AI Damage2006 Hyundai Azera: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Hyundai Azera filed 188 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and exterior lighting. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 188
- involving a crash
- 9
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 30% of all complaints
- 2 Exterior lighting 25% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 18% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 13% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 11% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- 7 Seats 6% of all complaints
- 8 Engine 5% of all complaints
- Air bags: 57 complaints (30% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Exterior lighting: 47 complaints (25% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 33 complaints (18% of all).
- Seat belts: 25 complaints (13% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 20 complaints (11% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.8 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 188 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 | 57 | 6 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 47 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 25 | 2 | 0 |
| Suspension | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Seats | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Structure | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 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.
When my air bag light kept coming on three years ago, I was finally told it was the driver side seat belt tension sensor, which was not covered by a recall, only the passenger side had the recall, so I spent over $600 to have it fixed, and the error light went out.
The seat belt was tithing across the contact's chest causing her to bleed. The contact required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow lot. The vehicle was destroyed. In addition, the air bags failed to deploy. The manufacturer was notified of the failure.
Airbag did not deplore until after the car fully stopped but the seat belt on the drivers side tighten continuously until I got a bleed injury inside my right breast the righting stopped only after I was abke to release it then afterwards the airbag deplored only in the drivers side no other airbags came out during…
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 hyundai azera limited. The contact was driving 10 mph when his foot was applied to the brakes and the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated forward. The failure caused the vehicle to crash into four parked vehicles. The vehicle was not destroyed, and was towed to the dealer.
While driving 35 mph on a dark road, the driver was unable to see a deer in the road because the headlights were shining only 20 feet ahead. As a result, the deer was struck by the vehicle. The driver was uninjured and the vehicle was not damaged. The vehicle was driven to the driver's residence.
As I pulled my 8 month old hyundai azera out of a parking lot, the cast iron housing holding the upper end of the passenger side tie rod failed, causing the tie rod to fall to the ground. The lower end was still in place but the upper end was on the ground, bolt and carter pin intact .
The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the sub frame had severe corrosion, causing the rear control arm to detach. The contact was informed that the sub frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired.
The vehicle has a random, chronic no start issue. Everything appears to be working normally, and you will turn the key with no crank. All the dashboard lights work, everything is as normal except it wont turn over. The dealer will not help.
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 2,164 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 6% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Azera has 59 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 188, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Hyundai Azera?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, exterior lighting, electrical system. Total complaints: 188. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (26%), airbag warning light (21%), warning lights, check engine (20%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Hyundai Azera?
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 Azera 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.