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Exterior lightingPart report

2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz Exterior lighting Problems

Complaints
9about this part
Share
5%of 186 total for the year
Median mileage
4,500miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 9 complaints about the exterior lighting of the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, 5% of the 186 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 4,500 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“Low beam lights shine very low and only light about 20’ ahead. On Arkansas curvy country roads, it is difficult to see what is on the road ahead. I have talked to dealer and was told nothing can be done to improve them. Mine are LED. This has been a problem since purchase in April. I avoid night driving because of this.”

NHTSA complaint #11487090, filed 2022-09

“Halogen headlights too dim, even on high beams. Called dealership and was told they couldn’t switch to a brighter bulb. Was also told I couldn’t convert to LED headlights without voiding warranty; that if I wanted LED headlights I should have “purchased a higher trim model”. I purchased the SEL with activity package trim and you would think an almost $40,000 vehicle would have better headlights than this.”

NHTSA complaint #11449050, filed 2022-01

“2022 Santa Cruz 764 miles. Washed vehicle April 1st with hose, water & soap bubbles in grill of DRL. I was told that its a lens cover & not the LED DRL, but it collects and holds water & soap. I can't clean in there. Field service engineer came out, deamed normal by Hyundai, grill & lens are not sealed. Unacceptable, water collecting by electrical component. Can't get behind lens cover to clean. Eventually im going to have a film in there, and DRL won't work as they should. …”

NHTSA complaint #11464351, filed 2022-05

“The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low beam headlights were not illuminating as needed. The driver used the high beam headlights while driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contact but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 4,500.”

NHTSA complaint #11496569, filed 2022-12, 4,500 miles

“The low beam headlight position creates a shadow shelf in the middle of the windshield making visibility poor while using only the low beams. This is made worse in inclement weather. This is a hazard as the illuminated area distance is drastically less than that of most other vehicles.”

NHTSA complaint #11462198, filed 2022-04

Related service bulletins

Exterior lighting: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2025418%
202413%
202345%
202295%

Other parts of the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz

Transmission and drivetrain
90 complaints
Engine
51 complaints
Other or unknown
38 complaints
Electrical system
22 complaints
Fuel system
22 complaints
Vehicle speed control
18 complaints
Forward collision avoidance
8 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
5 complaints
Air bags
4 complaints
Lane departure
4 complaints
Back-over prevention (rear camera)
2 complaints
Brakes
2 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Nov 1, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology