The Hyundai Accent is a Korean subcompact sedan first introduced back in 1994. The Accent is now in its 5th generation which was introduced in 2017. It is one of the most important cars Hyundai makes as it is being sold all across the world and is also one of the best-selling Hyundai models since the brand came to be.
As far as reliability is concerned, Hyundai does manage to make a fairly reliable car overall, and the Accent is no different. Many reliability charts and surveys give the current accent a 90% or up score which puts its in the top 10% of most reliable cars you can buy these days. This does not mean that the Accent is without fault because all cars suffer from issues, even the most reliable ones.
As such, the most common Hyundai Accent problems are related to the car’s equipment, airbags, issues during acceleration, the transmission, and various in-car electrical systems. Some of these can be a nightmare such as wing mirrors rusting while others are small niggles that can be dealt with easily.
All in all, the Hyundai Accent is a fairly reliable car and you shouldn’t worry too much about buying one. Either way, if you are buying used, be sure to inspect the car thoroughly as these levels of reliability can only remain if the car is constantly being maintained properly.
Hyundai Accent – Equipment issues
Probably the worst issues the Accent tends to suffer from are associated with various pieces of equipment. For starters, many owners complained about the wing mirrors rusting, some significantly more than others. This can be fixed in two different ways. First, if the rust spots are small, you can sand them down, treat them, and apply paint.
On the other hand, if rust is more substantial, you will have to either do some welding or replace the mirror altogether. Other equipment-related issues include water getting into the trunk due to worn-out seals. Some owners have also reported trouble with certain buttons and switches in the interior which can deteriorate way too quickly.
Hyundai Accent – Airbag issues
Properly functioning airbags are likely the most important safety systems a car can have which means that these need to be working as intended. It seems like many Accent generations suffer from airbag-related issues as there are hundreds upon hundreds of different airbag complaints all around the internet.
Hyundai even recalled the Accent back in 2015 for a bunch of airbag issues which further reiterates that the Accent is not really known for quality airbags. Either way, if you sense that your airbags are not functioning as they should, you ought to take your car to a trusted mechanic.
Hyundai Accent – Slow acceleration issues
A few owners reported a few issues that cause the car to accelerate or decelerate in a weird and unpredictable manner. It seems like the main culprit of this issue is the throttle position sensor (TPS) which misinterprets your inputs and provides the engine with more or less fuel which can cause the car to accelerate or decelerate without you even wanting it to.
This can be a safety issue as well as issues such as these can make the car unsafe to drive. As such, be sure to go over your TPS if you are interested in buying or even selling the Accent as issues such as these need to be addressed immediately.
Hyundai Accent – Transmission issues
When it comes to essential car mechanics, the engines the Accent offer seem to be really good, but the transmission can sometimes be a pain. Older Accent models used transmission which didn’t really feel smooth or refined which is why many owners complained about rough shifts, stalling, or even sometimes complete transmission failure.
Newer Accent models are noticeably better in this regard, but this issue had to be mentioned as fixing this can cost you a lot of money.
Hyundai Accent – In-car electrical issues
To top it all off, we also need to mention the various electrical issues that sometimes plague the Accent. The electric windows are sometimes known to fail, the power locks can also fail, but mostly on older cars. Other electrical issues include problems with connecting your phone over Bluetooth, the infotainment system being too slow, or sometimes even crashing, and occasional issues with exterior lights.
FAQ Section
Should I buy a Hyundai Accent?
The Hyundai Accent has always been a really popular car because it offers quite a lot of value for the money. It’s safe to say that people who buy regular Hyundai Accent models typically want an A-to-B type of car which means that they don’t really care about performance, luxury, or anything of that nature.
If that is you, you will be perfectly satisfied with the Accent. However, if you crave something more in your life, not just an A-to-B machine, the Accent might not suit your fancy all that much. Either way, no one can deny how capable the Accent is and how well it performs in many different aspects of ownership.
Is the Hyundai Accent cheap to run?
The Hyundai Accent is a car that is cheap to buy, cheap to run, and cheap to fill up. This is a really important set of benefits for modern-day buyers when prices are skyrocketing. The Accent truly is a well-rounded, well-made car that isn’t going to break down often which also lowers your overall costs.
From a financial standpoint, the Accent is a really good car as there aren’t really any expenses with it that can’t be justified.
How long can the Hyundai Accent last?
The Hyundai Accent should easily be able to last 100,000-200,000 miles without needing any major overhauls. We already talked about how reliable the Accent is and how well it performs when it comes to the financial side of things which means that even if it breaks, people are likely going to fix it as there are many spare parts for the Accent.
All in all, the Accent is going to last a considerable amount of time if you are the owner who will take care of it.