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Hyundai · Compact SUV

2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
3 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
54 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls2 critical4
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA180
Crash ratingNHTSA overall—
Fuel economybest combined, EPA23 mpg
202720262025202420232022
Active NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from structures until repaired. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Santa Cruz AWD, is EPA-rated at 23 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, 2 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 180 complaints, most often about the power train.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Santa Cruz AWDGasAWD2.5L 4-cyl212723$2,700
Santa Cruz FWDGasFWD2.5L 4-cyl212623$2,700
Santa Cruz AWDGasAWD2.5L 4-cyl turbo192722$2,850

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 43983, 43982, 43984.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (4)

Source: NHTSA recall database
!critical

Trailer Hitches

244
Park outside584,784 vehicles
ProblemHyundai 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.RiskA fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.FixOwners 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 campaign 23V181000reported Mar 17, 2023Hyundai Motor America
▲high

Structure

241
16,104 vehicles
ProblemHyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Tucson and 2022-2023 Santa Cruz vehicles. The roof moldings may detach.RiskA detached roof molding could become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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 campaign 23V038000reported Jan 31, 2023Hyundai Motor America
▲high

Power Train

236
56,148 vehicles
ProblemHyundai 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.RiskLoss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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 campaign 22V746000reported Oct 6, 2022Hyundai Motor America
!critical

Engine And Engine Cooling

222
16 vehicles
ProblemHyundai 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.RiskAn oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 22V197000reported Mar 28, 2022Hyundai Motor America

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
180complaints filed

4 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 4 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2022: 80 · 2023: 51 · 2024: 22 · 2025: 17 · 2026: 10

Most-cited components

Power Train90
Engine49
Unspecified34
Electrical System21
Fuel/Propulsion System21
Vehicle Speed Control18

What owners describe

“2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited, 2.5T with 8-speed DCT, with 11,765 miles. This has happened 3 times in a 3 day period. Upon accelerating from a stop, there was a complete loss of power. I applied more pressure to the accelerator and still no power. It seemed like the vehicle was out-of-gear or had an engine misfire. A…”Jun 9, 2022 · Power Train · NHTSA owner report
“Vehicle took longer to start after pressing start button. Upon leaving my driveway, vehicle struggled to accelerate, taking nearly 60 seconds to reach 55 MPH. No warning lights indicated on dash. I manually changed gears with paddle shift, which did nothing. Also changed driving mode from "smart" to "normal" to "sport"…”Jun 2, 2022 · Power Train · NHTSA owner report
“Upon accelerating vehicle jumps rpms6000-7000 and does not accelerate. Vehicle needs to be turned off to function properly again, it gets stuck in high rpm’s with no acceleration.”May 29, 2022 · Vehicle Speed Control · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Other Santa Cruz model years

A

2027 Hyundai Santa Cruz

0 recalls · 0 complaints

C

2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz

3 recalls · 5 complaints

C

2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz

3 recalls · 18 complaints

A

2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz

1 recalls · 35 complaints

C

2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz

2 recalls · 77 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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