2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz: What to check before buying

Sudden loss of acceleration is the main complaint. The engine revs to 3,500 to 4,000 rpm while the truck crawls at 20 to 45 mph, often while merging, turning across traffic, or entering a highway. Many reports say no warning light comes on. Others see a transmission error or low transmission fluid message, and code P193B-79 is cited more than once. Restarting usually clears it. Several cases begin under 3,000 miles. Dealers often cannot reproduce the fault, and one owner is on a second transmission. Misfires from faulty fuel injectors and shudder from a stop also appear.

Fire is the most serious risk here. Two reports describe fires in parked vehicles: one at the rear near the tow hitch with the engine off, one in an attached garage shortly after parking. Other complaints describe every dash warning light coming on with no throttle response, rough cold idle and misfires, and stalling followed by a burning plastic smell. Failed trailer and taillight wiring harnesses, silent safety warning chimes traced to a loose radio connection, false emergency braking, and headlights cycling on and off in automatic mode round out the list.

Fluid leaks lead these reports. Oil seeps from the oil pan gasket or the oil filter cap, sometimes bad enough to trigger the low oil light, and repairs do not always hold. Coolant escapes through a faulty reservoir cap seal. Small rocks pass through the open lower grille and puncture the radiator, in one case at about 3,000 miles, with warranty coverage denied. A cylinder 3 fuel injector failure with code P030300 near 36000 miles, a failed thermostat leaving no cabin heat, and repeated loss of power also appear.

Unexpected braking at speed is the common thread. The automatic emergency braking system activates on the freeway at 60 to 70 mph with nothing ahead, slowing the truck briefly before releasing. In another case the electric parking brake engages at 70 mph and later at 25 mph, nearly causing crashes; the dealer replaced the parking brake cables and rear calipers but faced a month-plus wait for parts. Restarting clears the fault, and dealers often cannot reproduce it. One report starts at 1,000 miles.

None of these complaints describe a hitch failure. All three come from owners who received a trailer hitch recall notice and could not get the repair because parts were not available. Dealers confirmed the shortage, and owners say the wait has gone on too long. The pattern is a parts distribution delay rather than a reported breakdown, though fire reports filed under other components mention the tow hitch area.

Condensation builds up inside the taillights, and replacement units can fog again, leading to repeat dealer visits and worry that brake or turn signals could fail. Headlight complaints focus on the low-mounted front lamps. Owners describe a dark spot covering the left lane and halogen bulbs on lower trims that are dim and project unusually low at night. One owner says the dealer called the headlight pattern a manufacturer issue that cannot be resolved.

Two different problems appear. In one crash, the truck hit a pole while parking at 1,200 miles, the air bags did not deploy, and the driver was injured. Separately, the air bag warning light comes on and off at random. A dealer cleaned and reconnected a sensor switch, but the light returned within a block, and the dealer then planned to replace an air bag component.

A fire starts at the rear driver's side quarter panel of a parked truck with no warning lights beforehand, and the fire department had to put it out. The other report describes the tailgate opening on its own at low speed, once in a parking lot and once while pulling out of a driveway, twice within 3 months of ownership. Both tailgate incidents happened with the bed empty.