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KLUNK
KLUNK

2006 Hyundai Elantra

The Verdict

63 Solid Pick

The 2006 Hyundai Elantra has 154 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are electrical (82 complaints) and brakes (31 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 63/100, it earns a "Solid Pick" rating. If you're shopping for a Hyundai Elantra, consider the 2025 model year which has 87% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2025 has 87% fewer complaints

View the 2025 Hyundai Elantra dashboard →

63

Klunk Score: Solid Pick

Fewer complaints than most vehicles. Generally dependable, but check the top problems below.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

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Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
2000626615519
2001122251283517
200216233934316
20031072555389
2004308118197
2005311079116
200626318287
20071363070228
200810246618224
20091662463188
201025742922831
20111924210110517
20122147419215230
201350721826125834
201481584417411
2015764327989
2016102104111715
2017315398929323
2018729301549
2019325731284
20205294110631
202168830164
202254617105
202337623204
20242421781
2025141230

By Category

Electrical
82
Brakes
31
Body
26
Engine
8
Transmission
7

By Severity

1
56
2
66
3
4
4
28

Worst Problems

Compare Against

See how the 2006 Hyundai Elantra stacks up against rivals.

Complaints

Electrical 4

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.

60mo ago
Body 2

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.

63mo ago
Body 2

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.

63mo ago
Electrical 2

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

69mo ago
Brakes 2

MY BRAKE LIGHTS ARE STUCK ON BUT MY FUSES ARE NOT BLOWN.

70mo ago
Electrical 1

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.

78mo ago
Brakes 2

AIR BAG LIGHT ON BRAKE LIGHTS STAY ON AFTER CAR OFF AND FOOT NOT PUSHING THEM ON

81mo ago
Electrical 3

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.

82mo ago
Electrical 2

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE POLICE INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE INOPERABLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS SIMILAR TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V280000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,676.

84mo ago
Electrical 4

I REAR-ENDED SOMEONE AT AROUND 30-35 MPH. THE VEHICLE I HIT WAS STATIONARY. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY BUT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS LEFT ON. NO ONE WAS INJURED.

88mo ago
Brakes 1

MY 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE STOPPED FUNCTIONING ALL OF A SUDDEN. I REPLACED BOTH BULBS AND NOTHING CHANGED. THERE IS A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS MODEL VEHICLE FOR A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH MALFUNCTION AND DESCRIBES IN DETAIL THE EXACT PROBLEM WITH MY CAR BUT MY VIN DOES NOT APPEAR TO QUALIFY FOR THIS CAMPAIGN.

92mo ago
Electrical 2

THE CAR AIRBAG LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY COMES ON. IT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE RELATED TO ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR. A MECHANIC READ CODE B1448 FOR A DEFECTIVE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR. IT SEEMS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH HYUNDAI'S AND THE ACCENT'S WERE RECALLED BUT NOT THE ELANTRA. I SUSPECT THE SAME OR SIMILAR PROBLEM IS HAPPENING WITH THE 2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA OCCUPANT SENSOR.

93mo ago
Electrical 1

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, WHICH WAS A SAFETY CONCERN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000.

95mo ago
Electrical 1

PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT IN THE CENTER HAS NEVER WORKED PROPERLY SINCE I'VE GOTTEN THE CAR, THE LIGHT NEVER USED TO GO OFF WHEN AN ADULT WAS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WHICH MEANS THE AIRBAGS WERE DISABLED. NOW THE DASHBOARD AIRBAG LIGHT HAS BEEN ILLUMINATED CONSTANTLY FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS AND DOES NOT EVER GO OFF, MEANING ALL AIRBAGS ARE DISABLED. IT CAME ON UPON STARTING UP MY VEHICLE AND HAS NOT GONE OFF SINCE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR, BUT IS NOT REPORTED PROPERLY VIA NHTSA, INSTEAD MANY COMPLAINTS ARE MADE VIA FORUMS. ALSO, WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT AND MY HEADLIGHTS ARE ON, TURNING THE WHEEL AND USING THE BLINKER CAUSES ALL DASH LIGHTS AS WELL AS MY HEADLIGHTS AND BRAKE LIGHTS TO FLICKER BRIEFLY. REAR WINDOWS ARE NOT ABLE TO BE ROLLED DOWN VIA THE MAIN CONTROL ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE, ONLY CAN BE ROLLED UP.

95mo ago
Electrical 1

THIS SAFETY COMPLAINT HAS TO DO WITH THE B1448 OC SENSOR MAT DEFECT, I HAVE AN AIR BAG LIGHT ON AND HAVE USED A SCAN TOOL AND GOT THE CODE FOR THE B1448 OC SENSOR MAT DEFECT. THIS ISSUE WAS GIVEN A RECALL FOR THE HYUNDAI SONATA BUT I HAVE A HYUNDAI ELANTRA AND THERE IS NO RECALL BUT MY CAR FACES THE SAME ISSUE. I'VE READ THAT DEALERS TRY TO CHARGE AS MUCH AS $1,000 TO FIX THIS ISSUE.

95mo ago
Electrical 1

AIRBAG LIGHT ON DASH ILLUMINATED FOR 10+ YEARS, WILL NOT SHUT OFF. PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF LIGHT IN CENTER CONSOLE WILL NOT ILLUMINATE REGARDLESS OF EVEN WHEN A SMALL STATURED PASSENGER IS PRESENT OR THERE IS NO PASSENGER AT ALL.

99mo ago
Brakes 2

MY PASSENGER OCCUPANCY SENSOR NO LONGER DETECTS THE PRESENCE OF A PASSENGER, SO MY PASSENGER AIRBAG IS ALWAYS ON, WHEN THE SEAT IS BOTH OCCUPIED OR UNOCCUPIED. ALSO, MY BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH NO LONGER WORKS, SO MY BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT TURN ON WHEN I DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL. BOTH OF THESE ISSUES OCCUR INCESSANTLY.

102mo ago
Brakes 1

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EXTERIOR BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED EVEN WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NOT DEPRESSED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. UPON CONDUCTING RESEARCH, THE CONTACT WAS MADE AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V113000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, EXTERIOR LIGHTING) AS A POSSIBLE EXPLANATION FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 118,000.

109mo ago
Brakes 2

ANNUAL SAFETY CHECK TODAY REVEALED ALL OF THE BREAK LIGHTING WAS NOT WORKING ON OUR 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. CHECKED FUSE AND BULB AND ALL ARE WORKING. SEARCHED THIS WEBSITE AND FOUND RECALLS FOR MANY MODELS AND YEARS OF HYUNDAI, BUT NOT THIS PARTICULAR YEAR AND MODEL. I NOTICED ALSO THAT THE LEFT AND RIGHT TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS WOULD OPERATE WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. THESE ISSUES WERE RESOLVED WITH THE INSTALATION OF A NEW SWITCH

110mo ago
Brakes 2

MY CAR HAS HAD ENGINE LIGHTS GO ON AND OFF FOR YEARS ON THEIR OWN, WINDOWS THAT YOU USE ONE SWITCH FOR THAT MAKE A DIFFERENT WINDOW GO DOWN AND THEN SOMETIMES THEY DON'T GO UP, MY BRAKES HAVEN'T RELEASED THE CRUISE CONTROL AT TIMES AND NOW MY PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT WON'T GO OFF SO I CAN'T PASS INSPECTION. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING I HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH AND WANT IT FIXED, IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE

111mo ago

154 total

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