Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
22–23 mpgcombined; city 19–22, highway 25–27; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$14,120–$14,760U.S. average; Ohio $12,620–$13,190 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
Owners have filed 79 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Santa Cruz. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Power train
25
0
0
0
Engine
20
0
0
0
Electrical system
14
0
2
0
Unknown or other
10
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
6
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
6
1
0
0
Vehicle speed control
6
0
0
0
Service brakes
5
1
0
0
Exterior lighting
4
0
0
0
Trailer hitches
3
0
0
0
Air bags
2
1
0
1
Structure
2
0
1
0
6 more parts
Suspension
2
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
2
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
1
0
0
0
Lane departure
1
0
0
0
Seats
1
0
0
0
Tires
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2023 Santa Cruz over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Santa Fe, 2021-2023 Santa Fe HEV, 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-in HEV and Santa Cruz vehicles potentially equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Hyundai dealership. Water accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
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 recall number 22V-633.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Tucson and 2022-2023 Santa Cruz vehicles. The roof moldings may detach.
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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 50 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2023 Santa Cruz, the latest on Oct 7, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (13), power train (10), structure (6), visibility/wiper (5), engine and engine cooling (4).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2023 Santa Cruz.
EPA class: small sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 5 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Santa Cruz Front-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S8)
Regular Gasoline
22 / 26 / 23
Santa Cruz All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S8)
Regular Gasoline
21 / 25 / 23
Santa Cruz All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM-S8)
Regular Gasoline
19 / 27 / 22
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data