2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Hyundai › Santa Cruz › 2025
These records cover every 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
3 recalls name the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz. Newest first.
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 and remedy
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.
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 and remedy
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.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson and Santa Cruz vehicles. The console extension wiring assembly may be routed improperly, allowing the transmission to be shifted out of Park without applying the brake pedal.
Risk and remedy
Risk
A transmission that can shift out of Park without applying the brake pedal can result in a vehicle roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Owners are advised to use the parking brake when parking the vehicle. Dealers will reroute the console extension wiring assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 17, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 273.
Owner complaints
22 complaints1 involved a crash1 involved a fire
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Electrical system · Exterior lighting
One or two times a week, while driving at night, my headlights and head unit display both power off briefly, typically about 1/2 a second. Then they resume as if nothing had happened. No warning lights or errors, no boot up screen... just back to normal instantly. The only thing that changes is my…
One or two times a week, while driving at night, my headlights and head unit display both power off briefly, typically about 1/2 a second. Then they resume as if nothing had happened. No warning lights or errors, no boot up screen... just back to normal instantly. The only thing that changes is my seat belt indicator illuminates for a few seconds, then goes back off. After some online digging, it seems plenty of other people have this issue, but no one has found an official cause or solution.
- Unknown or other
The latest software update, Oct 2026, no longer combines my FM favorites stations with my Sirius stations and now requires me to take my eyes off the road so that I can change from listing to FM to listening to Sirius. Prior I only needed to scroll all my stations using the toggle on the steering wheel allowing me to keep my eyes on the road. This requirement decreases road safety and should be reversed.
- Engine
Radiator is leaking coolant at the bottom. Upon close inspections it is noted the front grill design of the vehicle leaves the radiator super exposed to the elements and road hazards causing excessive damage to the radiator during normal everyday use. During a call to the dealer it was discovered…
Radiator is leaking coolant at the bottom. Upon close inspections it is noted the front grill design of the vehicle leaves the radiator super exposed to the elements and road hazards causing excessive damage to the radiator during normal everyday use. During a call to the dealer it was discovered the radiator is not covered by the manufacturer warranty due to the damage being caused by road hazards even though the vehicle design is what left the component vulnerable. Hyundai intentionally sold me a vehicle designed in a way that left a critical component exposed to damage that can caused several engine overheating. Post made on forums and social media indicate this is an issue that affects many owners who own the same vehicle model.
- Forward collision avoidance › Automatic emergency braking
Making a left turn against oncoming traffic into a convenience store parking lot. There was a car in the driveway waiting to exit the convenience store parking lot. As I crossed the oncoming traffic lane the crash avoidance light on the dash came on and the brakes locked up nearly causing me to be…
Making a left turn against oncoming traffic into a convenience store parking lot. There was a car in the driveway waiting to exit the convenience store parking lot. As I crossed the oncoming traffic lane the crash avoidance light on the dash came on and the brakes locked up nearly causing me to be broadsided by the oncoming traffic. An obvious malfunction of the crash avoidance system. I contacted the dealer and reported the issue. They advised my software was up to date and it was probably a ghost reading by the camera and software. No further action taken by the dealer.
- Fuel/propulsion system
Loss of power while trying to accelerate. RPM's were going up, but the vehicle was very sluggish. Nearly got rear ended as I had turned right on a red from a stop to merge onto a 55mph road. I could not get up to speed and had to pull to the side of the road and engage my hazard lights. I turned…
Loss of power while trying to accelerate. RPM's were going up, but the vehicle was very sluggish. Nearly got rear ended as I had turned right on a red from a stop to merge onto a 55mph road. I could not get up to speed and had to pull to the side of the road and engage my hazard lights. I turned the vehicle off and let it sit for a few minutes, then turned it back on and the issue went away. No lights/warnings or sounds were associated with the problem. First time driving the car today. Weather is mid 70's and overcast.
- Exterior lighting › Headlights
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds at night on several occasions, the headlights were dim and created a shadow across the roadway. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on multiple occasions. The dealer was initially unable to duplicate…
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds at night on several occasions, the headlights were dim and created a shadow across the roadway. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on multiple occasions. The dealer was initially unable to duplicate the failure but later diagnosed that the driver-side headlight bulb needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer on several occasions. The dealer ultimately deemed the headlight performance normal. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200.
