U.S. public vehicle records

2006 Hyundai ELANTRA problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

155 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

67,900 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2006 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 126 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 44 of 155 complaints (28.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	61	39.4%
Electrical and battery issues	8	5.2%
Transmission and shifting	5	3.2%
Steering behavior	5	3.2%
Engine operation	4	2.6%
Fuel system concerns	2	1.3%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Air Bags

Exterior Lighting

Service Brakes

Electrical System

Vehicle Speed Control

Air Bags:Frontal

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Seats

Air Bags: 44; Exterior Lighting: 33; Service Brakes: 23; Electrical System: 14; Vehicle Speed Control: 11; Air Bags:Frontal: 8; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 7; Seats: 5

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 25; 25,000 to 49,999: 19; 50,000 to 74,999: 26; 75,000 to 99,999: 24; 100,000 to 149,999: 24; 150,000 and above: 8

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (26). 29 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2006: 7; 2007: 10; 2008: 8; 2009: 9; 2010: 12; 2011: 22; 2012: 17; 2013: 10; 2014: 16; 2015: 9; 2016: 14; 2017: 4; 2018: 7; 2019: 4; 2020: 3; 2021: 3

Pattern summary

Air Bags leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 61 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 8 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 5 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10177606 · 2007-01-02 (January 2, 2007)

WHEN MY WIFE WAS TRYING TO APPLY THE BRAKE ON A 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA HER FOOT CONTACTED BOTH GAS AND BRAKE PEDALS, WHICH RESULTED IN CRASHING INTO BUILDING IN FRONT OF A PARKING SPACE. PERSONALLY I HAD EXPERIENCED THIS A COUPLE OF TIMES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE GAS PEDAL IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER AND CLOSE TO BRAKE PEDAL AND IT APPEARS TO BE VERY EASY TO PUSH BOTH DOWN. I ALMOST DROVE INTO THE SIDE OF AN ONCOMING CAR ENTERING THE ROAD. ON MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER THE BRAKE PEDAL IS HIGHER THAN THE GAS PEDAL , MAYBE THE TRANSITION TO THIS OTHER PEDAL…

Owner-reported narrative. 515 miles reported. Look up ODI 10177606 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10180844 · 2007-01-26 (January 26, 2007)

TL*- ON 01/05/07 THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER IN DANVILLE, VIRGINIA BECAUSE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS GETTING STUCK ON THE FLOOR , AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON 01/06/07 WHILE DRIVING 35-40 MPH H APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO A TREE. THE CONTACT COULD PROVIDE PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE , AS WELL AS AN ACCIDENT REPORT. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 3,053 miles reported. Look up ODI 10180844 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10220191 · 2008-03-05 (March 5, 2008)

I HAVE A 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. I HAVE JUST REPLACED MY HEADLIGHTS FOR THE THIRD TIME IN 6 MONTHS. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AFTER THE LAST TIME, THEY "CLAIMED" THEY HAD CHECKED ALL WIRING AND LAMPS AND STATED ALL WAS OKAY. SOMEHOW I DOUBT IT WAS THE BULBS. ONE WENT OUT A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO AND THE OTHER BLEW TODAY. THANKFULLY, I WAS BY MY HOME WHEN IT WAS GETTING DARK. I AM GOING TO HAVE THEM CHECK IT AGAIN THIS WEEK. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 55,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10220191 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10422626 · 2011-08-30 (August 30, 2011)

BRAKE LIGHTS REMAIN ON AT ALL TIMES, WHICH IS CONFUSING TO PEOPLE BEHIND YOU. WE DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL BATTERY LOST ALL CHARGE AND CAR WOULDN'T START. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 68,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10422626 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10186866 · 2007-03-30 (March 30, 2007)

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING AT 75 MPH THE VEHICLE VIBRATED,. THE VIBRATION GOT WORSE AS THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. PRIOR TO THE FRAME BEING TIGHTENED THE VEHICLE SHOOK WHEN DECELERATING AND THE TRANSMISSION THUMPED WHEN GOING INTO OVERDRIVE. WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, BEHIND A LARGE TRUCK, THE VEHICLE FELT AS IF IT WOULD TAKE FLIGHT. THE CONTACT HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET SATISFACTION FROM HYUNDAI. THEY STATED THAT FAILURES WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH AND OVER WERE NOT UNDER THEIR PURVIEW. THE CONTACT HAS REPAIR INVOICES. …

Owner-reported narrative. 3,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10186866 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10233109 · 2008-07-03 (July 3, 2008)

