The contact owns a 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the exhaust muffler detached and fell off the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with fuel tank failure. The contact was informed that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that upon arriving at the dealer, the dealer noticed fuel leaking underneath the vehicle. The contact was informed that the exhaust muffler had detached because of the fuel tank failure. The contact was initially informed that the repair was covered under an extended warranty. The contact was later informed that the repair was not covered under the extended warranty. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the federal safety agency Hotline to report the safety failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The worst 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags28
- Acceleration20
- Brakes17
- Suspension13
- Electrical10
- Fuel system9
- Lights9
- Engine8
- Seat belts5
- Transmission5
- Steering4
- Body3
- Visibility2
- Driver assistance1
- Seats1
- Tires1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe
Airbag light 19Coil spring 10Sudden acceleration 8ABS 6
Trouble codes owners of the 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe mention
B1448 2
Recalls 1
Suspension: front: springs: coil springs
- What is wrong
- Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model Year 2001-2006 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured from March 31, 2000, through February 15, 2006, that are registered and operated, or which were originally sold and registered, in the following 20 salt belt" states and the District of Columbia: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The affected vehicles may experience front coil spring corrosion from road salt, causing the coil spring to fracture and make contact with the tire.
- Risk
- If the front coil spring fractures due to corrosion it could cause the coil spring to make contact with the tire, possibly puncturing the tire and increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the coil spring, free of charge. The recall began on October 24, 2014. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1‑800‑633‑5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 124.
Recall number 14V435000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe 50
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Higher-than-expected engine oil consumption
- Higher-than-expected engine oil consumption
- The federal safety agency has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit...
- The federal safety agency has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag...
- This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the...
- This bulletin contains information about the proper removal of the windshield wiper blade protective cover...
- This bulletin provides important checkpoint guidelines when performing engine oil and filter change services.
- Hyundai applies a Paint Protection Film (PPF) on new vehicles before delivery to dealerships
- Follow the guidelines outlined in
- Effective June 2, 2008, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 110 (FMVSS 110) established a threshold for...
2006 Hyundai Santa Fe fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4‑cyl | FWD | 18 | 24-25 | 20 |
| 2.7L 6‑cyl | FWD | 17 | 23 | 19 |
| 3.5L 6‑cyl | FWD | 16 | 22 | 18 |
| 2.7L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 16 | 21 | 18 |
| 3.5L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 15 | 21 | 17 |
What 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I was driving my 2006 Subaru forester vin #[XXX] around 5 PM. I was waiting in an offramp lane to make a left turn, behind numerous cars. Suddenly, a car pulled up next to me and told me to pull over because my car was on fire. I pulled over to the shoulder and as I did so the car lost power. I looked back once I got out of the car and sure enough if it was on fire. I have no idea how this happened. I want it investigated. The car is currently at a tow yard and available for inspection. I do have pictures and video of the car fire as well as video from when the fire department put it out. I also have witnesses names and numbers. About 23 days prior, I had noticed a lack of power when climbing hills. I took it into firestone and they told me that there was a third cylinder issue, but that it wasn’t dangerous. He assured me it was not. Clearly that was not the case. This car, your vehicle, could’ve killed me. If you have any additional questions feel free to contact me at [XXX] . Thanks. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the air bags warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but it was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the manufacturer stated the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The failure mileage was 264,000.
got in a roll over accident where the air bags did not deploy and caused serious injuries.
Gas tank rusted and started leak in June of 2000. Minor at first then worse. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, LUCKILY NEW CAUGHT FIRE OR EXPLODED. MANUFACTURER DID NOT NOTIFY US OF EXTENED WARRANTY,
The contact owns a 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 mph when the vehicle began to accelerate without the accelerator pedal being depressed. The contact was able to pull over and noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 143,000.
The contact owns a 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, there was an abnormal fuel odor inside and outside the vehicle. The contact discovered that there was fuel leaking underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the fuel tank was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 118,000.
Dashboard red airbag stay on all the time.
On march 4, 2020, heading home at night on a curvy mountain road my car (2006 hyundai santa fe) suddenly jerked, started to accelerate to over 80 miles hour. At the same time half of the panel light behind part of the RPM's and half behind the MPH went out; the rest of the panel was still lit up; I was heading down the curvy road accelerating heading quickly towards an 18 wheeler when I tried to brake, my brake pedal would not move and my car kept accelerating (I was not stepping on the gas pedal). I quickly dropped my car into low gear and maneuvered around the 18-wheeler and trying the brakes, the emergency brakes, and as quickly as it started up, it stopped, and my car started to drive normal (except the panel lights). On my way home (march 5th), it happened again while driving down the curvy mountain road at night! As I begin descending the curvy road (driving 40mph in the right lane), my car suddenly began accelerating again up to 90mph! There were not as many people on the road, so I was able to maneuver it by dropping down into low gear and as I began ascending the mountain road, the unintended acceleration stopped, and the car drove normal. Each incident lasted about 5 minutes. On march 6, 2020, I took my car to the mechanic and ran a diagnostic and did not find a cause. He told me to call the hyundai dealership to see if there were any recalls. The dealership informed me to contact hyundai headquarters, which I did. I reported my issue and made a claim on march 6, 2020. I was told to take my car to capital hyundai dealership and hyundai headquarters would send a forensic engineer out to investigate the issue. They told me to not drive my car and have it towed. I received a call from hyundai headquarters informing me the dealership ran a diagnostic on my car and did not find anything wrong and could not duplicate the unintended acceleration.
The air bag light is constantly on. When I turn the car on the passenger restraint light goes on to show restraint system off.. However when there is nobody sitting in front seat the light goes out and it should stay on
Compare the 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe
Santa Fe vs Jeep Grand CherokeeSanta Fe vs Ford EdgeSanta Fe vs Subaru OutbackSanta Fe vs Chevrolet BlazerSanta Fe vs Nissan MuranoSanta Fe vs Toyota 4RUNNERSanta Fe vs Honda Passport
Other model years
20012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Questions about the 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe
Is the 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
Owners have filed 106 complaints about the 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe, fewer than a typical Santa Fe model year.
What is the 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe year score?
The 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe scores 83 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Hyundai Santa Fe: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe?
Airbags, with 28 complaints, typically around 80,000 miles. Next is acceleration (20).
How many recalls does the 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe have?
1 recall, covering suspension.
What year does the Hyundai Santa Fe have bad airbags?
The Hyundai Santa Fe model years with the most airbags complaints are 2007 (102 complaints), 2005 (74 complaints) and 2008 (70 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe get?
Official estimates for the 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe range from 17 to 20 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.4L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 18 city and 24-25 highway.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history