- Engine
The contact owned a 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a loud popping noise was suddenly heard coming from the engine compartment with no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that immediately following the failure, the power steering…
The contact owned a 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a loud popping noise was suddenly heard coming from the engine compartment with no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that immediately following the failure, the power steering and brakes became inoperable, making it difficult to maintain control of the vehicle. The contact also noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment and was able to forcefully maneuver the vehicle to the side of the roadway. Shortly thereafter, the front of the vehicle near the engine compartment caught fire. After the vehicle was pulled over, the check engine warning light and low oil warning light illuminated. The local fire department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire. The cause of the fire had not yet been determined. The vehicle was extensively damaged and deemed destroyed. No injuries were sustained and no medical attention was required; however, the contact stated that a cough was suffered due to inhalation of smoke and fumes from the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 7,738.
- Exterior lighting
While driving at night I happened to notice that the headlights failed to illuminate the road sufficiently. Specifically, the truck was going downhill. As it approached the bottom and soon to go uphill, I noticed that there was a strict delineation in what was lit up and what was not. Being on a…
While driving at night I happened to notice that the headlights failed to illuminate the road sufficiently. Specifically, the truck was going downhill. As it approached the bottom and soon to go uphill, I noticed that there was a strict delineation in what was lit up and what was not. Being on a country two lane with no ambient lights and travelling at the posted 55mph I realized that I did not have enough distance to stop safely in the event that something be on the road ahead, e.g., deer. So concentrated is the light that it does not create any vertical illumination. (Picture travelling toward the bottom of a parabola.) I visited the Hyundai dealership in my area the next day. I asked that the headlamps be adjusted (raised) to extend the field of vision. The Service manager told me that there is no adjustment for my headlights. I explained my experience driving without adequate illumination. He did not offer any recourse other than to slow down. I have never had a vehicle that did not have headlight adjustment capability.
- Electrical system · Exterior lighting
I was driving on a highway at 55mph at night today 3/1/2026 and all of a sudden the headlights, instrumentation lights, and computer display went out, very scary, the all turned back on about 1.5 seconds later.
- Forward collision avoidance
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that after a month of owning the vehicle, while attempting to start the vehicle, the Forward Collision Avoidance warning light and other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the Forward Collision Avoidance warning…
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that after a month of owning the vehicle, while attempting to start the vehicle, the Forward Collision Avoidance warning light and other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the Forward Collision Avoidance warning light remained illuminated for approximately four miles and then turned off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The dealer suggested that the failure could be related to the camera. The contact stated that the camera was replaced. Most recently, the contact stated that after three weeks, the Forward Collision Avoidance warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired after the most recent failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.
- Unknown or other
I can not disable the Driver Attention Warning (DAW) function on this vehicle. The "Take a Break" warning comes up at random times for no apparent reason. I understand the functionality but it often gives false warnings, distracting me from the driving task. This car needs to the ability to shut off the function, and, like other vehicles, set a time for setting the warning, i.e., every 45 minutes, hour, etc.
- Forward collision avoidance › Automatic emergency braking · Forward collision avoidance › Warnings · Service brakes
This is an ongoing safety issue with a 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited. The forward collision-avoidance system activates frequently and without cause during normal driving. The system will engage when another vehicle is simply turning, merging, or slowing down at a traffic light—normal, predictable…
This is an ongoing safety issue with a 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited. The forward collision-avoidance system activates frequently and without cause during normal driving. The system will engage when another vehicle is simply turning, merging, or slowing down at a traffic light—normal, predictable situations where no emergency braking should occur. These unexpected activations create unsafe conditions, including one incident where the truck was rear-ended due to sudden, unnecessary braking. The issue has occurred more than 50 times over approximately eight months of ownership. The manufacturer has been contacted and stated that this behavior is “by design.” They advised having the vehicle inspected by a dealership, but the local dealership requires leaving the vehicle for diagnostics for up to two days and does not provide loaner vehicles. Because I rely on the vehicle daily for work, this has made inspection difficult. Online reports from other owners appear to describe the same issue with the same model and year. No warning lights, error messages, or other indicators appear before the system activates. I have adjusted the collision-sensitivity settings from high to standard, but the issue persists. There is no option to disable the system entirely. The component is available for inspection upon request.
