Owners have filed 30 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the transmission, airbags, and steering. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2024Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3
Engine off, key in hand0/1
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/4
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
Nearby years usually share most parts, so their problems are worth checking on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2024 checks
Worth adding to your 2024 checks
Worth adding to your 2024 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl | AWD, FWD | 23 mpg |
Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.
Sudden loss of power
300–2,500 miles
NHTSA complaints for the 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
The transmission seems to slip into neutral while pulling away from a stop, usually around 10 to 15 mph. The engine revs, the truck won't speed up, and then it lurches into gear or shifts roughly. Other reports describe sudden power loss at highway speed with warning lights that needs a restart, a sluggish launch that feels like the brakes are on, and the truck failing to stay in park and rolling forward, which led to one crash. Most reports involve nearly new trucks. One also describes false rear emergency braking at highway speed.
In front-corner crashes, the airbags fail to deploy. Two crashes with three injuries are reported. In one, a 45 mph impact lifted the truck onto two wheels and threw it into the median, and none of its airbags went off. In the other, the damage looked cosmetic but the front frame rail was bent badly enough to total the truck. The front seat belts locked, but no airbag fired.
With lane keeping assist on, the steering column gives off a steady, loud buzz and the wheel vibrates slightly. Drivers find it distracting in slow traffic, and the dealer could not find a cause. A separate report says the steering wheel does not lock with the engine off, though the owner's manual says it should. The dealer confirmed that fault. It matters to owners who tow the truck on a tow dolly.
After a fill-up, a strong gas smell comes from the parked truck and fades only after some driving. The dealer kept the truck for 3 days and found nothing wrong. In another case, the engine would not run at 776 miles with half a tank of gas. The dealer blamed contaminated fuel, which the owner disputes, and replaced the fuel system from the filter to the injectors. The owner waited six weeks for the repair.
At highway speed, the engine suddenly loses all power and won't respond to the gas pedal. The truck coasts down while traffic closes in from behind. Reports describe it at about 60 and 76 mph, in one case with a jerk and a check engine light, on a Turbo with 12,000 miles. Restarting brought power back for one owner, but the problem returned. Both reports describe near misses as the driver struggled to get off the road.
Accelerating away from a stop, the engine can hang at idle for about 15 seconds before power returns, much like limp mode. One owner reports this four times, with no codes or warning lights. Another reports power loss on a mountain grade, falling from 60 to 20 mph. Fault codes pointed to the fuel injection system. The wiring harness for that system was replaced 4 times in 6 weeks, and the truck still would not run.
Excerpts from complaints Santa Cruz owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
while driving my car lost power and slowed on its own from 65 mph down to 45 mph. i had to power/acceleration and all the dashboard codes lit up and the infotainment system had an error messsage. i was force to pull over on the freeway and restart the car to get power to it. this is the 2nd time this happened within 2500 miles of the new vehicle.
Filed with NHTSA, November 2023
I was at a stop sign leave a store and I started going again and when I got to 15 mph it like it went into neutral and I thought maybe I hit shifter in neutral but didn't and I went to go again did same thing but then jump into next gear got cat home I bought this car brand new I only got 33000 miles
Filed with NHTSA, January 2026
When the lane keeping assistant is operating, a constant, fairly loud buzzing sound emanates from the steering column, accompanied by a slight vibration on the steering wheel. When driving at low speeds and in traffic jams, this makes you nervous and distracts you from driving. The dealership cannot identify the problem and determine the cause. This sound has not been noticed on other cars of this brand
Filed with NHTSA, July 2024
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2024 ranks third for owner complaints among 4 Santa Cruz years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Recall repairs are free at any Hyundai dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024 Tucson and Santa Cruz vehicles. The circuit board in the motor-driven power steering assembly may short circuit, resulting in a loss of power steering assist.
Risk: A loss of power steering assist can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the motor-driven power steering electric power pack, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 11, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 261.
Cars shoppers compare with the Hyundai Santa Cruz, with their own 2024 checklists.
2024 owner complaints, side by side
