2006 Hyundai Elantra Problems, Recalls & Reliability
209 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2006 Hyundai Elantra, alongside 1 recall campaign and 0 defect investigations. It scores 15/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 63,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2006 Hyundai Elantra has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2006 sits among all Elantra years
What owners report
“Air bag light on brake lights stay on after car off and foot not pushing them on”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Elantra
“I have a bad brake switch, and noticed that the only recall is in puerto rico. I believe that this is a safety issue that hyundai america should be recalling on all affected vehicles. I have noticed many complaints on this issue. Please review and make hyundai fix this "safety "issue. Thank you.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Elantra
“Brake switch bad, no brake lights. Occasionally, it would keep the car from starting. Had to replace at my expense as hyundai said my car was not one of the recalls for the bad brake switch.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Elantra
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 168 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 68,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 36,000 and 103,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
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…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STOP LAMP SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI OF PUERTO RICO CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-787-999-4310.
Technical service bulletins
36 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and electrical — are on file for the 2006 Hyundai Elantra. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2006 Elantra TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2006 Hyundai Elantra reliable?
The 2006 Hyundai Elantra drew 209 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 15/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2006 Hyundai Elantra problems?
The top reported problems for the 2006 Hyundai Elantra are airbags (60 complaints), electrical (55), and brakes & stability (31).
At what mileage do 2006 Hyundai Elantra problems show up?
Owners most often report 2006 Hyundai Elantra problems around 68,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 36,000 and 103,000 miles.
Does the 2006 Hyundai Elantra have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2006 Hyundai Elantra. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.