2006 Hyundai Elantra
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Air bags is the leading concern among 155 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 20th highest complaint count among 26 Elantra model years with reports.
Of the 2006 reports, 28 involved a crash. 23 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Exterior lightingJul 21, 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 THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE SHIFT OUT OF THE "PARK" POSITION. IT MAY ALSO CAUSE THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) MALFUNCTION LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE, AND IT MAY NOT DEACTIVATE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED.
ANY OF THESE MALFUNCTIONS COULD LEAD TO A CRASH.
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.
Campaign 09V280000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: exterior lighting
38 reports, newest first. Show all
Exterior lighting, Jun 28, 2012
MY BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD NOT COME ON. I TOOK IT TO MY INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. HE SAID WHEN HE LOOKED UP MY VIN, IT SHOWED A RECALL ON THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING FOR MY CAR. I CALLED THE DEALER FROM THERE AND THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T SHOW A RECALL. TODAY I CONTACTED THE DEALER'S SERVICE MANAGER AND AFTER LOOKING INTO IT AND CALLING HYUNDAI, HE AGREED AND SAID THAT THIS RECALL WAS ONLY FOR HYUNDAI'S IN PUERTO RICO AND THAT THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING. SO, WHY WHEN I PULL UP MY VIN ANYWHERE, IT SHOWS THIS RECALL IF IT DOESN'T APPLY TO MY CAR? *TR
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Nov 16, 2011
BRAKE LIGHTS FAIL TO ILLUMINATE WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. DEALERSHIP SAYS IT IS NOT PART OF RECALL 09V28000 BUT IT IS THE SAME ISSUE. HOW DOES THIS NOT FIT THE RECALL???? *TR
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Air bags, Nov 3, 2011
PROBABLE FIRE HAZARD: PROBLEM WITH FREQUENT BURNING OUT OF FUSES TO CIGARETTE LIGHTER (CHARGER), SOME DASH LIGHTS (BACK LIGHT FOR DIGITAL RADIO CHANNEL INDICATOR) EITHER NO LONGER WORK OR COME OFF AND ON (ASH TRAY LIGHT), AC AND FAN KNOBS--USED TO HAVE TO TAP ON THEM TO GET THEM TO LIGHT, ACTED ALMOST LIKE A DIMMER SWITCH, SOMETIMES HAD TO TAP SEVERAL TIMES TO GET TO TURN ON, AND SOMETIMES KNOB BACK LIGHTING ON, BUT DIM, AND HAD TO TAP TO GET FULL POWER TO BULBS, CD PLAYER OVERHEATING AND STOPPED WORKING--GIVES ERROR MESSAGE, (HAD SIMILAR CD PLAYER OVERHEATING WITH A 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER I OWNED IN EARLY TO MID-2000S, BUT CD PLAYER CONTINUED TO WORK--ELANTRA DOES NOT WORK MORE THAN A FEW SECONDS BEFORE EJECTING CD.) HEADLIGHTS BURNING OUT TOO FREQUENTLY (INCLUDING LAST TIME, WHEN HEADLIGHT REMOVED ON PASSENGER SIDE, LIGHT WENT OUT ON DRIVER'S SIDE AS WELL.) HEADLIGHT HAD SHORT AND WOULD COME BACK ON WHEN I BANGED ON LENS WITH FIST FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, BECAME MORE AND MORE FREQUENT UNTIL IF FINALLY BURNED OUT. CONCERNED OF RISK OF ELECTRICAL FIRE AS ENGINE AREA BECOMES HOT. NOTE THAT CLEAR-COAT ON HOOD OVER EACH HEADLIGHT AREA AND OVER FUSE RELAY BOX AREA BECAME YELLOW, THEN BRITTLE, PEELING OFF IN PAST 6 MONTHS. PURCHASED VEHICLE IN JULY 2008 OR 2009? BELIEVE IT HAD ABOUT 63,000 MILES ON IT THEN--CURRENTLY 138,000 MILES. AIRBAG LIGHT SAYS OFF WHEN 200 LB. HUSBAND SEATED ON PASSENGER SIDE ON OCCASION RECENTLY NOTICED IN LAST YEAR. *TR
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Sep 26, 2011
MY 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA MANUFACTURED IN KOREA IN DECEMBER 2005 FALLS OUTSIDE THE HYUNDAI RECALLS FOR DEFECTIVE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCHES (IT IS NOT A PUERTO RICAN-MADE 2006, OR A 2007+ ELANTRA COVERED BY RECALLS), BUT USES THE SAME DEFECTIVE PART # (93810-3K000) UNDER RECALL, AS DETAILED IN TSB 09-01-018. MY CAR'S BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO WORK, GIVING ONLY 0.5V TO THE BULB SOCKETS WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. I TESTED THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, AND IT FAILED TO GIVE CONTINUITY BETWEEN ANY OF ITS 4 CONTACTS IN OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION. *TR
Exterior lighting, Aug 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
Exterior lighting, Jul 26, 2011
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, SHE NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATING WHILE THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND THE CONTACT HAD ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL SO SHE COULD CONFIRM THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATING. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000.
