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NHTSA campaign 23V181000

2019–2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz and 1 other Hyundai model: trailer hitches recall

A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

criticalPark outside584,784 vehicles affected88% reported repaired

What was reported

Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573
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.

Reported to NHTSA Mar 17, 2023 by Hyundai Motor America, owners notified May 16, 2023.

Which vehicles are covered

Source: NHTSA campaign 23V181000
Model yearClassSafety SignalRecalls on file
2022 Hyundai Santa CruzCompact Pickup truckF4
2023 Hyundai Santa CruzCompact Pickup truckC2
2019 Hyundai Santa FeCompact SUVD3
2020 Hyundai Santa FeCompact SUVC2
2021 Hyundai Santa FeCompact SUVF8
2022 Hyundai Santa FeCompact SUVF8
2023 Hyundai Santa FeCompact SUVC2

Those are the model years inside WhichTrim's range, 2016 onward. The campaign may cover others outside it, and the only thing that settles whether one specific vehicle is included is its VIN.

How much of it has been fixed

Source: manufacturer quarterly report, 49 CFR 573.7
Reported repaired88%

of the campaign

The final figure: the six quarters of reporting that 49 cfr 573.7 requires have closed.

This is the manufacturer's own cumulative count of vehicles it has inspected and repaired, divided by the vehicles the campaign covers. It files that count with NHTSA every quarter for six consecutive quarters, starting from the quarter in which owners were told a remedy was ready, and then the obligation ends — so a figure on an older campaign is where the count stopped, not where it stands today.

It rarely reaches 100%, and not because the work was not done. The same report asks manufacturers to count vehicles they could not reach at all — exported, stolen, scrapped, or simply never located — and those stay in the denominator. A low number means a lot of these vehicles are still out there unrepaired; it does not tell you which ones.

The federal paperwork

Source: nhtsa.gov

Filed documents

NHTSA has not published the scanned filings for this campaign, or has not published them yet. The campaign record itself is on their site.

Check one specific vehicle

A recall applies to a build range, so year, make and model cannot settle it. NHTSA checks a VIN against the manufacturer's own list and tells you whether the repair is still outstanding on that vehicle.

NHTSA VIN recall lookup →

Campaign 23V181000 · the manufacturer calls it 244

Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573

What does this advisory mean?

Park outside means the vehicle can catch fire while parked and switched off, so it should be kept away from buildings and other vehicles until the repair is done. These are the two most serious things NHTSA can attach to a campaign, and both mean the risk exists while the vehicle is switched off.

Does this recall repair cost anything?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to remedy a safety defect or a compliance failure at no charge, for vehicles up to 15 years old measured from the date of first sale. A dealer that asks you to pay for a recall repair is in the wrong.

How do I know whether my vehicle is included?

By VIN, not by model year. The manufacturer files a build range with NHTSA and only vehicles inside it are covered, so two identical-looking cars from the same year can differ. NHTSA's own lookup checks a VIN against the manufacturer's list.

What if the repair is not available yet?

It happens, and often. Manufacturers must notify owners when a defect is found even if the parts or the software are not ready, then notify them a second time once the remedy exists. The remedy filed for this campaign is described above.

What did the manufacturer say was wrong?

The problem, risk and fix quoted on this page are the manufacturer's own words as filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR Part 573. WhichTrim does not paraphrase them.

Who started this recall?

NHTSA's record credits the manufacturer. A recall can begin with the manufacturer's own testing, with a defect investigation, or with a compliance test against a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.