Ford Maverick vs Hyundai Santa Cruz
Head-to-head reliability comparison from 843real NHTSA consumer complaints. Year-by-year breakdown, shared problems, crash & fire rates.
Which is more reliable, Ford Maverick or Hyundai Santa Cruz?
Verdict from 843 NHTSA complaints
Ford Maverick wins this comparison overall. Ford Maverick comes out ahead on 2 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 18983% lower complaint rate. The Hyundai Santa Cruz edges ahead on crash-involvement rate and fire-involvement rate. Both models share the same most-reported issue: transmission / drivetrain.
Head-to-Head Metrics
Lower is better on every metric. Bar length = relative magnitude. ✓ = winner.
Ford Maverick wins by 18983%
Hyundai Santa Cruz wins by 160%
Hyundai Santa Cruz wins by 11%
Ford Maverick wins by 342091%
NHTSA Crash Test Ratings
Official NCAP star ratings — government crash test data. Most recent rated model year.
Ford Maverick
2024 model yearHyundai Santa Cruz
2025 model yearSource: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Lower star = higher injury risk in that crash type.
Complaint Volume — Year by Year
Sales-volume data not available for both models — showing raw complaint counts. Higher-volume models will appear higher even when reliability is comparable.
Most Reported Problems
Top component complaints for each model. Identical bar lengths = both have the same recurring issue.
Year-by-Year Head-to-Head
Lower is better. Click either model column to see that year's full breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ford Maverick vs Hyundai Santa Cruz — the most common buyer questions, answered from NHTSA data.
Which is more reliable, the Ford Maverick or the Hyundai Santa Cruz?
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Ford Maverick wins this comparison overall. Ford Maverick comes out ahead on 2 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 18983% lower complaint rate. The Hyundai Santa Cruz edges ahead on crash-involvement rate and fire-involvement rate. Both models share the same most-reported issue: transmission / drivetrain. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation via VinItel.
Should I buy a Ford Maverick or a Hyundai Santa Cruz?
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On reliability data alone, the Ford Maverick is the safer bet — but the actual condition of the specific car matters far more than the model average. Check the VIN of any vehicle you're considering for accident history, title issues, and odometer rollbacks.
What problems do the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz share?
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Top complaints for the Ford Maverick: Transmission / Drivetrain, Electrical Faults, Engine Problems. Top complaints for the Hyundai Santa Cruz: Transmission / Drivetrain, Engine Problems, Electrical Faults. Both models share transmission / drivetrain as their top reported issue. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
Which has fewer NHTSA complaints, the Ford Maverick or the Hyundai Santa Cruz?
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Across all model years, the Ford Maverick has 410 NHTSA complaints and the Hyundai Santa Cruz has 433. Normalized for sales volume (complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold), the Ford Maverick has the lower complaint rate. Raw counts can mislead — a 2× more popular model will naturally collect 2× more complaints. Detailed normalized comparison: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/compare/ford/maverick/vs/hyundai/santa-cruz
Which is safer in a crash, the Ford Maverick or the Hyundai Santa Cruz?
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Crash-involvement rate from NHTSA complaints: Ford Maverick 7.8% vs Hyundai Santa Cruz 3.0% — the Hyundai Santa Cruz has the lower crash rate. NHTSA NCAP star ratings (frontal, side, rollover) for both models are also shown on the comparison page. Note: the per-VIN history matters more than the model average — a salvage-title car of any model carries higher crash exposure than the median.
Does the Ford Maverick or the Hyundai Santa Cruz have more fires?
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Fire-involvement rate based on NHTSA complaints: Ford Maverick 1.00% vs Hyundai Santa Cruz 0.90%. The Hyundai Santa Cruz has the lower reported fire rate. Fire complaints are a relatively rare but important safety signal — they often correlate with electrical-system or fuel-system defects. Check specific recall campaigns at vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/ford/maverick and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/hyundai/santa-cruz
What years of the Ford Maverick are worse than the Hyundai Santa Cruz?
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The comparison page renders a year-by-year head-to-head table — for each model year (where both models have data), it shows complaint count or per-10K rate side by side and marks which model fares better that year. Buyers cross-shopping a specific model year should always check the year-level VinItel pages: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/ford/maverick/{year} and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/hyundai/santa-cruz/{year}.
Where does this Ford Maverick vs Hyundai Santa Cruz comparison data come from?
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All complaint, crash, fire, and fatality data comes from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) consumer-complaint database — the same source insurance regulators and the federal government use. NCAP star ratings come from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. Sales-volume normalization (per 10K sold) uses US annual vehicle sales. Data refreshes every 6 hours. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
Related Reliability Comparisons
Other head-to-head matchups buyers cross-shopping the Maverick or Santa Cruz also look at:
Comparison data refreshed 2026-05-04 from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.·Source: NHTSA ODI
A model average can't see the car you're buying.
Even the Ford Maverick has cars with hidden accidents, salvage titles, and odometer rollbacks. Check the VIN before you buy — full report $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Deep-dive into either model: