Does the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz have any recalls?

Yes. NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz, the most recent reported on May 18, 2026 (Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking). Check a specific car by its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What are the most common problems with the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz?

Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA. The most frequently reported area is lane departure (2 complaints), followed by power train (2).

How many 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz complaints mention a crash or fire?

0 of 5 complaints report a crash and 0 a fire; 0 injuries were reported in total. Complaints are unverified reports from owners.

2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz recalls and problems

3 recalls and 5 owner complaints on file with NHTSA for the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz.

recalls

owner complaints

complaints mentioning a crash

mentioning a fire

Recalls apply to specific production ranges. To see whether a particular car still has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Repairs for safety recalls are free at authorised dealers.

2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz recalls

Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking

NHTSA campaign 26V316000 · reported May 18, 2026 · Hyundai Motor America · 423,062 vehicles potentially affected

The problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Tucson, Tucson Hybrid, and Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) vehicles. Software in the front cameras may cause the forward collision avoidance system to activate prematurely and unexpectedly apply the brakes.
The risk: Unexpected braking increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will update the front camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 17, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 302. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 20, 2026.

Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel

NHTSA campaign 26V047000 · reported January 26, 2026 · Hyundai Motor America · 41,651 vehicles potentially affected

The problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson Hybrid, Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 IONIQ 5, Santa Cruz, Kona, Palisade, Palisade Hybrid, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, Sonata, Sonata Hybrid, and Tucson vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays."
The risk: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 24, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai's customer service at 855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 293. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 28, 2026.

Air bags: side/window, curtain

NHTSA campaign 25V809000 · reported November 20, 2025 · Hyundai Motor America · 258 vehicles potentially affected

The problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson, 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2026 Genesis GV70 vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not have been installed properly, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.
The risk: Side curtain air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The fix: Dealers will reinstall the side curtain air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning December 29, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 289 and 029G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 22, 2025.

Most reported problems

Areas named in owner complaints to NHTSA. One complaint can name several areas.

Lane departure2
Power train2
Steering1
Vehicle speed control1
Visibility/wiper1

What owners report

Recent complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. These are unverified accounts from owners, not findings.

Sep 2, 2026 · Lane departure · 5 miles
The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "You May Want to Consider Taking a Break" was displayed with an audible alert nine times during a thirteen-mile trip, causing a distraction. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that…

Jun 6, 2026 · Power train
I was traveling southbound on … from […] to […] While traveling in this major highway, the vehicle shunted forward and it felt like something hit us from behind. In reality, a transmission issue flared up on the dashboard along with a "Check Engine" light. Vehicle was left at the dealership. Blue Link (the automatic…

May 22, 2026 · Visibility/wiper
The windshield washer fluid dispensing nozzles do not effectively cover the windshield. Almost all of the "spray" is in a very concentrated area of the lower windshield. The fluid squirts onto the two locations on the windshield and gets wiped away by the wipers as soon as they move. The rest of the windshield gets…

May 22, 2026 · Lane departure
The lake keep assist safety feature works inconsistently. Many times, the system has allowed my vehicle to cross the yellow or white lines, when it shouldn't have. Even worse, during wintertime, the vehicle gets confused as to what is road and what is not, jerking the vehicle in directions that it shouldn't be going…

Apr 30, 2026 · Power train
The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and merging into highway traffic, the vehicle hesitated and surged forward after depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was…

Santa Cruz model years compared

Year	Recalls	Complaints	Crashes	Fires
2023	2	79	2	3
2024	1	35	3	0
2025	3	21	1	1
2026	3	5	0	0

Across all years, the 2022 Santa Cruz has the most complaints (185). All Hyundai Santa Cruz years →

Questions

Does the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz have any recalls?: Yes. NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz, the most recent reported on May 18, 2026 (Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking). Check a specific car by its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common problems with the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz?: Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA. The most frequently reported area is lane departure (2 complaints), followed by power train (2).
How many 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz complaints mention a crash or fire?: 0 of 5 complaints report a crash and 0 a fire; 0 injuries were reported in total. Complaints are unverified reports from owners.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint data, updated October 27, 2026. Latest complaint received September 2, 2026.