2006 Hyundai Santa FE Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Santa FE years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 25th of 26 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 106 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Hyundai Santa FE. That ranks 25th out of 26 Santa FE model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (28 complaints, 26%), typically at around 80,000 miles. Complaints mention 11 crashes, 3 fires, 8 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
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- 106owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 11complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2006 Hyundai Santa FE 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 | 28 | 26% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 20 | 19% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 13 | 12% | 83,801 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 12 | 11% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 10 | 9% | 52,312 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 9 | 8% | 71,650 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 5% | 39,156 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 5% | 38,256 | — | — |
| Power Train | 5 | 5% | 83,801 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 5% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 5% | 9,750 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 4% | 47,364 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 3% | 126,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 3% | 11,137 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 3% | 27,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 2% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 2% | 129,885 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 2% | 28,770 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | 11,137 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | 71,200 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2006 Hyundai Santa FE recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension:front:springs:coil springs
Problem: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model Year 2001-2006 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured from March 31, 2000, through February 15, 2006, that are registered and operated, or which were originally sold and registered, in the following 20 Âsalt belt" states and the District of Columbia: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The affected vehicles may experience front coil spring corrosion from road salt, causing the coil spring to fracture and make contact with the tire.
Risk: If the front coil spring fractures due to corrosion it could cause the coil spring to make contact with the tire, possibly puncturing the tire and increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the coil spring, free of charge. The recall began on October 24, 2014. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 124.
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.
The contact owns a 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the exhaust muffler detached and fell off the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with…
I was driving my 2006 Subaru forester vin #[XXX] around 5 PM. I was waiting in an offramp lane to make a left turn, behind numerous cars. Suddenly, a car pulled up next to me and told me to pull over because my car was on fire. I pulled over to the shoulder and as I did so the car lost power. I…
The contact owns a 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the air bags warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but it was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the manufacturer stated the vehicle…
got in a roll over accident where the air bags did not deploy and caused serious injuries.
Gas tank rusted and started leak in June of 2000. Minor at first then worse. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, LUCKILY NEW CAUGHT FIRE OR EXPLODED. MANUFACTURER DID NOT NOTIFY US OF EXTENED WARRANTY,
Other Hyundai Santa FE years
← 2005 Santa FE · 2007 Santa FE →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Santa FE | 37 | 4 |
| 2025 Santa FE | 135 | 5 |
| 2024 Santa FE | 155 | 7 |
| 2023 Santa FE | 211 | 1 |
| 2022 Santa FE | 201 | 5 |
| 2021 Santa FE | 167 | 7 |
| 2020 Santa FE | 216 | 2 |
| 2019 Santa FE | 202 | 2 |
| 2018 Santa FE | 109 | 2 |
| 2017 Santa FE | 970 | 6 |
| 2016 Santa FE | 236 | 3 |
| 2015 Santa FE | 254 | 2 |
| 2014 Santa FE | 493 | 3 |
| 2013 Santa FE | 605 | 3 |
| 2012 Santa FE | 353 | 1 |
| 2011 Santa FE | 181 | 2 |
| 2010 Santa FE | 259 | 2 |
| 2009 Santa FE | 358 | 2 |
| 2008 Santa FE | 541 | 4 |
| 2007 Santa FE | 684 | 7 |
| 2006 | 106 | 1 |
| 2005 Santa FE | 216 | 3 |
| 2004 Santa FE | 303 | 3 |
| 2003 Santa FE | 308 | 4 |
| 2002 Santa FE | 165 | 4 |
| 2001 Santa FE | 209 | 4 |
See all Hyundai Santa FE 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 Santa FE?
Owners most often report air bags, vehicle speed control, suspension problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 28 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2006 Hyundai Santa FE?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2006 Hyundai Santa FE a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Santa FE model years, the 2006 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.