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Hyundai is recalling 421,078 vehicles for a software issue that may cause the forward collision avoidance system to activate prematurely and hit the brakes when you aren’t expecting it.
The recall covers 2025–26 versions of the Hyundai Santa Cruz, Tucson, Tucson Hybrid, and Tucson Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. The software issue is in the front cameras, specifically. Per the recall issued by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it’s estimated that 1% of the affected vehicles will suffer from this issue.
Hyundai
Still, if you’re cruising along in one of these vehicles and suddenly the crossover decides it’s time to clamp the stoppers when you aren’t in any way expecting it, that’s cause for alarm. And if the vehicle following you isn’t equipped with a similar system, that increases the risk that you’d get rear-ended. Nobody wants that situation if they can help it.
The Santa Cruz and Tucson models ride on the same underlying platform, internally dubbed Hyundai-Kia N3, so it makes sense that these are the vehicles included in the recall. Per the NHTSA recall documents, dealers will update the front camera software free of charge for affected vehicles.
Chris Stark
When we drove a Santa Cruz in the fall of last year, we came away impressed by its well-roundedness. It’s a decent competitor to the Ford Maverick, and both trucklets are plenty honest about their intended use cases. The Santa Cruz can tow up to 5000 lbs in the proper configuration (you need the 2.4-liter turbo four and all-wheel-drive, which are offered on the higher SEL Activity, XRT, and Limited trims).
Earlier this year, Automotive News reported that Hyundai was considering pulling the plug on the Santa Cruz entirely, thanks at least in part to the model’s inability to compete with the Maverick, which is far and away the most popular trucklet in the space. However, a Hyundai spokesperson wouldn’t confirm or deny the reports when we reached out for comment. As of this writing, the Santa Cruz remains part of Hyundai’s plan going forward, although its future remains unclear.