The Hyundai Santa Cruz is living its final days. With 2026 reportedly being its last model year, this compact pickup is about to join the long list of nameplates that couldn’t quite stick. But if you’re eyeing one on a dealer lot right now, the reliability picture is actually pretty interesting, and it varies wildly depending on which model year you’re looking at.
- 2026 will reportedly be the last year for this compact pickup, with Hyundai pulling the plug after a single generation.
- The 2024 model year is a turn for the better, jumping into the good reliability category and earning CR’s top small truck ranking.
- For 2023, the Santa Cruz climbs to “Great” at J.D. Power and stays at this level for the 2024 and 2025 model years.
Early Model Years Had Growing Pains
If you’ve followed Hyundai cars over the years, you know the brand has come a long way on the quality front. The Santa Cruz, though, had a rough start. Avoiding the first year of an all-new model is one of those bits of car-buying advice that often gets cited, and the 2022 Santa Cruz validates this wisdom with a below-average reliability rating from Consumer Reports.
CR raised red flags about the Santa Cruz’s transmission as a particularly bad trouble area, and owners also reported problems with the climate control system, but to a lesser extent. The transmission complaints are especially worth noting because the Santa Cruz uses a dual-clutch unit that some owners have found jerky at low speeds. The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz has been recalled 4 times by NHTSA.
The first couple of years (the Santa Cruz debuted for the 2022 model year) are more problematic, and the 2022 and 2023 editions had several recalls, including one for a faulty tow-hitch harness module that caused a fire hazard. CR’s data show that the 2023 Santa Cruz is a cut-and-paste copy of the 2022 model, with the addition of engine cooling issues.
The 2024 and 2025 Models Tell a Different Story
The 2024 model year is where the Santa Cruz really turned a corner. It jumped into the good reliability category, and CR ranked it the top small truck, ahead of the Maverick and Maverick Hybrid. CR flagged build quality and body hardware as trouble spots, but not to the extent of the problems in previous years.
For 2025, Santa Cruz reliability remains in the good range but drops closer to average, with the Maverick Hybrid earning the top reliability spot among this small-truck trio. According to Consumer Reports, the 2025 Santa Cruz is more reliable than other vehicles from the same model year.
The 2025 model year was recalled twice, both for serious issues: the first for side airbags that might not deploy, and the second for a gear lever that might shift out of park without applying pressure to the brake pedal. Those are worth checking on if you’re shopping used.
What J.D. Power Says About the Santa Cruz
J.D. Power adds a different perspective to Santa Cruz reliability than CR. While both operations use owner surveys, CR relies on data from the past 12 months across vehicles of varying ages. In contrast, J.D. Power measures problems at a fixed point in ownership, typically the first 3 years.
Under J.D. Power’s process, the Santa Cruz’s worst edition is from 2022, though this model year still earns an average “Quality and Reliability” rating. That’s a slightly more generous grade than what CR gave it. For 2023, the Santa Cruz climbs to “Great” and stays at this level for the 2024 and 2025 model years, with the 2026 similarly ranked.
J.D. Power’s midsize classification groups vehicles like the Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger with the Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick. For the 2022 model year, the Santa Cruz sat at the bottom of a field of nine pickups, but in more recent years, it has consistently ranked or tied for third among the group.
Why the Santa Cruz Is Being Discontinued
Even with improved reliability, the Santa Cruz couldn’t win the sales battle. The decision stems from weak sales and elevated inventory, with the Ford Maverick outselling its only direct competitor six-to-one in 2025. In its best year, 2023, Hyundai sold 36,675 Santa Cruz models. Last year, that figure dropped to 25,499 units. By comparison, Ford sold 155,051 Mavericks during the same period.
Dealers finished last year with nearly five months’ worth of unsold Santa Cruz models. That oversupply is actually good news for buyers, since you’ll likely find solid deals at dealerships eager to move remaining inventory.
The company has confirmed that it will replace the Santa Cruz with a larger, more traditional truck. Hyundai CEO José Muñoz confirmed that the automaker is developing a mid-size, body-on-frame pickup for the US market. Production is expected to begin in 2029, with an on-sale date targeted for 2030.
Is Now the Right Time to Grab a Santa Cruz?
If you want a compact truck that drives like an SUV and you don’t need a massive bed, the Santa Cruz still makes a lot of sense. Stick with a 2024 or newer model for the best reliability track record, and you’ll get a truck that Consumer Reports and J.D. Power both rate well. The Santa Cruz is also among the safest new pickups you can buy, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
With dealer lots carrying plenty of inventory, now might be the best time to negotiate a strong price on one. The Santa Cruz typically lasts between 150,000 and 200,000 miles or more with regular maintenance, so you won’t be stuck with something that falls apart because the nameplate is going away. A discontinued model with solid reliability scores and motivated sellers? That’s a combination worth paying attention to.
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Lucas Foster 
Ava Rodriguez