2006 Hyundai Sonata Reliability
The 2006 Hyundai Sonata has 1,047 owner complaints and 11 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about air bags and visibility / wipers. Compared with nearby Sonata model years (2004–2008), it rates as a caution year: complaints run above the Sonata's typical year, while the 2005 has a cleaner record.
By CarWhere Research · Updated 2026-11-04 · Source: NHTSA
1,047
NHTSA owner complaints
11
Recall campaigns
43
Complaints citing a crash
9
Complaints citing a fire
2006 Hyundai Sonata complaints by component
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 model year, filed between 2005 and 2025. A complaint can name more than one component.
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 435 | 42% |
| Visibility / wipers | 186 | 18% |
| Seat belts | 102 | 10% |
| Suspension | 86 | 8% |
| Electrical system | 86 | 8% |
| Service brakes | 84 | 8% |
| Stability control | 59 | 6% |
| Exterior lighting | 45 | 4% |
2006 Hyundai Sonata recalls
11 recall campaigns on NHTSA record for the 2006 model year, by the date NHTSA received the manufacturer's report. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05V316000 | Jul 7, 2005 | Stability control — automatic (asc) | 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… |
| 05V377000 | Aug 29, 2005 | 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. |
| 06V180000 | May 22, 2006 | 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. |
| 06V234000 | Jun 26, 2006 | 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. |
| 08E021000 | Mar 7, 2008 | 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… |
| 08V161000 | Apr 10, 2008 | 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… |
| 09E012000 | Apr 7, 2009 | 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… |
| 09V122000 | Apr 15, 2009 | 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… |
| 09V280000 | Jul 21, 2009 | 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… |
| 13V354000 | Aug 12, 2013 | 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… |
| 18V026000 | Jan 9, 2018 | Service brakes — 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 . |
How the 2006 compares with nearby Sonata years
Verdicts come from CarWhere's year-by-year Sonata analysis where it covers the year, otherwise from the years shown here.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 202 | 1 | Suspension | Solid |
| 2005 | 165 | 1 | Air bags | Better year |
| 2006 (this page) | 1,047 | 11 | Air bags | Caution |
| 2007 | 696 | 7 | Air bags | Solid |
| 2008 | 425 | 5 | Air bags | Solid |
Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA and are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, so they compare years of the same model rather than different models.
What to check on a used 2006 Hyundai Sonata
- Air bags: make sure the air bag warning light goes out after start-up and that any air bag recall was completed on this VIN.
- Visibility: test the wipers at every speed, washers, defrosters and the climate system (fogging is a common complaint).
- Seat belts: pull each belt fully, make sure it retracts and latches, and check the belt warning light.
- Suspension: listen for clunks over bumps, look for leaking struts and uneven tire wear.
- Recalls: confirm each of the 11 campaigns above was completed on this VIN; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records, and have an independent mechanic inspect the car before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any 2006 Hyundai Sonata can be better or worse than its model year. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
2006 Hyundai Sonata reliability FAQ
Is the 2006 Hyundai Sonata reliable?
The 2006 Hyundai Sonata has 1,047 owner complaints and 11 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about air bags and visibility / wipers. Compared with nearby Sonata model years (2004–2008), it rates as a caution year: complaints run above the Sonata's typical year, while the 2005 has a cleaner record.
What are the most common 2006 Hyundai Sonata problems?
The most-reported problem areas in NHTSA owner complaints for the 2006 Hyundai Sonata are air bags (435), visibility / wipers (186), seat belts (102), suspension (86). One complaint can name more than one component.
Does the 2006 Hyundai Sonata have recalls?
NHTSA lists 11 recall campaigns for the 2006 Hyundai Sonata, including 05V316000 (stability control — automatic (asc)) and 05V377000 (seats — front assembly / recliner). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How does the 2006 Hyundai Sonata compare with the 2005 and 2007 models?
By NHTSA records, the 2005 has 165 complaints and 1 recall (better year); the 2007 has 696 complaints and 7 recalls (solid). The 2006 has 1,047 complaints and 11 recalls.
How do I check a specific used 2006 Hyundai Sonata?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
More Hyundai Sonata research
Other Hyundai Sonata model years:
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints (all body-style listings for the 2006 Sonata, de-duplicated by complaint number) and NHTSA recall campaigns, retrieved 2026-11-04.