⌘K
Home›Hyundai›Santa Cruz›2026
Hyundai · Compact SUV

2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
4 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
C
Safety Signal
76 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns3
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA5
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA25 mpg
202720262025202420232022

The 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Santa Cruz FWD, is EPA-rated at 25 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 5 complaints, most often about the power train. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Santa Cruz FWDGasFWD2.5L 4-cyl223025$2,500
Santa Cruz AWD NX4 OB 2.5 AWD 8ATGasAWD2.5L 4-cyl212924$2,600
Santa Cruz AWD NX4 OB 2.5T AWD 8ATGasAWD2.5L 4-cyl turbo182520$3,100
Santa Cruz XRT AWDGasAWD2.5L 4-cyl turbo182520$3,100

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 49450, 49493, 49494, 49497.

Insure it for less

Insurers price the 2026 Santa Cruz very differently. A two-minute comparison across 100+ carriers is the cheapest ownership win there is.

Compare insurance →

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 (3)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Forward Collision Avoidance

302
423,062 vehicles
ProblemHyundai 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.RiskUnexpected braking increases the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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 this recall is 302. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 20, 2026.
NHTSA campaign 26V316000reported May 18, 2026Hyundai Motor America
▲high

Electrical System

293
41,651 vehicles
ProblemHyundai 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 fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays."RiskAn instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.FixThe 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 855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 293. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 28, 2026.
NHTSA campaign 26V047000reported Jan 26, 2026Hyundai Motor America
▲high

Air Bags

289 (H); 029G (G)
258 vehicles
ProblemHyundai 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.RiskSide curtain air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.FixDealers 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 this recall are 289 and 029G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 22, 2025.
NHTSA campaign 25V809000reported Nov 20, 2025Hyundai Motor America

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
5complaints filed

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

Filed per year: 2026: 5

Most-cited components

Power Train2
Lane Departure2
Vehicle Speed Control1
Visibility/Wiper1
Steering1

What owners describe

“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 nine times during a thirteen-mile trip, causing a distraction. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the…”Sep 2, 2026 · Lane Departure · NHTSA owner report
“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 flared up on the dashboard along with a "Check Engine" light. Vehicle was left at the dealership. Blue Link (the automa…”Jun 6, 2026 · Power Train · NHTSA owner report
“The windshield washer fluid dispensing nozzles do not effectively cover the windshield. Almost all of the "spray" is in a very concentrated area of the lower windshield. The fluid squirts onto the two locations on the windshield and gets wiped away by the wipers as soon as they move. The rest of the windshield gets vir…”May 22, 2026 · Visibility/Wiper · 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
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
PU/CC AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆16%
PU/CC FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆16%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other Santa Cruz model years

A

2027 Hyundai Santa Cruz

0 recalls · 0 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

F

2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz

4 recalls · 180 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.

JSON for this page · API