2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz
The 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact pickup truck with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Santa Cruz AWD, is EPA-rated at 23 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 79 complaints, most often about the power train. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $25,700 to $40,570 across 7 trims.

| Trim | Powertrain | Drive | MSRP | HP | Torque | Seats | Cargo (2nd row) | Wheels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SE | Gas | FWD | $25,700 | 191 hp | 181 lb-ft | 5 | 27 cu-ft | 18 in |
| SE | Gas | AWD | $27,200 | 191 hp | 181 lb-ft | 5 | 27 cu-ft | 18 in |
| SEL | Gas | FWD | $28,190 | 191 hp | 181 lb-ft | 5 | 27 cu-ft | 18 in |
| SEL | Gas | AWD | $29,690 | 191 hp | 181 lb-ft | 5 | 27 cu-ft | 18 in |
| Night | Gas | AWD | $36,060 | 281 hp | 311 lb-ft | 5 | 27 cu-ft | 20 in |
| SEL Premium | Gas | AWD | $37,600 | 281 hp | 311 lb-ft | 5 | 27 cu-ft | 20 in |
| Limited | Gas | AWD | $40,570 | 281 hp | 311 lb-ft | 5 | 27 cu-ft | 20 in |
MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.
Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz AWD | Gas | AWD | 2.5L 4-cyl | 21 | 25 | 23 | $2,900 |
| Santa Cruz FWD | Gas | FWD | 2.5L 4-cyl | 22 | 26 | 23 | $2,900 |
| Santa Cruz AWD | Gas | AWD | 2.5L 4-cyl turbo | 19 | 27 | 22 | $3,050 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 45552, 45537, 45553.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz AWD, Santa Cruz FWD | 5 / 10 | California LEV-III ULEV70 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
| Santa Cruz AWD | 5 / 10 | Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 / California LEV-III ULEV70 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.
The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.
New-vehicle warranty
Source: manufacturer press kits, make-levelAs stated in Hyundai's press kits for the 2022–2023 model years (4 kits); this model year's own kit states no warranty terms, so the make's are shown. Confirm the term for this car with the dealer.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
What to check before you buy →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (2)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseStructure
241These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
Whether any of this applies to one specific Santa Cruz
A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2023 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Hyundai publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.
Hear about a recall before the letter does
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Find parts for this Santa Cruz →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database2 involved a crash · 3 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported
23 per 10,000 built · Hyundai reported 33,880 Santa Cruz built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2022: 4 · 2023: 33 · 2024: 15 · 2025: 19 · 2026: 8
Most-cited components
In owners' own words
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
My new 2023 Santa Cruz lost power on freeway. The dealer performed a transmission software update; however, the issue was significantly worse after the upgrade, causing me to lose power again on a busy freeway. The vehicle was towed back to dealer. Today I was told the transmission needs replacement.
My issue was that I would press the gas pedal, but once I got to 20 mph the engine would stop giving power and I couldn’t get up to speed. My top speed was 30 mph, even though I would give it gas to speed up. This was the worst after I would come to a stop at a traffic light.
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.
The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V181000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while pulling into a parking space, the contact crashed into a pole; however, the air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries and received medical attention. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a collision center.
*Headlights are not shining correctly. Traveling on a two lane highway, a big black spot covers the whole left lane, about 75 yards. No black spot on traveling lane Driving on a curve road in a subdivision, your eyes follows the black spot , instead of paying attention the road. This is a bad scenario for a accident.
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.
Reported by Hyundai itself: 3 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 1 killed, 2 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 8.9 per 100,000 built. Every Santa Cruz model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAP| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PU/CC AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 16% |
| PU/CC FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 16% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications- 10 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first · Hyundai warranty extension Z08Certain 2022 – 2025 model year Santa Cruz and 2022 – 2025 model year Tucson vehicles may have front wipers that do not return to the designated park position due to a loose wiper motor crank arm nut.
- Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Hyundai warranty extension LA12Certain Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles equipped with 8-speed dual clutch transmissions (8DCT) may set one of the high pressure electric oil pump (HP EOP) DTCs listed below.
The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every Hyundai warranty extension (62) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →
Most often about: Electrical System, Power Train, Visibility/Wiper, Structure, Engine.
