Things to consider when insuring one
5-star overall crash rating
NHTSA’s top crash rating. Crash protection affects injury claims, which make up a large share of what auto insurance pays out.
3 recalls
- NHTSA 26V316000 · May 19, 2026
forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Tucson, Tucson Hybrid, and Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) vehicles. Software in the front cameras may cause the forward collision avoidance system to activate prematurely and unexpectedly apply the brakes.
- The risk
- Unexpected braking increases the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Dealers will update the front camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 17, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 302. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 20, 2026.
- NHTSA 26V047000 · Jan 27, 2026
electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson Hybrid, Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 IONIQ 5, Santa Cruz, Kona, Palisade, Palisade Hybrid, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, Sonata, Sonata Hybrid, and Tucson vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays."
- The risk
- An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 24, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai's customer service at 855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 293. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 28, 2026.
- NHTSA 25V809000 · Nov 21, 2025
air bags: side/window: curtain
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson, 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2026 Genesis GV70 vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not have been installed properly, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.
- The risk
- Side curtain air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.
- The fix
- Dealers will reinstall the side curtain air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning December 29, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 289 and 029G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 22, 2025.
Crash test ratings
2026 HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ PU/CC N/A FWD
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Rollover risk in a single-vehicle crash: 16%
2026 HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ PU/CC N/A AWD
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Rollover risk in a single-vehicle crash: 16%
What owners report
5 complaints to NHTSA.
- Lane departure2
- Power train2
- Steering1
- Vehicle speed control1
- Visibility/wiper1
Insuring a 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz?
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Other 2026 Hyundai models
Recalls, crash ratings and owner complaints are from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), last checked Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are owners’ reports and aren’t verified by NHTSA. This page is general information, not advice about a specific vehicle or policy.