2022 Hyundai SANTA CRUZ problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
180 owner complaints analyzed
4 distinct recall campaigns
22,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2022 model year. Data snapshot: . 20 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Power Train is the most frequently named component, appearing in 88 of 180 complaints (48.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 61 | 33.9% |
| Engine operation | 30 | 16.7% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 15 | 8.3% |
| Braking behavior | 11 | 6.1% |
| Fuel system concerns | 9 | 5.0% |
| Steering behavior | 4 | 2.2% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Power Train | 88 |
| Engine | 49 |
| Unknown Or Other | 34 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 21 |
| Electrical System | 19 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 18 |
| Exterior Lighting | 9 |
| Air Bags | 3 |
Power Train: 88; Engine: 49; Unknown Or Other: 34; Fuel/Propulsion System: 21; Electrical System: 19; Vehicle Speed Control: 18; Exterior Lighting: 9; Air Bags: 3
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 10 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 6 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 3 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 10; 25,000 to 49,999: 6; 50,000 to 74,999: 3; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 1
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (10). 160 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 80 |
| 2023 | 51 |
| 2024 | 22 |
| 2025 | 17 |
| 2026 | 10 |
2022: 80; 2023: 51; 2024: 22; 2025: 17; 2026: 10
Pattern summary
Power Train leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 61 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 30 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 15 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11452567 · 2022-02-17 (February 17, 2022)
I was passing on a 2 lane road with the gas pedal to the floor. After I passed the vehicle, still in the passing lane i let off on the gas. At that moment I had no power. Had to brake and get back behind the vehicle I was passing. Thank god there was no on-coming traffic, or I would not be here telling you this story. It took what seemed forever before I had power again. Not sure what I did shifting gears or just timing out. I am aware of other people reporting a similar problem with no power on SantaCruzForums.com. I am concerned about …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11452567 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11459153 · 2022-03-31 (March 31, 2022)
This car only has 150 miles on it. At 50 miles an hour the transmission refused to shift & the car RPMs surged with a loss of power. It remained at 5000 rpms with my fott OFF the accelerator. I then needed to manually shift out of automatic it to get it to drop the RPMS start driving again. It was dangerous & another person might not have known how to get going again & caused a chain reaction accident at highway speeds.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11459153 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11452784 · 2022-02-18 (February 18, 2022)
Loss of power. Car in drive, no snow going to make a right turn on a busy fast street. Typical speeds on this street are 50 +, speed limit is 45. To get out in to traffic you need to have power to get up to traffic speed. So I hit the gas I say 1/4 throttle and started to make a right turn. I had very little power. The engine revved up to 2000-3000 rpms but car was moving really slow. Its took several seconds to get to 5-10 mph. Top speed was 39-40 mph. If you hit the gas it would just rev higher but no increase of speed. The bad part was the …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11452784 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11458360 · 2022-03-25 (March 25, 2022)
Sudden loss of power. I was pulling away from a traffic light. I stepped on the throttle and found the engine unable to respond. I had just enough power to reach 20 MPH. The engine never quit. No warnings or cautions were displayed. Pulled over and shut off the vehicle. Did a quick visual inspection and found nothing out of place Waited a few minutes, restarted and all is back to normal operating condition.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11458360 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11464351 · 2022-05-12 (May 12, 2022)
2022 Santa Cruz 764 miles. Washed vehicle April 1st with hose, water & soap bubbles in grill of DRL. I was told that its a lens cover & not the LED DRL, but it collects and holds water & soap. I can't clean in there. Field service engineer came out, deamed normal by Hyundai, grill & lens are not sealed. Unacceptable, water collecting by electrical component. Can't get behind lens cover to clean. Eventually im going to have a film in there, and DRL won't work as they should. If soap and water get in now, what happens during winter when it gets…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11464351 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11486239 · 2022-09-24 (September 24, 2022)
I was driving on the highway (55mph) with my two children in the backseat. My vehicle started slowing down quickly even with my foot on the gas. There was no warning, no lights on the dash lit up warning me there was anything wrong with the car. The rpm’s we’re going up but it was like there was no power to the car. I got off the highway onto a side road as fast as I could do I wouldn’t get hit. Then I pulled off to the side of the road. I put it in park and turned it off. I tried to turn it back on and it would start. After a second attempt it…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11486239 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11449918 · 2022-02-02 (February 2, 2022)
ALL DASH LIGHTS ARE ON WHILE DRIVING. OIL, ABS, TIRE PRESSURE, CHECK ENGINE. CAR IS AT DEALERSHIP NOW AND THEY ARE TRYING TO FIND THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE BEEN VERY GOOD TO ME WITH A LOANER AND CONSTANT UPDATES. THEY HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH CORPORATE AND THEY ADVISED THEM TO CHANGE SOMETHING IN THE ABS SYSTEM WHICH IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE MIDDLE OF FEBRURARY. NOTHING TO DO BUT WAIT.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11449918 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11496663 · 2022-12-08 (December 8, 2022)
Fuel tank opening actuator is getting stuck and fuel tank cannot be open or closed properly advice from Hyundai is to drive with open Tank that I do not consider safe
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11496663 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11496873 · 2022-12-10 (December 10, 2022)
While driving on a local highway, vehicle lost all power and stopped. It would not restart. Vehicle was towed to the dealer, and was they found found that the HIGH PRESSURE #4 FUEL INJECTOR IS STUCK OPEN, and REPLACED #4 CYLINDER FUEL INJECTOR AS REQUIRED. They also replaced the battery. Vehicle is 11 months old. If this had happened on the interstate, I would have been rear ended and possibly killed. No warning, just stopped. Vehicle had reported loss of power on a previous occasion, but nothing could be found.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11496873 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11496368 · 2022-12-07 (December 7, 2022)
While driving down a two-lane highway at night (foggy conditions), the Lane Following Assist feature was turned on. There was a section of highway where a vehicle had previously driven through wet white paint. The paint was smeared toward the ONCOMING lane as if the vehicle had turned left after driving through the wet paint. The Lane Following Assist on my 2022 Santa Cruz detected these white paint tracks and immediately jerked the steering wheel to the left, INTO the oncoming lane. If there had been a vehicle in that lane, there would have ab…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11496368 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11507214 · 2023-02-14 (February 14, 2023)
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50.
Owner-reported narrative. 50 miles reported. Look up ODI 11507214 at NHTSA ↗