2006 Hyundai Azera Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2006 Azera most often write about warning lights that come on and stay on, particularly air bag and seat belt lights, and about headlights that dim, flicker, or light the road poorly. Many of these reports come from low-mileage cars and were followed by repeat dealer visits without a clear fix; suspension and subframe corrosion reports tend to appear on much higher-mileage vehicles.

1. 1
   Exterior lighting

   Headlights dim, flicker, or light the road poorly

   • 45 complaints (24%)
   • median 25,000 mi at 2.9 yrs old (39 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2019

   Complaints describe low beams that dim or briefly drop out at night, sometimes when the throttle is released or the brake is applied, and a dark area close in front of the car that limits how far the road is lit. Owners report dealers re-aiming or replacing bulbs without resolving it, and some were told the behavior was normal. Often reported at low mileage, many under 45,000 miles, and frequently at night or in dim conditions.

   Recall 09V2800003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive the car after dark and watch whether the low beams dim or drop when you lift off the throttle or brake; ask whether the stop lamp switch campaign (09V280000) was done and whether headlamp condensation has been addressed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have been disappointed with my Azera's headlights on low beam since it was new! I mentioned it to my dealer's service writer some time after I noticed many other owners were complaining about the sudden black area very close to the front of the car! He seemed ignorant of the complaint. I have since tried to get home before dark as my home is on a winding part of hwy 101 on the olympic peninsula in washington. The headlight fixture definitely should be replaced!”

   NHTSA complaint #10452033, filed 2012-03, 1,500 miles

   “I have had a problem with the headlights dimming on my 2006 Hyundai Azera. This happens at night when you let your foot off of the accelerator. The rpms drop to below 1,000 for a second, and then they rebound to normal on the tachometer. You think that the motor is going to stop, but it doesn't. This decrease in motor revolutions per minute causes a drop in the electricity being produced by the alternator, which causes the lights to dim. The car is about 4 years old and has been doing this for the last 2 years. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10300255, filed 2010-01, 40,000 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Air bag or SRS warning light stays on

   • 48 complaints (26%)
   • median 49,626 mi at 6.9 yrs old (40 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $600 (median of 7 quotes)
   • filed 2006–2023

   Owners describe the air bag or SRS light coming on and staying illuminated, sometimes along with an "airbag off" indicator on the passenger side even with someone seated there. Complaints describe repeat dealer visits where the seat belt tension sensor, seat occupant sensors, or the control unit were blamed, and in several cases the light returned after repairs. Some owners say the dealer found no fault or could not duplicate the condition. Reported across a wide mileage range, from a few thousand miles to over 150,000, with many under 60,000.

   Recall 09V497000Recall 10V007000Recall 18V0260002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Turn the key to on and confirm the air bag light goes out after the self-check; ask whether the seat belt tension sensor recalls (09V497000/10V007000) were completed and whether any occupant sensor work was done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I went to jim ellis (Hyundai) with passenger airbag off showing up intermittently when passenger is seated.when I got the car back and looked the next day that warning was there and also a red indicator was now showing in the dash.on 5/7/14 I went back and then was told there is no passenger airbag problem it is a driver airbag problem. I cannot accept that unless the car's indicator is wrong. Furthermore I pointed out to them about a recall for an ocs problem. They said there is no recall outstanding for this model that was fixed since 2010. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10592740, filed 2014-05, 63,271 miles

   “Airbag light came on while driving. Dealer said that the airbag seat pods under the seats were shorted and that the entire pods would need replacing - cost $1,627. I was driving a long distance without airbag protection on a long trip.”

   NHTSA complaint #10579738, filed 2014-04, 51,253 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Electrical faults: lights and dash cut out, stalling

   Mentioned in 7 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe instrument panel and interior lights, headlights, and the radio cutting in and out, occasionally with the engine stalling or losing power and then restarting after a wait. Complaints mention alternator, relay, and sensor replacements, and shops sometimes could not identify the cause. Reported from a few thousand miles up to roughly 170,000, with many reports between 60,000 and 110,000.