Exterior lighting, Jun 20, 2011
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE STOP LAMP SWITCH WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V280000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 63,800.
Exterior lighting, Jun 6, 2011
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V280000 , I OWN A 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA AND THE BRAKE SWITCH THAT CONTROLS THE BRAKE LIGHTS WENT OUT AND MY CAR WAS NOT ONE OF THE ONES ON THE RECALL. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF A LOT OF OTHER ELANTRA OWNS THAT WERE NOT ON THE LIST FOR THE RECALL HAD THIS HAPPENING AND IF THEY MAY NEED TO EXPAND THE RECALL LIST. *TR
Exterior lighting, May 24, 2011
ON A FRIDAY ALL OF THE BRAKING LIGHTING QUIT WORKING ON OUR 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. CHECKED FUSE AND BULB AND ALL ARE WORKING. SEARCHED THIS WEBSITE AND FOUND A RECALL FOR 2006 ELANTRA FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM. THE ISSUE IS A SAFETY SWITCH AND IT SAYS IT WILL BE FIXED FREE OF CHARGE PER THE RECALL. DROVE THE CAR 55 MILES WITHOUT BRAKE LIGHTS TO THE DEALERSHIP IN MISSOULA MONTANA. MISSOULA NISSAN/HYUNDAI WHERE WE HAVE PURCHASED TWO HYUNDAI'S. DEALER REFUSED TO HONOR RECALL BY FIRST SAYING IT WAS CAR SPECIFIC AND SECOND BY SAYING IT DID NOT APPLY TO 2006 MODELS. THE RECALL NUMBER FROM THIS SITE IS 09V280000. *TR
Exterior lighting, Vehicle speed control, Mar 16, 2011
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED. THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED BUT THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT DEACTIVATE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP ONCE THE CRUISE CONTROL BUTTON WAS ENGAGED. IN ADDITION, THE EXTERIOR BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE RECALL REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V280000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) YET THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING AND CRUISE CONTROL FAILURES RECURRED WITHIN A YEAR. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ONCE FOR THE FAILURE UNDER THE RECALL, ANY FURTHER REPAIRS WOULD BE AT HER EXPENSE. THE CONTACT STATED SHE WAS UNAWARE THE REPAIRS THAT WERE PERFORMED WHERE FOR A RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.
Exterior lighting, Jul 19, 2010
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS DRIVING BEHIND A VEHICLE WHEN SHE NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. SHE REPLACED THE BULBS FOR THE BRAKE LIGHTS BUT THEY FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT ALL OF THE FUSES WERE WORKING PROPERLY. AN AUTHORIZED DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HER VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V280000, EXTERIOR LIGHTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 100,000.
Exterior lighting, Mar 11, 2010
TOTAL BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE, INCLUDING HIGH MOUNTED STOP LIGHT. *TR
Exterior lighting, Mar 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