Problems · NHTSA complaints

1997 Hyundai Accent problems

Owners filed 59 complaints about the 1997 Hyundai Accent with NHTSA between Oct 1997 and Jun 2011. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (15).

Complaints
59
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
8
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
6
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine and engine cooling15
  2. Power train13
  3. Air bags12
  4. Suspension6
  5. Electrical system6
  6. Fuel system, gasoline4
  7. Service brakes, hydraulic3
  8. Latches/locks/linkages2
  9. Equipment2
  10. Steering2
  11. Visibility2
  12. Structure1
  13. Seat belts1
  14. Tires1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19971
199813
199912
20007
200112
20024
20033
20042
20051
20060
20073
20080
20090
20100
20111

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine and engine cooling

15 reports1 crash
“FOR THE PC SYSTEM PROBLEM, I HAD NOTICED THAT THE PC VALVE WAS LEAKING OIL AROUND IT, SO I REPLACED THE COMPONENT ON MAY 12,2000. BY DECEMBER, I NOTICED THAT THE CAR HAD SOME SORT OF PROBLEM WITH A NOTED DROP IN PERFORMANCE AND FUEL ECONOMY. SO I DECIDED, BEFORE BRINGING THE CAR IN FOR MAINTENANCE, TO VISUALLY CHECK THE FLUIDS, AND WEAR COMPONENTS. I ENDED UP FINDING SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE, CREATED BY WATER IN THE OIL. WHEN DODGE/HYUNDAI OF PARAMUS CHECKED-OUT THE CAR THEY TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS A CLOGGED PC SYSTEM AND IT WAS NOT COVERED BY ANY WARRANY, SO I PAID FOR THE WORK. FOR THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM I NOTICED THAT IT WAS LEAKING, AND WHEN THE DEALER IN PARAMUS CHECKED-OUT THE PROBLEM, THEY TOLD ME THAT SOMEONE HAD OVER-TORQUED THE OIL PAN, BLOWING OUT THE GASKET. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM SHOULD BE WARRANTEED BY ALTMAN IN N.CHARLESTON, SINCE THEY DID THE 30K CHECK-UP. WHEN I INFORMED ALTMAN, THEY TOLD ME THAT PARAMUS SHOULD HAVE DONE THE WORK AS WARRANTEED. SO, MIKE AT ALTMAN TOLD ME I WOULD RECEIVE A REFUND, BUT I NEVER DID, AND MIKE DOEN'T WORK THERE ANYMORE, AND NO ONE ELSE KNOWS ANYTHING. I TALKED TO HYUN. MOTOR AMER. CUST. SERVICE, AND I AM…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 3, 2001Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 744895

Power train

13 reports
“CAR WAS RETURNED TO HYUNDAI UNDER WARRANTY IN JANUARY 2002. REPORTED TO HAVE A BAD TORQUE CONVERTER AND STARTER. BOTH REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. LAST WEEK CAR WOULDNT START AGAIN. OUR MECHANIC DIAGNOSED SAME PROBLEM. WAS TOLD THAT IF CAR HAD BEEN PROPERLY DIAGNOSED AS HAVING EXTENSIVE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WHILE UNDER WARRANTY THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN PROPERLY REPAIRED AND NOT PATCHED UP. HYUNDAI IS NOW REFUSING TO ABSORB COST SINCE THE CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. TORQUE CONVERTERS AND STARTERS DONT GO BAD YEARLY!!! HELP!!”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 3, 2003Power trainODI 10013897

