Hyundai

Sonata (NF)

2006-2010 · Midsize Sedan · 5 engines
Best Engine Recommended (5.0)
2,972 NHTSA Complaints
12 Recalls
40 Fire Reports
132 Crash Reports

Engine Reliability Comparison

Theta-FF

2.4L
Recommended (5.0)
1 complaint 1.0 per year Gasoline
View details

Complaint Breakdown

engine
1
electrical
1
suspension
1

Known Issues

Engine Issues (1 complaints)
Electrical System Issues (1 complaints)
Suspension Issues (1 complaints)

Also found in

HYUNDAI Sonata (2006-2010)

J32A1

3.2L 6-cyl / 225 hp
Recommended (5.0)
1 complaint 1.0 per year Gasoline
View details

Complaint Breakdown

safety systems
1

Known Issues

Safety Systems Issues (1 complaints)

Also found in

ACURA NSX (2000-2005)ACURA TL (2009-2014)ACURA CL (2001-2003)HYUNDAI Sonata (2006-2010)ACURA TL (2000-2003)ACURA CL (2000-2000)DODGE Dakota (2000-2004)ACURA RL (2000-2004) +3 more

J35A7

3.5L 6-cyl / 244 hp
Recommended (5.0)
1 complaint 1.0 per year Gasoline
View details

Complaint Breakdown

brakes
1

Known Issues

Brakes Issues (1 complaints)

Also found in

HONDA Pilot (2003-2008)JEEP Wrangler (2007-2018)BMW X5 (2007-2013)HYUNDAI Sonata (2006-2010)HONDA Accord (2008-2012)HONDA Odyssey (2011-2017)HONDA Odyssey (2018-2025)HONDA Insight (2005-2005) +6 more

B4204T3

Recommended (5.0)
1 complaint 1.0 per year
View details

Complaint Breakdown

safety systems
1

Known Issues

Safety Systems Issues (1 complaints)

Also found in

VOLVO S60 (2001-2009)VOLVO V40 (2002-2002)VOLVO V40 (2001-2001)HYUNDAI Sonata (2006-2010)VOLVO S40 (2000-2004)VOLVO S80 (2000-2006)VOLVO V70 (2001-2007)VOLVO C70 (2002-2002)

Theta - FF

2.4L 4-cyl / 175 hp
Avoid (1.0)
1,149 complaints 285.8 per year Gasoline
24 fire reports
View details

Complaint Breakdown

safety systems
368
other
186
brakes
183
electrical
137
engine
109

Known Issues

Safety Systems Issues (368 complaints)
Brakes Issues (183 complaints)
Electrical System Issues (137 complaints)

Also found in

FORD Explorer (2011-2019)NISSAN Titan (2004-2015)HYUNDAI Sonata (2011-2014)FORD F-150 (2015-2020)HYUNDAI Sonata (2006-2010)HYUNDAI Santa Fe (2001-2006)HYUNDAI Santa Fe (2007-2012)HYUNDAI Sonata (2015-2019) +2 more

Vehicle-Level Issues

These issues affect the Hyundai Sonata regardless of engine variant.

Safety Systems Issues (370 complaints)
safety_systems critical
Brakes Issues (184 complaints)
brakes critical
Electrical System Issues (138 complaints)
electrical critical
Engine Issues (110 complaints)
engine critical
Interior Issues (84 complaints)
interior critical

Recalls (12)

18V026000Aug 31, 2018serious
Service Brakes

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2006-2011 Hyundai Azera and 2006 Hyundai Sonata vehicles. Water may enter the Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and result in an electrical short .

13V354000Dec 7, 2013serious
Suspension

Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Sonata vehicles manufactured March 1, 2005, through January 21, 2010; and model year 2006-2011 Azera vehicles manufactured September 27, 2005, through November 22, 2010 originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Road salt and water can enter portions of the rear crossmember, leading to corrosion of the crossmember steel. This may lead to detachment of one of the rear control arms.

13V113000Jan 3, 2013serious
Exterior Lighting

Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.

09V280000Jul 20, 2009serious
Exterior Lighting

HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 3,011 MODEL YEAR 2005-2007 ELANTRA, TUCSON, SONATA, AZERA AND ACCENT VEHICLES. A MALFUNCTIONING STOP LAMP SWITCH MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO FAIL TO ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED OR MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO REMAIN ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS RELEASED. A DEFECTIVE STOP LAMP SWITCH MAY ALSO AFFECT THE OPERATION OF THE BRAKE-TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK FEATURE SO THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE SHIFT OUT OF THE "PARK" POSITION. IT MAY ALSO CAUSE THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) MALFUNCTION LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE, AND IT MAY NOT DEACTIVATE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED.

