Vehicle Data Hub

2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz problems

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz has 112 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (22%) concerns drivetrain & axles. After that come engine (18%) and electrical system (12%).

At a glance

Complaints
112 filed with NHTSA
Most reported
Drivetrain & axles 22% of complaints
Crashes and fires
3 and 3
Injuries and deaths
1 and 0
Typical mileage
4,000 miles 10 complaints with mileage

Source: NHTSA owner complaints

Where the complaints are

Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.

  • Drivetrain & axles 22%
  • Engine 18%
  • Electrical system 13%
  • Fuel system 6%
  • Cruise control 5%
  • Forward collision avoidance 5%
  • Brakes 4%
  • Lighting 4%
  • Air bags 2%
  • Lane departure 2%

When problems show up

Complaints by mileage, 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz Complaints by odometer reading in 20,000-mile steps. The median is about 4,000 miles. 0k to 20k miles: 10 complaints 20k to 40k miles: 0 complaints 40k to 60k miles: 0 complaints 60k to 80k miles: 0 complaints 80k to 100k miles: 0 complaints 100k to 120k miles: 0 complaints 120k to 140k miles: 0 complaints 140k to 160k miles: 0 complaints 160k to 180k miles: 0 complaints 180k to 200k miles: 0 complaints 200k+ miles: 0 complaints 040k80k120k160k200k miles Typical: 4,000 miles
Based on 10 complaints that include mileage. 100% were reported before 60,000 miles. The amber marker shows the median: half of these complaints happened before that mileage.
View the numbers
MileageComplaints
0k to 20k miles10
20k to 40k miles0
40k to 60k miles0
60k to 80k miles0
80k to 100k miles0
100k to 120k miles0
120k to 140k miles0
140k to 160k miles0
160k to 180k miles0
180k to 200k miles0
200k+ miles0

What the data shows

Among the 10 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 4,000 miles.

Safety-related details: 3 complaints mention a crash; 3 complaints mention a fire; 1 injury reported.

Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2023 ranks 2nd most-complained-about out of 4 model years of the Hyundai Santa Cruz with enough data (112 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.

What owners wrote

A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while pulling into a parking space, the contact crashed into a pole; however, the air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries and received medical attention. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. The vehicle was not diagnosed by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 1,200. The VIN was not available.

Reported at 1,200 miles, May 2023 CrashInjury

On May 1, 2023 I pulled my 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz into my garage at about 5pm and fyi It was blustery outside and had been raining & snowing all day. At about 5:15 pm I heard a loud bang followed by another. I looked out the back door and saw that the whole garage was completely engulfed in flames. My garage is attached to my home and the fire spread fast especially with 40 to 50 mile per hour winds feeding it. The only thing we could do was to get out with with our 2 dogs and nothing else.

May 2023 Fire

The system that failed was electrical near or in the Tow Hitch which caused the vehicle fire. Vehicle is available for inspection at Auto Body Evolution Essex MD. The car caught fire in the back of the vehicle while parked in Owner's driveway and engine off. Neighbor pounded on Owner's door at 6:50 am. yelling for the residents to open the door that their vehicle was on fire in their driveway.

March 2025 Fire

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated while slowing down at approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle downshifted roughly and would jolt while shifting into gear. The contact stated that the failure had been occurring intermittently. Additionally, the contact stated that the RPMs would remain high while he was at a complete stop. The contact stated that the RPMs would rise above 3,000 RPM while depressing the brake pedal, and he would turn the vehicle off to stop the engine from revving.

Reported at 4,000 miles, February 2023

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH with the cruise control feature activated, the braking system erroneously activated causing the vehicle to abruptly decelerate. After parking and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated normally, and the failure was corrected. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. There was no repair performed. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred.

Reported at 1,000 miles, July 2023

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