What Owners Report NHTSA ODI · 2,175,102 complaints · MY1998–2026

2006 Hyundai Sonata

Typical pattern

4.8% of complaints about the 2006 Hyundai Sonata came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2006 vehicle — around the middle of the 250 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 6.8 yr in service. The most-reported system is air bags (443 complaints), typically at 6.3 yr or about 70,000 miles.

Complaints
1,418
Median age at failure
6.8 yr
Median mileage
73,845 n=1173
Crash / fire / tow
5.6% of reports
Safety recalls
10

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System
0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y
Air bags
443 reports · 70,000 mi
6.3 yr
4.5%
Visibility
157 reports · 63,000 mi
4.8 yr
0.6%
Seat belts
103 reports · 77,000 mi
7.4 yr
6.8%
Suspension
90 reports · 111,000 mi
8.7 yr
7.8%
Electrical system
86 reports · 77,000 mi
6.8 yr
1.2%
Electronic stability control (esc)
57 reports · 94,511 mi
9.5 yr
1.8%
Service brakes
51 reports · 91,600 mi
10.5 yr
9.8%
Exterior lighting
45 reports · 71,000 mi
6.7 yr
0%
Structure
44 reports · 65,000 mi
7.2 yr
6.8%
Engine
44 reports · 100,000 mi
10.2 yr
11.4%
Speed control
39 reports · 107,000 mi
8.3 yr
35.9%
Service brakes, hydraulic
36 reports · 44,322 mi
3.8 yr
8.3%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

18V026000 2018-01-09
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip

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 .

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.

13V354000 2013-08-12
Suspension:rear

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 o

Control arm separation may suddenly change the rear wheel alignment, affecting the handling of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

09V280000 2009-07-21
Exterior lighting

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 DE

ANY OF THESE MALFUNCTIONS COULD LEAD TO A CRASH.

09V122000 2009-04-15
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch

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 OU

ANY OF THESE MALFUNCTIONS, ALONE OR IN COMBINATION, MAY LEAD TO A CRASH.

09E012000 2009-04-07
Exterior lighting

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

08V161000 2008-04-10
Air bags

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.

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.

08E021000 2008-03-07
Exterior lighting:headlights

HYUNDAI-KIA IS RECALLING 4,085 REPLACEMENT HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES SOLD FOR USE ON 2006-2008 SONATA AND AZERA VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ALIGNED PROPERLY AND FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE PHOTOMETRIC REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

IMPROPER AIMING OF THE HEADLAMP MAY RESULT IN POOR VISIBILITY POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

06V234000 2006-06-26
Equipment:other:labels

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.

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.

06V180000 2006-05-22
Exterior lighting:headlights

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.

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.

05V377000 2005-08-29
Seats:front assembly:recliner

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.

THE INADVERTENT RELEASE OF A FRONT SEAT BACK RECLINER MAY RESULT IN INJURY TO VEHICLE OCCUPANTS.

In owners’ own words

Seat belts 123 mi 9 mo in service
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE USING THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT IT CUTS INTO HER NECK. THERE IS NO WAY TO ADJUST THE SEAT BELT. THE DEALER STATED THE SEAT BELT WAS MANUFACTURED THAT WAY. UPDATED 7/3/2006 - *NM
Seat belts 40,000 mi 1.5 yr in service crash / fire / tow
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE PASSENGER'D SIDE SEAT BELT HARNESS FAILED TO SECURE THE PASSENGER DURING THE CRASH. THE DEALER HAD NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 40,000.*AK
Seat belts mileage not reported 2.3 yr in service crash / fire / tow
SEAT BELT STRAP BROKE PASSAGER SIDE DURING ACCIDENT IN A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA. RICKY J. CAPERTON WAS THE PASSAGER. SPEND 6 HOURS IN THE ER VIRGINIA BEACH VA 23454. *TR
Air bags 700 mi 0 mo in service
PAGGENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYED LIGHTED WHEN SEAT WAS OCCUPIED BY AN ADULT INDICATING THAT IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT AIR BAG WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR USE. CONCACT WITH DEALER GOT A REQUEST THAT CAR BE BROUGHT TO DEALER FOR SOLUTION TO PROBLEM.

Other Sonata model years

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