- 26-EM-015H TSB Service bulletin2026-10-07 · Engine
- Certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures for vehicles exhibiting this condition. All internal combustion engines consume engine oil as part of normal engine operation. Oil consumption rates may vary based on mileage, operating conditions, driving habits, and mainte
- Z08 OL Warranty extension2026-08-04 · Visibility/Wiper
- Certain 2022 – 2025 model year Santa Cruz and 2022 – 2025 model year Tucson vehicles may have front wipers that do not return to the designated park position due to a loose wiper motor crank arm nut. At Hyundai, we are committed to providing vehicles of outstanding quality and value. In an effort to meet this commitment, the warranty coverage for the Wiper Motor Crank Arm Nut under these condition
- 26-BD-003H TSB Service bulletin2026-07-07 · Structure — Body
- Some Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may have a tonneau cover that does not latch or unlatch, does not retract properly, and/or has a v-gap that is present when closed. This may be due to a broken or missing clip on the underside of the tonneau cover. This bulletin provides instructions to inspect and, if necessary, repair the tonneau cover function using the Tonneau Cover Repair Kit or by replacing the
- 26-AT-005H TSB Service bulletin2026-06-05 · Power Train
- This bulletin provides information related to a Transmission Control Unit (TCU) software update for some vehicles equipped with an 8-speed wet dual clutch transmission (8WDCT). The software update revises the touch point learning variation, improving drivability and judder symptoms. Some 8WDCTs (indicated by a new part number) received an updated clutch spring. The correct TCU software update must
- 26-GI-002H TSB Service bulletin2026-05-27 · Electrical System
- This bulletin provides information related to the navigation and head unit software changes introduced in the 2026 1st Navigation Map and Software Update. The changes may vary depending on vehicle type, model, and navigation system. Refer to the 2026 1st Navigation Map and Software Update Key Improvements and Additional Improvements tables in this TSB for a list of specific changes. The software c
- 11032523 Other2026-04-10 · Air Bags
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN). These inflators were not supplied, approved, or authorized by the vehicle manufacturers and have primarily been found in vehicles that previously experienced a crash and
- 11032522 Other2026-04-10 · Air Bags
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN), that have been identified in U.S. vehicles following prior crashes, theft, or non‑certified airbag replacements. These inflators are not approved for use, may
- 26-01-028H Warranty extension2026-03-16 · Power Train
- Certain Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles equipped with 8-speed dual clutch transmissions (8DCT) may set one of the high pressure electric oil pump (HP EOP) DTCs listed below. This bulletin provides the service procedure to update the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) with improved logic to address these DTCs and enhance operation of the 8DCT.
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
Diagnostic trouble codes on file
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaintsCodes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.
| Code | What it means | Most often filed under | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| P2181 P2181 on Hyundai → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Engine | 1 bulletin |
Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMVIn New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz failed the emissions check on 0.66% of first inspections — lower than the 1.6% for every 2023 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 0.81% (every 2023 vehicle: 1.1%).
failed emissions
1,364 initial inspections of 1,336 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2023 Santa Cruz | Every 2023 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the emissions check | 0.66% | 1.6% | 1,360 |
| Failed the safety inspection | 0.81% | 1.1% | 1,364 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0.07% | 0.16% | 1,364 |
| Miles driven a year | 11,392 | 10,038 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 37,203 | 32,673 | odometer at inspection |
New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2023 vehicle” is every 2023 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).
Santa Cruz by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2023 Santa Cruz
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsHow much does the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz cost?
Manufacturer pricing runs from $25,700 for the SE FWD to $40,570 for the Limited AWD, across 7 trims. Those are MSRPs from the manufacturer's own press material; they exclude destination, options, taxes and whatever the dealer adds. Every trim and price is listed above.
Does the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz have any recalls?
NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz, 1 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 23V181000, covering Trailer Hitches. There is an active park outside advisory — act on it before driving. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.
How safe is the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz?
NHTSA gave the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 5-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it C (78/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz?
Across the 3 EPA-rated configurations of the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz, the best EPA combined figure is 23 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What do owners complain about on the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz?
Owners have filed 79 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz, most often about power train, engine, electrical system. Of those, 2 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 1 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
How clean is the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz?
The EPA smog rating for the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz is 5 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III ULEV70, Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz?
The manufacturer has filed 50 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz, most often covering electrical system, power train, visibility/wiper. The most recent is dated 2026-10-07. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
How does the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz failed the emissions check on 0.66% of first inspections — lower than the 1.6% for every 2023 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 0.81% (every 2023 vehicle: 1.1%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
Which 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz trim is the best value?
$14,870 separates the cheapest of the 7 trims from the most expensive, so the answer depends on which of the differences you would actually use. Every trim has its own page here with the manufacturer's full specification and equipment list, plus a short summary of exactly what it adds over the base trim — worth reading before a dealer frames the walk-up for you. The trim-by-trim ladder shows what every step up costs and what it makes standard.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 3 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 3 configurations | EPA emission certificates | Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new. |
| Recalls | 2 | NHTSA recall campaigns | A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags. |
| Owner complaints | 79 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | 2 tested | NHTSA NCAP | Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them. |
| Service bulletins | 50 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | none | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | No defect investigation has been opened. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like. |
| Specifications filed with NHTSA | none | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | We had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | 7 trims | Manufacturer press kit | Transcribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from. |
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
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). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.