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2006 Hyundai Santa Fe

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Fewer warning signs than most model years

Owner complaints for the 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe are lower than the model-year median of 212.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

85 reports with mileage · 21 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Air Bags. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

11 crash reports3 fire reports6 injury reports

Exterior Lighting complaints

9 reports
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78,485 miles · Jun 4, 2014
Exterior LightingService Brakes

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ENGAGE WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE MANUFACTURER'S STOP LAMP SWITCH REPLACEMENT RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE 78,4…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ENGAGE WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE MANUFACTURER'S STOP LAMP SWITCH REPLACEMENT RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE 78,485.

NHTSA ODI #10596177

96,315 miles · Sep 26, 2013
Exterior Lighting

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WHILE DECELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,315. UPDATED 11/19/13*LJ THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 11/20/13

NHTSA ODI #10545487

78,000 miles · Aug 22, 2013
Exterior LightingService Brakes

DRIVING BACK HOME FROM WORK AND DRIVER BEHIND NOTIFIED ME THAT BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T WORK. I CHECKED ALL FUSES, BULBS AND SEEMS OKAY. I FOUND THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH IS DEFECTIVE. I SAW RECALL ON 2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE BUT NOT 2006. WILL THE DEALER WILL REPLACE MY DEFECTIVE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH? *TR

NHTSA ODI #10536622

102,625 miles · Oct 3, 2011
Exterior Lighting

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT TO HAVE THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH REPLACED. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE C…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT TO HAVE THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH REPLACED. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 102,725 AND THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,625.

NHTSA ODI #10428340

47,153 miles · Sep 1, 2011
Exterior Lighting

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATING WHEN THE DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS AN INTERNAL SHORT WITHIN THE BRAKE SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MA…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATING WHEN THE DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS AN INTERNAL SHORT WITHIN THE BRAKE SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,153.

NHTSA ODI #10422894

65,300 miles · Feb 28, 2010
Exterior Lighting

I AM HAVING THE SAME SYMPTOMS SHOWN BELOW IN MY 2006 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. SO FAR I DO NOT SEE A RECALL NOTICE FROM HYUNDAI. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V122000 PE09003 NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE09003 COMPONENT: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:SWITCHES:BRAKE LIGHT POTENTIAL NUMBER OF UNITS AFFECTED: 531894 SUMMARY: HYUNDAI IS…

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I AM HAVING THE SAME SYMPTOMS SHOWN BELOW IN MY 2006 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. SO FAR I DO NOT SEE A RECALL NOTICE FROM HYUNDAI. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V122000 PE09003 NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE09003 COMPONENT: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:SWITCHES:BRAKE LIGHT POTENTIAL NUMBER OF UNITS AFFECTED: 531894 SUMMARY: HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 531,894 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 AFFECT THE OPERATION OF THE BRAKE-TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK FEATURE SO THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE SHIFTED OUT OF 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. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10314989

45,000 miles · Nov 3, 2009
Exterior Lighting

BRAKE SWITCH FAILURE WHICH CAUSED RECALL OF ALL 2006 HYUNDAI MODELS EXCEPT SANTE FE WHICH WAS RECALLED IN 2007 FOR THAT SAME ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10290855

Mileage unknown · Mar 10, 2009
Exterior LightingVisibility

I HAVE A 2006 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. FIRST THE DRIVER'S SIDE FOG LIGHT WENT OUT, THEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE WIPER QUIT AND NOW THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT HAS GONE OUT. THE WIPER ARM HAS TO BE REPLACED AND THE FOG LIGHT ASSEMBLY HAS TO BE REPLACED. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE OR NOT. IT WAS BOUGHT B…

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I HAVE A 2006 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. FIRST THE DRIVER'S SIDE FOG LIGHT WENT OUT, THEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE WIPER QUIT AND NOW THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT HAS GONE OUT. THE WIPER ARM HAS TO BE REPLACED AND THE FOG LIGHT ASSEMBLY HAS TO BE REPLACED. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE OR NOT. IT WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW IN MARCH 2006. IT HAS 62,000 MILES ON IT AND SO THE WARRANTY THAT COVERS THINGS LIKE SENSORS AND ALL IS NO LONGER VALID. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THIS HAPPENING ALL AT ONCE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10261406

15,000 miles · Nov 9, 2006
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ANY SPEEDS AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THIS OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED AN ELECTRICAL SENSOR FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACED. AFTER THE REPAIR, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED.

NHTSA ODI #10173071

Official recalls

1

14V435000 · Suspension:front:springs:coil Springs

Jul 18, 2014

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.