2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz: Recalls, Complaints & California Lemon Law

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

NHTSA #11713824

As I was attempting to accelerate at a stop light, once I got to 10mph I lost all power and the vehicle appeared to be in neutral, even though it was in gear. The engine just revved and would not go any faster. It appeared that the transmission just completely slipped out of gear. I had to figure out a way to exit the road as I was in full rush hour traffic. When I re-entered traffic to try again, the same thing happened and I exited into a side street neighborhood. The third time, the car did accelerate although it was rough shifting. This problem is extremely unsafe. This is a brand new car and unacceptable. When I researched this issue online, it appears to be a very common issue in the 2022-2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz’s. I hope that this will be investigated.

NHTSA #11693975

Vehicle seems to not go into park at times and then coasts forward.

NHTSA #11679782

The sun roof exploded in an upward projection while traveling 65mph with driver window slightly open. Glass everywhere with tiny glass slivers inbedded in my right hand and cheeck. Heard slight popping noise just prior to glass failure. Headed to dealership on 3/3/2025. Found other reports online from 2024 Santa Cruz owners.

NHTSA #11645807

Driving Santa Cruz Limited 2024 down the highway when the tailgate lowers by itself. It has happened twice on me. My key fob was in center console of vehicle. Reported incident to dealership.

NHTSA #11569308

1- 1226/24New car-mileage- 300 miles-driving on turnpike at 70 mph truck lost power/ momentum slowed to 40mph before vehicle would move forward again 2- driving in school zone 25mph truck loses power/momentum 3--mileage 1375 driving in traffic at 40mph same as above taken to dealer states no codes

NHTSA #11566670

Very strong fuel smell coming from parked vehicle after filling the Gas Tank. After driving 40 miles to remove approximately 1/4 of a the Tank, fumes are gone. 1/06/2026: Took Truck to closest Dealership. Burlington Hyundai Nj and they had it for 3 days. (The Tank was not Full) and they didn't find anything wrong. They still have not given me any documents on what the checked. They said I would get it by E-Mail. I purchased the vehicle from Hyundai of Trenton Nj and they are not getting back to me on when I can bring it in. I can not park in or even near my garage.

NHTSA #11712036

On [XXX] my car would not run with a half a tank of gas and 776 miles ,I allied Hyundai towing and had it towed to the nearest dealer in Springfield pa and it sat down a week or more before they looked at it ,after that they finally called and stated there was sugar in my tank ,I explained that was impossible because I have a 175 foot private drive and a dog that barks at anything I explained the gehivle has a anti theft gas cap and if the vehicle is unlocked I get texted to remind me it’s unlocked ,they told me the fuel system had to be replaced from the filter to the injectors ,that vehicle has a safe guard in the fuel tank to clog up when contaminated, I had to wait six weeks for me car and had to use my auto insurance to pay for it with 450.00 coming out of my pocket ,then again after another 800 miles it started again and this time I took it to another dealer who stated there was sugar fuel pump was bad again and that it would cost me another 1500 dollars ,I fought with them and told them about my previous problems and he repair it under warranty INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA #11648667

Contact owns 2024 Honda Santa Cruz. The contact stated while driving 45 mph on the highway vehicle wasn't responding while accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact stated there was no warning lights on vehicle before incident happen and that contact had to turn off and on the vehicle to make it function. correctly. The contact was able to contact dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated this has been a recurring event on vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.

