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#BS-2022-HYUSAN-28A72022 Hyundai Santa CruzProblems, Recalls & Reliability
Based on reports from 283 owners and 4 recalls for this exact model.
Data updated ·NHTSA complaints through October 28, 2026
Preliminary Verdict
Red Flag
Based on 283 complaints, 6 crashes, 1 fires, and 4 recalls. This is the worst model year for this vehicle.
Top reported problems
roof rail issues
1 complaints • Severity 10/10
car wont accelerate past 20 mph
1 complaints • Severity 10/10
engine quit
1 complaints • Severity 10/10
hesitates like a flat spot and then goes
1 complaints • Severity 6/10
transmission pump failure
1 complaints • Severity 6/10
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
89 owners reported drivetrain issues — failures commonly reported around 25K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (16 reports) • Median: 25K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Drivetrain (89 reports).
Also in your report
Owner Intelligence
AI-synthesized themes from real complaints
Buyer Lot Checklist
Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers
Negotiation Talking Points
Data-backed dollar deductions
Buy / Skip Verdict
Final recommendation with conditions
Where the complaints fall
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Drivetrain Issues
Drivetrain complaints account for 31% of all reports filed for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, with 89 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 25,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 25K-mile mark.
Engine Issues
Engine complaints account for 18% of all reports filed for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, with 51 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Fuel System Issues
Fuel System complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, with 21 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to fuel system-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Electrical Issues
Electrical complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, with 20 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.
Complaint trend by year
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. Recent trend: stable.
Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own
Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (4 recalls)
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION:PIPES, HOSES, AND FITTINGS
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.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
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.
STRUCTURE:CRITICAL FASTENERS
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Tucson and 2022-2023 Santa Cruz vehicles. The roof moldings may detach.
TRAILER HITCHES
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.
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz NHTSA Safety Ratings
Overall
Not ratedFrontal crash
Not ratedSide crash
Not ratedRollover
Not ratedFrom NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings). Where NHTSA tested more than one version of this vehicle, the lowest rating is shown.
This is the worst model year for the Hyundai Santa Cruz according to owner complaint data. The biggest problem area is transmission.
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz vs. Class Average (Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD)
This vehicle
283
Class avg
195
Complaint volume is roughly in line with other small sport utility vehicle 2wd vehicles from 2022.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 283 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 4 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Last updated . NHTSA complaints received through October 28, 2026; safety ratings from NHTSA's 5-Star program.
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz: Frequently Asked Questions
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Get the Full 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 283 owner reports. Know before you buy.