, it's a major problem. Also, the Forward Collision Warning is way too sensitive too. Please have Hyundai fix these issues.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11648667March 17, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
On [XXX] my car would not run with a half a tank of gas and 776 miles ,I allied Hyundai towing and had it towed to the nearest dealer in Springfield pa and it sat down a week or more before they looked at it ,after that they finally called and stated there was sugar in my tank ,I explained that was impossible because I have a 175 foot private drive and a dog that barks at anything I explained the gehivle has a anti theft gas cap and if the vehicle is unlocked I get texted to remind me it’s unlocked ,they told me the fuel system had to be replaced from the filter to the injectors ,that vehicle has a safe guard in the fuel tank to clog up when contaminated, I had to wait six weeks for me car and had to use my auto insurance to pay for it with 450.00 coming out of my pocket ,then again after another 800 miles it started again and this time I took it to another dealer who stated there was sugar fuel pump was bad again and that it would cost me another 1500 dollars ,I fought with them and told them about my previous problems and he repair it under warranty INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11648471March 15, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, SERVICE BRAKES
The emergency brake system comes on while driving 60 - 70 miles an hour on freeway. It has happened twice. It does not happen every time I drive 60 - 70. The light comes on stating Emergency Braking and my vehicle slows down. It does not last for very long then goes away. I took it to the dealership and it did not do it for them. They kept it 3 days.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645807March 2, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The sun roof exploded in an upward projection while traveling 65mph with driver window slightly open. Glass everywhere with tiny glass slivers inbedded in my right hand and cheeck. Heard slight popping noise just prior to glass failure. Headed to dealership on 3/3/2025. Found other reports online from 2024 Santa Cruz owners.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645560February 28, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ENGINE
On the interstate mid-route, the engine light went on and the car started acting sluggish and slightly shaking on the interstate and would not respond to pressing the gas to accelerate and started to slow down. When I pulled over to the berm it was vibrating as if it was going to stall out. I turned the car off and returned to the interstate with no issues for the rest of my ride (the engine light remained on). On the next trip to the dealership for an appointment to have it checked, I was merging onto the interstate, and again, the car was not responding to me putting on the gas and would not accelerate. Could not push the car over 35MPG, and had to ride to the dealership with the car varying in speed anywhere from almost a complete stop to 30MPH on the berm where I could with flashers, often it felt as if it would stall out. It was a very dangerous & unsafe ride. FYI - The dealership replaced all 4 fuel injectors to fix
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11641829February 10, 2025
ENGINE
My coolant reservoir was so low that there was less than 8oz of coolant left in the tank. I contacted my local Hyundai dealership and had them service my Santa Cruz. The service techs at the dealership told me that there was a known issue with some of the factory coolant reservoir caps and the seal not working correctly, thus causing coolant to flow out through the cap instead of the overflow hose. They explained that the cap's o-ring at the factory is sometimes faulty. They replaced my cap and I am still monitoring for further issues. There is no TSB listed for this "known" issue. It seems that the dealership has not reported this issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11639015January 28, 2025
POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Vehice experienced FULL power loss several times. Truck taken to dealership and stated no problem found. Incident happened again a week later. Determined wires can become lose from battery terminals for no reason.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11638311January 24, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Lower Average Fuel Consumption than advertised. 10mpg
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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