Head-to-head reliability
Hyundai Santa CRUZ vs FORD F 150
How the Hyundai Santa CRUZ and FORD F 150 compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records
Hyundai Santa CRUZ vs FORD F 150: the Santa Cruz shows 323 complaints over 5 years (about 65 per year) and 13 recalls, while the F-150 shows 11,621 complaints over 10 years (about 1,162 per year) and 151 recalls. Reported faults differ: Santa Cruz owners cite stalling and warning lights, F-150 owners cite lead-frame and limp-mode transmission failures. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Hyundai Santa CRUZ or FORD F 150 more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Hyundai Santa CRUZ
The Hyundai Santa Cruz is a compact pickup that, in ownership terms, shows a modest but concentrated complaint pattern: about 65 complaints per year over five years, with most of them clustered in the power train and engine. Owners describe stalling or loss of power while driving, warning lights at a stop, and transmission hesitation when pulling away. The volume is low enough that many examples may be trouble-free, but the reported failures tend to be the kind that strand a driver rather than annoy them.
FORD F 150
The Ford F-150 is a full-size pickup with a very large complaint footprint: roughly 1,162 complaints per year over ten years, plus 151 recalls. The dominant themes are transmission and electrical faults, including a recurring lead-frame issue owners describe as unresolved for over a decade, limp mode and stuck gears, and a rear-window defroster short that owners say shattered the glass. With this many reports, the pattern reads as a widely used truck with several well-known, repeatable failure points rather than isolated flukes.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Hyundai Santa CRUZ | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 323 Better | 11,621 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 13 Better | 151 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 11 Better | 330 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 64.6 Better | 1162.1 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 9 Better | 297 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 0 Better | 1 |
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.
What actually goes wrong
The problems owners report
The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.
Hyundai Santa CRUZ
- 01POWER TRAIN128
- 02ENGINE78
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER52
- 04ELECTRICAL SYSTEM41
- 05FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM32
This is the most-reported area, with owners describing the truck hesitating or losing drive when accelerating from a stop, and warning lights (check engine, immobilizer) coming on at a traffic light. A loss of power while merging or exiting is the buyer-relevant risk.
Owners report the Santa Cruz dying on the highway, including while climbing through mountains, forcing them to coast to the shoulder. A sudden shutdown at speed is the concern, not gradual wear.
Complaints tie warning-light clusters and brake-related fault codes to electrical behavior, with owners noting dealers sometimes could not reproduce the fault. Intermittent faults are hard to diagnose and easy to inherit.
This catch-all includes the same highway-stall reports plus a driver-attention warning that owners say fires false 'Take a Break' alerts at random and distracts them. Annoying, but also a distraction concern.
“- Incident occurred on the interstate about a mile from the exit - Was in the right hand lane preparing to exit - Started raining very heavily, could barely see the lane lines - Continued to slow down coming to a momentary stop - When beginning to go again, e…”
“The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated while at a complete stop at a traffic light, the check engine warning light, the immobilization system warning light, and other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact depressed the accele…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,648
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,100
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,431
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,224
- 05ENGINE880
Owners describe a long-running lead-frame fault, transmissions dropping into limp mode and sticking in 5th gear, and output speed sensor failures. One owner said a near-collision prompted replacement; these are drivability failures, not cosmetic.
The lead-frame issue also appears here, alongside a rear-window defroster short that one owner says caused the back glass to shatter outward minutes after use. Electrical faults on this truck can affect both driving and the cabin.
Lighting is a top-four complaint category by volume, meaning owners report enough lighting faults that a buyer should expect to check lamps and related wiring rather than assume they are trouble-free.
Engine complaints rank fifth by volume, and engine is also a repeated recall subject. Combined with limp-mode reports, this points to powertrain control problems that can limit power rather than simply illuminate a light.
“This lead frame issue is never ending. Well over a decade without a proper remedy. I’m very familiar with it. but this one nearly ended my life. After the near collision I called my mechanic and bought a new ford lead frame from a dealership. It’s doing fine…”
“My 2017 Ford F-150 V8 with the 6-speed automatic transmission has been experiencing a serious and recurring transmission malfunction. The truck has consistently, almost on a daily basis, gone into limp mode and become stuck in 5th gear. It also frequently fai…”
Official recalls
Safety recalls on record
Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.
Hyundai Santa CRUZ — 13 recalls
The defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024 Tucson and Santa Cruz vehicles. The circuit board in the motor-driven power steering assembly may short circuit, resulting in a loss of power steering assist.
