EXTERIOR LIGHTING
2006 Hyundai Elantra
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 155 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2006 Hyundai Elantra, most frequently naming the airbags, exterior lighting and brakes categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 36 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| May 2012 | 1 | 73 |
| Jun 2012 | 1 | 74 |
| Jul 2012 | 2 | 76 |
| Aug 2012 | 1 | 77 |
| Sep 2012 | 3 | 80 |
| Oct 2012 | 1 | 81 |
| Nov 2012 | 1 | 82 |
| Dec 2012 | 3 | 85 |
| Jan 2013 | 2 | 87 |
| Mar 2013 | 1 | 88 |
| May 2013 | 1 | 89 |
| Jun 2013 | 1 | 90 |
| Aug 2013 | 2 | 92 |
| Sep 2013 | 3 | 95 |
| Jan 2014 | 1 | 96 |
| Feb 2014 | 1 | 97 |
| Mar 2014 | 4 | 101 |
| May 2014 | 1 | 102 |
| Jun 2014 | 1 | 103 |
| Jul 2014 | 2 | 105 |
| Aug 2014 | 1 | 106 |
| Sep 2014 | 2 | 108 |
| Oct 2014 | 1 | 109 |
| Nov 2014 | 1 | 110 |
| Dec 2014 | 1 | 111 |
| Jan 2015 | 2 | 113 |
| Mar 2015 | 1 | 114 |
| May 2015 | 1 | 115 |
| Jun 2015 | 1 | 116 |
| Jul 2015 | 1 | 117 |
| Aug 2015 | 2 | 119 |
| Sep 2015 | 1 | 120 |
| Jan 2016 | 1 | 121 |
| Feb 2016 | 1 | 122 |
| Jun 2016 | 1 | 123 |
| Jul 2016 | 1 | 124 |
| Aug 2016 | 3 | 127 |
| Sep 2016 | 1 | 128 |
| Oct 2016 | 3 | 131 |
| Nov 2016 | 2 | 133 |
| Dec 2016 | 1 | 134 |
| Jan 2017 | 1 | 135 |
| May 2017 | 1 | 136 |
| Jun 2017 | 1 | 137 |
| Jul 2017 | 1 | 138 |
| Feb 2018 | 1 | 139 |
| May 2018 | 1 | 140 |
| Sep 2018 | 3 | 143 |
| Nov 2018 | 1 | 144 |
| Dec 2018 | 1 | 145 |
| Apr 2019 | 1 | 146 |
| Aug 2019 | 1 | 147 |
| Oct 2019 | 1 | 148 |
| Nov 2019 | 1 | 149 |
| Feb 2020 | 1 | 150 |
| Oct 2020 | 1 | 151 |
| Nov 2020 | 1 | 152 |
| Apr 2021 | 1 | 153 |
| May 2021 | 1 | 154 |
| Aug 2021 | 1 | 155 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Airbags5627.9%
- Exterior lighting3517.4%
- Brakes3416.9%
- Electrical168.0%
- Driver assistance126.0%
- Body & structure84.0%
- Visibility73.5%
- Interior & seats63.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
1 campaign cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govRecent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
My son was driving our 2006 Hyundai Elantra and crashed into the end of a guardrail. The air bag did not deploy. The car was declared a total loss by the insurance company. I am concerned that the airbag did not deploy with the severity of the crash. I have uploaded three pictures of the car and one of the end of the guardrail that was impacted. The estimate for speed at impact was 35 mph. The weather was sunny, dry and above 80 degrees. about 6:30PM Eastern time.
- NHTSA ID
- 11427933
- Incident
- Jul 23, 2021
WENT FOR AN INSPECTION AND WAS TOLD MY FRONT SUB FRAME WAS RUSTED AND ROTTED. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS UNDER RECALL, BUT UPON FURTHER RESEARCH I FOUND THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS ON THIS SAME PART FOR OTHER YEARS OF THIS CAR BUT APPARANTLY THE 2006 WAS NOT INCLUDED, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE THE SAME ISSUES, AND THEY CHARGED ME FOR OTHER REPAIRS UNDER THE PRETENSE THAT THE SUB FRAME WOULD BE FIXED BY A DEALERSHIP FOR FREE DUE TO THE RECALL.
- NHTSA ID
- 11414951
- Incident
- Apr 26, 2021
- Mileage
- 130,000 mi
EXTENSIVE RUST ON THE LOWER ENGINE SUBFRAME CROSSMEMBER: THE SUBFRAME HAS ROTTED LOOSE AND THE FRONT SUSPENSION CONTROL ARMS RATTLE THE SUBFRAME FROM WHERE THEY ARE ATTACHED. THIS ELANTRA WAS PURCHASED NEW AND ONLY HAS 44000 MILES. THE CONTROL ARMS WILL TEAR AWAY FROM THE LOOSE SUBFRAME AND CAUSE A LOOS OF CONTROL ACCIDENT.
- NHTSA ID
- 11412757
- Incident
- Aug 12, 2016
I NOTICED THAT MY AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON NEAR MY DASHBOARD WHERE ARE THE SPEEDOMETER IS AND WHEN I HAVE PASSENGERS IN MY CAR THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT IS OFF I DON'T BELIEVE MY SENSORS WORK FOR MY AIRBAGS
- NHTSA ID
- 11374158
- Incident
- Mar 20, 2010
- Mileage
- 65,000 mi
MY BRAKE LIGHTS ARE STUCK ON BUT MY FUSES ARE NOT BLOWN.
- NHTSA ID
- 11364051
- Incident
- Oct 13, 2020
- Mileage
- 103,072 mi
AFTER OWNING TWO '06 ELANTRAS, I'VE COME TO REALIZE A RECURRING ISSUE WITH THE DASHBOARD ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. WHEN THE TURNER INDICATOR IS ENGAGED, THE REST OF THE DASHBOARD HAS A TENDENCY TO SHORT OUT FOR A SECOND OR TWO BEFORE RETURNING TO NORMAL.
- NHTSA ID
- 11307675
- Incident
- Feb 6, 2020
- Mileage
- 140,000 mi
AIR BAG LIGHT ON BRAKE LIGHTS STAY ON AFTER CAR OFF AND FOOT NOT PUSHING THEM ON
- NHTSA ID
- 11278401
- Incident
- Sep 2, 2019
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT IMPACT AND SMOKE WAS DETECTED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BURNS AND INJURIES TO THE EYES, CHEST, AND CHIN. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT RECEIVED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11269346
- Incident
- Oct 18, 2019
- Mileage
- 135,000 mi
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
AIR BAGS
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN). These inflators were not supplied, approved, or authorized by the vehicle manufacturers and have primarily been found in vehicles that previously experienced a crash and underwent airbag replacement using non-genuine parts. These dangerous inflators have ruptured during deployment, posing a serious risk of injury or death due to metal fragments entering the vehicle cabin. To date, Hyundai is aware of three people who have died while driving a Hyundai vehicle with one of these substandard replacement airbag inflators that deployed in what likely would have been a survivable crash. NHTSA has issued a public advisory urging vehicle owners and service professionals to have vehicles inspected if there is reason to believe that a non-genuine replacement airbag may have been installed. Vehicles with salvage or rebuilt titles, prior airbag deployments, or unknown repair histories may present a higher risk. NHTSA strongly cautions against self-inspection by vehicle owners and recommends inspection by trained technicians.
AIR BAGS
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN), that have been identified in U.S. vehicles following prior crashes, theft, or non‑certified airbag replacements. These inflators are not approved for use, may rupture during deployment, and have caused serious injuries and fatalities. Please see attached announcement, provided by NHTSA, for more details.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. This TSB illustrates the various causes of condensation inside the lamp assembly. Lamp assembly replacement is NOT necessary in most cases. This condition can be eliminated by turning on the lamps with the engine running for several minutes or during normal driving operation.
VISIBILITY; VISIBILITY/WIPER
This bulletin contains information about the proper removal of the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all models. If the protective cover is not removed correctly, there is a possibility of the rubber insert and rail spring becoming partially separated on the inner side of the wiper blade, which could lead to poor wiping performance and/or possible scratching of the windshield glass. Follow the procedure in this bulletin to properly remove the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all new wiper blades.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
This bulletin provides important checkpoint guidelines when performing engine oil and filter change services.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Hyundai applies a Paint Protection Film (PPF) on new vehicles before delivery to dealerships. It provides a barrier between the paint and contaminants, such as rail dust, acid rain, and industrial fallout. In rare cases, the paint can become clouded under the PPF. These spots are the result of moisture trapped between the PPF and the paint.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 53.0 |
| 2024 | 52 | 1 | 0 | 51.0 |
| 2023 | 92 | 2 | 0 | 55.1 |
| 2022 | 97 | 5 | 1 | 59.8 |
| 2021 | 129 | 6 | 2 | 62.9 |
| 2020 | 242 | 3 | 0 | 60.4 |
| 2019 | 246 | 1 | 0 | 49.9 |
| 2018 | 280 | 0 | 0 | 45.4 |
| 2017 | 762 | 4 | 1 | 58.6 |
| 2016 | 290 | 2 | 1 | 61.8 |
| 2015 | 260 | 3 | 2 | 63.3 |
| 2014 | 381 | 2 | 2 | 60.5 |
| 2013 | 1,310 | 4 | 4 | 63.1 |
| 2012 | 651 | 4 | 4 | 62.5 |
| 2011 | 432 | 5 | 3 | 58.2 |
| 2010 | 379 | 3 | 1 | 61.9 |
| 2009 | 250 | 4 | 1 | 64.6 |
| 2008 | 314 | 7 | 2 | 64.9 |
| 2007 | 266 | 6 | 3 | 63.2 |
| 2006Viewing | 155 | 1 | 0 | 46.1 |
| 2005 | 137 | 4 | 0 | 59.8 |
| 2004 | 182 | 5 | 1 | 60.7 |
| 2003 | 234 | 5 | 2 | 62.5 |
| 2002 | 342 | 6 | 3 | 64.6 |
| 2001 | 315 | 6 | 3 | 67.3 |
| 2000 | 197 | 1 | 0 | 47.4 |
| 1999 | 128 | 2 | 0 | 52.8 |
| 1998 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 40.9 |
| 1997 | 115 | 3 | 1 | 58.8 |
| 1996 | 100 | 3 | 2 | 59.3 |
| 1995 | 112 | 1 | 2 | 56.6 |
| 1994 | 76 | 2 | 2 | 64.1 |
| 1993 | 24 | 0 | 2 | 44.0 |
| 1992 | 29 | 0 | 2 | 46.4 |
| 1991 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1990 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.