2025 Hyundai SANTA CRUZ problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
18 owner complaints analyzed
3 distinct recall campaigns
3,523 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2025 model year. Data snapshot: . 4 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings is the most frequently named component, appearing in 6 of 18 complaints (33.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 5 | 27.8% |
| Steering behavior | 3 | 16.7% |
| Engine operation | 1 | 5.6% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | 6 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | 4 |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 2 |
| Service Brakes | 2 |
| Unknown Or Other | 2 |
| Electrical System | 1 |
| Electrical System:Adas:Driver Monitoring:Camera/Sensor | 1 |
Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings: 6; Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control: 4; Exterior Lighting: 2; Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking: 2; Service Brakes: 2; Unknown Or Other: 2; Electrical System: 1; Electrical System:Adas:Driver Monitoring:Camera/Sensor: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 4 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 4; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (4). 14 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 |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 10 |
| 2026 | 6 |
2024: 2; 2025: 10; 2026: 6
Pattern summary
Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 5 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 3 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 1 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 11636902 · 2025-01-19 (January 19, 2025)
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
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11636902 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11650862 · 2025-03-26 (March 26, 2025)
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.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11650862 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11632452 · 2024-12-26 (December 26, 2024)
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 ins…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11632452 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11680808 · 2025-08-15 (August 15, 2025)
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…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11680808 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11760583 · 2026-08-29 (August 29, 2026)
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.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11760583 at NHTSA ↗