Hyundai · Santa Cruz · 2024
1
Recall
30
Complaints
5/5
Safety Rating
The 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz has 1 recall and 30 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Overall safety rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Most reported issue: power train (6 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
Frontal Crash Test

Side Crash Test

Overall Frontal Rating
Driver and Passenger Assessment
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Overall Side Rating
Side Barrier and Side Pole Tests
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Rollover Resistance
16.4% rollover risk in single-vehicle crash
Safety Features
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024 Tucson and Santa Cruz vehicles. The circuit board in the motor-driven power steering assembly may short circuit, resulting in a loss of power steering assist.
Remedy Status
Dealers will replace the motor-driven power steering electric power pack, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 11, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 261.
I was at a stop sign leave a store and I started going again and when I got to 15 mph it like it went into neutral and I thought maybe I hit shifter in neutral but didn't and I went to go again did same thing but then jump into next gear got cat home I bought this car brand new I only got 33000 miles
Very strong fuel smell coming from parked vehicle after filling the Gas Tank. After driving 40 miles to remove approximately 1/4 of a the Tank, fumes are gone. 1/06/2026: Took Truck to closest Dealership. Burlington Hyundai Nj and they had it for 3 days. (The Tank was not Full) and they didn't find anything wrong. They still have not given me any documents on what the checked. They said I would get it by E-Mail. I purchased the vehicle from Hyundai of Trenton Nj and they are not getting back to me on when I can bring it in. I can not park in or even near my garage.
Upon starting the vehicle is doesn't act normal and when placed In drive it feels like brakes are applied and it doesn't want to hardly move even when pressing the throttle all the way down. This has also happens a couple times when at a stop and have to pull over and turn the vehicle off and restart. My so. Drives this vehicle and I feel this is a huge safety concern if he is able to get the vehicle moving and can get to a safe spot to shutdown and restart.
As I was attempting to accelerate at a stop light, once I got to 10mph I lost all power and the vehicle appeared to be in neutral, even though it was in gear. The engine just revved and would not go any faster. It appeared that the transmission just completely slipped out of gear. I had to figure out a way to exit the road as I was in full rush hour traffic. When I re-entered traffic to try again, the same thing happened and I exited into a side street neighborhood. The third time, the car did accelerate although it was rough shifting. This problem is extremely unsafe. This is a brand new car and unacceptable. When I researched this issue online, it appears to be a very common issue in the 2022-2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz’s. I hope that this will be investigated.
Vehicle seems to not go into park at times and then coasts forward.
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while in the process of towing the vehicle on a tow dolly, the contact attempted to steer the steering wheel to verify that the steering wheel was locked, but the steering wheel was not locked and could be turned. The contact stated that the Owner's Manual stated that the steering wheel would lock while the vehicle was turned off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was confirmed that the steering wheel had failed to lock while the vehicle was turned off. The contact stated that the vehicle was purchased with the intention of towing the vehicle on a tow dolly as necessary, but the contact had stopped towing the vehicle to prevent an accident. The dealer contacted the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer informed the dealer that the vehicle was operating as designed and could not be towed on a tow dolly. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.
The sun roof exploded in an upward projection while traveling 65mph with driver window slightly open. Glass everywhere with tiny glass slivers inbedded in my right hand and cheeck. Heard slight popping noise just prior to glass failure. Headed to dealership on 3/3/2025. Found other reports online from 2024 Santa Cruz owners.
