2006 Hyundai Sonata Air bags Problems
- Complaints
- 435about this part
- Share
- 42%of 1,047 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 70,000miles
- Trend
- FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 435 complaints about the air bags of the 2006 Hyundai Sonata, 42% of the 1,047 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 70,000 miles. 19 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Takata recall 1)when the engine was in motion on a city street in a speed of 25 MPH or lower whole body is shaking and vibrating like pulling up and down continuously. 2)in motion sometimes engine is doing some different kind of nice and it loses electronic stability control. 3) and my air bag light is always on. 4) overall my car is giving so less mileage than expected by you .”
NHTSA complaint #11240748, filed 2019-07, 176,000 miles“Air bag lights are on, the daealer say there is no recallon the air bag for my car. At one point I recieved a notice but dont remember taking it to the dealer due to my being out of town than in. The light stay on all the time while the ignitionis on. Not the passenger but the driver side.”
NHTSA complaint #11245547, filed 2019-08, 144,000 miles“The airbag light on the dashboard stays on and the passenger continuously blinks. I happened to click/engage the seat belt (with no one in the seat) and the passenger light goes off but the airbag light on dashboard stays on. I do not know the exact date this started happening because my daughter drives it and she's going to colorado college in colorado springs. But today's date is 6/5/2017”
NHTSA complaint #10993176, filed 2017-06, 81,000 miles“The ESC off started just lighting up out of no where then staying on till I restarted the vehicle now the air bag light is staying on after I start the vehicle what could be causing this to be happening? Also it the ESC happens while in motion and the airbag happened with car was stationary.”
NHTSA complaint #11033419, filed 2017-10, 228,000 miles“1 week ago I purchased via private sale a 2006 Hyundai Sonata. The airbag light came on the next day. I took to garage for required annual inspection and failed because the airbag light is on. I find it quite impossible to be charged the enormous fee from a dealer to correct this issue. Then I found out it had been recalled in the past for this issue and now Hyundai is no longer honoring the free fix. What can you do for me?”
NHTSA complaint #11062043, filed 2018-01, 171,000 milesRelated recalls
- 08V161000Apr 10, 2008Hyundai is recalling 393,308 my 2006-2008 sonata vehicles equipped with an advanced air bag system which features an occupant classification system (ocs) in…Covers: Hyundai Sonata 2006–2008
Related service bulletins
- 11032523Apr 10, 2026The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province…
- 11032522Apr 10, 2026The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by…
- 10025122May 1, 2008Occupation classification system (ocs) "passenger air bag off" indicator light may not turn off when small stature adults are seated in the right front passenger seat…
Air bags: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 6% |
| 2023 | 1 | 1% |
| 2021 | 4 | 3% |
| 2020 | 7 | 4% |
| 2019 | 9 | 6% |
| 2018 | 4 | 1% |
| 2017 | 22 | 3% |
| 2016 | 21 | 3% |
| 2015 | 25 | 2% |
| 2014 | 31 | 4% |
| 2013 | 104 | 5% |
| 2012 | 170 | 11% |
| 2011 | 419 | 12% |
| 2010 | 20 | 6% |
| 2009 | 30 | 7% |
| 2008 | 137 | 32% |
| 2007 | 257 | 37% |
| 2006 | 435 | 42% |
| 2005 | 55 | 33% |
| 2004 | 46 | 23% |
| 2003 | 43 | 22% |
| 2002 | 51 | 16% |
| 2001 | 47 | 23% |
| 2000 | 43 | 16% |
| 1999 | 31 | 25% |
| 1998 | 6 | 12% |
| 1997 | 8 | 16% |
| 1996 | 3 | 13% |
| 1995 | 15 | 23% |
| 1991 | 1 | 3% |
Other parts of the 2006 Hyundai Sonata
186 complaintsSeat belts
102 complaintsElectrical system
86 complaintsSuspension
86 complaintsBrakes
85 complaintsElectronic stability control
59 complaintsExterior lighting
45 complaintsEngine
44 complaintsBody and structure
44 complaintsVehicle speed control
39 complaintsSteering
35 complaintsOther or unknown
32 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2006 Hyundai Sonata
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Nov 1, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology