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Hyundai Santa CruzModel year report

2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz Problems

Complaints
186filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
25,000miles, 21 complaints with mileage
Recalls
4campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
23 mpgcombined, 2.5L 4-cyl FWD · 21 city / 26 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe transmission trouble: the truck refusing to upshift out of first gear, dropping into a low-speed limited-power mode, or losing drive entirely, frequently on a cold start or during a merge. Many say shutting the vehicle off and restarting restores normal operation, at least temporarily, which makes the problem hard for dealers to reproduce. A smaller group reports engine power loss and misfires, some traced in complaints to fuel injectors, and assorted electrical and driver-assist glitches.

  1. Transmission and drivetrain

    Sudden loss of drive or power while driving

    Mentioned in 16 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners describe the truck suddenly losing motive power at speed, the accelerator doing nothing, and in some cases a stop-vehicle message appearing. Some complaints state the dealer found the transmission needed replacement; others say no fault code was stored or the problem could not be duplicated. Several owners link their experience to recall 22V746000. Reported across a wide mileage range, from under 3,000 miles to over 60,000, usually at highway speeds.

    Recall 22V7460003 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask for the repair history, particularly any transmission replacement or recall work, and confirm the recall status by VIN before purchase.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My vehicle was affected by NHTSA Recall Number 22V746000. The dealer Stew Hansen Hyundai in Clive, IA refused to fix this vehicle under the recall. They tried to claim that my less than one year old vehicle was damaged by me and that's why it had the exact same symptoms of the recall. The vehicle spent more time in their shop than I was able to drive it. Hyundai Corporate was no help at all. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11566272, filed 2024-01

    “While driving the car today, we had no power above 2200 RPM. When we went to pull out from an intersection, the car just puttered into the intersection, forcing me to try to get the car off the road as much as possible to avoid being hit by oncoming traffic. Once I was able to get the car moving, we immediately took the car back home in hopes of getting this issue repaired prior to it being in an accident.”

    NHTSA complaint #11480061, filed 2022-08
  2. Transmission and drivetrain

    Transmission stuck in first gear / limited-power mode

    Mentioned in 10 of 60 sampled complaints

    Complaints describe the truck refusing to shift out of first gear, holding around 20-30 mph with the accelerator pressed, or dropping into a limited-mobility mode with a pull-over message. Several owners say there were no warning lights beforehand, and that cycling the ignition restores normal driving until it happens again. Dealers are variously described as unable to reproduce the condition, applying a software update, or diagnosing a transmission or oil pump fault. Reported from a few thousand miles upward, often shortly after a cold start or during acceleration onto a highway.

    Recall 22V7460004 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask the seller whether any transmission software updates or the 22V746000 recall remedy were performed, and whether the truck has ever gone into limited-power mode. A test drive should include a cold start and a highway on-ramp.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Merging onto interstate and experienced loss of power. Slowly accelerated to 50 mph with gas pedal to the floor could not exceed 50mph. No warning lights just sudden loss of power. I had to drive onto side of the road to avoid being hit from cars behind me on interstate. Pulled over and restarted vehicle and drove normally back home.”

    NHTSA complaint #11469628, filed 2022-06

    “While driving on the 405 fwy my vehicle would not accelerate pass 20 miles it was 11 pm so not many cars on the road , I had to drive with my hazard lights on 17 miles to get home , I am taking it to the dealer today. No warning lights , or messages came on during the whole ordeal”

    NHTSA complaint #11489958, filed 2022-10
  3. Engine

    Engine misfire and power loss, sometimes with fuel smell

    • 48 complaints (26%)
    • median 25,000 mi at 1.7 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2022–2026

    Complaints describe the engine shaking, sputtering, or misfiring under acceleration, with a strong gasoline smell near the engine in some cases. Some owners report that injectors were replaced, in one case more than once, and others describe the check engine light coming on with misfire codes. A few mention the engine stalling or seizing. Often reported between roughly 20,000 and 70,000 miles, sometimes after longer drives or in wet weather.

    Recall 22V1970004 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the fuel injectors have been serviced and whether any misfire codes are stored. Check the oil level and condition, and note any fuel odor around the engine bay.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While driving my vehicle on a two-lane highway, I experienced multiple sequential electronic system failures (including the vehicle no longer detecting the smart key), and all electronic systems on the car became inoperative. I lost all instrumentation, including my speedometer and tachometer. At the same time, I also experienced a loss of motive power, and the engine of the vehicle began running extremely erratically before completely cutting off. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11745435, filed 2026-06

    “1st incident occurred October 19 2022.while driving 45 mph all of sudden vehicle lost engine power, can not accelerate. vehicle would not restart. towed vehicle to hyundai dealership service center.vehicle was repaired on November 2 2022. 2nd incident occurred on November 17 2022. while driving on highway speed limit vehicle engine lost power. vehicle would not restart. towed vehicle back to same dealership service center.”

    NHTSA complaint #11494059, filed 2022-11
  4. Forward collision avoidance

    Forward collision braking engages unexpectedly or fails

    Mentioned in 6 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners report the automatic emergency braking activating with no obstacle present, and in one case not releasing after traffic moved on. Other complaints describe lane-keeping and forward collision warnings switching off, or the system refusing to work after a front license plate was installed. Dealers are described as unable to reproduce or correct the behavior in several accounts. Reported from very low mileage up to around 60,000 miles, at highway speeds as well as in traffic.

    What to check: On a test drive, verify that adaptive cruise, lane keeping, and forward collision warnings function and can be toggled in the settings menu. Ask whether any driver-assist repairs or camera recalibrations were performed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “All safety feature warning alerts (3) of them, since it will not allow me to check all that apply they are the following adaptive cruise control not working, blind spot warning not working, forward collison detection not working, lane departure warning not working, lane keeping assistance not working, parking collision warning not working rear cross traffic warning not working.”

    NHTSA complaint #11698061, filed 2025-11

    “constantly states it does not work ever since the front license plate was installed. no way to disable it. it's either have a front plate or have no cruise control.”

    NHTSA complaint #11498046, filed 2022-12

Buying note. This model year draws a large share of transmission and power-loss complaints, so a careful test drive from a cold start and a check of recall and software-update history by VIN matter more than usual here. Confirm the 22V746000 and 22V197000 remedies and any transmission control unit updates were completed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 186 consumer complaints for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. 21 of the complaints include a mileage, and 76% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 25,000 miles. Of all complaints, 6 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 6 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 67 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Lane departure (4), Back-over prevention (rear camera) (2), Brakes (2), Body and structure (2), Latches, locks and linkages (1), Seat belts (1), Steering (1), Suspension (1).

Example complaints

Transmission and drivetrain: “Vehicle suffered a loss of power while accelerating from a stop. Would not go faster than 30 MPH. Since I was entering a freeway I was lucky that the traffic was light. I was able to pull to the shoulder and after turning off the vehicle and restarting, it performed normally again. There were no warnings on the dash and I will be contacting the dealer ASAP.”

NHTSA complaint #11510102, filed 2023-03

Engine: “Leaving work my truck started shimmying like I had a flat. I realized I had no power when accelerating and my engine light came on. I wanted to make it home so chanced it in the interstate. Any acceleration under 2000 rpm my whole car shook and shuddered. It even shakes when idling before I shut it off. The dealer said they can’t even schedule it for service for weeks.”

NHTSA complaint #11559614, filed 2023-12

Other or unknown: “Several times, when sitting at a stop sign or red light, I will press on the gas’s to go forward. The engine revs, the rpm’s go very high but there is little forward exceleration. This one time almost caused an accident as a car almost hit me because I could not make the car move faster. I have had the truck for just over two months and has happened many times.”

NHTSA complaint #11460237, filed 2022-04

Electrical system: “My new car with less than 2000 miles stalled at a traffic light on Southlake Blvd. in Southlake, TX. It just died and would not start. All the electrical warning lights were flaring. Every time I tried to restart it, it would try, shudder, and die. I was lucky not to get run over on that busy street. It was towed to the dealership and has been there a month exactly. They cannot figure out what is wrong.”

NHTSA complaint #11488348, filed 2022-10

Mileage when problems were reported

76% of the 21 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 4,500 and 40,000 miles.

38%0–1010%10–2529%25–5019%50–750%75–1000%100–1505%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (21 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 25,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

2022802023202420252026
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Santa Cruz AWD2.5L 4-cyl8-speed automatic212723$2,900
Santa Cruz AWD2.5L 4-cyl8-speed automatic192722$3,050
Santa Cruz FWD2.5L 4-cyl8-speed automatic212623$2,900

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 67 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 67 bulletins →

Other model years of the Hyundai Santa Cruz

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2026553525—Too new
2025223,5223525—Too new
2024361,0001523Too new to compareToo new
2023795,5002523Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Too new
202218625,0004—23Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Stable

All Hyundai Santa Cruz model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz?

Owners of this model year most often describe transmission trouble: the truck refusing to upshift out of first gear, dropping into a low-speed limited-power mode, or losing drive entirely, frequently on a cold start or during a merge. The issues reported most often: Sudden loss of drive or power while driving; Transmission stuck in first gear / limited-power mode; Engine misfire and power loss, sometimes with fuel smell.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz have?

NHTSA recorded 186 consumer complaints for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz as of Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is reported most often?

Transmission and drivetrain is named most often, in 90 complaints (48% of the total), followed by engine with 51.

Has the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz been recalled?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz get?

The EPA rates the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz FWD, 2.5L 4-cyl) at 23 mpg combined, 21 city and 26 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,900 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz reported?

Among the 21 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 25,000 miles and the middle half falls between 4,500 and 40,000 miles; 76% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.