2006 Hyundai Sonata Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sonata years
- Far more complaints than other years 5th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 9 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 1,047 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Hyundai Sonata. That ranks 5th out of 32 Sonata model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (435 complaints, 42%), typically at around 70,000 miles. Complaints mention 43 crashes, 9 fires, 38 injuries. There are 9 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 5 defect investigations involving it.
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- 1,047owner complaints
- 9safety recalls
- 5NHTSA investigations
- 43complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2006 Hyundai Sonata 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 | 435 | 42% | 70,000 | “air bag” (64%) | $1,500 |
| Visibility problems | 156 | 15% | 63,000 | “sun visor” (51%) | $150 |
| Seat Belts problems | 102 | 10% | 77,000 | “seat belt” (69%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 86 | 8% | 78,000 | “passenger seat” (10%) | — |
| Suspension problems | 86 | 8% | 112,000 | “control arm” (26%) | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) problems | 57 | 5% | 94,982 | “esc off” (32%) | — |
| Service Brakes problems | 51 | 5% | 89,400 | “abs esc” (14%) | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 45 | 4% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 44 | 4% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 44 | 4% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 39 | 4% | 107,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 35 | 3% | 96,630 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 33 | 3% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 30 | 3% | 41,170 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 30 | 3% | 106,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 30 | 3% | 81,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 22 | 2% | 76,860 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 13 | 1% | 48,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 13 | 1% | 87,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 11 | 1% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 10 | 1% | 126,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 9 | 1% | 90,600 | — | — |
| Tires | 8 | 1% | 18,650 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 6 | 1% | 13,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 2 | 0% | 19,679 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 0% | 29,780 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 83,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 0% | 140,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 196,986 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2006 Hyundai Sonata recalls (9)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2006-2011 Hyundai Azera and 2006 Hyundai Sonata vehicles. Water may enter the Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and result in an electrical short .
Risk: An electrical short within the ABS Module may cause an engine compartment fire, even when the car is turned off, increasing the risk of an injury.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a relay in the vehicle's main junction box to prevent the risk of an ABS short-circuit while the car is turned off, free of charge. The recall began on February 19, 2018. Owners may call Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 172.
Suspension:rear
Problem: Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Sonata vehicles manufactured March 1, 2005, through January 21, 2010; and model year 2006-2011 Azera vehicles manufactured September 27, 2005, through November 22, 2010 originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Road salt and water can enter portions of the rear crossmember, leading to corrosion of the crossmember steel. This may lead to detachment of one of the rear control arms.
Risk: Control arm separation may suddenly change the rear wheel alignment, affecting the handling of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will repair or replace the crossmember assembly. The recall began on October 8, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai Customer Care Center at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall number is 113.
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.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Problem: Hyundai is recalling 532,633 my 2006-2007 accent, entourage, sonata, my 2007 azera, elantra and santa fe, my 2005-2007 tucson and my 2007-2008 veracruz vehicles. The stop lamp switch in the affected vehicles may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause the brake lights to remain illuminated when the brake pedal is released. A stop lamp switch malfunction may also affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature so the transmission shifter would not be able to be shifted 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, alone or in combination, may lead to a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the stop lamp switch free of charge. The recall began on june 29, 2009. Owners may contact the hyundai customer assistance center at 1-800-633-5151.
Air bags
Problem: Hyundai is recalling 393,308 my 2006-2008 sonata vehicles equipped with an advanced air bag system which features an occupant classification system (ocs) in the right front seat. The purpose of the ocs is to disable the right passenger seat front air bag when it detects the presence of a child restraint system or small child in the right front seat. The right front air bag is disabled to prevent injuries to a child that may result from a right front air bag inflation during a crash.
Risk: Misclassification of a small stature adult as a child in the right front passenger seat may cause the right front air bag to not inflate in an accident that merits air bag deployment and may result in injury to the right front occupant.
Fix: Dealers will verify that the ocs does not properly recognize a properly seated adult occupant. After verification, dealers will remove the right front seat cushion assembly and ship it to an evaluation and repair facility. This facility will evaluate and repair or reprogram the seat cushion and ocs as necessary. The recall is expected to begin on or about may 26, 2008. Owners may contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the air bag warning label installed on the sunvisors had lost adhesion to the sunvisors and had distorted or separated from the sun visors.