We purchased our 2024 Santa Cruz [XXX]. On [XXX] the Santa Cruz we purchased from Korum Hyundai Dealership died on the highway as my husband and I were heading to town through the mountains. We had to roll to the side of the road as the Santa Cruz just lost all power and would not accelerate, it just died and lost power. I thought it was a fluke. My husband was driving. I asked if he had hit a button or something, he said no. Turned the ignition to off and he restarted the Santa Cruz and it turned on. On Saturday, [XXX], driving on [XXX] , heading west from Glenoma, Washington to Morton, Washington driving approx 60 mph when the Santa Cruz lost all power again driving down the highway. It was a very dangerous situation! We have logging trucks and semi trucks up and down that highway going speeds of 60 mph and more! I lost all power and had to roll to the side of the road in the Santa Cruz. Some of that stretch of highway does not even have places to pull over and some of that highway has metal guard rails as well as drop off cliffs. EXTREMELY HAZORDOUS SITUATION to have the Santa Cruz simply lose all power going down the highway! On this date the Santa Cruz had 4522 miles on it. I looked at the dash panel to see if there were any warning lights and made a point to look at the mileage. There were no warning lights. Nor warning messages. April 3rd the 2024 Santa Cruz Night was dropped of at the Korum Hyundai Service Dept. The dealership has had the vehicle for 3 weeks and states they cannot replicate the problem. There are no warning lights. Since then I have been on Hyundai Forums and have multiple people tell me the exact same situation has happened to them. They ended up finding out it was the fuel injectors. The forums also stated that the dealership could not replicate the issue when take to service department for other owners. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I purchased the vehicle in September of 2025 I called and sent text message to Palmer Hyundai of Mobile to report an issue with forward Collision System (please note Photos and document would not attach so i sent an email to VSH@DOT.GOV. 02/08/2025. The issue was reported at the 1st oil change with Palmer Hyundai (8000 miles oil change) I have been dealing with this issue for a year, I wanted to provide Hyundai an opportunity to correct the front collision warning system it is still inoperable. 1.What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Front Collision System. Vehicle is available for inspection; YES 2.How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Reduced effectiveness of other safety features: Potential for serious injury or death 3.Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? YES, Palmer Hyundai of Mobile Ala and Hallmark Hyundai of Flowood Ms. 4.Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Technician from the dealerships 5.Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? September of 2025, I notified the Dealership there was an Issue.
Sporadically, when shifting from first to second gear, the engine/transmission will stall, causing a loss of power for several seconds. This is generally when pulling away from a stop sign/light into traffic. I picked a single date below, but this continually happens from time to time.
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop and then accelerating, there was an abnormal, creaking sound coming from the suspension. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the contact was informed that the failure was related to an aftermarket lift kit that was installed on the vehicle prior to the contact owning the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the dealer for weeks. The contact was provided a loaner vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 600.
On one occasion on interstate at highway speed during summer, dry conditions I was driving at approximately 60 mph and was not accelerating while maintaining average pace in traffic. For no apparent reason the engine lost all power. I was forced to drift over in a hazardous manner to reach the right shoulder. When the power was lost the engine was still on and operating, multiple presses on the accelerator did not provide any power or increased engine noise. Once stopped I checked that the truck was still in Drive gear, engine was on and parking break or assist was not engaged. The drive Mode button was in the Smart setting. I placed the truck in park and turned off the engine. I turned the truck back on and placed it in drive and the truck began operating normally. I feel this is a safety hazard as an unexpected loss of power could cause a collision or loss of control under driving conditions. I will advise my dealer, dean hyundai ballwin mo when taken for oil change 12/9.
On 2 separate occasions on the highway at 55+ miles per hour during daylight dry conditions summer temperature the following safety hazard occurred; A car approached the rear of my 2024 hyundai santa crux night 2.5L. while on the highway. The approaching car likely at 25’ and closing when the santa cruz engaged the Rear Collision Emergency Brake system. It engaged for only a few seconds, but there was a noticeable brake check event, a severe grinding noise and the red rear collision warning system flashed on the driver instrument panel. I am asking my dealer to check system codes and software when taken Dec. 9 at dean hyundai ballwin mo.
Driver 1 will be the Hyundai Santa Cruz traveling northbound on [XXX] at [XXX] . Driver 2 crossed [XXX] 1 directly in front of my vehicle causing extensive damage to the vehicle as well as injuries to the occupants. Vehicle 1 was [XXX] months old at the time. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED! All airbags of the #2 vehicle deployed, ALL. Driver 1, was driving 45 mph northbound and never had a chance to slow down, impact was to the right front quarter panel of vehicle 1 to the left rear quarter panel of vehicle 2. The impact sent vehicle 1, the HYUNDAI, onto two wheels and into center media of [XXX] 1. As it rolled over the Dodge caravans left rear tire. The Passenger in vehicle 1, struck the passenger door and the dashboard on the passenger side as well as hitting her knee on the under dash area. The driver was thrown across and struck the passenger occupant on the left side and continued into the passenger. The point of this report is that the airbags never deployed and I have discovered this is a pending lawsuit by several attorneys. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
See attached document for complaint.