09V122000Apr 14, 2009serious
Exterior Lighting

HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 532,633 MY 2006-2007 ACCENT, ENTOURAGE, SONATA, MY 2007 AZERA, ELANTRA AND SANTA FE, MY 2005-2007 TUCSON AND MY 2007-2008 VERACRUZ VEHICLES. THE STOP LAMP SWITCH IN THE AFFECTED VEHICLES MAY MALFUNCTION. A MALFUNCTIONING STOP LAMP SWITCH MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED OR MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO REMAIN ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS RELEASED. A STOP LAMP SWITCH MALFUNCTION MAY ALSO AFFECT THE OPERATION OF THE BRAKE-TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK FEATURE SO THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE SHIFTED OUT OF THE PARK POSITION. IT MAY ALSO CAUSE THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) MALFUNCTION LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE, AND IT MAY NOT DEACTIVATE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED.

09E012000Jul 3, 2009serious
Exterior Lighting

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

08V161000Oct 3, 2008serious
Air Bags

HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 393,308 MY 2006-2008 SONATA VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN ADVANCED AIR BAG SYSTEM WHICH FEATURES AN OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT. THE PURPOSE OF THE OCS IS TO DISABLE THE RIGHT PASSENGER SEAT FRONT AIR BAG WHEN IT DETECTS THE PRESENCE OF A CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM OR SMALL CHILD IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT. THE RIGHT FRONT AIR BAG IS DISABLED TO PREVENT INJURIES TO A CHILD THAT MAY RESULT FROM A RIGHT FRONT AIR BAG INFLATION DURING A CRASH.

08E021000Jul 2, 2008serious
Exterior Lighting

HYUNDAI-KIA IS RECALLING 4,085 REPLACEMENT HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES SOLD FOR USE ON 2006-2008 SONATA AND AZERA VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ALIGNED PROPERLY AND FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE PHOTOMETRIC REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

06V234000Jun 25, 2006serious
Equipment

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE AIR BAG WARNING LABEL INSTALLED ON THE SUNVISORS HAD LOST ADHESION TO THE SUNVISORS AND HAD DISTORTED OR SEPARATED FROM THE SUN VISORS.

06V180000May 21, 2006serious
Exterior Lighting

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE INNER BEZELS OF THE HEADLAMPS WERE NOT PROPERLY ASSEMBLED WHICH MAY CAUSE THE TURN SIGNAL LENSES TO BE IMPROPERLY POSITIONED.

05V377000Aug 28, 2005serious
Seats

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FRONT SEAT BELT MAY INTERFERE WITH THE MANUAL SEAT BACK RECLINER KNOB AND COULD CAUSE THE FRONT MANUAL SEAT BACK RECLINER TO INADVERTENTLY RELEASE.

05V316000Jul 6, 2005serious
Electronic Stability Control

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 3.3 LITER ENGINES AND ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), THE ESC MAY HAVE BEEN PROGRAMMED TO BE OVERSENSITIVE TO THE ONSET OF OVERSTEERING WHILE DRIVING ON BANKED CURVES, CAUSING INADVERTENT APPLICATION OF THE FRONT OUTSIDE BRAKE WHEN ESC ACTIVATION MAY NOT BE NEEDED.

Alternatives in Midsize Sedan

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most common 2006-2010 Hyundai Sonata problems?

The 2006-2010 Hyundai Sonata has accumulated 2,972 NHTSA complaints. The most frequently reported problem areas are Safety Systems, Brakes, Electrical System. As with any used vehicle, a pre-purchase inspection and vehicle history report are recommended.

Which Hyundai Sonata engine is most reliable?

The 2006-2010 Hyundai Sonata was offered with 5 engine options. Based on NHTSA complaint data, the 2.4L 4-cyl has the lowest complaint density and is considered the most reliable choice for buyers.

Is the 2006-2010 Hyundai Sonata a good used car?

The 2006-2010 Hyundai Sonata can be a solid used car purchase depending on trim, mileage, and maintenance history. With 2,972 total NHTSA complaints on record, prospective buyers should review the known problem areas and check for open recalls before buying.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2006-2010 Hyundai Sonata have?

The 2006-2010 Hyundai Sonata has 2,972 complaints filed with NHTSA as of our latest data pull. Complaint counts reflect owner-reported issues and do not necessarily indicate defects or safety risks on their own.

What recalls affect the 2006-2010 Hyundai Sonata?

There are 12 NHTSA recalls affecting some 2006-2010 Hyundai Sonata vehicles. Recall status varies by VIN — check the NHTSA recall database at recalls.nhtsa.dot.gov with your specific VIN to confirm which campaigns apply.

What should I check before buying a used Hyundai Sonata?

Before buying a used Hyundai Sonata, verify all open recalls are completed via the NHTSA VIN lookup tool. Pay particular attention to Safety Systems, Brakes, Electrical System, which are the most commonly reported problem areas. Request maintenance records, have an independent mechanic inspect the vehicle, and run a vehicle history report to check for prior accidents or title issues.

Data from NHTSA federal complaints database. 2,972 complaints analyzed. Data confidence: high. Last updated: 2026-04-06.

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