2022 HYUNDAI Santa Cruz

Recalls, Specs & Safety Report

4RecallsNHTSA Verified100ComplaintsNHTSA Data1InvestigationsNHTSA Data
Expert Verdict
ℹ️Average Safety Profile

This 2022 model shows average reliability, primarily driven by 4 recalls affecting the engine and engine cooling system.

Key Factor:engine and engine cooling recalls

📋Why This Matters

Powertrain issues affect both daily reliability and long-term ownership costs. Unexpected stalling creates inconvenience at best and safety hazards at worst.

Insurance companies review vehicle reliability data when setting premiums. Models with elevated recall rates often see adjusted pricing.

Focus Area:powertrain reliability
📊

Expert Analysis

The 2022 Santa Cruz analysis highlights key safety metrics.

Critical Component: Warning

Safety & Reliability Score

58/100
Below Average

Score Breakdown

Recall Impact-32
Complaint Impact-5
Investigation Impact-5

Technical Specifications

Key specifications for the 2022 HYUNDAI Santa Cruz

Model Year2022
MakeHYUNDAI
ModelSanta Cruz
Fuel TypeGasoline
Body ClassPassenger Vehicle

Safety History Timeline

Scroll for more →
Jan22
NEWProduction
Jan22
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan22
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan22
RECALLRecall Issued
Jun22
RECALLRecall Issued
Dec22
ISSUEFirst Report
Apr23
INVInvestigation Opened

Consumer Complaint Analysis

⚠️

Most Reported Issue

34 complaints (34% of total)
➡️

Complaint Trend

Stable
No trend data
✅

Safety Incidents

No critical incidents

Complaint Severity Distribution

Breakdown of 100 consumer complaints by severity level.

🟠High
12(12%)
🟡Medium
23(23%)
🟢Low
65(65%)

Mileage Failure Analysis

⚙️Engineering Insight

Based on consumer reports, issues for this vehicle tend to peak around the 20k-40k mileage range. The average reported failure mileage is 28,498 miles.

📊 Mileage data extracted from 31 of 100 complaints (31% coverage)
0-20k
11 reports (35%)
20k-40k
13 reports (42%)
40k-60k
3 reports (10%)
60k-80k
3 reports (10%)
80k-100k
1 reports (3%)
100k+
0 reports (0%)
* Analysis based on mileage data extracted from consumer complaint descriptions. Actual failure rates may vary.

🛠️ DIY Diagnosis Center

Experiencing an issue? Select a symptom to find official manufacturer solutions (TSBs).

Primary Risk Areas

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLINGPOWER TRAINSTRUCTURETRAILER HITCHES

Official Safety Recalls (4)

Campaign: 22V197000

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER

Summary

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Santa Fe and Santa Cruz vehicles. The oil supply pipe to the turbocharger may crack, which could result in an oil leak in the engine compartment.

Consequence

An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the turbocharger oil supply pipe, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall 222.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America

Campaign: 22V746000

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Summary

Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Sonata, Veloster N, 2022 Santa Cruz, Elantra N, and Kona N vehicles. The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can result in a complete loss of drive power.

Consequence

Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission, as necessary. Dealers will also update the transmission control unit software. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 10, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 236.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America

Campaign: 23V038000

STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

Summary

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Tucson and 2022-2023 Santa Cruz vehicles. The roof moldings may detach.

Consequence

A detached roof molding could become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America

Campaign: 23V181000

TRAILER HITCHES

Summary

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.

Consequence

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

Remedy

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.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America

NHTSA Investigations

1 investigation

Official NHTSA safety investigations for 2022 Santa Cruz.

INV-2022-1000🟢 Closed

NHTSA opened investigation after receiving consumer complaints regarding Santa Cruz performance issues.

Opened: Affected Units: 6,478

Consumer Complaints

100 total complaints

Consumer-reported issues submitted to NHTSA for 2022 Santa Cruz.

