307 complaints reported

2006 Hyundai Sonata Air Bags

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
307
Crashes
14
Fires
1
Injuries
9

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Sep 2011

THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON MY DASHBOARD HAS BEEN ON FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS NOW. UPON RESEARCH, THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE HYUNDAI SONATAS, ESPECIALLY THE 2006 MODELS. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. THE LIGHT WILL BE ON AND THEN TURN OFF. MONTHS LATER, IT WILL TURN ON AND STAY ON AGAIN.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2011
Aug 2011

IN 2008 I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM HYUNDAI STATING MY CAR WAS BEING RECALLED DUE TO THE AIRBAG SENSOR. THE LETTER STATED ONLY THOSE CARS WHICH HAS THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ARE AFFECTED. AT THE TIME THE AIRBAG LIGHT NEVER CAME ON. IN 2010 THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, AND I HAD THE CAR SERVICED AT A HYUNDAI DEALER, AND THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THE LIGHT WAS ON BECAUSE OF A "BAD BATTERY". NOW A MONTH AGO THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I AGAIN TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY ARE CLAIMING IT IS THE OCS SENSOR IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT THAT IS BAD. I INFORMED THEM OF THE RECALL, BUT THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF MY VEHICLE BEING PART OF THAT RECALL. I HAD CONTACTED HYUNDAI CORPORATE, AND THEY ADVISED ME THAT PARTICULAR CAMPAIGN WAS NO LONGER IN THEIR SYSTEM, SO THEY HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING IF MY CAR WAS PART OF THE RECALL OR NOT. HYUNDAI REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM AS MY CAR IS NOW 5K MILES OUT OF WARRANTY, AND THE DEALERSHIP HAS QUOTED ME OVER $1K TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *KB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Sep 2011
Aug 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE TECHNICIANS STATED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR LOCATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TECHNICIANS ADVISED THAT UNTIL THE REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED, THE AIR BAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IF THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: May 2011
Jul 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN AIR BAG FAILURE AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V161000 (AIR BAGS). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 83,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jul 2011
Jul 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY AND PROGRESSED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE OCCUPANCY SENSOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Oct 2011
Jul 2011

THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS LIT ALL THE TIMES. THE DEALER STATES THAT THIS INACTIVATE THE AIR BAG. THIS IS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. FURTHER RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS IS A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND YEAR. SHOULDN'T THIS PROMPT A RECALL SINCE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE? *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Dec 2010
Jul 2011

2006 HYUNDAI SONATA AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ON INSTRUMENT PANEL IS ON. TOLD BY MECHANIC THE PASSENGER SEAT CUSHION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.. IT WOULD COST US $2,500.00. THIS IS A SAFETY FEATURE, AND I HAVE HEARD AND READ MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE. I FEEL HYUNDAI SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS DUE TO THEIR POOR DESIGN AND THE REPAIR COST IS MORE THAN 10% OF THE COST OF A NEW CAR. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Apr 2011
Jun 2011

NO EVENT BUT MY AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON AND THE PASSENGER BELT LIGHT IS CONTINUOSLY ON WHEN THERE IN NO ONE ON THE SEAT. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Apr 2011
May 2011

OWNED A HYUNDAI SONATA 2006. AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON SINCE 72K MILES. LOCAL DEALER(JOHNSON HYUNDAI) SAID DRIVER SIDE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, WHICH IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY NOR RECALL. THE SAME ISSUE HAPPENED TWICE WITHIN PAST 2 YEARS AND WAS FIXED FOR A WHILE THEN. SINCE SO MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH SERIOUS SAFETY CONSEQUENCE, IT SHOULD BE A RECALL! *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jun 2011
May 2011

WE OWN A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA THAT HAS AN AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ON. OUR DEALER HAS TRIED 3 TIMES UNSUCCESSFULLY TO FIX IT. A MONTH OR TWO AGO OUR ABS AND AIR BAG LIGHTS CAME ON. WE PAID TO HAVE IT FIXED AND A WEEK OR SO LATER THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND WENT BACK OFF A FEW TIMES OVER THE NEXT WEEK. IT THEN STAYED ON SO WE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER. WE WERE TOLD IT WAS THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT CONNECTOR THAT NEEDED REPLACED AGAIN. THEY REPLACED IT AGAIN FREE OF CHARGE AND ABOUT A WEEK LATER IT CAME BACK ON AGAIN. A FEW WEEKS WENT BY AND THE LIGHT REMAINED ON. WE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THE PART WAS DEFECTIVE SO THEY WOULD REPLACE IT AGAIN FREE OF CHARGE. LESS THAN A WEEK WENT BY AND THE LIGHT AGAIN CAME ON. WE HAD IT BACK IN TO THE DEALER TODAY, THE FOURTH TIME FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND NOW THEY SAY IT IS THE SAME PART BUT THIS TIME ITS THE DRIVERS SIDE INSTEAD OF THE PASSENGER SIDE. WE BELIEVE THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM IS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN IN ADJUSTING THE POSITION OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THINKING BACK, EVERY TIME THE LIGHT HAS COME BACK ON IT HAS BEEN ON MY LUNCH HOUR WHEN I DECIDED TO EAT LUNCH IN THE CAR AND I MOVED MY SEAT BACK ALL THE WAY. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE AND CASES WHERE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN A CRASH. HYUNDAI NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND FIX THIS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2011
May 2011

AIRBAG SENSOR UNDER PASSENGER SEAT IS MALFUNCTIONING. AIRBAG WILL NOT DELPOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. *TT