Air bags

12 reports7 crashes
“DEAR SIR I WOULD LIKE TO BRING THE SURPRISING ISSUE IN FRONT OF YOU RELATED TO HYUNDAI ACCENT I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR MORE THAN A YEAR NOW. I WAS DRIVING THIS CAR ON THE 401 EAST HIGHWAY, ONTARIO, CANADA ON 16TH DECEMBER 2007 AT 2.35 P.M. MY WIFE AND MY LITTLE ONE AND A HALF YEAR DAUGHTER WERE ALSO ACCOMPANYING ME. I WAS COMING FROM WINDSOR AND HEADING TOWARDS TORONTO. SUDDENLY THE AIR BAG OF THE DRIVER SEAT BLEW UP WITHOUT ANY COLLISION OF MY CAR WITH ANY THING. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH THAT I WAS DRIVING IN THE RIGHT LANE AND MANAGED TO BRING MY CAR OUT OF THE DRIVING LANE. DUE TO ALMIGHTY'S GRACE NO CAR WAS FOLLOWING ME OTHERWISE THAT WOULD HAVE LEAD TO A DISASTER. I WAS AMAZED TO SEE THIS IN FRONT OF MY EYES THAT HOW COULD AIRBAG OF THE CAR BLEW UP WITHOUT ANY COLLISION. I AM CONFIDENT THAT THIS WOULD HAVE SURPRISED YOU TOO THAT HOW COULD YOU MANUFACTURE SUCH A DREADFUL VEHICLE IN WHICH THE PARTS ACTIVATE AT THE WRONG TIME AND COULD LEAD TO ACCIDENTS INSTEAD OF ACTIVATING FOR THE SAFETY OF PASSENGERS. I AM THANKFUL TO 911 EMERGENCY THAT THEY CAME ON TIME AND TOOK US OUT OF THE SITUATION AND WE MANAGED TO REACH BACK HOME SAFELY. I IMPRESS UPON YOU TO LOOK INTO…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 19, 2007Air bags, EquipmentODI 10212307

Suspension

6 reports1 related recall
“RIGHT FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE HITTING ROTOR CRACKING THE ROTOR REPLACED ALL AFFECTED PARTS AT OUR OWN EXPENSE REPLACED COIL SPRING,ROTOR,BRAKE PADS. HYUNDAI SAYS THIS VEHICLE NOT IN THE RECALL EVEN THOUGH IT IS REGISTERED IN THE EFFECTED AREA OF THE RECALL THIS COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY LED TO CATASTROPHIC FAILURE IF IT HAD NOT BEEN DETECTED. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 13, 2007Suspension, Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10199394

Electrical system

6 reports1 fire
“ENGINE WILL TURN OVER BUT NOT START THIS HAPPENS SEV TIMES. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 21, 2001Electrical systemODI 747193

Fuel system, gasoline

4 reports1 fire
“I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT THIS WEEK FOR WHICH THE DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE ME $99 TO INSPECT A CRACKED FUEL TANK PER RECALL IN WHICH POSSIBLY 66,086 VEHICLES OF MY TYPE ARE INVOLVED. I HAVE THE FEELING THAT THE DEALER WILL TRY NOT TO COVER THIS REPAIR. SEE MY DETAILS BELOW. RECALL CAMPAIGN: 00V314001. SHOULD THE DEALER BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS REPAIR? THIS CAR IS IN PERFECT SHAPE DESPITE THE MILEAGE. IT HAS NEVER BEEN HIT, TOWED OR IMPROPERLY JACKED. I HAVE A 1997 ACCENT GT ( MFG 04/16/97). I WAS NOTIFIED BY MAIL SOME MONTHS BACK THAT THE GAS CAP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED TO PREVENT EXCESS PRESSURE BUILDUP IN THE TANK THAT MIGHT LEAD TO THE TANK CRACKING. I WENT TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP, EARNHARDT HYUNDAI IN GILBERT, AZ, AND THEY REPLACED THE CAP AS SPECIFIED AND SUPPOSEDLY PRESSURE TESTED THE TANK. NOT LONG AFTER THAT I BEGAN TO SMELL FUMES WHENEVER I FILLED UP AND THE SMELL CONTINUED FOR 50 TO 75 MILES BEFORE ABATING. I DROPPED THE TANK AND CHECKED EVERYTHING I COULD FIND, REINSTALLED, AND STILL HAD THE PROBLEM. TODAY I DROPPED THE TANK AGAIN AND UPON CLOSE INSPECTION I FOUND A SMALL CRACK (ABOUT 1/2 INCH) IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TOP OF THE TANK. CLEARLY THE TANK NEEDS TO…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 20, 2007Fuel system, gasolineODI 10200198
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.