Model year guide

2006 Hyundai Sonata

Recalls, most-reported problems, crash-test ratings, fuel economy and what a 2006 Hyundai Sonata is worth — from official NHTSA and EPA data. 304 on record.

2006 Hyundai Sonata — representative photo
Representative photo · via Wikimedia Commons

2006 Hyundai Sonata at a glance

Safety recalls11
Owner complaints1,047
Combined23 mpg
Typical price$3,196

Free: specs, open recalls for that exact car, build sheet and fair price.

2006 Hyundai Sonata recalls 11

Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch NHTSA Campaign #09V122000 · 15/04/2009

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. THE STOP LAMP SWITCH IN THE AFFECTED VEHICLES MAY MALFUNCTION. A MALFUNCTIONING STOP LAMP SWITCH MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED OR MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO REMAIN ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS REL…

Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STOP LAMP SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 29, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THE HYUNDAI CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AT 1-800-633-5151.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip NHTSA Campaign #18V026000 · 09/01/2018

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 .

Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a relay in the vehicle's main junction box to prevent the risk of an ABS short-circuit while the car is turned off, free of charge. The recall began on February 19, 2018. Owners may call Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this rec…

Air Bags NHTSA Campaign #08V161000 · 10/04/2008

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. THE PURPOSE OF THE OCS IS TO DISABLE THE RIGHT PASSENGER SEAT FRONT AIR BAG WHEN IT DETECTS THE PRESENCE OF A CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM OR SMALL CHILD IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT. THE RIGHT FRONT AIR BAG IS DISABLED TO PREVENT INJURIES TO A CHIL…

Fix: DEALERS WILL VERIFY THAT THE OCS DOES NOT PROPERLY RECOGNIZE A PROPERLY SEATED ADULT OCCUPANT. AFTER VERIFICATION, DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT CUSHION ASSEMBLY AND SHIP IT TO AN EVALUATION AND REPAIR FACILITY. THIS FACILITY WILL EVALUATE AND REPAIR OR REPROGRAM THE SEAT CUSHION AND…

Exterior Lighting NHTSA Campaign #09E012000 · 07/04/2009

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. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.

Exterior Lighting:headlights NHTSA Campaign #08E021000 · 07/03/2008

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 SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Fix: HYUNDAI-KIA DEALERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED AND INSTRUCTED TO RETURN THEIR SUPPLY TO HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA. NONE OF THE HEADLAMPS WERE SOLD AS RETAIL. AS A RESULT, AN OWNER NOTIFICATION LETTER WILL NOT BE ISSUED.

Suspension:rear NHTSA Campaign #13V354000 · 12/08/2013

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 registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio…

Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will repair or replace the crossmember assembly. The recall began on October 8, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai Customer Care Center at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall number is 113.

Exterior Lighting NHTSA Campaign #09V280000 · 21/07/2009

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 ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS RELEASED. A DEFECTIVE STOP LAMP SWITCH MAY ALSO AFFECT THE OPERATION OF THE BRAKE-TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK FEATURE SO TH…

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.

Electronic Stability Control:automatic (asc) NHTSA Campaign #05V316000 · 07/07/2005

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, CAUSING INADVERTENT APPLICATION OF THE FRONT OUTSIDE BRAKE WHEN ESC ACTIVATION MAY NOT BE NEEDED.

Fix: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ESC HYDRAULIC ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 29, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.

Equipment:other:labels NHTSA Campaign #06V234000 · 26/06/2006

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.

Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SUNVISOR ASSEMBLIES FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 2, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.

Seats:front Assembly:recliner NHTSA Campaign #05V377000 · 29/08/2005

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.

Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE MANUAL SEAT BACK RECLINER KNOB(S) FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 14, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.

Exterior Lighting:headlights NHTSA Campaign #06V180000 · 22/05/2006

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.

Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LEFT AND RIGHT HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 26, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.

Source: U.S. NHTSA. A recall applies to a model year, but only a VIN check shows whether a specific car has had the repair done.

2006 Hyundai Sonata common problems

The most-reported problem areas from 1,047 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.

Suspension
Listen for clunks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for uneven tire wear and worn shocks or struts.
Engine
Listen for knocks or ticking, check for leaks and blue/white exhaust smoke, and make sure it doesn't overheat. No check-engine light should be on.
Service Brakes
Brakes should feel firm and quiet — no grinding, pulsing or pulling. Check for an ABS light and uneven pad/rotor wear.
Air Bags
Confirm the airbag light turns on then off at startup — if it stays lit there's a fault (costly, and a safety risk). Check for signs of prior deployment.
Hydraulic
Have a trusted mechanic inspect this system as part of a pre-purchase inspection.
Engine And Engine Cooling
Check coolant level and color, look for leaks, and confirm the engine reaches normal temperature without overheating.

2006 Hyundai Sonata safety ratings

Frontal crash★★★★★
Side crash★★★★★

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), tested as the 2006 Hyundai Sonata 4-DR w/SAB. Ratings can differ by body style and drivetrain.

2006 Hyundai Sonata MPG & running costs

Combined23 mpg
City20 mpg
Highway29 mpg
Est. annual fuel cost$2,650

Source: U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov, averaged across trims.

What's a 2006 Hyundai Sonata worth?

Low
$1,400
Typical price
$3,196
High
$5,400

From 302 comparable 2006 Hyundai Sonata listings.

Estimated 5-year cost to own

A rough guide to what running a 2006 Hyundai Sonata costs over five years and 75,000 miles.

Fuel (5 yrs)$13,250
Depreciation (5 yrs)$2,150
Total$15,400
Per mile$0.21

How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. Depreciation compares today's typical asking price for this model year ($3,196) with the same model 5 model-years older ($1,053), from CarLogs listing data. Not included: insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, registration and finance costs. Treat it as a comparison guide, not a quote.

2006 Hyundai Sonata trims & engines on record

Trims
LX · GLS · GL · NFA
Engines
3.3L · 2.4L

2006 Hyundai Sonata vehicles on record

Other Hyundai Sonata model years

2006 Hyundai Sonata — frequently asked questions

Does the 2006 Hyundai Sonata have any safety recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 11 safety recalls for the 2006 Hyundai Sonata. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

What are the most common problems with the 2006 Hyundai Sonata?

Based on 1,047 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most-reported problem areas are suspension, engine, service brakes.

What is the 2006 Hyundai Sonata safety rating?

NHTSA gives the 2006 Hyundai Sonata crash-test ratings of frontal 5★, side 5★ (out of 5; this model year pre-dates NHTSA's overall score).

What gas mileage does the 2006 Hyundai Sonata get?

The U.S. EPA rates the 2006 Hyundai Sonata at about 23 mpg combined (20 city / 29 highway).

How much is a 2006 Hyundai Sonata worth?

Comparable 2006 Hyundai Sonata listings run roughly $1,400–$5,400, typically around $3,196 (from 302 vehicles).

Sources: NHTSA (recalls, complaints, crash tests), U.S. EPA (fuel economy). Vehicle data only — CarLogs never shows owner information.