NHTSA // SAFETY RECORD
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz Safety Record
The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz has not been crash-tested by NHTSA, so it carries no Safety Index. Its federal safety record shows 4 recalls and 176 owner complaints on file.
Updated Oct 1, 2026 from NHTSA data · Reviewed by Ivanna Verstliar
CRASH
DATANot crash-tested
For the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, the most significant safety note is the absence of federal crash-test data; NHTSA has not evaluated this model year. Therefore, no star ratings are available, nor can a Safety Index score be computed. This lack of crash-test information coincides with a "Heavy" recall and complaint burden band, indicating a notable volume of safety-related issues reported to the agency. The model's recall record includes four separate campaigns. Of particular concern is one recall that necessitated an immediate park-outside or do-not-drive directive, a severe warning from safety regulators. Beyond these campaigns, NHTSA has received 176 unverified owner complaints. Given the absence of crash-test results, these recalls and complaints form the primary safety data for the 2022 Santa Cruz. Prospective owners must consider this information without the benefit of federal crash-performance ratings.
The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz was not crash-tested by NHTSA, carries a Heavy recall and complaint burden band, and was named in four NHTSA recall campaigns, according to NHTSA federal safety data.
MotorCaliber Safety Desk // NHTSA data, verified Oct 1, 2026
- shoppers who want the full federal safety picture in one place
| NHTSA crash test | Not crash-tested |
|---|---|
| Recall and complaint burden | Heavy |
| Recalls on file | 4 (includes park-outside) |
| Owner complaints | 176 (unverified allegations) |
| Data verified | Oct 1, 2026 |
ANALYSISHow safe is the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz?
The 2022 model year is the Santa Cruz's second model year in production, and its recall record reflects early-production concerns that reached across multiple vehicle systems. The park-outside trailer hitch recall is the most operationally disruptive of the four, requiring owners to avoid enclosed spaces until the remedy is applied. The turbocharger oil supply pipe recall raises an engine-integrity concern specific to turbocharged variants of this year. On the complaint side, 87 power-train reports and 48 engine reports together account for the largest share of the 176 total unverified allegations, reinforcing why NHTSA places this year in the Heavy burden band. That band is a volume signal, not a crash-safety grade. Shoppers who want crash-test context can reference tested sibling years: the 2023 Santa Cruz carries a Safety Index of 82, the 2024 carries 88, the 2025 carries 87, and the 2026 carries 85. Those scores apply only to their respective tested years and cannot be transferred to the 2022.
NHTSA // RECALLSDoes the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz have any recalls?
The 2022 Santa Cruz was named in four recall campaigns. One covered trailer hitches across a broad Hyundai lineup and carried a park-outside or do-not-drive directive. A second addressed roof moldings on 2022 Tucson and 2022 to 2023 Santa Cruz vehicles that may detach. A third covered the automatic transmission on a group of 2021 to 2022 Hyundai models including the Santa Cruz. A fourth targeted the turbocharger oil supply pipe on 2022 Santa Fe and Santa Cruz vehicles, citing a risk of cracking. All four campaigns are documented in NHTSA records.
TRAILER HITCHES23V181000
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is completed. Dealers will install a new fuse and wire extension kit as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed starting May 16, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 244. This recall is an expansion of previous rec
Reported 2023-03-17
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS23V038000
Risk: A detached roof molding could become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace, or secure the roof moldings, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 30, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 241.
Reported 2023-01-31
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION22V746000
Risk: Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission, as necessary. Dealers will also update the transmission control unit software. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 10, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 236.
Reported 2022-10-06
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER22V197000
Risk: An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the turbocharger oil supply pipe, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall 222.
Reported 2022-03-28
NHTSA // COMPLAINTSWhat do owners report about the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz?
NHTSA received 176 unverified owner complaints for the 2022 Santa Cruz. The most frequently alleged problem areas are the power train, cited in 87 reports, and the engine, cited in 48. Additional alleged issues span an unknown or other category at 34 reports, the electrical system at 21, the fuel and propulsion system at 19, and vehicle speed control at 17. These are unverified consumer allegations, not established findings.
176 owner complaints on file. These are unverified allegations reported to NHTSA.
USED BUYERWhat should used buyers know about the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz?
Four recall campaigns have been issued for the 2022 Santa Cruz. Any prospective buyer of a used unit should confirm the completion status of these recalls for the specific vehicle through NHTSA's VIN lookup tool. Recall repairs are not universally applied across all units of a model year, making individual verification essential.
- The 2022 Santa Cruz has no NHTSA crash-test score and no star ratings; NHTSA did not test this model year, so no Safety Index exists for it.
- One of the four recalls for this model year carried a park-outside or do-not-drive directive tied to a trailer hitch concern spanning multiple Hyundai models; owners should verify via VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov whether this remedy has been completed.
- A separate 2022-specific recall addressed a risk of cracking in the turbocharger oil supply pipe on Santa Cruz and Santa Fe turbocharged variants, making turbo-equipped units of this year worth a targeted recall-status check.
- NHTSA received 176 unverified complaints for this model year, with power-train and engine categories together accounting for 135 of those reports, the concentration that anchors the Heavy burden band designation.
RANKINGSWhere the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz places
The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz qualifies for these MotorCaliber safety rankings:
FAQ2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz safety questions
Was the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz crash-tested by NHTSA?
No. NHTSA has not run a New Car Assessment Program crash test on this configuration, so it carries no Safety Index. Its safety record here is built from 4 recalls and 176 owner complaints on file.
How many recalls does the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz have?
According to NHTSA recall data, 4 vehicle recalls are on file for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, including a park-outside or do-not-drive campaign, which is the most serious class of recall. Confirm your VIN at nhtsa.gov to see which apply to your car.
How many complaints have owners filed about the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz?
According to NHTSA's complaint database, 176 owner complaints are on file for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. These are unverified allegations submitted by owners, not confirmed defects, and include reports involving a crash or a fire.
Cross-check this record against independent expert reviews and the live NHTSA database before you buy.
- DATA Pulled directly from NHTSA: the recallsByVehicle and complaintsByVehicle records for the Hyundai Santa Cruz 2022.
- SCORE This configuration was not crash-tested by NHTSA, so it carries no Safety Index. We report its recall and complaint record only.
- EDITED Written by the MotorCaliber Safety Desk and reviewed for accuracy and plain-language clarity by Ivanna Verstliar, Editor, against the source figures on this page.
- VERIFIED Data last synced Oct 1, 2026. Recalls change; confirm your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. See our corrections policy and disclosure.