The Lemon Index2006 Hyundai Tucson.
The 2006 Hyundai Tucson is better than average by owner complaints: 31 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 79, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about airbags, it has 5 recalls, and it gets 19 to 22 mpg combined. The best Hyundai Tucson year is 2021.
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 135 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Hyundai Tucson 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 28K to 109K miles on the car (108 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 27K–95K miles
Recalls 5
- lights 2013
Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe…
- lights 2009
HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 3,011 MODEL YEAR 2005-2007 ELANTRA, TUCSON, SONATA, AZERA AND ACCENT VEHICLES.
- 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.
Show all 5 recalls
- airbags 2007
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, STATIC AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT TESTING CONDUCTED BY NHTSA USING FIFTH PERCENTILE FEMALE DUMMIES INDICATED THAT A SMALL STATURE ADULT DRIVER NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT AND INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL OR NEAR FRONTA…
- airbags 2006
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, DURING STATIC AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT TESTING CONDUCTED BY NHTSA USING FIFTH PERCENTILE FEMALE DUMMIES INDICATED IF A SMALL STATURED ADULT DRIVER, NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT, IS INVOLVED IN A F…
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 49 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Abs pump self-check noise
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Government investigations
- ClosedStop lamp switch failure2009
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 $2900–3400 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 2.0L 4-cyl, 2.7L 6-cyl.
In owners' words
2006 Hyundai Tucson with several safety issues. Customer states that the vehicle has been worked on for the past 6 months. She also states that the problems are with air bags, seat belts, and other things.
2006 Hyundai Tucson owner · NHTSA complaint 10208248
More owner reports
I was involved in an accident which I was hit on the drivers side. The side air bags did not deploy. The air bags is way I brought this vehicle.
NHTSA complaint 10223677
I rear ended a pickup truck and my air bags did not deploy nor did my seatbelt re track causing head injury by hitting the windshield and jaw injury by hitting the steering wheel.
NHTSA complaint 10292124
Quick answers
Is the 2006 Hyundai Tucson reliable?
Yes, better than average by government complaints. It drew 1.3× fewer complaints than average filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 79; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Hyundai Tucson year by this measure is 2021.
What are the most common 2006 Hyundai Tucson problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are airbags (45%), seat belts (13%) and brakes (13%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2006 Hyundai Tucson have?
5 safety recalls (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 Tucson get?
19 to 22 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2006 Hyundai Tucson problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 28,100 and 109,000 miles. The middle report was at 65,000 miles, from 108 complaints.
Does the 2006 Hyundai Tucson have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues aren't among its top 5 complaint areas.
How much does the 2006 Hyundai Tucson cost in fuel a year?
About $2900 to $3400 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2006 Hyundai Tucson have?
2.0L 4-cyl, 2.7L 6-cyl.
What Hyundai Tucson year is better than the 2006?
By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2021, 2013 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