IllustrationWhile driving on the highway at a speed of approx 35 mph, no traffic in front of me, I got an audile warning and the car started slowing down, and the message on the dash said EMERGENCY BRAKING, this has happened twice in the last month.
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Santa Cruz years →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
Forward Collision Avoidance complaints
6 reportsTransmission does not advance through its ranges fails to shift leaving stranded middle of intersection. Misses a whole range looses excelleration. You
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…
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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.
The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH with the cruise control feature activated, the braking system erroneously activated causing the vehicle to abruptly decelerate. After parking and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated normally, and the failure was corrected. The vehic…
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The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH with the cruise control feature activated, the braking system erroneously activated causing the vehicle to abruptly decelerate. After parking and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated normally, and the failure was corrected. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. There was no repair performed. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 1,000.
The Highway Drive Assist (HDA) designed to auto change cruise speed according to posted speed limit signs - at 80mph limit will auto change to 83mph and 85mph limit will auto change to 95mph. Hyundai has said this is not available to inspect.
The most major problem that occurred on 2-3 different occasions is that the emergency braking system activated for no reason on one occasion, almost causing a Rear end collision with a person behind me. No one to my sides, and in front of me on all of the occasions. Headlights on the automatic, setting on a bright sunny day, wil…
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The most major problem that occurred on 2-3 different occasions is that the emergency braking system activated for no reason on one occasion, almost causing a Rear end collision with a person behind me. No one to my sides, and in front of me on all of the occasions. Headlights on the automatic, setting on a bright sunny day, will turn off and on no change in lighting which annoys other drivers because they think I’m flashing them. After starting the car in Drive the first time I break and then go to accelerate there’s a delay in the acceleration. as well as other times while driving. Today, the back up camera didn’t shut off when shifting into drive like it normally does it didn’t go off until I went into parking pushed the radio button. I’m pretty sure it’s a computer issue
Official recalls
223V181000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.