Risk: If the labels are distorted or missing, the driver or front seat passenger will not have information available that may help protect them in the event of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the sunvisor assemblies free of charge. The recall began on october 2, 2006. Owners may contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Exterior lighting:headlights
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the inner bezels of the headlamps were not properly assembled which may cause the turn signal lenses to be improperly positioned.
Risk: An improperly positioned turn signal lens may reduce the intensity of the turn signal illumination, reducing its visibility to oncoming traffic, which may result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the left and right headlamp assemblies free of charge. The recall began on june 26, 2006. Owners may contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Seats:front assembly:recliner
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the front seat belt may interfere with the manual seat back recliner knob and could cause the front manual seat back recliner to inadvertently release.
Risk: The inadvertent release of a front seat back recliner may result in injury to vehicle occupants.
Fix: Dealers will replace the manual seat back recliner knob(s) free of charge. The recall began on october 14, 2005. Owners may contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Electronic stability control:automatic (asc)
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 3.3 liter engines and electronic stability control (esc), the esc may have been programmed to be oversensitive to the onset of oversteering while driving on banked curves, causing inadvertent application of the front outside brake when esc activation may not be needed.
Risk: This may cause the vehicle to slow and may affect the path that the vehicle is traveling. Brake application caused by inadvertent esc activation may result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the esc hydraulic electronic control unit. The recall began on july 29, 2005. Owners may contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Loss of Motive Power (DP22003) — opened Sep 12, 2022, closed Dec 12, 2023.
- Throttle control system vulnerabilities (DP21003) — opened Nov 12, 2021, closed Jun 20, 2023.
- Seat Belt Buckle Electrical Malfunction (PE14023) — opened Jul 22, 2014, closed Dec 1, 2014.
- Rear Control Arm Failure (PE13007) — opened Mar 25, 2013, closed Aug 20, 2013, led to recall 13V354000.
- Stop lamp switch failure (PE09003) — opened Jan 14, 2009, closed Apr 24, 2009, led to recall 09V122000.
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 Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway and noticed that engine oil was leaking onto…
I am filing this complaint regarding a serious engine issue with my 2006 Hyundai Sonata equipped with a 2.4L GDI engine. My vehicle experienced [engine knocking, stalling, and then seized up indicating complete Engine failure] without warning, posing a potential safety hazard while driving. The…
There is a recall for the rear lower control arms for the 2006 Hyundai sonata getting rusty and not performing. My car was taken in for an alignment and the mechanic said he isnât able to make the toe match up to be in good driving standards. I tried reaching out to a Hyundai dealership and they…
The contact owns a 2006 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard a loud bang and scraping sound coming from the vehicle. The ABS and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was…
The contact owns a 2006 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign…
Other Hyundai Sonata years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Sonata | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 Sonata | 17 | 0 |
| 2024 Sonata | 46 | 1 |
| 2023 Sonata | 87 | 2 |
| 2022 Sonata | 94 | 3 |
| 2021 Sonata | 134 | 4 |
| 2020 Sonata | 180 | 4 |
| 2019 Sonata | 162 | 0 |
| 2018 Sonata | 374 | 1 |
| 2017 Sonata | 766 | 3 |
| 2016 Sonata | 727 | 6 |
| 2015 Sonata | 1,153 | 9 |
| 2014 Sonata | 750 | 7 |
| 2013 Sonata | 1,916 | 9 |
| 2012 Sonata | 1,558 | 8 |
| 2011 Sonata | 3,377 | 14 |
| 2010 Sonata | 345 | 2 |
| 2009 Sonata | 460 | 2 |
| 2008 Sonata | 425 | 3 |
| 2007 Sonata | 696 | 5 |
| 2006 | 1,047 | 9 |
| 2005 Sonata | 165 | 1 |
| 2004 Sonata | 202 | 1 |
| 2003 Sonata | 199 | 6 |
| 2002 Sonata | 320 | 7 |
| 2001 Sonata | 205 | 3 |
| 2000 Sonata | 276 | 4 |
| 1999 Sonata | 124 | 4 |
| 1998 Sonata | 49 | 1 |
| 1997 Sonata | 49 | 2 |
| 1996 Sonata | 23 | 1 |
| 1995 Sonata | 66 | 2 |
See all Hyundai Sonata 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 Sonata?
Owners most often report air bags, visibility, seat belts problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 435 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2006 Hyundai Sonata?
Yes, 9 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2006 Hyundai Sonata a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sonata model years, the 2006 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.