Common Reported SymptomsAI Analysis

Warning34%
Acceleration Issues31%
Check Engine Light12%
Power Loss10%
Fire8%
Accident8%
Stall7%
Warning Lights6%
Crash/Accident5%
Stuck5%
Safety Systems🔶 Medium
AIR BAGS

The vehicle was involved in a collision in which the airbags failed to deploy. Despite the severity of the impact, no airbags deployed. As a result, both adult occupants (my daughters) were injured. The failure of the airbag system to deploy raises serious safety concerns regarding the vehicle’s restraint system and crash sensors.

Dec 16, 2025Open
Engine/Powertrain🔵 Low
POWER TRAIN

My 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz has an ongoing powertrain/transmission malfunction that occurs during cold starts. The vehicle will not upshift out of 1st gear and becomes stuck around 25 mph with the accelerator fully pressed. There are no warning lights or messages. The only way to temporarily fix the issue is to pull over, turn the vehicle off, and restart it. This creates a serious safety risk because I am unable to accelerate to normal traffic speeds when merging or crossing intersections. The vehicle and components are available for inspection upon request. The issue has been brought to two Hyundai dealerships multiple times. One dealership replaced the entire transmission, and on a later visit they topped off the transmission fluid. Despite these repairs, the problem continues to occur. Hyundai corporate is involved and has an active case open, but the defect remains unresolved. The problem has not been consistently replicated by the dealers because it only occurs on cold starts, but it happens repeatedly in daily use.

✨ AI Insight

This complaint matches keywords from official recalls:

Recall #22V746000

*correlation estimated by AI, not an official NHTSA link.

Nov 19, 2025Open
Safety Systems🔶 Medium
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

ALL SAFETY FEATURE WARNING ALERTS (3) OF THEM, SINCE IT WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO CHECK ALL THAT APPLY THEY ARE THE FOLLOWING ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL NOT WORKING, BLIND SPOT WARNING NOT WORKING, FORWARD COLLISON DETECTION NOT WORKING, LANE DEPARTURE WARNING NOT WORKING, LANE KEEPING ASSISTANCE NOT WORKING, PARKING COLLISION WARNING NOT WORKING REAR CROSS TRAFFIC WARNING NOT WORKING.

Nov 7, 2025Open
Engine/Powertrain🔵 Low
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Cruz. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power but was unable to accelerate above 30 MPH. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V760000 (Power Train); the VIN was included, but the vehicle was already repaired in 2022. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 63,000.

✨ AI Insight

This complaint matches keywords from official recalls:

Recall #22V197000Recall #22V746000

*correlation estimated by AI, not an official NHTSA link.

Nov 4, 2025Open
Safety Systems🔶 Medium
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS

when pulling out on a intersection I was hit by a large box truck on the front and side drivers side at aprox. 20 to 25 mph. my air bags did not go off and my seat belt did not hold me from hitting the steering wheel Hyundai is saying the impact was not enough to force either one to help in this situation

Aug 18, 2025Under Review
Engine/Powertrain🔵 Low
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER

2nd replacement DCT transmission failed Loss of power while driving on the interstate , upon acceleration no increase in speed, went from 65mph to 38mph before able to pull off the highway. Intermittently it is not shifting, shuttering, hard reverse shift, hesitation from park into drive

✨ AI Insight

This complaint matches keywords from official recalls:

Recall #22V746000

*correlation estimated by AI, not an official NHTSA link.

Aug 18, 2025Under Review
Safety Systems🔶 Medium
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving 62 MPH, the Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking system erroneously engaged. The Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but offered no assistance and informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The failure mileage was 30,000.

Aug 11, 2025Under Review
Engine/Powertrain⚠️ High
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Vehicle began running roughly. CEL came on. Began to misfire. Limped it off the FWY under limited power. Had vehicle towed to dealership. Was diagnosed as having bad fuel injectors. Was told by service writer that Hyundai Santa Cruz trucks have been experiencing a lot of injector failures. Looking at the various Hyundai Santa Cruz forums, it appears that this has been a very common issue and has occurred in 2022 through 2025 model year vehicles

✨ AI Insight

This complaint matches keywords from official recalls:

Recall #22V197000Recall #22V746000

*correlation estimated by AI, not an official NHTSA link.

