2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Santa Cruz years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 5 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 79 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz. That ranks 2nd out of 5 Santa Cruz model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (25 complaints, 32%), typically at around 4,000 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes, 3 fires, 1 injury. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
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- 79owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 25 | 32% | 4,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 20 | 25% | 8,902 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 14 | 18% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 10 | 13% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 6 | 8% | 1,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 8% | 4,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 6% | 1,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Trailer Hitches | 3 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 3% | 1,200 | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 3% | 18,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 3% | 7,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1% | 13,803 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Trailer hitchesPark outside
Problem: Hyundai 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.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Owners 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.
Structure:critical fasteners; structure:body:roof and pillars
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Tucson and 2022-2023 Santa Cruz vehicles. The roof moldings may detach.
Risk: A detached roof molding could become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace, or secure the roof moldings, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 30, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 241.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Unknown. I have had a clunking in the rear and have come across a TSB TSB 25-SS-003H. Seems like a safety issue. Rear shocks could be defective.
The push-to-open fuel filler door repeatedly failed to release, preventing refueling. The door locks through an electronic actuator tied to the central locking system, and there is no interior lever or owner-accessible manual override. Beginning in August 2026, the door intermittently failed to…
my 2023 Santa Cruz had 7500 miles when purchased 4/25/26. I have had issues with the screen blackening/fading which cuts of electronics; ex; safety features. This was taken in twice. Then the truck loses power. Going 55 or 75, suddenly truck drops to 20mph. Car's honk, brake & swerve not to hit us…
truck dash light would fade/blacken at which time none of safety features would work. This is an intermittent problem but seem like it has happened many times with the Santa Cruz's in general, so Hyundai was aware of problem. They don't seem to fix problems. This is a critical safety failure. No…
driving/pulling on interstate speed only went to 20 miles per hour, no more. Pulled off and turned truck off, waited and restarted. all fine. No warning was given. Short time later engine light came on. Called and got appointment at dealers.
Other Hyundai Santa Cruz years
← 2022 Santa Cruz · 2024 Santa Cruz →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Santa Cruz | 5 | 3 |
| 2025 Santa Cruz | 20 | 3 |
| 2024 Santa Cruz | 35 | 1 |
| 2023 | 79 | 2 |
| 2022 Santa Cruz | 185 | 4 |
See all Hyundai Santa Cruz problems by year, every Hyundai model, or the Hyundai VIN decoder.
Similar Hyundai models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz?
Owners most often report power train, engine, electrical system problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 25 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Santa Cruz model years, the 2023 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.