Software in the front cameras may cause the forward collision avoidance system to activate prematurely and unexpectedly apply the brakes.
Risk: Unexpected braking increases the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
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.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Tucson, Tucson Hybrid, and Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) vehicles.
NHTSA listing: SANTA CRUZ. Hyundai campaign 302.
Electrical system
Jan 26, 2026
instrument cluster/panel
Fails federal standard 101 (controls and displays)
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."
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 and full notice
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.
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.
The side curtain air bags may not have been installed properly, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.
Risk: Side curtain air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The fix and full notice
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.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson, 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2026 Genesis GV70 vehicles.
NHTSA listing: SANTA CRUZ. Hyundai campaign 289 (H); 029G (G).
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Santa Cruz. Below, they are sorted by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Lane departure systems2 · 40%
Powertrain2 · 40%
Speed control1 · 20%
Steering1 · 20%
Visibility/wiper1 · 20%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Hyundai Santa Cruz recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2026 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower.
Owner complaints
2026: 5 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Hyundai Santa Cruz
Model year
Complaints
2022
184
2023
79
2024
35
2025
19
2026
5
Safety recalls
2026: 3 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Hyundai Santa Cruz
Model year
Recalls
2022
4
2023
2
2024
1
2025
3
2026
3
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ PU/CC N/A AWD
Rollover risk 16.4%
HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ PU/CC N/A FWD
Rollover risk 16.4%
Questions
What are the most common 2026 Santa Cruz problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: lane departure systems (2), powertrain (2), speed control (1). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Santa Cruz has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Hyundai dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 29, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 28, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: SANTA CRUZ.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.