NHTSA #11741927

I was traveling from Tennessee to Indiana on [XXX] going about 76 mph. I attempted to switch lanes and at the same time the other vehicle decided to speed up as the semi behind started speeding up. When my 2024 Santa Cruz Turbo (which only has 12,000 miles) jerked and started slowing down, the check engine light came on and it started declining acceleration. I mashed the gas and nothing happened (I was in Normal MODE- not smart mode, not sport mode, and not snow). I literally almost died as 2 very large trucks are coming at me full speed as I'm descending speed. I swerved off the road into the grass medium and was able to get out alive. However, the Hyundai is still not accelerating the RPMS will go to max and I’ll only be at 50 mph. I googled online and apparently this is been going on since 2022 with a several of Hyundai cars not just Santa Cruz; The Tucson, Santa Fe, and Santa Cruz were just some of the reports I read. I have a video however it will not allow me to upload it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA #11582455

On [XXX], while I was travelling South on [XXX] in Washington, while towing. My Emergency Brake/Forward Collision Avoidance system activated. Very briefly but enough to give me a shock. There was no reason for this to be activated, traffic was moving along, no one was closely in front of me, fortunately no one was right behind me. I discovered upon returning home that there was just issued a recall for this reason on 2025-2026 Santa Cruz vehicles. Mine is a 2024. I called the dealership, no coverage for the update for my truck yet. There was another recall that I was not notified about for an software update on my oil pump, which I will have done tomorrow. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA #11739908

My issue is that the lane keeping system was much too sensitive. I would be riding at highway speeds and the car would pull suddenly to the right or left. This was an intermittent problem but when I took it in wanting an adjustment to the system to make it less sensitive, I was told that they were unable to address the system-not allowed to make any adjustments, which I found to be strange. I asked to speak to the service manager and waited to speak with him. The service advisor came back to me, gave me my keys and said it was now fixed. I asked what they did and was told that they disabled it and offered NO PAPERWORK. I reached out to Hyundai corporate and was told that they don't get involved with customer issues with their dealers. They told me to work it out with the dealership. Is that how safety issues are supposed to be handled?

NHTSA #11735543

WHILE DRIVING ON I-81 UP A STEEP GRADE, TRUCK SUFFERED A SUDDEN POWER LOSS, WITH SPEED DROPPING TO 35 MPH FROM 65 MPH. ATTEMPTS TO REGAIN SPEED FAILED AND IT FELT LIKE TRUCK DOWNSHIFTED TO A LOWER GEAR. 35 MPH CONTINUED UNTIL I DECIDED TO USE TRUCK CRUISE CONTROL TO ATTEMPT TO GAIN SPEED. I WAS WORRIED ABOUT TRACTOR TRAILERS HITTING ME DUE TO LOW SPEED. FINALLY GOT VEHICLE TO 65 MPH BUT WOULD NOT GO ABOVE 65 MPH. RODE THAT WAY FOR 100 MILES ( TRIP HOME WAS ~ 200 MILES) FINALLY IN LIGHTER TRAFFIC WHEN I HAD TO BRAKE, I TRIED TO USE GAS PEDAL TO MAINTAIN SPEED.AND IT WORKED. RODE THE LAST 100 MILES NORMALLY. I WAS AT GREAT RISK WHEN TRUCK WENT FROM 65 MPH TO 35 MPH. THIS IS THE SECOND INCIDENT VEHICLE SUFFERED IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS.. DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOISE PROBLEM. VEHICLE HAD NO WARNING LAMPS TO WARN ME IN BOTH INSTANCES.

NHTSA #11733735

Upon starting the vehicle is doesn't act normal and when placed In drive it feels like brakes are applied and it doesn't want to hardly move even when pressing the throttle all the way down. This has also happens a couple times when at a stop and have to pull over and turn the vehicle off and restart. My so. Drives this vehicle and I feel this is a huge safety concern if he is able to get the vehicle moving and can get to a safe spot to shutdown and restart.

NHTSA #11698674

The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while in the process of towing the vehicle on a tow dolly, the contact attempted to steer the steering wheel to verify that the steering wheel was locked, but the steering wheel was not locked and could be turned. The contact stated that the Owner's Manual stated that the steering wheel would lock while the vehicle was turned off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was confirmed that the steering wheel had failed to lock while the vehicle was turned off. The contact stated that the vehicle was purchased with the intention of towing the vehicle on a tow dolly as necessary, but the contact had stopped towing the vehicle to prevent an accident. The dealer contacted the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer informed the dealer that the vehicle was operating as designed and could not be towed on a tow dolly. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.

