What breaks most · 1991 to 2022 model years
Hyundai Accent problems by year
Owners have filed 2,027 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Hyundai Accent across model years 1991 to 2022. Three years stand out: 2012 for engine complaints, 1995 for suspension complaints and 2013 for engine complaints. The quietest years are 1993, 1991 and 2020.
- Years to check closely: 2012, 1995, 2013
- Fewest complaints: 1993, 1991, 2020
- Complaints on file
- 20271991 to 2022, all trims
- Worst year
- 2012153 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 28775 fires · 269 injuries · 7 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 59kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 50Across 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) | |
| 142 | 31 | 5 | Suspension (54) | |
| 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) | |
| 112 | 25 | 2 | Air bags (21) | |
| 134 | 26 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (24) | |
| 37 | 12 | 0 | Air bags (15) | |
| 33 | 11 | 0 | Air bags (10) | |
| 49 | 9 | 1 | Exterior lighting (15) | |
| 43 | 2 | 3 | Air bags (23) | |
| 88 | 11 | 3 | Air bags (42) | |
| 101 | 11 | 1 | Air bags (34) | |
| 101 | 9 | 2 | Air bags (27) | |
| 87 | 4 | 1 | Brakes (17) | |
| 38 | 3 | 1 | Electrical system (10) | |
| 153 | 13 | 2 | Engine (36) | |
| 141 | 16 | 1 | Engine (34) | |
| 79 | 12 | 1 | Engine (18) | |
| 69 | 7 | 2 | Air bags (26) | |
| 100 | 7 | 0 | Engine (32) | |
| 68 | 9 | 0 | Engine (23) | |
| 19 | 0 | 1 | Engine (8) | |
| 30 | 2 | 1 | Engine (19) | |
| 12 | 2 | 4 | Engine (4) | |
| 16 | 0 | 4 | Seat belts (6) | |
| 16 | 2 | 2 | Electrical system (6) |
What fails on the 2012 Hyundai Accent
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 24% |
36 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2012 Hyundai Accent |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 16% |
24 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2012 Hyundai Accent |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 13% |
20 | 2 | Shop brakes parts for the 2012 Hyundai Accent |
| Unknown or other | 12% |
19 | 1 | — |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 12% |
18 | 1 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2012 Hyundai Accent |
| Air bags | 11% |
17 | 11 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 9% |
14 | 0 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2012 Hyundai Accent |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 7% |
10 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2012 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.
-
The cast pistons in the turbo engine overheated and caused detonation which has disabled the engine. The extended warranty companies know about this possibility and specifically makes sure it is not covered.
-
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
-
My engine is always topped off on oil and fluids now all of a sudden a have a rattling and am terrified to go anywhere because I feel like my engine is going to blow up.
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 6, 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, 2012, 1995, 2013 carry the most filings on the Hyundai Accent. The 2012 alone has 153 complaints, led by engine.
What is the most common Hyundai Accent problem?
On the 2012 model year, the most-reported component is engine with 36 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 59,000 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.