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KLUNK
KLUNK

2023 Hyundai Santa cruz

The Verdict

80 Smooth Ride

The 2023 Hyundai Santa cruz has 74 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are engine (23 complaints) and transmission (18 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 80/100, it earns a "Smooth Ride" rating. If you're shopping for a Hyundai Santa cruz, consider the 2025 model year which has 77% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2025 has 77% fewer complaints

View the 2025 Hyundai Santa cruz dashboard →

80

Klunk Score: Smooth Ride

This vehicle year has significantly fewer complaints than average. A reliable choice.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

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Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
2022362225957
2023174122318
2024132397
202592510

By Category

Engine
23
Transmission
18
Body
17
Electrical
12
Brakes
4

By Severity

1
31
2
38
4
5

Worst Problems

Complaints

Engine 4

Sudden Unintended Acceleration: Coming to a stop in a driveway and planning to put vehicle in to reverse, the Santa Cruz suddenly accelerated and kept accelerating ... it would not stop moving, brakes were applied continuously and forcefully, but with no effect. Vehicle crashed through shrubbery and small trees into neighbor's yard, over a retaining wall and finally crashing into neighbors parked classic car, only stopping after it nose-dived downward. We live in Rapid City, this event happened at our daughter's residence in Black Hawk, South Dakota.

2mo ago
Engine 2

oil leak the oil leak has be too the dealer twice for repair each time they said it was fixed it has now has happend again for the third time in less than 306 miles could cause engine failure at highway speed and engine lockup at such speed first time it was found by dealer after third oil change approx. 15000 miles second 12000 miles later and now 306 miles latter with this time the leak was larger to to the fact that it triggerd the low oil light first two times it told to me it was oil pan gasket and a small leak which at the time made sense it not show up on the dipstick i know this was da problem on other Hyundai santa cruz models in previous years0

4mo ago
Electrical 2

At least two separate wiring harnesses have failed on my vehicle, affecting the tail lights. My vehicle cannot pass New York State safety inspection because of this issue. Safety of myself and other drivers is at risk, especially at night, since my vehicle is not properly illuminated. Occasionally, one tail light will go out or flicker. I had one trailer harness removed under a safety recall, but I don't recall the dealership ever replacing it. Then, a couple of years later, I got a ticket for a tail light being out. Paid the dealership to replace a (possibly second) trailer wiring harness, but they got the wrong one. When they finally got the "right" one, another (possible 3rd), much more expensive harness was found to be shorted due to corrosion, prompting me to look into trading the vehicle in instead of repairing it. All harness issues in question are related to corrosion from water infiltration. The technician working on my vehicle told me that this is a common issue with Santa Cruzes and Tucson's, but only certain vehicles have been recalled (of course, mine was not on the list). My vehicle is only 3 years old. This is all after having the dealership replace a harness under the seat that was causing an issue with the audio, including safety notifications, that started within weeks of owning the vehicle. No warning lights, messages faults, or other symptoms indicated there was an issue. Self diagnostics, as accessed via Hyundai's BlueLink app, has no record of issues since the first wiring harness issues I had when I first bought the vehicle (see below). I have already filed a separate complaint regarding the harness under the seat. This is a new complaint regarding wiring harnesses, unrelated to the first underseat harness complaint.

5mo ago
Body 2

While driving on the highway at a speed of approx 35 mph, no traffic in front of me, I got an audile warning and the car started slowing down, and the message on the dash said EMERGENCY BRAKING, this has happened twice in the last month.

8mo ago
Body 2

Transmission does not advance through its ranges fails to shift leaving stranded middle of intersection. Misses a whole range looses excelleration. You

9mo ago
Transmission 1

Hyundai Santa Cruz with transmission problems. 5 attempts to repair and manufacture failed to. Last time, vehicle had a sudden transmission failure while driving. Car stop responding to acceleration and transmission was not switching gears, that could had cause loss of control, especially in high-speed or high-traffic situations. Luckily it was very early in the morning, not much traffic and before (0.3 miles) from taking a high-speed interstate. Vehicle is not safe to drive and according to a research I made, other vehicles of same brand, model and year are facing same issues.

9mo ago
Body 2

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while hauling a trailer and attempting to accelerate at various speeds, the vehicle was bouncing, and the tires was losing traction before being able to accelerate. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to raise and lower as the shock absorbers needed to perform. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the rear shocks had failed to allow the vehicle to self-level. The rear shocks were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact reported the persistence of the failure and was advised to go to another dealer, Greg Hubler Hyundai (6200 W Hometown Blvd, Muncie, IN 47304) who also replaced the rear struts. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000.

9mo ago
Body 4

The contact owned a 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while exiting the vehicle to go into a store, he looked back and noticed the vehicle was on fire. No warning lights illuminated. The contact mentioned he noticed the fire was coming from the rear driver's side quarter panel. The contact called 911. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. A police report was not filed. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was taken to a savage yard, and the insurance will then have the vehicle towed to a body shop. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and they informed the contact that they would inspect the vehicle, and they also offered to buy back the vehicle. Recently, he got an email informing him that they are not going to buy back the vehicle. The failure mileage was 18,000.