NHTSA #11681569

We purchased our 2024 Santa Cruz [XXX]. On [XXX] the Santa Cruz we purchased from Korum Hyundai Dealership died on the highway as my husband and I were heading to town through the mountains. We had to roll to the side of the road as the Santa Cruz just lost all power and would not accelerate, it just died and lost power. I thought it was a fluke. My husband was driving. I asked if he had hit a button or something, he said no. Turned the ignition to off and he restarted the Santa Cruz and it turned on. On Saturday, [XXX], driving on [XXX] , heading west from Glenoma, Washington to Morton, Washington driving approx 60 mph when the Santa Cruz lost all power again driving down the highway. It was a very dangerous situation! We have logging trucks and semi trucks up and down that highway going speeds of 60 mph and more! I lost all power and had to roll to the side of the road in the Santa Cruz. Some of that stretch of highway does not even have places to pull over and some of that highway has metal guard rails as well as drop off cliffs. EXTREMELY HAZORDOUS SITUATION to have the Santa Cruz simply lose all power going down the highway! On this date the Santa Cruz had 4522 miles on it. I looked at the dash panel to see if there were any warning lights and made a point to look at the mileage. There were no warning lights. Nor warning messages. April 3rd the 2024 Santa Cruz Night was dropped of at the Korum Hyundai Service Dept. The dealership has had the vehicle for 3 weeks and states they cannot replicate the problem. There are no warning lights. Since then I have been on Hyundai Forums and have multiple people tell me the exact same situation has happened to them. They ended up finding out it was the fuel injectors. The forums also stated that the dealership could not replicate the issue when take to service department for other owners. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA #11655846

I purchased the vehicle in September of 2025 I called and sent text message to Palmer Hyundai of Mobile to report an issue with forward Collision System (please note Photos and document would not attach so i sent an email to VSH@DOT.GOV. 02/08/2025. The issue was reported at the 1st oil change with Palmer Hyundai (8000 miles oil change) I have been dealing with this issue for a year, I wanted to provide Hyundai an opportunity to correct the front collision warning system it is still inoperable. 1.What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Front Collision System. Vehicle is available for inspection; YES 2.How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Reduced effectiveness of other safety features: Potential for serious injury or death 3.Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? YES, Palmer Hyundai of Mobile Ala and Hallmark Hyundai of Flowood Ms. 4.Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Technician from the dealerships 5.Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? September of 2025, I notified the Dealership there was an Issue.

NHTSA #11712334

The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop and then accelerating, there was an abnormal, creaking sound coming from the suspension. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the contact was informed that the failure was related to an aftermarket lift kit that was installed on the vehicle prior to the contact owning the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the dealer for weeks. The contact was provided a loaner vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 600.

NHTSA #11697647

On 2 separate occasions on the highway at 55+ miles per hour during daylight dry conditions summer temperature the following safety hazard occurred; A car approached the rear of my 2024 hyundai santa crux night 2.5L. while on the highway. The approaching car likely at 25’ and closing when the santa cruz engaged the Rear Collision Emergency Brake system. It engaged for only a few seconds, but there was a noticeable brake check event, a severe grinding noise and the red rear collision warning system flashed on the driver instrument panel. I am asking my dealer to check system codes and software when taken Dec. 9 at dean hyundai ballwin mo.

