Model year 2022 · Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings
EPA rates the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz at 22–23 mpg combined across 3 versions. NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 185 owner complaints for this model year.
Safety recalls
4
EPA combined mpg
22–23
NHTSA overall rating
—
Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT
Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Hyundai dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz recalls
NHTSA's recall file lists 4 safety recalls for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, newest first.
Trailer hitches
NHTSA 23V181000Reported Mar 17, 2023Park outside
Filed by
Hyundai Motor America (manufacturer recall no. 244)
Units affected
584,784 (estimate)
Problem
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Santa Fe, 2021-2023 Santa Fe HEV, 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-in HEV and Santa Cruz vehicles potentially equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Hyundai dealership. Water accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Risk
A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is completed. Dealers will install a new fuse and wire extension kit as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed starting May 16, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 244. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 22V-633.
Structure: Body: Roof and pillars and 1 more component
NHTSA 23V038000Reported Jan 31, 2023
Filed by
Hyundai Motor America (manufacturer recall no. 241)
Components
Structure: Body: Roof and pillars; Structure: Critical fasteners
Units affected
16,104 (estimate)
Problem
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Tucson and 2022-2023 Santa Cruz vehicles. The roof moldings may detach.
Risk
A detached roof molding could become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace, or secure the roof moldings, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 30, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 241.
Hyundai Motor America (manufacturer recall no. 236)
Units affected
56,148 (estimate)
Problem
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Sonata, Veloster N, 2022 Santa Cruz, Elantra N, and Kona N vehicles. The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can result in a complete loss of drive power.
Risk
Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission, as necessary. Dealers will also update the transmission control unit software. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 10, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 236.
Engine and engine cooling: Engine: Oil/lubrication: Pipes, hoses, and fittings and 1 more component
NHTSA 22V197000Reported Mar 28, 2022
Filed by
Hyundai Motor America (manufacturer recall no. 222)
Components
Engine and engine cooling: Engine: Oil/lubrication: Pipes, hoses, and fittings; Engine and engine cooling: Engine: Gasoline: Turbo/supercharger
Units affected
16 (estimate)
Problem
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Santa Fe and Santa Cruz vehicles. The oil supply pipe to the turbocharger may crack, which could result in an oil leak in the engine compartment.
Risk
An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the turbocharger oil supply pipe, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall 222.
Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.
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2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz fuel economy by version
EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.
Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.
EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Rollover risk
Forward collision warning
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz PU/CC AWD
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
—
Standard
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz PU/CC FWD
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
—
Standard
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.
Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.
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2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz owner complaints
Owners have filed 185 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, most recently on Sep 27, 2026. 5 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 5 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.
Most-cited components in 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz complaints
