Problems · NHTSA complaints
2009 Hyundai Accent problems
Owners filed 101 complaints about the 2009 Hyundai Accent with NHTSA between Aug 2009 and Oct 2025. The most-cited component is air bags (27).
Complaints
101
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
9
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Air bags27
- Visibility/wiper13
- Service brakes12
- Exterior lighting11
- Electrical system9
- Power train9
- Engine6
- Suspension5
- Structure5
- Visibility5
- Fuel/propulsion system4
- Vehicle speed control4
- Service brakes, hydraulic3
- Steering2
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 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
2
2
9
3
21
15
14
9
3
7
6
5
1
1
2
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 2 |
| 2011 | 9 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 21 |
| 2014 | 15 |
| 2015 | 14 |
| 2016 | 9 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
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.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Air bags
27 reports4 crashes
“WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED, THE AIR BAG LIGHT TURNS ON AND WON'T TURN OFF. RESTARTED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT STILL STAYS ON. ANOTHER ISSUE THAT I NEVER REPORTED IS BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUN VISORS WON'T STAY UP. I REPLACED THE DRIVER SIDE, BUT THIS IS VERY DISTRACTING TO A DRIVER TO HAVE THE VISOR DROP DOWNAND FEEL THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY CONCERN. THE REST OF THE INFORMATION IS ABOUT THE AIR BAG LIGHT BEING ON, NOT THE VISORS.”
Visibility/wiper
13 reports1 crash
“"HYUNDAI RECALL" A COUPLE YEARS AGO I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND MY DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR FELL DOWN AND BLOCKED MY VIEW OF DRIVING. IT WAS AN UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATION BECAUSE I HAD TO HOLD UP THE VISOR WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE REST OF THE WAY HOME, THANKFULLY IT WAS NOT A MUCH MORE DANGEROUS SITUATION. EVENTUALLY WHEN I GOT HOME, I TRIED TO FIX IT MYSELF, AND IT HELD UP FOR A WHILE, BUT EVENTUALLY FELL OFF AGAIN, SO I ENDED UP HAVING TO RIP IT OFF ALTOGETHER SINCE IT WAS SUCH AN IMPAIRMENT WHILST DRIVING. A FEW MONTHS LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO THE LEFT SIDE VISOR AND LUCKILY I WAS AT MY GRANDPAS HOUSE AND HE FIGURED OUT HOW TO TAKE THE VISOR OFF WITHOUT RIPPING IT OFF, SO THE WIRING CLIPS ARE STILL INTACT. NOW THAT I AM MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT CARS I WAS JUST GOING TO BUY NEW VISORS AND TRY TO FIX THE PROBLEM MYSELF, BUT THEY ARE OUT OF MY PRICE RANGE, AND FRANKLY THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE THAT HYUNDAI SHOULD PAY TO FIX. AFTER DOING SOME LOOKING ONLINE, I DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE MANY OTHER DISSATISFIED HYUNDAI CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE SUN VISOR. ALL I WANT IS FOR HYUNDAI TO FIX THE PROBLEM AT THEIR EXPENSE.”
Service brakes
12 reports
“MY BRAKE LIGHTS WORK THEN THEY DONT I HAVE REPLACED FUSES BULBS I DONT KNOW WHAT ELSE TO CHECK THEY WAS WORKING YESTERDAY TODAY I WAS TOLD MY BRAKES LIGHT WASNT WORKING AFTER ALMOST GETTING REAR ENDED. I WAS STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT. THIS ISNT THE FIRST TIME IT HAS HAPPENED”
Exterior lighting
11 reports2 related recalls
“BREAK LIGHT RECALL - LOCATION MOUNT VERNON, OHIO - DATE 12-12-2015 I WAS DRIVING TO A CHRISTMAS EVENT AND WAS PULLED OVER BY A STATE HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICER DUE TO MY BREAKLIGHTS BEING OUT. I PULLED OVER IN THE NEAREST PARKING LOT AND HAD MY BOYFRIEND LOOK AT IT. HE SAID THERE IS A LITTLE SWITCH BEHIND THE BREAK AREA THAT WAS STUCK. HE FLICKED IT A FEW TIMES AND IT CAME LOOSE AND STARTED WORKING. I AM GLAD THE OFFICER LET ME KNOW BEFORE I GOT INTO I-71 TRAFFIC. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THIS.”
Electrical system
9 reports
“THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR LOCK STOPPED WORKING ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO. CAN NOT UNLOCK THE DOOR MANUALLY INSIDE OR WITH A KEY OUTSIDE OR WITH REMOTE. DESPITE THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE OR WARRANTY, THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, AND THE, NHTSA, SHOULD HAVE ALREADY HAVE HAD ORDERED A MANDATORY RECALL, GIVEN HUNDAI MOTORS IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS NOT ACTED ON ITS OWN. GIVEN THE,NHTSA'S RECORD ON RECALLS ( REACTIVE RATHER THAN PRO ACTIVE ) BASED ON THE NUMBER OF DEATHS REQUIRED, ANY MANDATED RECALL IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY...THE N IN NHTSA, BEST REPRESENTS NEGLECT!”
Power train
9 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ACCENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND STARTED TO DECELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE CONTACT NOTICED TRANSMISSION FLUID SPEWING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED DUE TO LACK OF ANTI-FREEZE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 82,000. *TR”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.