The Lemon Index2006 Hyundai Sonata.
The 2006 Hyundai Sonata is worse than average by owner complaints: 198 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 190, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about airbags, it has 11 recalls, and it gets 21 to 25 mpg combined. The best Hyundai Sonata year is 2004.
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 1,047 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Hyundai Sonata 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 45K to 102K miles on the car (867 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 45K–98K miles
- visibility complaints mostly came at 48K–77K miles
- seat belts complaints mostly came at 60K–108K miles
Recalls 11
- brakes 2018
Water may enter the Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and result in an electrical short .
- suspension 2013
Road salt and water can enter portions of the rear crossmember, leading to corrosion o.
- lights 2009
HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 3,011 MODEL YEAR 2005-2007 ELANTRA, TUCSON, SONATA, AZERA AND ACCENT VEHICLES.
Show all 11 recalls
- lights 2009
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.
- lights 2009
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.
- airbags 2008
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.
- lights 2008
HYUNDAI-KIA IS RECALLING 4,085 REPLACEMENT HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES SOLD FOR USE ON 2006-2008 SONATA AND AZERA VEHICLES.
- equipment 2006
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.
- lights 2006
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.
- seats 2005
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.
- electronic stability control 2005
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, CAUS…
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 90 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Oil leak at reduction brake piston cover
- Check engine light p2135 dtc diagnosis -- some 2006-2007 vehicles equipped with 2.7l, 3.3l, or…
- Check engine light p2135 dtc diagnosis - vehicles equipped with 2.7l, 3.3l, or 3.8l engines
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Government investigations
- ClosedLoss of motive power2022–2023
- ClosedThrottle control system vulnerabilities2021–2023
- ClosedSeat belt buckle electrical malfunction2014
- ClosedRear control arm failure2013
NHTSA looks into a problem when enough owners report it. Many end in a recall.
Safety
Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★★ · side ★★★★★ · rollover ★★★★☆
Fuel cost and engines
About $2550–3050 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 2.4L 4-cyl, 3.3L 6-cyl.
In owners' words
Airbag light stays on, and ignition switch malfunction.
2006 Hyundai Sonata owner · NHTSA complaint 10283827
More owner reports
Passenger air bag front seat after getting hit by another car the air bag did not deploy.
NHTSA complaint 10227496
Both sun visors on my 2006 Hyundai Sonata broke and fall down while driving. This has been a safety issue.
NHTSA complaint 10281427
Quick answers
Is the 2006 Hyundai Sonata reliable?
No, it is worse than average by government complaints. It drew 1.9× the average car's complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 190; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Hyundai Sonata year by this measure since 2010 is 2010.
What are the most common 2006 Hyundai Sonata problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are airbags (46%), visibility (16%) and engine (9%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2006 Hyundai Sonata have?
11 safety recalls (latest: brakes). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2006 Hyundai Sonata get?
21 to 25 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2006 Hyundai Sonata problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 45,000 and 102,000 miles. The middle report was at 70,000 miles, from 867 complaints.
Does the 2006 Hyundai Sonata have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues aren't among its top 5 complaint areas.
How much does the 2006 Hyundai Sonata cost in fuel a year?
About $2550 to $3050 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2006 Hyundai Sonata have?
2.4L 4-cyl, 3.3L 6-cyl.
What Hyundai Sonata year is better than the 2006?
By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2010, 2019 and 2014.
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