Another driver ran a red light and hit a vehicle in front of me, which spun and impacted the right front corner of my truck. Impact did not seem that severe, my air bags did not deploy but both front seat belts were locked up after the accident. My damage seemed just cosmetic, grill, bumper, hood and right front fender & headlight were damaged. At repair shop, they determined that the right front frame rail was damaged and the vehicle is totaled, almost $19,000 to repair which is above Geicos’ 75% limit. If the impact was enough to damage the frame rail, why didn’t the air bags deploy?? I do not have an electronic copy of police report or damage assessment, only paper copy.
When the lane keeping assistant is operating, a constant, fairly loud buzzing sound emanates from the steering column, accompanied by a slight vibration on the steering wheel. When driving at low speeds and in traffic jams, this makes you nervous and distracts you from driving. The dealership cannot identify the problem and determine the cause. This sound has not been noticed on other cars of this brand
- Incident occurred on the interstate about a mile from the exit - Was in the right hand lane preparing to exit - Started raining very heavily, could barely see the lane lines - Continued to slow down coming to a momentary stop - When beginning to go again, experienced the drive/tires or something started Shuttering/vibrating-like riding over very rough gravel - At this time the car began speeding forward-with me slamming on brakes-then the car went flying into reverse. The car went spinning and ended up in the interstate median - I tried driving out of the median and back onto the interstate-then the same thing happened again and we went all the way across the median and came to a stop just before hitting the oncoming traffic - As I pulled out onto the left lane of the interstate going West the same thing happened again. - We ended up in the middle of the interstate median aimed back to the East - At the point I put the car in park and waited a minute or so - I then put the car in drive, inched forward back up out of the median and merged with the East bound traffic - I was then able to move to right lane and exit the interstate - The out of control incident did not reoccur - Called the car dealer customer care to report incident on 7/30/24 - Talked with them and detailed the experience when the car went out of control. - An appointment with the local dealership was made for them to try to understand what/why/how it happened. - A case number was assigned to the incident - Arrived at the local dealership at for the service visit - The vehicle remained at the dealership for the rest of that day and all the next day - A service advisor called late in the afternoon of of the second day and informed me that they found no issues with the car, no error codes, and that the car performed as designed - She also stated that if it were to happen again, they would ask Hyundai for recommendations
My truck lost power climbing a pass. My speed dropped from 60 mph to 20 mph while on a state highway outside Yellowstone NP where traffic can be heavy. My error codes have indicated that it is a problem in the fuel injection system. I have had electrical harness on that system replaced 4 times in 6 weeks, 2 of the times took place at the dealership during repair. My truck is still not operable.
On [XXX] my car would not run with a half a tank of gas and 776 miles ,I allied Hyundai towing and had it towed to the nearest dealer in Springfield pa and it sat down a week or more before they looked at it ,after that they finally called and stated there was sugar in my tank ,I explained that was impossible because I have a 175 foot private drive and a dog that barks at anything I explained the gehivle has a anti theft gas cap and if the vehicle is unlocked I get texted to remind me it’s unlocked ,they told me the fuel system had to be replaced from the filter to the injectors ,that vehicle has a safe guard in the fuel tank to clog up when contaminated, I had to wait six weeks for me car and had to use my auto insurance to pay for it with 450.00 coming out of my pocket ,then again after another 800 miles it started again and this time I took it to another dealer who stated there was sugar fuel pump was bad again and that it would cost me another 1500 dollars ,I fought with them and told them about my previous problems and he repair it under warranty INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
The 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz has 1 recall recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 30 owner-reported complaints for the 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz.
The 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz are power train (6 reports), unknown or other (3 reports), fuel/propulsion system (2 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 1 recall on record for the 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Look up recalls and complaints for any year, make, and model.
This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.