repaired · 2025 Q4
Trailer hitches
Park outsideRisk. A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
2023 Hyundai Santa CruzProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 80 owner complaints about the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz, most often about the power train. It is covered by 2 safety recalls, and for recall 23V-038 the manufacturer reports only 84% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 6, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz has problems
80 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
25Power train
20Engine
14Electrical system2 crash/fire/injury
6Forward collision avoidance
6Fuel/propulsion system
6Vehicle speed control
5Service brakes
4Exterior lighting
3Trailer hitches
128 other systems2 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 25 | 0 |
| Engine | 20 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 14 | 2 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 6 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 6 | 1 |
| Vehicle speed control | 6 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 1 |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 0 |
| Trailer hitches | 3 | 0 |
| 8 other systems | 12 | 2 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
2 recalls
2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2024 Q4
Body: roof and pillars
Risk. A detached roof molding could become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Hyundai.
Best & worst years
2023 vs. every other Santa Cruz year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Santa Cruz median. How we score
'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz safety ratings
2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz PU/CC AWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side barrier★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
- Rollover: 4 stars (16.4% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: Standard & Optional
- Lane departure warning: Standard
In owners' words
What Santa Cruz owners report
Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
Hyundai Santa Cruz with transmission problems. 5 attempts to repair and manufacture failed to. Last time, vehicle had a sudden transmission failure while driving. Car stop responding to acceleration and transmission was not switching gears, that could had cause loss of control, especially in…
On [XXX], I went out to start my 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz (SC) to leave work to go home. It was difficult to start, however, it started. As I entered [XXX], i was nearly rear ended by another car, because my SC lost all acceleration. I turned on my hazards for SAFETY and then began to try to…
car flashes transmission low fluid and gives a code of p193b-79. when trans downshifts upshifts will not happened. to clear the problem you have to turn car off and on, and then normal operation resumes, but shifting is now slower. and sluggish. this is the second transmission to have this problem.…
Own a 2023 Santa Cruz?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.