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2011
May 2011

AIRBAG LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF. DEALER HAS FIXED TWO TIMES BUT COMES BACK ON. NOW NO WARRANTY AND IS VERY EXPENSIVE. I CAN PLAY WITH THE WIRES UNDER DRIVER SEAT AND SOMETIMES IT WOULD GO OFF. BUT NOW IT IS JUST STAYING ON, AND CANNOT PASS VA INSPECTION WITH IT ON. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Oct 2009
May 2011

AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON AFTER 65,000 MILES. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: May 2011
Apr 2011

DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON...HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ONLINE OF THIS PROBLEM. SOLUTION IS 300 DOLLAR SEAT BELT LATCH OR 1600 DOLLAR SEAT REPLACEMENT.....THIS IS SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Apr 2011
Apr 2011

I OWN A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA. IT IS 4MOS. AND 4K MILES OVER THE WARRANTY. THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON CONSTANTLY. A WEB SEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS. HYUNDAI REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM UNDER THE WARRANTY OR TO RECALL THE CARS. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. THE COST TO FIX CAN BE AS MUCH AS $1500.00 AS THE ENTIRE SEAT HAS TO BE REPLACED. I CONTACTED HYUNDAI AND THEY REFUSE TO FIX THE CAR. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AS THESE ARE VERY POPULAR CARS. PLEASE HELP. FORCE HYUNDAI TO RECALL THESE CARS. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Dec 2011
Apr 2011

AIR BAG LIGHT ON AND STAY ON. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Mar 2011
Apr 2011

AIR BAG LIGHT HAS COME ON FOR THE THIRD TIME SINCE WE'VE OWNED THE CAR. 1ST BEING AT 30,000 (REPAIRED AT DEALERSHIP UNDER WARRANTY) THEN AT 58,000 (REPAIRED AT DEALERSHIP UNDER WARRANTY) NOW AT 67,000 THE LIGHT HAS COME ON AGAIN AND THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY FOR THIS ISSUE. I UNDERSTAND THAT I NEED TO FILE THE COMPLAINT THROUGH THIS FORUM. I'M UNCLEAR BASED ON THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS I HAVE SEEN ON THIS FORUM AND OTHERS WHY HYUNDAI IS NOT BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS OBVIOUS DEFECT. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Apr 2011
Mar 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE SPORADICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER EIGHTEEN TIMES FOR THE FAILURE WHERE THE CODES WERE CLEARED AND REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE PASSENGER HAVING BAD POSTURE WHEN SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V161000 (AIR BAGS) YET THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,600 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 46,000. UPDATED 4/25/11 *CN UPDATED 1/17/2012 *LN *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Mar 2009
Mar 2011

DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS LIT. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jul 2010
Mar 2011

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE AIR BAG SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED FOR THE PASSENGERS SIDE AIR BAG, EVEN WHEN SOMEONE WAS SITTING IN THE SEAT. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 08V161000 (AIR BAGS), BUT WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Dec 2010
Mar 2011

MY 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA HAS ONLY 33,600 WHEN SUDDENLY THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD CAME ON AND STAYED ON. I WENT THE DEALER WHO TOLD ME THAT HYUNDAI DOESN'T COVER THIS UNDER THEIR EXTENDED WARRANTIES. IN LOOKING UP THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET I FOUND MANY HYUNDAI OWNERS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. I BELIEVE THIS IS NO DOUBT A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH HYUNDAI HAS CHOSEN TO IGNORE AND SHOULD BE MADE TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. IF THE AIR BAG IS MALFUNCTIONING THEN THOSE RIDING IN THE CAR CAN BE SERIOUSLY INJURED DURING AN ACCIDENT. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Mar 2011
Feb 2011

THE DRIVER SIDE "AIRBAG" WARNING LIGHT TURNED ON AND HAS BEEN ON FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS AND THE PASSENGER "AIRBAG" LIGHT IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY EITHER. I AM WORRIED THAT THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING MYSELF OR A PASSENGER. A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THIS CAR YEAR AND MODEL HAVE BEEN REPORTING TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jul 2010
Feb 2011

THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS LIT AT ALL TIMES. THE DEALER STATES THAT THIS INACTIVATES THE AIR BAG. THIS IS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. FURTHER RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS IS A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND YEAR. SHOULDN'T HIS PROMPT A RECALL SINCE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE?

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jul 2010
Feb 2011

2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, I'VE HAD THE DRIVER AIR BAG LIGHT REPAIRED TWICE (UNDER WARRANTY) AND NOW IT'S ON AGAIN IN THE TWO YEARS THAT I'VE HAD THE CAR (PURCHASED IN LATE 2008). I WAS SIMPLY DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. I DON'T SEE HOW HYUNDAI IS ABLE TO SELL A CAR WITH SUCH A FLIMSY AIR BAG SYSTEM. UNFORTUNATELY THE CAR JUST WENT OVER WARRANTY SO IT MAY BE AN EXPENSIVE FIX IF IT'S NOT RELATED TO ONE OF THE PREVIOUS ISSUES THAT CAUSED THE AIR BAG LIGHT TO GO OFF, WHICH THE DEALER WILL FIX FREE OF CHARGE. I'VE HAD A 1993 NISSAN SENTRA WHICH NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAGS (SOLD IN 2008) AND A 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY WHICH IS STILL IN OPERATION WHICH HAS NEVER HAD PROBLEMS. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Dec 2011
Feb 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES TO HAVE THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM REPLACED UNDER NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V161000 (AIR BAGS), BUT THE MANUFACTURER CONTINUOUSLY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN AND WOULD NOT BE REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Feb 2010

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2006 Hyundai Sonata has 307 Air Bags complaints on file. 14 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.