Your vehicleHome›Hyundai›Santa Cruz› 2026

Hyundai · Compact Pickup truck

2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz

Gas

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
4 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

81 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 3

Complaintsnone reporting a crash, fire or injury 5

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 25 mpg

Starting MSRP8 trims · manufacturer $29,750

2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022

The 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact pickup truck 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 B. Owners have filed 5 complaints, most often about the power train. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $29,750 to $43,700 across 8 trims.

Hyundai Santa Cruz — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Hyundai Santa Cruz · Photo: Charles · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Trims & pricing

Source: manufacturer press kitWhich trim should I buy? → Compare a trim →

Trim	Powertrain	Drive	MSRP	HP	Torque	MPG comb	Seats	Wheels
SE	Gas	FWD	$29,750	191 hp	181 lb-ft	25 mpg	5	18 in
SE	Gas	AWD	$31,250	191 hp	181 lb-ft	24 mpg	5	18 in
SEL	Gas	FWD	$31,400	191 hp	181 lb-ft	25 mpg	5	18 in
SEL	Gas	AWD	$32,900	191 hp	181 lb-ft	24 mpg	5	18 in
SEL Activity	Gas	FWD	$34,450	191 hp	181 lb-ft	25 mpg	5	18 in
SEL Activity	Gas	AWD	$35,950	191 hp	181 lb-ft	24 mpg	5	18 in
XRT	Gas	AWD	$41,350	281 hp	311 lb-ft	20 mpg	5	18 in
Limited	Gas	AWD	$43,700	281 hp	311 lb-ft	20 mpg	5	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 FWD	Gas	FWD	2.5L 4-cyl	22	30	25	$2,700
Santa Cruz AWD NX4 OB 2.5 AWD 8AT	Gas	AWD	2.5L 4-cyl	21	29	24	$2,800
Santa Cruz AWD NX4 OB 2.5T AWD 8AT	Gas	AWD	2.5L 4-cyl turbo	18	25	20	$3,350
Santa Cruz XRT AWD	Gas	AWD	2.5L 4-cyl turbo	18	25	20	$3,350

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

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 29% reported repaired

Problem Hyundai 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. Risk Unexpected braking increases the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers 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.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF Dealer notice PDF

NHTSA campaign 26V316000 reported May 18, 2026 Hyundai Motor America the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

●moderate

Electrical System

293

41,651 vehicles 93% reported repaired built Aug 29, 2025 – Nov 3, 2025

Problem Hyundai 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." Risk An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash. Fix The 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.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 26V047000 reported Jan 26, 2026 Hyundai Motor America the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

▲high

Air Bags

289 (H); 029G (G)

258 vehicles 65% reported repaired

Problem Hyundai 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. Risk Side curtain air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash. Fix Dealers 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.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 25V809000 reported Nov 20, 2025 Hyundai Motor America the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These 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 2026 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.

NHTSA VIN check →Hyundai’s own VIN lookup →

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 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

5complaints filed

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

2.9 per 10,000 built · Hyundai reported 17,488 Santa Cruz built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2026: 5

Most-cited components

Power Train 2

Lane Departure 2

Vehicle Speed Control 1

Visibility/Wiper 1

Steering 1

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.

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.

Lane Departure Sep 2, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11761596

I was traveling southbound on XXX from to 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.

Power Train Jun 6, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11742481

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.

Visibility/Wiper May 22, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11739506

The lake keep assist safety feature works inconsistently. Many times, the system has allowed my vehicle to cross the yellow or white lines, when it shouldn't have. Even worse, during wintertime, the vehicle gets confused as to what is road and what is not, jerking the vehicle in directions that it shouldn't be going (either off the road…

Lane Departure May 22, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11739509

The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and merging into highway traffic, the vehicle hesitated and surged forward after depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired.

Power Train Apr 30, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11734862

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

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
PU/CC AWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★☆	16%
PU/CC FWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★☆	16%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Extended coverage on file 2 filings by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Hyundai warranty extension LA33Certain Tucson (NX4A) and Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may exhibit air bubbles forming on the surface of the dashboard (crash pad) due to poor adhesion caused by prolonged UV and heat exposure.
Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Hyundai warranty extension LA26Certain Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may experience Over-the-Air (OTA) update failures due to outdated Central Communication Unit (CCU) software.

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 →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 17

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-10-07

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 7 service bulletins, 5 service campaigns, 3 warranty extensions

Most often about: Electrical System, Exterior Lighting, Structure, Forward Collision Avoidance, Lane Departure.

26-EM-015H TSB Service bulletin
2026-10-07 · 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
26-01-074H DCS Warranty extension
2026-09-24 · Unknown Or Other
Certain Tucson (NX4A) and Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may exhibit air bubbles forming on the surface of the dashboard (crash pad) due to poor adhesion caused by prolonged UV and heat exposure. Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 26-01-074H provides instructions to inspect the dashboard (crash pad) for bubbling and, if necessary, to use needling and steel tamper tools to remove trapped air and repair th
26-BD-003H TSB Service bulletin
2026-07-07 · 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 bulletin
2026-06-05 · 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-AT-003H TSB Service bulletin
2026-05-19 · Power Train
Some Santa Fe (MX5A) and Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may exhibit a low idle or excessive vibration while in Drive or Reverse, or DTC P050600 (Idle Air Control System – RPM Lower than Expected) caused by the one-way clutch sprags being misaligned. This bulletin provides instructions to remove the automatic transmission and replace the torque converter.
26-01-044H TSB Warranty extension
2026-05-08 · Electrical System
Certain Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may experience Over-the-Air (OTA) update failures due to outdated Central Communication Unit (CCU) software. This bulletin provides instructions to perform a software update for the CCU.
11032523 Other
2026-04-10 · 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 Other
2026-04-10 · 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

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.

Compare the 2026 Santa Cruz with

Any vehicle, your weights →

Head-to-head	Verdict
2026 Toyota Tacoma · Compact Pickup truck · grade A	Santa Cruz +24.2
2026 Ford Maverick · Compact Pickup truck · grade F	Santa Cruz +12.8

Santa Cruz by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2027 A 0 0 25 mpg 2026 this page B 3 5 25 mpg 2025 C 3 21 25 mpg 2024 A 1 35 23 mpg 2023 C 2 79 Park outside 2022 D 4 185 Park outside

Common questions about the 2026 Santa Cruz

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

How much does the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz cost?

Manufacturer pricing runs from $29,750 for the SE FWD to $43,700 for the Limited AWD, across 8 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 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 3 recall campaigns for the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The most serious on file is 26V316000, covering Forward Collision Avoidance. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz?

NHTSA gave the 2026 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 B (81/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz?

Across the 4 EPA-rated configurations of the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz, the best EPA combined figure is 25 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What do owners complain about on the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz?

Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz, most often about power train, lane departure, vehicle speed control. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

Are there service bulletins for the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz?

The manufacturer has filed 17 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz, most often covering electrical system, exterior lighting, structure. 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.

Which 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz trim is the best value?

$13,950 separates the cheapest of the 8 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.

Is the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz better than the 2026 Toyota Tacoma?

The Hyundai Santa Cruz wins clearly, 96.6 to 72.4, on tech & comfort, space & cargo, safety. The Toyota Tacoma is ahead on performance. We publish a full side-by-side of the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz against the 2026 Toyota Tacoma — specifications by family, equipment feature by feature, safety record and ownership costs. You can re-weight what matters to you and the verdict recalculates.

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	4 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	none	EPA emission certificates	The EPA published no certificate we could match to a configuration on this page.
Recalls	3	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	5	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	17	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	8 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.

JSON for this page · API