Aug 11, 2025Under Review
Engine/Powertrain🔵 Low
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed to pass another vehicle however, the vehicle started to lose motive power. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stopped the vehicle but did not turn off the vehicle. The contact stated that after shifting to drive(D) the vehicle failed to accelerate above 15 MPH. The contact stopped the vehicle and had the vehicle towed to the local dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that a fuel injector had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

✨ AI Insight

This complaint matches keywords from official recalls:

Recall #22V197000Recall #22V746000

*correlation estimated by AI, not an official NHTSA link.

Jul 8, 2025Under Review
Engine/Powertrain🔶 Medium
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

My 2022 Santa Cruz Limited Edition keeps losing power intermittently. No accident yet but very risky to drive.

✨ AI Insight

This complaint matches keywords from official recalls:

Recall #22V197000Recall #22V746000

*correlation estimated by AI, not an official NHTSA link.

Jul 4, 2025Under Review

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any recalls for the 2022 HYUNDAI Santa Cruz?

Yes, the 2022 HYUNDAI Santa Cruz has 4 recorded recalls from NHTSA. These recalls cover various components including ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER, POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS.

Is the 2022 HYUNDAI Santa Cruz safe to drive?

The 2022 HYUNDAI Santa Cruz has 4 recalls. If you own this vehicle, check with your dealer to ensure all recall repairs have been completed. Most recalls have free remedies available.

Where can I check if my 2022 HYUNDAI Santa Cruz has open recalls?

You can check for open recalls by visiting NHTSA.gov and entering your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), or by contacting your local HYUNDAI dealer.

🎯Risk Areas & Recommended Actions

Based on recall data, these components require verification:

1

Engine and engine cooling

Issue: presents fire risk under certain conditions

✅

If you already own this vehicle: Contact your dealer immediately to confirm engine and engine cooling recall is complete. Recall repairs are always free.

🔍

If you are evaluating a used example: Request VIN and verify all engine and engine cooling recalls are completed before purchase.

Campaign:22V197000
2

Power train

Issue: increases crash or loss-of-control risk

✅

If you already own this vehicle: Contact your dealer immediately to confirm power train recall is complete. Recall repairs are always free.

🔍

If you are evaluating a used example: Request VIN and verify all power train recalls are completed before purchase.

Campaign:22V746000
3

Structure

Issue: increases crash or loss-of-control risk

✅

If you already own this vehicle: Contact your dealer immediately to confirm structure recall is complete. Recall repairs are always free.

🔍

If you are evaluating a used example: Request VIN and verify all structure recalls are completed before purchase.

Campaign:23V038000
💡Visit NHTSA.gov or contact your HYUNDAI dealer to verify recall completion status.

🧭What This Means for You

This information is especially relevant for drivers who rely on stop-and-go traffic or frequently use auto start-stop systems.

If you're unsure, we recommend starting with a VIN check or consulting a certified mechanic.

🔑

If You Own This Vehicle

  • Verify all 4 recalls have been completed using your VIN at NHTSA.gov or through your HYUNDAI dealer.
  • If any recalls are open, schedule service immediately—recall repairs are always free.
  • Consider setting up VIN-specific alerts to receive notification of future recalls.
🛒

If You're Buying Used

  • Request documentation proving all recalls were addressed before finalizing purchase.
  • Factor potential recall-related service time into your ownership cost estimates.
⚖️

Compare Alternatives

This page is designed to help you decide, not alarm you.

Compare with Similar Vehicles

Compare vs
2022 Toyota Camry
View Analysis→
Compare vs
2022 Honda CR-V
View Analysis→
Compare vs
2022 Ford F-150
View Analysis→

Data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Last updated: January 10, 2026.