- Electrical system › Instrument panel › Fuel gauge
The contact owned a 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while fueling the vehicle, the fuel gauge became inoperable. The contact stated that the fuel gauge displayed a full tank while driving, regardless of the actual fuel level. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was…
The contact owned a 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while fueling the vehicle, the fuel gauge became inoperable. The contact stated that the fuel gauge displayed a full tank while driving, regardless of the actual fuel level. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the fuel gauge sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred after the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 5,045.
- Forward collision avoidance › Adaptive cruise control
Adaptive Cruze control will not allow use when wearing sun glasses. It will default out of cruze control causing driver distraction, eye strain from sunlight by having to drive while using Cruze control with out sun glasses.
- Unknown or other
Consider taking a break warning triggers continually; sometimes as frequently as every other minute causing distraction during driving. It has occurred since purchasing vehicle. Dealership says can not disable.
- Forward collision avoidance › Adaptive cruise control · Lane departure › Assist · Lane departure › Warning
Make: Hyundai • Model: Santa Cruz • Year: 2025 • Trim: Limited • Mileage: 2600 miles • Date of Purchase: July 2025 Description of the Problem: I am reporting a safety issue with the Forward Attention Warning (FAW) system on my 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited, which unexpectedly disables Smart…
Make: Hyundai • Model: Santa Cruz • Year: 2025 • Trim: Limited • Mileage: 2600 miles • Date of Purchase: July 2025 Description of the Problem: I am reporting a safety issue with the Forward Attention Warning (FAW) system on my 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited, which unexpectedly disables Smart Cruise Control (SCC) during highway driving. The FAW system, which uses an in-cabin camera to monitor driver attentiveness, frequently misinterprets normal driving behavior—such as wearing polarized sunglasses or holding the steering wheel at the 12 o’clock position—as inattention. This causes SCC to deactivate abruptly, resulting in sudden speed changes that create a safety hazard, particularly at highway speeds (e.g., 65–70 mph). The issue occurs multiple times per drive, especially when wearing sunglasses, and persists even after attempting to disable FAW in the vehicle’s settings (Settings > Vehicle > Driver Assistance > Driver Attention Warning > Off). For example, while driving on [XXX], SCC deactivated without warning due to FAW detecting my sunglasses, causing the vehicle to slow unexpectedly and requiring immediate manual intervention to maintain speed. This has happened regularly, creating a risk of rear-end collisions or driver distraction. I contacted my Hyundai dealership and they stated that no software fix is available and the system is “working as designed.” Hyundai’s Technical Service Bulletin (TSB 25-GI-001H) acknowledges FAW issues with sunglasses and hand position but offers no solution. I also contacted Hyundai Customer Service (1-800-633-5151), but they provided no resolution. This issue is widely reported by other 2025 Hyundai owners (e.g., Tucson, Santa Fe) in online forums INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Service brakes
-Brake pedal feels unsmooth in temperatures below 75-80 (mainly below 70) degrees as well as extremely noisy squeaking / creaking sounds accompanied. Inspection is always available. -I currently don't believe there is any safety risk to the issue I'm experiencing, but rather that it's unknown if…
-Brake pedal feels unsmooth in temperatures below 75-80 (mainly below 70) degrees as well as extremely noisy squeaking / creaking sounds accompanied. Inspection is always available. -I currently don't believe there is any safety risk to the issue I'm experiencing, but rather that it's unknown if there is one. I'm just being told there is no safety concern while also being told the issue I'm experiencing has never been heard or seen before on any previous model of Santa Cruz (that my local dealer has experienced). -The issue has been reproduced and confirmed by a dealer on my vehicle as well as on a brand new model sitting in the dealers lot that wasn't nearly as bad as my car, but similar noises at reduced volume could be replicated. -As far as I've been told from the 5 total visits I've had by 2 different Hyundai dealers, I was told 1 time that the pedal components were inspected and everything looked as it should (this was visit 1 of 5). -No warning messages or codes. Car was bought brand new (8 miles on odometer) off the lot and began having issues 2 weeks into ownership. Issue has been with the vehicle ever since (at the time of this message 14+ weeks and 1,500+ miles driven). -Overall, I was told rubber inside the booster is likely rubbing together or booster vacuum could be hissing air (or both together). Advisor at dealer could not definitively say whether or not noise would eventually "break in" as I was told to keep trying to do ("Go put on 5,000+ miles and come back if noise persists"). Advisor also stated because issue has never been seen on pervious years models, that it could maybe one day be recalled. Otherwise, I was told there is no fix that would be covered by warranty as well as he feared if they completely replaced all brake pedal / booster components, that the issue would just start over again.
