2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz problems & reliability
178 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz vehicles were involved in 7 fatal crashes with 4 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 88 | 49% |
| Engine | 49 | 28% |
| Unknown OR Other | 34 | 19% |
| Electrical System | 21 | 12% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 20 | 11% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 17 | 10% |
| Exterior Lighting | 9 | 5% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 7 | 4% |
| Lane Departure | 4 | 2% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“October 2025 while driving the vehicle at highway speeds, vehicle started bucking, losing power and then stalled. The check engine light did not come on. I was able to get off the side of the road and had it towed to the dealer. Dealer found injectors to be leaking and replaced all 4 GDI fuel injectors-mileage was…”
Engine · filed Jul 10, 2026
“The tailgate of this vehicle opened by itself while driving and pulling a trailer. The key fob was stored safely in the cup holder of the vehicle. When I attempted to back the trailer into a driveway, the open tailgate was caught between the vehicle and the trailer, causing serious damage to the tailgate as well as…”
Structure · filed Jun 22, 2026
“While driving my vehicle on a two-lane highway, I experienced multiple sequential electronic system failures (including the vehicle no longer detecting the smart key), and all electronic systems on the car became inoperative. I lost all instrumentation, including my speedometer and tachometer. At the same time, I also…”
Electrical System · filed Jun 21, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
64 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The 10 most recent:
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…
26-BD-003H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 7, 2026
Some Tucson (NX4A and NX4M) and Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may have front wipers that do not return to the designated park position due to a loose wiper motor crank arm nut. Hyundai is extending the warranty coverage for…
26-BD-007H DCS · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Jul 6, 2026
Some Tucson (NX4A and NX4M) and Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may have front wipers that do not return to the designated park position due to a loose wiper motor crank arm nut. Hyundai is extending the warranty coverage for…
26-BD-007H DN · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Jul 6, 2026
Some Tucson (NX4A and NX4M) and Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may have front wipers that do not return to the designated park position due to a loose wiper motor crank arm nut. Hyundai is extending the warranty coverage for…
26-BD-007H TSB · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Jul 6, 2026
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…
26-AT-005H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 5, 2026
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.…
DTN DL · Other · issued Apr 10, 2026
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…
DTN DCS · Other · issued Apr 10, 2026
Certain Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles equipped with 8-speed dual clutch transmissions (8DCT) may set one of the high pressure electric oil pump (HP EOP) DTCs listed below. This bulletin provides the service procedure to…
26-01-028H · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Mar 16, 2026
Some Santa Cruz (NXT), Santa Fe (TMA, MX5A), and Sonata (DN8A) models may require replacement of the 8-speed wet dual clutch transmission (8WDCT) when the vehicle sets one of the high pressure electric oil pump (HP EOP)…
26-AT-001H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 3, 2026
Some 2019MY and newer vehicles equipped with a front view camera may illuminate certain warning lights and trigger DTC C272246 fault code for the front camera. In the following cases, the front camera auto-calibration…
26-AD-001H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 25, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.