2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz recalls and problems

The 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz has 3 recalls and 5 owner complaints on file with NHTSA; the most reported problem area is lane departure.

Pictured: a 2025 model; the 2026 may differ in details. Photo: 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz by Charles, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How the 2026 compares

Lowest

Fewest complaintsMost complaints

Lowest complaint count among 5 Santa Cruz model years — 5th most. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are still growing.

3recalls

5complaints

0crashes

0fires

0injuries

5median miles

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not verified and not adjusted for sales. Ranking compares this model's own years only.

Does your car have an open recall?
Recalls apply to specific vehicles. Only a VIN lookup on NHTSA's official site shows whether yours is affected and still unrepaired.

Check your VIN →

3 recalls

Forward Collision Avoidance

May 18, 2026 · NHTSA campaign 26V316000 · 423,062 vehicles

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.

Risk: 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.

Electrical System

Jan 26, 2026 · NHTSA campaign 26V047000 · 41,651 vehicles

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."

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.

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.

Air Bags

Nov 20, 2025 · NHTSA campaign 25V809000 · 258 vehicles

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.

Risk: 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.

Recall text as published by NHTSA and the manufacturer.

What owners complain about

Lane Departure2

Power Train2

Steering1

Vehicle Speed Control1

Visibility1

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA; one complaint can name several areas. Not verified by NHTSA.

2026 vs. other Hyundai Santa Cruz years

Owner complaints by model year; the darker bar is the 2026. Click a bar to switch year.

Questions

Does the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns covering the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz, the latest from May 18, 2026 (forward collision avoidance). A recall applies to specific vehicles: enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours is affected and still open.

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

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA most often mention lane departure (2), power train (2), steering (1). Complaints are consumer reports and are not verified by NHTSA.