- Forward collision avoidance › Automatic emergency braking · Forward collision avoidance › Warnings
Since day one of purchasing the vehicle brand new, the Automatic Emergency Braking engages for basically no reason. The system is way too sensitive and will engage the brakes out of nowhere. This is very dangerous because the vehicle will come to a stop and it's only a matter of time when this…
Since day one of purchasing the vehicle brand new, the Automatic Emergency Braking engages for basically no reason. The system is way too sensitive and will engage the brakes out of nowhere. This is very dangerous because the vehicle will come to a stop and it's only a matter of time when this happens and then get rear ended. Please address this issue, it's a major problem. Also, the Forward Collision Warning is way too sensitive too. Please have Hyundai fix these issues.
- Forward collision avoidance › Warnings
After driving vehicle for 20-30 minutes. I receive on the dashboard an error message that the Driver Assistance System is not working properly. This has happen even if the sensor is clear of any type of debris or objects.
- Forward collision avoidance › Warnings
Vehicle is constantly slamming on the brakes when leaving a parking garage. Users have to turn the feature off every single time we enter our vehicle instead of it being saved to our profile. 2023 model allowed us to select warning sound only if we preferred. I'd hate to see this feature activate…
Vehicle is constantly slamming on the brakes when leaving a parking garage. Users have to turn the feature off every single time we enter our vehicle instead of it being saved to our profile. 2023 model allowed us to select warning sound only if we preferred. I'd hate to see this feature activate while it's raining. It is wayyy too sensitive even with the late timing option selected. Only a matter of time before this feature causes at fault wrecks. Hyundai needs to make this feature optional to the user at least
- Forward collision avoidance › Adaptive cruise control · Forward collision avoidance › Warnings
The Hyundai Santa Cruz has a Driver Forward Attention Warning system. The steering column has a camera that monitors the driver's eyes and face to make sure the driver is watching the road while the cruise control is engaged. The feature shuts down the cruise control if it assesses the driver is…
The Hyundai Santa Cruz has a Driver Forward Attention Warning system. The steering column has a camera that monitors the driver's eyes and face to make sure the driver is watching the road while the cruise control is engaged. The feature shuts down the cruise control if it assesses the driver is not paying attention to the road. The feature does not account for the driver wearing sunglasses, however. It still shuts down the cruise system even if the driver is paying attention while wearing sunglasses. The feature can be disabled on the instrument panel, but it is never actually disabled; it still keeps shutting off the cruise control whether the function is enabled or disabled and is a safety hazard since the driver can't wear sunglasses and use cruise control simultaneously.
- Electrical system › Adas › Driver monitoring › Camera/sensor · Forward collision avoidance › Adaptive cruise control · Forward collision avoidance › Warnings
While driving at highway speeds with Smart Cruise Control set during the day I put on sunglasses and the driver attention system turned off the system 6 seconds later. I repeated this event set several times at various speeds and driving conditions with the same 6 second failure result. I made the…
While driving at highway speeds with Smart Cruise Control set during the day I put on sunglasses and the driver attention system turned off the system 6 seconds later. I repeated this event set several times at various speeds and driving conditions with the same 6 second failure result. I made the dealership aware of this and verified it with them in the vehicle. Apparently, system uses an IR camera to determine driver attention level via eye contact and does not work with most sunglasses. This seems to be a safety issue the dealership (or the manufacturer) should be the making the general public aware of.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 11010978Certain Santa Cruz (NXT), Santa Fe (MX5A), Santa Fe Hybrid (MX5A HEV), and Tucson (NX4A) vehicles may exhibit a display screen flickering or intermittently going blank. This may be due to the shield width of the coaxial cable being too wide, causing a loose connection. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to adjust the width of the shield using a supplied shield adjustment jig.
Every Hyundai Santa Cruz model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.