Model year 2025 · Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings
EPA rates the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz at 21–25 mpg combined across 4 versions. NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 21 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
Safety recalls
3
EPA combined mpg
21–25
NHTSA overall rating
5/5
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.
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz recalls
NHTSA's recall file lists 3 safety recalls for the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz, newest first.
Hyundai Motor America (manufacturer recall no. 302)
Units affected
423,062 (estimate)
Problem
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
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 (manufacturer recall no. 289 (H); 029G (G))
Units affected
258 (estimate)
Problem
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
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 (manufacturer recall no. 273)
Units affected
42,465 (estimate)
Problem
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
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.
Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.
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2025 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.
2025 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.
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Rollover risk
Forward collision warning
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz PU/CC AWD
5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
4 stars
16.4%
Standard & Optional
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz PU/CC FWD
5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
4 stars
16.4%
Standard & Optional
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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2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz owner complaints
Owners have filed 21 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz, most recently on Oct 18, 2026. 1 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 0 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.
Most-cited components in 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz complaints
Component named in complaints
Mentions
Forward collision avoidance: Warnings
6
Forward collision avoidance: Adaptive cruise control