NHTSA #11627698

Driver 1 will be the Hyundai Santa Cruz traveling northbound on [XXX] at [XXX] . Driver 2 crossed [XXX] 1 directly in front of my vehicle causing extensive damage to the vehicle as well as injuries to the occupants. Vehicle 1 was [XXX] months old at the time. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED! All airbags of the #2 vehicle deployed, ALL. Driver 1, was driving 45 mph northbound and never had a chance to slow down, impact was to the right front quarter panel of vehicle 1 to the left rear quarter panel of vehicle 2. The impact sent vehicle 1, the HYUNDAI, onto two wheels and into center media of [XXX] 1. As it rolled over the Dodge caravans left rear tire. The Passenger in vehicle 1, struck the passenger door and the dashboard on the passenger side as well as hitting her knee on the under dash area. The driver was thrown across and struck the passenger occupant on the left side and continued into the passenger. The point of this report is that the airbags never deployed and I have discovered this is a pending lawsuit by several attorneys. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Allegedly reported: 2 injuries (as reported to NHTSA). NHTSA #11619944

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA #11630382

Another driver ran a red light and hit a vehicle in front of me, which spun and impacted the right front corner of my truck. Impact did not seem that severe, my air bags did not deploy but both front seat belts were locked up after the accident. My damage seemed just cosmetic, grill, bumper, hood and right front fender & headlight were damaged. At repair shop, they determined that the right front frame rail was damaged and the vehicle is totaled, almost $19,000 to repair which is above Geicos’ 75% limit. If the impact was enough to damage the frame rail, why didn’t the air bags deploy?? I do not have an electronic copy of police report or damage assessment, only paper copy.

Allegedly reported: 1 injury (as reported to NHTSA). NHTSA #11612964

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

NHTSA #11605552

My truck lost power climbing a pass. My speed dropped from 60 mph to 20 mph while on a state highway outside Yellowstone NP where traffic can be heavy. My error codes have indicated that it is a problem in the fuel injection system. I have had electrical harness on that system replaced 4 times in 6 weeks, 2 of the times took place at the dealership during repair. My truck is still not operable.

NHTSA #11613896

Our 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz SE had a loss of engine power while attempting to accelerate into traffic after stopping at an intersection four times since purchase in November 2023. The engine did not go above idle for approximately 15 seconds while the gas pedal was pressed half way down. The vehicle barely moved into the road and then gained power after what seemed to be the same as limp mode. No codes were set, no warning lights, no unusual noises or vibrations. Vehicle runs great at all other times. These vehicles were recalled in 2022 for a faulty transmission pump and software that caused this issue. Why does Hyundai still allow it for a 2024 model? Also, the backup camera stays on when driving forward now. We have the vehicle at the dealership awaiting their feedback

NHTSA #11584624

On [XXX] I was in Pennsylvania packing my car to make a trip back home to New Hampshire. I closed the tailgate and it fell off and hit the bumper which dented the tailgate. i was able to put it up on the truck. When I checked further I was able to put it back but stopped often on my 7 hour trip to make sure it was latched. I was never informed that this could happen and my sales person and customer service for Hyundai was not aware of this issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA #11583389

Brand new car, Front rotors had to be cut to stop a bad shaking of steering wheel and car. They only left 1/2 mm left of usable service life. New rotors are 30mm. Replacement is at 28mm. Service department left me with 28.5mm.

NHTSA #11581801

The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed at night and approaching either an incline or decline, the contact became aware that the headlamps failed to provide adequate top and bottom coverage of the roadway. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who adjusted the headlamps, tilting the headlights further upward. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the headlights were readjusted, but the headlights failed to provide adequate illumination. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 1,000.

NHTSA #11572157

The tire split on the sidewall from tread area to almost where it touches the metal rim it is mounted on.

NHTSA #11572804

The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated while at a complete stop at a traffic light, the check engine warning light, the immobilization system warning light, and other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact shifted into park(P) and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle failed to restart after several attempts. The contact stated exited the vehicle and locked and unlocked the doors several times. The contact stated that he pressed the Push to Start button and the vehicle started; however, the gear shifter had seized in park(P). The contact stated that he was able to shift into drive(D); however, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the dealer was closed. The contact attempted to drive the vehicle, and the vehicle responded as needed. The contact drove the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer the following day. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be diagnosed because the computer was not communicating with the diagnostic machine. The contact drove the vehicle back to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 220.

NHTSA #11565859

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.

NHTSA #11555969