FaultScore

Worst years for a Hyundai Santa Cruz

Owners have filed 469 complaints about the Hyundai Santa Cruz with NHTSA across model years 2022 to 2026. More of them are about the transmission & drivetrain than anything else.

Avoid

2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz

273 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly transmission & drivetrain.

Cleanest on record

2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz

26 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Hyundai Santa Cruz year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2026 6 0 0 Transmission & Drivetrain
2025 B 26 3 1 Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance
2024 C 54 4 0 600 Transmission & Drivetrain
2023 C 110 3 3 4,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
2022 D 273 5 1 20,000 Transmission & Drivetrain

What breaks on a Hyundai Santa Cruz

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Worst in 2022

Engine & Cooling 76 16.2%

Worst in 2022

Worst in 2022

Worst in 2025

Worst in 2022

Worst in 2022

Worst in 2022

Lights 17 3.6%

Worst in 2022

Brakes 12 2.6%

Worst in 2023

Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 8 1.7%

Worst in 2022

Airbags 7 1.5%

Worst in 2022

Equipment & Accessories 6 1.3%

Worst in 2023

Body & Structure 5 1.1%

Worst in 2022

Steering 4 0.9%

Worst in 2024

Exactly what failed on a Hyundai Santa Cruz

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Warnings 13 25.5%
Automatic Emergency Braking 9 17.6%
Assist 7 13.7%
Adaptive Cruise Control 7 13.7%
Body 4 7.8%
Warning 3 5.9%
Warnings 2 3.9%
Blind Spot Detection 2 3.9%
Sidewall 2 3.9%
Injectors 2 3.9%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Hyundai Santa Cruz, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Jan 2022 peak 19 Aug 2026

Hyundai Santa Cruz problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Hyundai Santa Cruz

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.