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2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 35.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 6 of 79 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Power Train. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

2 crash reports3 fire reports1 injury reports

Engine complaints

20 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jul 10, 2026
Engine

driving/pulling on interstate speed only went to 20 miles per hour, no more. Pulled off and turned truck off, waited and restarted. all fine. No warning was given. Short time later engine light came on. Called and got appointment at dealers.

NHTSA ODI #11749495

Mileage unknown · Feb 22, 2026
Engine

oil leak the oil leak has be too the dealer twice for repair each time they said it was fixed it has now has happend again for the third time in less than 306 miles could cause engine failure at highway speed and engine lockup at such speed first time it was found by dealer after third oil change approx. 15000 miles second 12000…

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oil leak the oil leak has be too the dealer twice for repair each time they said it was fixed it has now has happend again for the third time in less than 306 miles could cause engine failure at highway speed and engine lockup at such speed first time it was found by dealer after third oil change approx. 15000 miles second 12000 miles later and now 306 miles latter with this time the leak was larger to to the fact that it triggerd the low oil light first two times it told to me it was oil pan gasket and a small leak which at the time made sense it not show up on the dipstick i know this was da problem on other Hyundai santa cruz models in previous years0

NHTSA ODI #11719745

Mileage unknown · Sep 13, 2025
EnginePower TrainVehicle Speed Control

On [XXX], I went out to start my 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz (SC) to leave work to go home. It was difficult to start, however, it started. As I entered [XXX] , i was nearly rear ended by another car, because my SC lost all acceleration. I turned on my hazards for SAFETY and then began to try to accelerate again and was only able…

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On [XXX], I went out to start my 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz (SC) to leave work to go home. It was difficult to start, however, it started. As I entered [XXX] , i was nearly rear ended by another car, because my SC lost all acceleration. I turned on my hazards for SAFETY and then began to try to accelerate again and was only able to get up to 45 MPH and then was turning 4,000 RPM. I limped my SC home where I had it towed to a local Hyundai dealer as it has roughly 38,000 miles. The dealership had it for 3 days, but couldn't duplicate the issue, so no repairs were done. The Hyundai Santa Cruz has KNOWN transmission issues and the fact I was nearly rear ended could've caused a nasty wreck, resulting in more damage or even a fatality. I reported the issue to Hyundai customer service on the 11th of September (Case #[XXX]). However, in the response from Hyundai, basically saying they "experiencing a high e-mail volume" and responses may be delayed. As of 9/13/2025, I have not received a call or email from Hyundai's customer service. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11687068

Mileage unknown · May 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.

NHTSA ODI #11659417

Mileage unknown · Apr 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.

NHTSA ODI #11656960

Mileage unknown · Feb 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 ca…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11641829

Mileage unknown · Dec 30, 2024
EngineFuel/propulsion System

This is my 2nd complaint re: the same issue. Loss of power during driving. Unable to accelerate. I need to pull over shut off the engine and turn it back on.

NHTSA ODI #11633032

Mileage unknown · Oct 15, 2024
EnginePower TrainUnknown Or Other

On 3 separate occasions this has occurred . When accelerating, the engine or power train completely loses all propulsion. Twice I was starting a left hand turn and crossing oncoming traffic. On one occasion I was turning right onto a 50 MPH highway and quickly veered off the road onto the berm. The only item on dash board flas…

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On 3 separate occasions this has occurred . When accelerating, the engine or power train completely loses all propulsion. Twice I was starting a left hand turn and crossing oncoming traffic. On one occasion I was turning right onto a 50 MPH highway and quickly veered off the road onto the berm. The only item on dash board flashing on the third incident was the cruise control preset and it was flashing 20. At the time I was not using the cruise control and I did not set it for 20. No dash board warning lights lit during the first two losses of power. I reported it to the dealer. Today I had a maintenance appointment and inspection at the dealer. After that inspection, they informed me that they found no codes to identify the issue. I should let them know if it continues. My 3 failures happened at approximately 10,000, 15,000 and 20,000 miles. My safety and that of my passenger were most definitely affected each and every time. After 30 seconds to one minute the full functionality returns as if it never happened.

NHTSA ODI #11619977

13,803 miles · Sep 26, 2024
EngineFuel System, Gasoline

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH with the cruise control engaged, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle slowed to approximately 15 MPH while depressing th…

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The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH with the cruise control engaged, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle slowed to approximately 15 MPH while depressing the accelerator pedal and failed to respond as needed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence. The contact turned off the vehicle and attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that a fuel injector had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 13,803.

NHTSA ODI #11616602

Mileage unknown · Aug 12, 2024
EnginePower Train

Loss of power during driving No warning or warning lights vehicle would not accelerate engine speed increased only to 3k rpm’s but vehicle would not accelerate This could have been life threatening if I was in traffic Shut vehicle off and restarted problem when away From looking on forums this is an issue with the Santa Cruz…

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Loss of power during driving No warning or warning lights vehicle would not accelerate engine speed increased only to 3k rpm’s but vehicle would not accelerate This could have been life threatening if I was in traffic Shut vehicle off and restarted problem when away From looking on forums this is an issue with the Santa Cruz

NHTSA ODI #11608085

Official recalls

2

23V181000 · Trailer Hitches

Mar 17, 2023

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

23V038000 · Structure:body:roof And Pillars; Structure:critical Fasteners

Jan 31, 2023

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

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Structure:critical Fasteners

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

Consequence: 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.

Structure:body:roof And Pillars

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

Consequence: 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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.