What breaks most · 1991 to 2019 model years
Hyundai Accent problems by year
Owners have filed 1,491 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Hyundai Accent across model years 1991 to 2019. Three years stand out: 1995 for suspension complaints, 2002 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 2001 for air bags complaints. The quietest years are 1993, 1991 and 2017.
- Years to check closely: 1995, 2002, 2001
- Fewest complaints: 1993, 1991, 2017
- Complaints on file
- 14911991 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 1995141 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 25731 fires · 224 injuries · 7 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 54kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 40Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Suspension (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (1) | |
| 141 | 31 | 5 | Suspension (53) | |
| 101 | 17 | 4 | Suspension (24) | |
| 55 | 7 | 2 | Engine and cooling (15) | |
| 47 | 6 | 1 | Engine and cooling (15) | |
| 61 | 17 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (15) | |
| 92 | 16 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (28) | |
| 110 | 25 | 2 | Air bags (21) | |
| 132 | 26 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (24) | |
| 37 | 12 | 0 | Air bags (15) | |
| 33 | 11 | 0 | Air bags (10) | |
| 45 | 8 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (13) | |
| 42 | 2 | 3 | Air bags (22) | |
| 83 | 11 | 3 | Air bags (42) | |
| 96 | 11 | 1 | Air bags (32) | |
| 86 | 9 | 2 | Air bags (20) | |
| 78 | 3 | 1 | Exterior lighting (16) | |
| 31 | 2 | 1 | Electrical system (8) | |
| 74 | 12 | 2 | Air bags (14) | |
| 58 | 12 | 1 | Engine (13) | |
| 18 | 6 | 1 | Air bags (6) | |
| 21 | 5 | 2 | Air bags (8) | |
| 31 | 4 | 0 | Air bags (10) | |
| 11 | 4 | 0 | Air bags (4) | |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | Engine (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Suspension (1) |
What fails on the 1995 Hyundai Accent
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 38% |
53 | 2 | Shop suspension parts for the 1995 Hyundai Accent |
| Air bags | 23% |
32 | 24 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 11% |
16 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 8% |
11 | 1 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 8% |
11 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 1995 Hyundai Accent |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 6% |
9 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 1995 Hyundai Accent |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 6% |
8 | 1 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1995 Hyundai Accent |
| Latches and locksDoor latches and actuators | 4% |
6 | 1 | Shop latches and locks parts for the 1995 Hyundai Accent |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Consumer drove the vehicle to the dealer for routine maintenance, and mechanic determined that both front driver and passenger side ball joints needed to be replaced due to corrosion. *ak
-
Dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds a rattling noise was heard in the rear of the vehicle. After being driven to the dealer, it was determined the trans axle needed to be replaced. *ak
-
Car would not reverse, and jerks when shifting from 2-3rd gear. Contacted dealer and was told transmission is completely shot, and must be replaced, at a cost of $2500. Found that when shifting from reverse to drive prior car would jolt. *jb
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Hyundai Accent years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1995, 2002, 2001 carry the most filings on the Hyundai Accent. The 1995 alone has 141 complaints, led by suspension.
What is the most common Hyundai Accent problem?
On the 1995 model year, the most-reported component is suspension with 53 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Hyundai Accent problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Hyundai Accent complaints that include mileage is about 54,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.