   Recall 18V0260004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the battery and charging system, look for prior alternator or relay replacements, and ask whether the ABS module recall (18V026000) was performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On september 6, 2012 I bought a used 2006 Hyundai Azera from sutton ford, lincoln, kia dealer. I had the car for 3 days and noticed that the lights would dim on the car as well as the lights on the dash board to include the radio going off the air and coming back on whenever I had to apply the brakes. On streets that are not well lighted the visibility was very very poor. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10483758, filed 2012-11, 63,000 miles

   “While driving the car at various speeds the ESC light will come on and the dash will read ESC off and the car will not function;looses all power. No steering control, no radio, no lights, no brakes, the car looses all functioning ability. I have to pull off the road, turn the switch off, wait 5 to 10 minutes and then the car will start and run until it happens again. No pattern to this problem. This car has had multiple electrical problems since we purchased it in 2008. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10463318, filed 2012-06, 108,500 miles
4. 4
   Suspension

   Rear suspension or subframe corrosion; wheel tilts or

   • 11 complaints (6%)
   • median 148,000 mi at 14.5 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2011–2024

   Complaints describe the rear of the car swaying or stepping sideways over bumps, and in more severe cases a rear wheel tilting inward or collapsing after the rear crossmember or subframe corroded through. Owners report the rear springs or control arms detaching, and some say a recall remedy (a corrosion-preventive coating) had already been applied before the failure. Mostly reported on higher-mileage cars, roughly 115,000 to 195,000 miles, often in states that use road salt.

   Recall 13V3540001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Have the rear subframe and control arms inspected for rust on a lift, especially on cars from salt-belt states, and confirm whether the 13V354000 corrosion recall was performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My cars driver side back wheel inverted after I made a turn, on to dixie hwy. I had my car looked at by afford auto repair. They informed me that my control arms had corroded, and broke throught the under carriage.. The had seen it before with my model and sonata and that ist had a recall. I had my car towed to kerry Hyundai in florence, y 41042. Hyundai called back to deny the recall based on the mileage on my vehicle.I have searched for an answere because the recall im referring to doesn't speak about mileage. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11142293, filed 2018-10, 200,000 miles

   “Driving vehicle approximately 30 MPH when left rear wheel assembly separated from rear cross member suspension causing the vehicle to sway out of control. Vehicle came to a stop with left rear wheel at a 25 degree angle. Safety recall identified by dealer...”

   NHTSA complaint #10566322, filed 2014-02, 140,682 miles
5. 5
   Seat belts

   Seat belt warning light or front belt sensor faults

   • 20 complaints (11%)
   • median 76,000 mi at 7.3 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2008–2023

   Owners report the front passenger seat belt warning light or SRS light staying on, with dealers pointing to the front seat belt tension sensor or buckle assembly. Some complaints note the car was not covered by the seat belt harness recall covering the same components, and that repairs did not clear the light. Reported between roughly 39,000 and 145,000 miles.

   Recall 09V497000Recall 10V007000

   What to check: Buckle and unbuckle both front belts and confirm the warning light behaves correctly; ask whether the front seat belt tension sensor recall work was completed and whether the belt has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2006 Hyundai Azera. The contact stated that that the front passenger seat belt warning light was illuminated. After calling the dealer, the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number: 09v497000 (seat belts:front). The vehicle was not serviced. The current and failure mileages were 74,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #10456598, filed 2012-04, 74,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2006 Hyundai Azera. The contact stated that the seat belt sensor failed and caused the driver's side front air bag light to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times for the air bag failure. The dealer replaced the seat belt sensor; however the failure was not corrected. The air bag warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired the approximate failure mileage was 39,198 and the current mileage was 73,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #10520606, filed 2013-06, 39,198 miles

Buying note. On this model year, prioritize a pre-purchase inspection that includes the rear subframe and control arms for corrosion, and a check of the air bag and seat belt warning lights and headlamp performance. Confirm which of the listed recalls have actually been completed on the specific car.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.