2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz has 184 complaints with NHTSA after 5 years, or 51 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 3 Santa Cruz years on this site. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Trailer hitch, Roof and pillars, and Automatic transmission.

Complaints

184

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (90 of 184), then Engine (50) and Electrical system (21). The most filings arrived in 2022 (80 of 184). Those filings include 5 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 4 that report an injury.

Next to 2023

The 2023 Santa Cruz has 79 complaints, 24 per year. The 2022 has more complaints per year than the 2023.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (4)

Recall trailer hitch 2023-03-17 · NHTSA campaign 23V181000

Summary 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.

Remedy Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is completed. Dealers will install a new fuse and wire extension kit as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed starting May 16, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 244. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 22V-633.

Recall structure, body, roof and pillars 2023-01-31 · NHTSA campaign 23V038000

Summary Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Tucson and 2022-2023 Santa Cruz vehicles. The roof moldings may detach.

Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace, or secure the roof moldings, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 30, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 241.

Recall powertrain, automatic transmission 2022-10-06 · NHTSA campaign 22V746000

Summary 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.

Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission, as necessary. Dealers will also update the transmission control unit software. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 10, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 236.

Recall engine and cooling, engine, gasoline, turbocharger 2022-03-28 · NHTSA campaign 22V197000

Summary 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.

Remedy Dealers will replace the turbocharger oil supply pipe, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall 222.

Complaints by component (184 total)

Powertrain

Engine

Electrical system

Fuel and propulsion system

Speed control

Exterior lighting

Forward collision avoidance

Lane departure

Air bags

Visibility and wipers

Service brakes

Structure

Trailer hitch

Visibility

Back-over prevention

Fuel system, gasoline

Latches, locks, and linkages

Seat belts

Steering

Suspension

Show 12 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"While driving on a 170 mile trip at mostly high speed, when reducing speed near destination the engine suddenly shut off while traveling at 35 mph. Dashboard lights and alarms occurred indicating engine was off. Was…"
Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-21
"The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving on I-95 and approaching a stopped vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed, and the automatic emergency braking system engaged. Upon…"
Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-09-11
"My INTEGRATED THERMAL MANAGEMENT (ITM) module went bad in my 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. I notified Hyundai about it and found out there are several service bulletins related to this part. My truck was outside the…"
Engine · filed 2026-09-10
"In approximately late 2024, at just under 30,000 miles, the vehicle lost motive power while driving on the interstate. Multiple warning lights illuminated and the vehicle lost drive shortly afterward, leaving me unable…"
Powertrain, Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-09
"Vehicle in the middle of turning in to a hazardous highway lost power and then began to drive sluggish at 20 miles per hour skipping. It acted like the fuel injectors were not allowing it to get fuel. After having some…"
Speed control, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-09-08

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz PU/CC AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz PU/CC FWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Santa Cruz all-wheel drive	2.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (AM-S8)	All-wheel drive	19	27	22 MPG	$2950
Santa Cruz all-wheel drive	2.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	21	27	23 MPG	$2800
Santa Cruz front-wheel drive	2.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	Front-wheel drive	21	26	23 MPG	$2800

Specs and fitment

1st generation, 2022–present

Body styles Pickup

Oil 0W-20 full synthetic , 4.5 qt capacity

Tire size 245/60R18 (SE/SEL/SEL Premium), 245/50R20 (Limited)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 22V-197 covers certain 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz vehicles, and also certain 2022 Santa Fe vehicles: the oil supply pipe to the turbocharger may crack, which could result in an oil leak in the engine compartment. Dealers replace the turbocharger oil supply pipe. Recall 23V-038 covers certain 2022-2023 Santa Cruz vehicles, and also certain 2022 Tucson vehicles: the roof moldings may detach; dealers inspect and replace or secure them as necessary.

Compare

Next year 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz See every Hyundai Santa Cruz model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz reliable?

What are common problems with a 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz?

Is the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2023 Santa Cruz has 79 complaints, 24 per year. The 2022 has more complaints per year than the 2023.

Has the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz been recalled?

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz has 4 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz?

Owners have filed 184 complaints about the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is 22.7 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Hyundai Santa Cruz take?

0W-20 full synthetic; capacity is about 4.5 quarts with filter.

What does recall 22V-197 cover on the Santa Cruz?

Certain 2022 Santa Cruz vehicles (and certain 2022 Santa Fe): the oil supply tube for the turbocharger may leak. See the NHTSA campaign for the remedy.

What tire sizes does the Santa Cruz use?

245/60R18 on SE/SEL/SEL Premium; 245/50R20 on Limited.