2006 Hyundai Elantra Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Elantra years
- Fewer complaints than other years 20th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 155 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Hyundai Elantra. That ranks 20th out of 32 Elantra model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (56 complaints, 36%), typically at around 68,000 miles. Complaints mention 28 crashes, 23 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
- 155owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 28complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2006 Hyundai Elantra problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 56 | 36% | 68,000 | “air bag” (61%) | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 38 | 25% | 86,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 23 | 15% | 95,444 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 16 | 10% | 91,682 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 7% | 45,550 | — | — |
| Power Train | 8 | 5% | 39,775 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 5% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 8 | 5% | 82,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 7 | 5% | 37,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 5 | 3% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 3% | 60,867 | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 2% | 32,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 1% | 80,540 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 1% | 31,800 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 1% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 1% | 95,300 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | 42,900 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 1% | 114,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | 5,768 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 1% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 1% | 82,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2006 Hyundai Elantra recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting
Problem: Hyundai is recalling 3,011 model year 2005-2007 elantra, tucson, sonata, azera and accent vehicles. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to fail to illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause the brake lights to remain illuminated when the brake pedal is released. A defective stop lamp switch may also affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature so the transmission would not be able to be shift out of the "park" position. It may also cause the electronic stability control (esc) malfunction light to illuminate, and it may not deactivate the cruise control when the brake pedal is depressed.
Risk: Any of these malfunctions could lead to a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the stop lamp switch free of charge. The recall began on september 2, 2009. Owners may contact hyundai of puerto rico customer service at 1-787-999-4310.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My son was driving our 2006 Hyundai Elantra and crashed into the end of a guardrail. The air bag did not deploy. The car was declared a total loss by the insurance company. I am concerned that the airbag did not deploy with the severity of the crash. I have uploaded three pictures of the car and…
Went for an inspection and was told my front sub frame was rusted and rotted. They told me it was under recall, but upon further research i found there have been recalls on this same part for other years of this car but apparantly the 2006 was not included, even though i have the same issues, and…
Extensive rust on the lower engine subframe crossmember: the subframe has rotted loose and the front suspension control arms rattle the subframe from where they are attached. This elantra was purchased new and only has 44000 miles. The control arms will tear away from the loose subframe and cause a…
I noticed that my airbag light stays on near my dashboard where are the speedometer is and when i have passengers in my car the passenger airbag light is off i don't believe my sensors work for my airbags
My brake lights are stuck on but my fuses are not blown.
Other Hyundai Elantra years
← 2005 Elantra · 2007 Elantra →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Elantra | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 Elantra | 22 | 0 |
| 2024 Elantra | 54 | 1 |
| 2023 Elantra | 99 | 2 |
| 2022 Elantra | 102 | 5 |
| 2021 Elantra | 132 | 6 |
| 2020 Elantra | 254 | 3 |
| 2019 Elantra | 251 | 1 |
| 2018 Elantra | 283 | 0 |
| 2017 Elantra | 768 | 4 |
| 2016 Elantra | 293 | 2 |
| 2015 Elantra | 262 | 3 |
| 2014 Elantra | 386 | 2 |
| 2013 Elantra | 1,314 | 4 |
| 2012 Elantra | 653 | 4 |
| 2011 Elantra | 433 | 5 |
| 2010 Elantra | 380 | 3 |
| 2009 Elantra | 254 | 4 |
| 2008 Elantra | 314 | 7 |
| 2007 Elantra | 267 | 6 |
| 2006 | 155 | 1 |
| 2005 Elantra | 137 | 4 |
| 2004 Elantra | 182 | 5 |
| 2003 Elantra | 234 | 5 |
| 2002 Elantra | 342 | 6 |
| 2001 Elantra | 315 | 6 |
| 2000 Elantra | 197 | 1 |
| 1999 Elantra | 128 | 2 |
| 1998 Elantra | 55 | 0 |
| 1997 Elantra | 115 | 3 |
| 1996 Elantra | 100 | 3 |
| 1995 Elantra | 112 | 1 |
See all Hyundai Elantra problems by year, every Hyundai model, or the Hyundai VIN decoder.
Similar Hyundai models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Hyundai Elantra?
Owners most often report air bags, exterior lighting, service brakes problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 56 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2006 Hyundai Elantra?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2006 Hyundai Elantra a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Elantra model years, the 2006 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.