I BOUGHT THE CAR AT 4400 MILES SHORTLY THERE AFTER THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AFTER REPEATED TRIPS TO THE DEALER THEY REPLACED IT. SOON THERE AFTER THE SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER STOPPED WORKING, AGAIN, REPEATED TRIPS TO THE DEALER THEY THEN REPLACED THE SPEED SENSOR AND MODULE FOR TRANSMISSION. THE NEXT DAY THE TRANS AND SPEEDOMETER WERE NOT WORKING PROPER AGAIN, THEN THE CAR IS BACK THERE TODAY, THERE TELLING ME THE TRANS IS FINE, AND THAT NOW THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS BEING REPLACED, I HAVE BEEN IN AND OUT WITH THIS CAR, ITS FROM NORTH DA…

Owner-reported narrative. 20,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10233109 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10171689 · 2006-10-24 (October 24, 2006)

I WAS INVOLVED IN A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT WHILE DRIVING MY 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. MY VEHICLE SPEED WAS ABOUT 45-50 MPH AND UPON IMPACT WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME WHICH WAS STOPPED CAUSED MY BODY TO JOLT FORWARD AND STRIKE MY STEERING WHEEL. I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT WHICH DID NOT LOCK AND MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. LATER ON IN THE AFTERNOON I HAD WENT TO THE ER FOR CHEST PAIN, NECK AND BACK PAIN AS WELL AS INJURING MY RIGHT HAND. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 5,768 miles reported. Look up ODI 10171689 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10172804 · 2006-11-06 (November 6, 2006)

I FAILED TO TURN MY WHEEL SUFFICIENTLY AND HIT A PALM TREE AT FOUR MILES PER HOUR. NO AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND I HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE SUFFERED $3400.00 OF DAMAGES FROM THIS FOUR MILE PER HOUR CRASH. I DO NOT FEEL THIS VEHICLE IS SAFE. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 1,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10172804 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10256852 · 2009-01-29 (January 29, 2009)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE SPORADICALLY STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT HAS NOT HAD THE VEHICLE PROPERLY DIAGNOSED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 28,000.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10256852 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10301666 · 2010-01-21 (January 21, 2010)

ON MY 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA GLS 4CYL ENGINE THERE IS A ISSUE WHICH I HAVE BROUGHT UP 3 TIMES NOW TO HYUNDAI & ALL THEY KEEP DOING IS RESETTING THE COMPUTER & TRANS RETRAIN RESET. THE ISSUE I AM HAVING IS AT A STEADY SPEED OFF 25-30 MILES HOUR I GET A VERY BAD BUCKING & JERKING EFFECT THE LOSS OF POWER SHORTLY AFTER THE BUCKING & JERKING HAPPENS THAT THE CAR LOOSES POWER SOME MUCH SO IT DOESN'T WANT TO MOVE FAST ENOUGH TO KEEP UP ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN COMING OFF A OFF RAMP MERGING INTO THE HIGHWAY TRAFFIC TWO TIMES THE LAST TIME WAS TODAY THIS ALL …

Owner-reported narrative. 45,550 miles reported. Look up ODI 10301666 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10441743 · 2011-12-30 (December 30, 2011)

I HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND THIS IS THE 16TH TIME AS OF 12/06/2011. THE PROBLEM STARTED OFF WITH THE CAR STALLING WHEN I CAME TO A STOP THEN, IT PROGRESSIVELY BECAME WORSE WHERE THE CAR STALLS WHILE DRIVING. THE CAR HAS HAD THE CANISTER ASSEMBLY REPLACED MANY TIMES AND THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. I DO HAVE COPIES OF ALL OF THE WORK ORDERS. THIS IS A LIST OF THE EVENTS: 1. 12/01/2007 FOR STALLING. THIS VISIT THEY CLAIMED THAT IT WAS A "HARD START" AND REPLACED THE BATTERY. 2. 05/09/2008 FOR STALLING. REPLACED SENSOR ASSY-AIR FLOW 3. …

Owner-reported narrative. 18,049 miles reported. Look up ODI 10441743 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10915933 · 2016-10-13 (October 13, 2016)

AIR BAG LIGHT ON / EMMISIONS AIR BAG ALL SENORS WERE SWAPPED AND NOW I'M BEING TOLD THE CUSHION SHOULD BE REPLACED SINCE THE SENSOR SWAP DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM. $1500 EMISSIONS/ PUMPING GAS FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. GAS PUMP KICKS OUT AFTER 2-3 SECONDS WHEN PUTTING IN GAS. NOW I'M TOLD I NEED TO REPLACE CHARCOAL CANISTER, CANISTER CLOSE VALVE, PURGE CONTROL VALVE, AND VENT VALVE. IF I DON'T I EVENTUALLY WON'T BE ABLE TO PUT GAS IN THE TANK. $1,100 THEY ARE BOTH SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES AND HYUNDAI NEEDS TO BACK UP THEIR PRODUCT. T…

Owner-reported narrative. 114,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10915933 at NHTSA ↗