| Variant | Engine | Drivetrain | Transmission | City | Highway | Combined | EV Range | Est. Annual Fuel Cost |
| Santa Cruz FWD | 2.5L 4-Cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 22 MPG | 30 MPG | 25 MPG | — | $2,450 / yr |
| Santa Cruz AWD NX4 OB 2.5 AWD 8AT | 2.5L 4-Cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 21 MPG | 29 MPG | 24 MPG | — | $2,550 / yr |
| Santa Cruz AWD NX4 OB 2.5T AWD 8AT | 2.5L 4-Cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 18 MPG | 25 MPG | 20 MPG | — | $3,100 / yr |
| Santa Cruz XRT AWD | 2.5L 4-Cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 18 MPG | 25 MPG | 20 MPG | — | $3,100 / yr |
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.
NHTSA 5-Star NCAP laboratory crash evaluations are not currently on file for the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz.
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Not Specified and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Not Specified in official NHTSA records for tested 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz models.
View complete 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz crash test & safety breakdown →
Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.
View all 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz problems & component breakdown (0 categories) →
Affected Component: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Defect Summary: 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.
Free Manufacturer 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.
Affected Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
Defect Summary: 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."
Free Manufacturer 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.
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN
Defect Summary: 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.
Free Manufacturer 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.
View all 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz recalls & campaign history (3 campaigns) →