10mo ago
Engine 2

On [XXX], I went out to start my 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz (SC) to leave work to go home. It was difficult to start, however, it started. As I entered [XXX] , i was nearly rear ended by another car, because my SC lost all acceleration. I turned on my hazards for SAFETY and then began to try to accelerate again and was only able to get up to 45 MPH and then was turning 4,000 RPM. I limped my SC home where I had it towed to a local Hyundai dealer as it has roughly 38,000 miles. The dealership had it for 3 days, but couldn't duplicate the issue, so no repairs were done. The Hyundai Santa Cruz has KNOWN transmission issues and the fact I was nearly rear ended could've caused a nasty wreck, resulting in more damage or even a fatality. I reported the issue to Hyundai customer service on the 11th of September (Case #[XXX]). However, in the response from Hyundai, basically saying they "experiencing a high e-mail volume" and responses may be delayed. As of 9/13/2025, I have not received a call or email from Hyundai's customer service. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

10mo ago
Transmission 1

car flashes transmission low fluid and gives a code of p193b-79. when trans downshifts upshifts will not happened. to clear the problem you have to turn car off and on , and then normal operation resumes, but shifting is now slower. and sluggish. this is the second transmission to have this problem. Seem hyundai has not fixed it from the 2022 recall.

10mo ago
Electrical 2

1- Air bag light randomly comes on and off. 2- Today (5.20.25) I brought it to dealer. Dealer said they disconnected the sensor switch and cleaned it, then reconnected and light went off (covered under warranty). 3- I got in the truck, started it, and light was off. 4- I drove one block and airbag light came on again. 5- Returned to dealer, who asked me to leave the car with them. 6- Dealer called and said they will replace air bag (did not specify which one). I hope this solves the problem. 7- I checked a Santa Cruz forum: [XXX] and it looks like A LOT of people have the same problem. Some report it's the sensor assembly underneath the seat. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

14mo ago
Engine 2

Received error code P030300 and the third cylinder fuel injector had to be replaced. There is approximately 36000 miles on the vehicle.

14mo ago
Engine 1

Oil filter cap oil leak problem. Typical problem with this vehicles that require attention. These defective oil leak caps are a safety and environmental concern. The engine almost starved of oil while driving on the highway. Manufacturer has been contacted and are not proactive in taking care of this defect.

14mo ago
Electrical 4

The system that failed was electrical near or in the Tow Hitch which caused the vehicle fire. Vehicle is available for inspection at Auto Body Evolution Essex MD. The car caught fire in the back of the vehicle while parked in Owner's driveway and engine off. Neighbor pounded on Owner's door at 6:50 am. yelling for the residents to open the door that their vehicle was on fire in their driveway. Fire was dangerously close to the gas cap; parked vehicle was close to the owner's house, two boats in the driveway, and neighbor's house. After the incident, owner googled for any issues with Santa Cruz's. It was then and only then we learned that this vehicle had a fire recall on the Tow Hitch. We NEVER received a recall notice. In fact, we had this vehicle at the dealership approximately 6 weeks ago for another recall issue, thermostat, and the dealership NEVER checked for any additional recalls. Police and Fire Department were called to the scene by using 911. Officer Irwin who arrived on scene, Badge #6560, Police Report #[XXX], had to use his bully stick to bust the window to use a fire extinguisher before the fire department arrived. The car would not unlock and the windows would not operate. If we had been in the vehicle when the fire erupted or any other passengers in the vehicle, we would not have been able to get out of the car due to the electrical fire effecting the operation of the window and doors if the doors were locked. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

15mo ago
Brakes 2

The emergency brake system comes on while driving 60 - 70 miles an hour on freeway. It has happened twice. It does not happen every time I drive 60 - 70. The light comes on stating Emergency Braking and my vehicle slows down. It does not last for very long then goes away. I took it to the dealership and it did not do it for them. They kept it 3 days.

16mo ago
Engine 1

My coolant reservoir was so low that there was less than 8oz of coolant left in the tank. I contacted my local Hyundai dealership and had them service my Santa Cruz. The service techs at the dealership told me that there was a known issue with some of the factory coolant reservoir caps and the seal not working correctly, thus causing coolant to flow out through the cap instead of the overflow hose. They explained that the cap's o-ring at the factory is sometimes faulty. They replaced my cap and I am still monitoring for further issues. There is no TSB listed for this "known" issue. It seems that the dealership has not reported this issue.

17mo ago
Transmission 2

Vehice experienced FULL power loss several times. Truck taken to dealership and stated no problem found. Incident happened again a week later. Determined wires can become lose from battery terminals for no reason.

17mo ago
Engine 1

Lower Average Fuel Consumption than advertised. 10mpg

18mo ago
Transmission 1

I am experiencing shuddering when accelerating from stop.

18mo ago
Brakes 2

Electric parking brake, driving at 70mph on freeway and Electric parking brake engaged. Almost lost control of vehicle and crashed. Stopped vehicle and turned ignition off let sit for 3 minutes and restarted. Problem cleared able to drive home with out issues. Called dealership to get vehicle in for service. Days later electric parking brake engaged again well driving at speed of 25mph. Again almost crashed. Dealership stated that problem with electric parking brake cables. Dealership replacing cables and rear brake calipers but going to take over a month to get replacement warranty parts from Hyundai

18mo ago

74 total

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