The risk: A loss of power steering assist can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the motor-driven power steering electric power pack, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 11, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall…
The defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson and Santa Cruz vehicles. The console extension wiring assembly may be routed improperly, allowing the transmission to be shifted out of Park without applying the brake pedal.
The risk: A transmission that can shift out of Park without applying the brake pedal can result in a vehicle roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Owners are advised to use the parking brake when parking the vehicle. Dealers will reroute the console extension wiring assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 17, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer…
The defect: 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…
The defect: 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. Vehi…
FORD F 150 — 151 recalls
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causin…
The risk: When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater and previously remedied under recall 18V894. During the previous repair, the block he…
The risk: A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the engine block heater from being used. When replacement cables become available, a second notice will be mailed and dealers will replace the engine block heater cord, free of charge. The…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford F-150 Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab vehicles. If a front seat belt pretensioner deploys as the result of a crash, the sparks may ignite materials such as carpeting or insulation within the B-pillar area.
The risk: A vehicle fire could result if materials ignite inside the vehicle.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the B-pillar insulation material and wiring harness tape, and install heat resistant tape, free of charge. The recall began September 28, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Ford F-150, and 2017 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty trucks. The doors on these vehicles may have a bent or kinked actuation cable or the door latches may freeze after water gets into the latch. Either condition can result in the do…
The risk: A door that opens while driving can increase the risk of injury.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the door latch actuation cables and repair if necessary, and install water shields over the door latches, free of charge. The recall began October 12, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer…
Buyer analysis
Hyundai Santa CRUZ or FORD F 150: which should you buy?
The Santa Cruz averages about 65 complaints per year versus roughly 1,162 for the F-150, so per year the Hyundai shows far fewer reports. In practice that means a Santa Cruz buyer is less likely to encounter a documented complaint pattern, while an F-150 buyer should expect to research specific known faults before buying. Neither figure proves a particular truck is problem-free.
Key differences
- Complaint volume per year is dramatically lower on the Santa Cruz (about 65) than the F-150 (about 1,162), a gap of roughly 18 times.
- The F-150 has 151 recalls over ten years versus 13 for the Santa Cruz over five, so recall paperwork matters more on the Ford.
- Santa Cruz reports center on stalling and warning-light clusters; F-150 reports center on lead-frame and transmission limp mode plus a defroster-related window shatter.
- The F-150 data includes 1 death and 297 injuries across ten years, while the Santa Cruz data shows 0 deaths and 9 injuries over five years; these are report counts, not proof of relative safety.
- Ask whether the truck has ever stalled or lost power while driving, and whether warning lights (check engine, immobilizer) have appeared at stops; get any stored fault codes read before buying.
- Test the driver-attention warning on a test drive and confirm it can be adjusted or disabled to your satisfaction, since owners report random false alerts.
- Ask for the lead-frame service history and confirm any open transmission or speed-sensor recalls were completed; a limp-mode or stuck-gear episode is a walk-away signal until diagnosed.
- Check the rear-window defroster for signs of overheating or repair, and inspect the back glass and surrounding trim, given owner reports of the window shattering after defroster use.
Before you buy
- Pull the full NHTSA recall list by VIN for the specific truck and confirm each recall was performed.
- Have a mechanic scan stored codes and road-test for transmission hesitation, limp mode, or stalling.
- On the F-150, specifically ask about lead-frame replacement and output speed sensor repairs.
- On the Santa Cruz, test acceleration from a stop and watch for warning-light clusters or power loss.
- Check exterior lighting and the rear defroster operation, then get any findings in writing before negotiating.
Year by year
Which model years to avoid
Complaints per model year for both vehicles — lower is better. The spikes are the years to scrutinize.
| Year | Hyundai Santa CRUZ | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 | 35 |
| 2025 | 19 | 345 |
| 2024 | 35 | 638 |
| 2023 | 79 | 1527 |
| 2022 | 185 | 3493 |
Check the actual car
Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.
Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific Hyundai Santa CRUZ or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Hyundai Santa CRUZ vs FORD F 150
- Hyundai Santa CRUZ total complaints
- 323
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,621
- Hyundai Santa CRUZ total recalls
- 13
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 151
- Hyundai Santa CRUZ avg complaints/year
- 64.6
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1162.1
- More reliable overall
- Hyundai Santa CRUZ
- Hyundai Santa CRUZ top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN