2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz Recalls, Complaints & Specs
3 safety recalls list the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz, and owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
3 safety recalls for the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Automatic emergency braking (forward collision avoidance)
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Tucson, Tucson Hybrid, and Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) vehicles. Software in the front cameras may cause the forward collision avoidance system to activate prematurely and unexpectedly apply the brakes.
Remedy: Dealers will update the front camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 17, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for…
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Instrument cluster/panel (electrical system)
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson Hybrid, Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 IONIQ 5, Santa Cruz, Kona, Palisade, Palisade Hybrid, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, Sonata, Sonata Hybrid, and Tucson vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles…
Remedy: The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 24, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai's customer service at…
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Curtain (air bags)
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson, 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2026 Genesis GV70 vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not have been installed properly, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.
Remedy: Dealers will reinstall the side curtain air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning December 29, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's numbers for…
5 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 5 miles. Complaints peaked in 2026 with 5 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "You May Want to Consider Taking a Break" was displayed with an audible alert nin”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 2, 2026 · Lane departure
“I was traveling southbound on XXX from [XXX] to [XXX] While traveling in this major highway, the vehicle shunted forward and it felt like something hit us from behind. In reality, a transmission issue”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, June 6, 2026 · Power train
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz AWD NX4 OB 2.5 AWD 8AT, Santa Cruz AWD NX4 OB 2.5T AWD 8AT, Santa Cruz FWD, Santa Cruz XRT AWD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 20–25 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 18–22 / 25–30 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD |
| Engine | 4 cyl, 2.5 L |
| Transmission | Automatic (S8) |
Compare Hyundai Santa Cruz model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Hyundai Santa Cruz model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz | 4 | 185 |
| 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz | 2 | 79 |
| 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz | 1 | 35 |
| 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz | 3 | 19 |
| 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz | 3 | 5 |
Checking a specific 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
How do I know if my 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 3 campaigns currently list the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Hyundai dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 25V809000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Hyundai models
- Sonata16,085 complaints
- Elantra8,715 complaints
- Santa FE7,663 complaints
- Tucson6,287 complaints
- Palisade2,447 complaints
- Accent2,032 complaints
- Ioniq 51,339 complaints
- Veloster1,292 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.