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2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz engine problems

20 complaints (25% of all complaints for this car).

owner complaints
20
of this car's complaints
25%
crashes
0
recalls
0

Which part fails

Owners did not name a specific part.

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Hyundai Santa Cruz engine problems in other years

2022202320242025

Specific symptoms reported on the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz engine

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Loss of power 12Check engine light 10

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

What 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Jul 10, 2026 · Engine · FL

driving/pulling on interstate speed only went to 20 miles per hour, no more. Pulled off and turned truck off, waited and restarted. all fine. No warning was given. Short time later engine light came on. Called and got appointment at dealers.

Filed Feb 22, 2026 · Engine · IA

oil leak the oil leak has be too the dealer twice for repair each time they said it was fixed it has now has happend again for the third time in less than 306 miles could cause engine failure at highway speed and engine lockup at such speed first time it was found by dealer after third oil change approx. 15000 miles second 12000 miles later and now 306 miles latter with this time the leak was larger to to the fact that it triggerd the low oil light first two times it told to me it was oil pan gasket and a small leak which at the time made sense it not show up on the dipstick i know this was da problem on other Hyundai santa cruz models in previous years0

Filed Sep 13, 2025 · Acceleration, Engine · MO

On [XXX], I went out to start my 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz (SC) to leave work to go home. It was difficult to start, however, it started. As I entered [XXX] , i was nearly rear ended by another car, because my SC lost all acceleration. I turned on my hazards for SAFETY and then began to try to accelerate again and was only able to get up to 45 MPH and then was turning 4,000 RPM. I limped my SC home where I had it towed to a local Hyundai dealer as it has roughly 38,000 miles. The dealership had it for 3 days, but couldn't duplicate the issue, so no repairs were done. The Hyundai Santa Cruz has KNOWN transmission issues and the fact I was nearly rear ended could've caused a nasty wreck, resulting in more damage or even a fatality. I reported the issue to Hyundai customer service on the 11th of September (Case #[XXX]). However, in the response from Hyundai, basically saying they "experiencing a high e-mail volume" and responses may be delayed. As of 9/13/2025, I have not received a call or email from Hyundai's customer service. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed May 7, 2025 · Engine · AR

Received error code P030300 and the third cylinder fuel injector had to be replaced. There is approximately 36000 miles on the vehicle.

Filed Apr 26, 2025 · Engine · TX

Oil filter cap oil leak problem. Typical problem with this vehicles that require attention. These defective oil leak caps are a safety and environmental concern. The engine almost starved of oil while driving on the highway. Manufacturer has been contacted and are not proactive in taking care of this defect.

Filed Feb 10, 2025 · Engine · NM

My coolant reservoir was so low that there was less than 8oz of coolant left in the tank. I contacted my local Hyundai dealership and had them service my Santa Cruz. The service techs at the dealership told me that there was a known issue with some of the factory coolant reservoir caps and the seal not working correctly, thus causing coolant to flow out through the cap instead of the overflow hose. They explained that the cap's o-ring at the factory is sometimes faulty. They replaced my cap and I am still monitoring for further issues. There is no TSB listed for this "known" issue. It seems that the dealership has not reported this issue.

Filed Dec 30, 2024 · Engine, Fuel system · NY

This is my 2nd complaint re: the same issue. Loss of power during driving. Unable to accelerate. I need to pull over shut off the engine and turn it back on.

Filed Oct 15, 2024 · Engine, Transmission · OH

On 3 separate occasions this has occurred . When accelerating, the engine or power train completely loses all propulsion. Twice I was starting a left hand turn and crossing oncoming traffic. On one occasion I was turning right onto a 50 MPH highway and quickly veered off the road onto the berm. The only item on dash board flashing on the third incident was the cruise control preset and it was flashing 20. At the time I was not using the cruise control and I did not set it for 20. No dash board warning lights lit during the first two losses of power. I reported it to the dealer. Today I had a maintenance appointment and inspection at the dealer. After that inspection, they informed me that they found no codes to identify the issue. I should let them know if it continues. My 3 failures happened at approximately 10,000, 15,000 and 20,000 miles. My safety and that of my passenger were most definitely affected each and every time. After 30 seconds to one minute the full functionality returns as if it never happened.

Filed Sep 26, 2024 · Engine, Fuel system · 13,803 miles · MO

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH with the cruise control engaged, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle slowed to approximately 15 MPH while depressing the accelerator pedal and failed to respond as needed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence. The contact turned off the vehicle and attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that a fuel injector had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 13,803.

Filed Aug 12, 2024 · Engine, Transmission · NC

Loss of power during driving No warning or warning lights vehicle would not accelerate engine speed increased only to 3k rpm’s but vehicle would not accelerate This could have been life threatening if I was in traffic Shut vehicle off and restarted problem when away From looking on forums this is an issue with the Santa Cruz

Questions about the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz engine

Does the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz have engine problems?

Owners have filed 20 complaints about the engine of the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz, 25% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz engine problems start?

Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.

Was there a recall on the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz engine?

There is no recall for this problem on this model year.

What year does the Hyundai Santa Cruz have bad engine?

The Hyundai Santa Cruz model years with the most engine complaints are 2022 (52 complaints) and 2023 (20 complaints).

Other 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz problems

Transmission 25Electrical 14Driver assistance 7Fuel system 7Acceleration 6Brakes 5Lights 4Airbags 2Body 2Suspension 2Visibility 2Seats 1Tires 1

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