2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Problems: 9 Known Issues
2025 model year · 730+ owner reports · Updated October 2026
According to Au7o's analysis of 730+ owner reports, the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz has 9 documented known issues, with 3 rated critical. The most serious are Forward Collision Avoidance Phantom / Unexpected Braking (Recall 26V316), Improperly Installed Side Curtain Airbags That May Not Deploy in a Crash (Recall 25V809) ($0-$0 repair) and Misrouted Console Extension Wiring Contacting Shift Lock Release, Allowing Shift Out of Park Without the Brake (Recall 24V877) ($0-$0 repair). The most commonly reported issue is Infotainment Screen Freezing / Black Screen with 420 owner reports. DIY maintenance guides at au7o.io.
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All 9 Known Issues
NHTSA Recalls9 recalls
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
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.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Santa Fe and Santa Cruz vehicles. The oil supply pipe to the turbocharger may crack, which could result in an oil leak in the engine compartment.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Sonata, Veloster N, 2022 Santa Cruz, Elantra N, and Kona N vehicles. The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can result in a complete loss of drive power.
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Tucson and 2022-2023 Santa Cruz vehicles. The roof moldings may detach.
TRAILER HITCHES
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Santa Fe, 2021-2023 Santa Fe HEV, 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-in HEV and Santa Cruz vehicles potentially equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Hyundai dealership. Water accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common Hyundai Santa Cruz problems?
According to Au7o's analysis of 730+ owner reports, the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz has 9 documented issues. The most frequently reported are: Forward Collision Avoidance Phantom / Unexpected Braking (Recall 26V316), Improperly Installed Side Curtain Airbags That May Not Deploy in a Crash (Recall 25V809), Misrouted Console Extension Wiring Contacting Shift Lock Release, Allowing Shift Out of Park Without the Brake (Recall 24V877). Of these, 3 are rated critical and should be addressed promptly.
Is the Hyundai Santa Cruz reliable?
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz has 9 known issues documented across 730+ owner reports. 3 issues are rated critical: Forward Collision Avoidance Phantom / Unexpected Braking (Recall 26V316) and Improperly Installed Side Curtain Airbags That May Not Deploy in a Crash (Recall 25V809) and Misrouted Console Extension Wiring Contacting Shift Lock Release, Allowing Shift Out of Park Without the Brake (Recall 24V877). Prospective buyers should inspect for these issues and factor potential repair costs into their purchase decision. Regular maintenance following the manufacturer's schedule helps prevent many common problems.
How much does it cost to fix common Hyundai Santa Cruz problems?
Repair costs for known Hyundai Santa Cruz issues range from $0 to $4,500, depending on the specific problem and whether you choose DIY or professional repair. Au7o provides step-by-step DIY maintenance guides that can help reduce repair costs.
What is the 2025-2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz Forward Collision Avoidance Phantom / Unexpected Braking (Recall 26V316)?
NHTSA recall 26V-316 (Hyundai recall 302) covers certain model-year 2025-2026 Santa Cruz vehicles. Front-camera software can cause the Forward Collision Avoidance system to exhibit increased sensitivity to forward-object proximity in certain driving scenarios. The system may enga… Severity: high.
What is the 2025-2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz Improperly Installed Side Curtain Airbags That May Not Deploy in a Crash (Recall 25V809)?
A small number of Santa Cruz trucks left the assembly line with side curtain airbags that were not installed correctly, so the curtain may fail to deploy or may deploy out of position in a side impact or rollover. NHTSA campaign 25V809000 covers 258 vehicles across 2025 Tucson, 2… Repairs typically run $0-$0. Severity: high.
What is the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Misrouted Console Extension Wiring Contacting Shift Lock Release, Allowing Shift Out of Park Without the Brake (Recall 24V877)?
The console extension wiring assembly that runs near the shift lever can be routed incorrectly during assembly so that the harness presses on the mechanical release for the shift lever lock. With the lock defeated, the transmission can be moved out of Park without the brake pedal… Repairs typically run $0-$0. Severity: high.
What is the 2022-2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz 8-Speed DCT Overheating Under Load / Towing?
The 8-speed wet dual-clutch transmission (DCT) on the 2.5L turbo Santa Cruz can overheat when towing near its 5,000 lb capacity or during spirited driving in warm weather. The transmission overheating warning forces the vehicle into limp mode. The DCT cooling system is undersized… Repairs typically run $0-$400. Severity: medium.
What is the 2022-2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz 12V Battery Parasitic Drain and Premature Failure?
Santa Cruz owners report the 12V battery going dead after the vehicle sits only a few days, attributed to parasitic draw from the Bluelink telematics modem and constant key-fob pinging. Owners receive Bluelink low-battery alerts on nearly-new trucks, and some have had batteries d… Severity: medium.
What is the 2022-2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Sunroof Drain Clogging Causing Interior Water Leaks?
Santa Cruz owners report water leaking into the cabin, frequently onto the front passenger floorboard, traced to clogged, crimped, or disconnected sunroof drain hoses. In several documented cases dealers found multiple drain slots blocked or a factory drain hole that was never fu… Severity: medium.
What is the 2022-2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz 8-Speed Wet Dual-Clutch Judder and Hesitation Pulling Away from a Stop (TSB 23-AT-012H)?
Trucks with the 2.5L turbocharged engine use an 8-speed wet dual-clutch transmission (8WDCT); the naturally aspirated 2.5 uses a conventional 8-speed torque converter automatic, which has its own separate TCU update for rough shift, judder and hesitation (TSB 24-AT-001H / 24-AT-0… Repairs typically run $0-$4,500. Severity: medium.
What is the 2022-2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Infotainment Screen Freezing / Black Screen?
The infotainment touchscreen in the Santa Cruz (8-inch on lower trims, 10.25-inch navigation unit on upper trims) is prone to freezing, going black, or rebooting randomly. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connections can trigger the freezes. The backup camera feed may also… Repairs typically run $0-$2,000. Severity: low.
What is the 2022-2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Factory Retractable Tonneau Cover Binding, Failing to Retract, and Leaving a Front Gap That Lets Water Into the Bed (TSB 24-BD-003H / 24-BD-004H)?
The roll-up tonneau cover fitted to SEL Premium and Limited trucks develops two related faults that Hyundai acknowledged in service bulletins issued March 2024. The cover binds in its rails and becomes hard or impossible to open and close (TSB 24-BD-003H), and it may not retract… Repairs typically run $0-$900. Severity: low.
Content on this page was compiled with AI assistance using NHTSA complaints, TSBs, owner reports, and public automotive data. While we strive for accuracy, this information may contain errors. Always verify repair procedures and specifications with your vehicle's service manual or a qualified mechanic.