Recalls (3)
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗
Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.
Check on NHTSA ↗Forward Collision Avoidance System May Activate Brakes Unexpectedly
- Summary
- 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.
- Consequence
- Unexpected braking increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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.
Instrument Panel Display Failure/FMVSS 101
- Summary
- 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."
- Consequence
- An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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.
Side Curtain Air Bags May Not Deploy Properly
- Summary
- 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.
- Consequence
- Side curtain air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.
- Remedy
- 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.
PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.
Owner complaints (5)
5 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The lane departure is mentioned most often.
As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.
Most-reported components
| Component | Complaints | % of 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Lane departure | 2 | 40% |
| Power train | 2 | 40% |
| Steering | 1 | 20% |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 20% |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 20% |
How 2026 compares with other Santa Cruz years
Best and worst Santa Cruz years →| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 185 | 4 |
| 2023 | 79 | 2 |
| 2024 | 35 | 1 |
| 2025 | 19 | 3 |
| 2026 | 5 | 3 |
Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.
Crash tests: 5 stars overall
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz pu/cc fwd, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.
Fuel economy: up to 25 mpg combined
- EPA annual fuel cost
- $2,700
- CO₂ tailpipe
- 356 g/mi
- EPA class
- Small Sport Utility Vehicle
What it costs you to run
Miles ÷ 25 mpg × $4.354 (EIA US average regular, week of Oct 5, 2026, all taxes included). Source: EPA · EIA.
EPA label estimates from lab tests; your mileage will vary.
Specs by configuration
| Engine · transmission | Drive | City / Hwy / Comb | EPA $/yr | CO₂ g/mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 L 4-cyl · 8-speed automatic | Front-Wheel Drive | 22 / 30 / 25 | $2,700 | 356 |
| 2.5 L 4-cyl · 8-speed automatic | All-Wheel Drive | 21 / 29 / 24 | $2,800 | 367 |
| 2.5 L 4-cyl · 8-speed automatic | All-Wheel Drive | 18 / 25 / 20 | $3,350 | 433 |
| 2.5 L 4-cyl · 8-speed automatic | All-Wheel Drive | 18 / 25 / 20 | $3,350 | 435 |
Source: EPA fuel economy data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026. Configurations are listed when EPA and NHTSA records match.
Looking at a 2026 Santa Cruz for sale?
Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.
Where to next
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz FAQ
How many recalls does the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz have?
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns: 26V316000 (forward collision avoidance), 26V047000 (electrical), 25V809000 (air bag). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.
What are the most common 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz problems?
Owners filed 5 complaints with NHTSA. Lane departure (2), Power train (2), Steering (1) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.
What mpg does the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz get?
EPA rates the 2.5 L 4-cyl · 8-speed automatic version at 22 city, 30 highway and 25 combined mpg. Other configurations are listed in the fuel economy section.
What safety rating did the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz get?
NHTSA rated the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz pu/cc fwd 5 stars overall, with 5 stars frontal, 5 stars side and 4 stars rollover (16.4% rollover risk).
How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes
Data sources
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - US DOT recall completion rates (data.transportation.gov)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA ODI owner complaints
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA NCAP 5-Star Safety Ratings
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EPA fuel economy data (licence confirmation pending)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EIA weekly retail gasoline prices
Weekly, all taxes included
Processing
- Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
- Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.
Limitations
- Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
- Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
- Recent model years are still collecting reports.
Review
Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.
Changelog
- 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.