The Lemon Index2006 Hyundai Elantra.
The 2006 Hyundai Elantra is one of the most reliable years by owner complaints: 34 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 48, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about airbags, it has 1 recall, and it gets 24 to 26 mpg combined. The best Hyundai Elantra year is 2015.
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 155 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Hyundai Elantra year. 2006 is highlighted. Lower is better.
What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.
Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.
When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.
Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 34K to 100K miles on the car (126 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
- airbags complaints mostly came at 31K–121K miles
- lights complaints mostly came at 60K–104K miles
- brakes complaints mostly came at 81K–115K miles
Recalls 1
- lights 2009
HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 3,011 MODEL YEAR 2005-2007 ELANTRA, TUCSON, SONATA, AZERA AND ACCENT VEHICLES.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.
Problems Hyundai told dealers about
Hyundai sent dealers 38 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Automatic transaxle harsh and/or delayed engagement into drive or reverse
- Automatic transaxle harsh and/or delayed upshift or downshift - gds analysis
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Safety
Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★★ · side ★★★★★ · rollover ★★★★☆
Fuel cost and engines
About $2450–2700 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 2.0L 4-cyl.
In owners' words
All bags in the car failed to open upon impact, don't buy "Hyundai"s and Hyundai said that since 2002 they knew about this problem. With elantras and other models. But did nothing to fix them.
2006 Hyundai Elantra owner · NHTSA complaint 10213205
Quick answers
Is the 2006 Hyundai Elantra reliable?
Yes, it is one of the most reliable by government complaints. It drew 2.1× fewer complaints than average filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 48; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Hyundai Elantra year by this measure is 2015.
What are the most common 2006 Hyundai Elantra problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are airbags (47%), transmission & drivetrain (12%) and electrical (9%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2006 Hyundai Elantra have?
1 safety recall (latest: lights). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2006 Hyundai Elantra get?
24 to 26 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2006 Hyundai Elantra problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 34,000 and 100,000 miles. The middle report was at 67,900 miles, from 126 complaints.
Does the 2006 Hyundai Elantra have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 12% of its owner complaints.
How much does the 2006 Hyundai Elantra cost in fuel a year?
About $2450 to $2700 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2006 Hyundai Elantra have?
2.0L 4-cyl.
What Hyundai Elantra year is better than the 2006?
By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2015, 2014 and 2016.
Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works