AI Damage2006 Hyundai Accent: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Hyundai Accent filed 43 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and visibility. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 43
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 53% of all complaints
- 2 Visibility 26% of all complaints
- 3 Exterior lighting 7% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 2% of all complaints
- 7 Equipment 2% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel/propulsion system 2% of all complaints
- Air bags: 23 complaints (53% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Visibility: 11 complaints (26% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 3 complaints (7% of all).
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (7% of all).
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (5% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.6 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speednamed in 1 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 43 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 23 | 2 | 0 |
| Visibility | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The fontal airbags did not deploy and he later died at hospital of severe abdomial trauma , ribs puncturig both lungs. As a father how can I know if the first impact was strong enough to make the airbags deploy and if there have been recalls for problems concerning airbag deployment failure.
Both frontal air bags failed to deploy. The service dealer was sent to tow the vehicle to the dealership. No injuries were sustained as seatbelts were worn and a police report was taken. Photos were taken of the vehicle and the manufacturer was notified.
Airbag light is on. Hyundai issued an extended warranty for the occupant classification system. The dealer will not determine the cause of the issue without a diagnostic fee. This is a safety issue and should be a recall so the dealer will inspect and assist.
Sun visors break off at the connection point and and then flop down blocking your view of the road. This is from just normal use. The drivers side visor broke last year. I had it uninstalled because a new one, ( with same defective plastic connection ), costs $150.. Plus installation.
The driver and passenger sun visors on the 2006 accent will no longer stay in the upright position. The visors now hang loosely and limit visibility when driving, the swinging back and forth while accelerating and braking can be distracting and is unsafe.
The brake/stop lamp switch has failed again. The switch was replaced in 2009 under the first recall issued for this problem. Another recall occurred in april of 2013, for select 2006 hyundai accents. Mine was not covered in this second recall.
Turning it's position to the left towards the driver side window helps my forward view, but blocks my left side view completely unless I hunch down. There is no neutral position to move this visor to until I can get it fixed, which is causing a serious driving hazard.
I have a 2006 hyundai accent. The brake light switch has gone out on my vehicle. This is actually the 2nd time this has happened. It went out the first time in the 2007 or 2008 time frame. I had it replace under warranty. About a week ago the brake light switch went out again.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 5,758 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 16% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Accent has 66 complaints (31 years in the data). This year has 43, below average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
- Accent 1995142 sources
- Accent 1996101 sources
- Accent 199755 sources
- Accent 199847 sources
- Accent 199961 sources
- Accent 200092 sources
- Accent 2001112 sources
- Accent 2002134 sources
- Accent 200337 sources
- Accent 200433 sources
- Accent 200549 sources
- Accent 200788 sources
- Accent 2008101 sources
- Accent 2009101 sources
- Accent 201087 sources
- Accent 201138 sources
- Accent 2012153 sources
- Accent 2013142 sources
- Accent 201479 sources
- Accent 201570 sources
- Accent 2016168 sources
- Accent 2017128 sources
- Accent 201886 sources
- Accent 2019100 sources
- Accent 202081 sources
- Accent 202167 sources
- Accent 202255 sources
- Accent 99996 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Hyundai Accent?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, visibility, exterior lighting. Total complaints: 43. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbag warning light (30%), warning lights, check engine (14%), seat belts (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Hyundai Accent?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2006 Hyundai Accent from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2006 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.