U.S. public vehicle records

2001 Hyundai ACCENT problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

112 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

52,500 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2001 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 39 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags:Frontal is the most frequently named component, appearing in 17 of 112 complaints (15.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	20	17.9%
Transmission and shifting	15	13.4%
Engine operation	6	5.4%
Steering behavior	6	5.4%
Electrical and battery issues	4	3.6%
Fuel system concerns	2	1.8%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Air Bags:Frontal

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Vehicle Speed Control

Suspension

Suspension:Front

Engine And Engine Cooling

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Structure:Body

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Air Bags:Frontal	17
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	16
Vehicle Speed Control	11
Suspension	8
Suspension:Front	6
Engine And Engine Cooling	4
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	4
Structure:Body	4

Air Bags:Frontal: 17; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 16; Vehicle Speed Control: 11; Suspension: 8; Suspension:Front: 6; Engine And Engine Cooling: 4; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 4; Structure:Body: 4

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 7; 25,000 to 49,999: 12; 50,000 to 74,999: 6; 75,000 to 99,999: 6; 100,000 to 149,999: 7; 150,000 and above: 1

25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (12). 73 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2015

2020

2021

2000: 1; 2001: 20; 2002: 32; 2003: 19; 2004: 14; 2005: 4; 2006: 2; 2007: 1; 2009: 1; 2010: 3; 2011: 1; 2012: 3; 2013: 7; 2015: 2; 2020: 1; 2021: 1

Pattern summary

Air Bags:Frontal leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 20 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 15 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 6 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10002770 · 2003-01-16 (January 16, 2003)

I HAVE HAD MY HYUNDAI ACCENT 2001 FOR A YEAR NOW, SO FAR..I HAVE HAD TO HAVE MY BRAKES CHANGED 4 TIMES, NEW ROTORS 2X, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON...THE DEALER TELLS ME THIS IS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR....HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS LATER....NOW MY DOOR HANDLE IS COMING...I CHECK THE RECALL WEBSITE...MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN RECALLED 2X AND I HAVE NOT ONCE RECEIVED NOTIFCATION OF THIS...MY CAR IS ALSO HORRIBLE IN ANY KIND OF WEATHER OTHER THAN DRY AND SUNNY...IF IT RAINS, I SLIDE, SNOWS- I SLIDE..ALREADY GOT INTO 2 ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10002770 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10008808 · 2002-05-23 (May 23, 2002)

RIGHT FRONT BRAKE PADS ARE TOTALLY METAL TO METAL AND LEFT FRONT ARE LIKE BRAND NEW. *TS *NLM ****DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12-12-02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS****762194

Owner-reported narrative. 15,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10008808 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10018748 · 2003-05-15 (May 15, 2003)

I BOUGHT A 2001 HYUNDAI IN 2001 AND SINCE I HAD IT. IT HAS 1 NEW BRAKE I NEW TRANSMISSION MOLDING HAS FALLEN OFF OF IT COULDN'T REALLY TELL WHAT ELSE HAS GONE WRONG WITH IT. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP NUMEROUS OF TIMES AND THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM STILL PERSIST. I HAVE TO PAY FOR RENTAL CARS TAKE OFF WORK AND OTHER TIME WASTING THINGS. I AM REALLY DISCOURAGED ABOUT OWNING SUCH A PIECE OF JUNK. WHAT DO I DO?*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10018748 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10042969 · 2003-10-15 (October 15, 2003)

MY CAR ENGINE WILL REV UP ON ITS OWN WHEN IN NEUTRAL (I HAVE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION) THE ENGINE REVS UP THEN IDLES LOW AS IF IT IS GOING TO STALL. I HAVE TAKEN IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP 4 TIMES, AND THEY HAVE REPLACED THE COIL PACK, SPARK PLUGS, AND A SENSOR... STILL THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. EVERY TIME I TAKE MY CAR IN THEY TELL ME THAT MY SPARK PLUGS ARE MISFIRING AND THAT I NEED TO HAVE THEM REPLACED AND BECAUSE THEY ARE A WEAR ITEM AND IT'S GOING TO COST ME. I CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE IT DONE IN THE DEALERSHIP SO I DID A HOME REPAIR AND REPLACED THEM…

Owner-reported narrative. 25,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10042969 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10047137 · 2003-11-18 (November 18, 2003)

I HAVE A 2001 HYUNDAI ACCENT GL 1.6L ENGINE THE PULSE GENERATOR SWITCH HAS BROKEN 4 TIMES ALREADY EACH TIME I TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY TELL ME THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHY IT KEEPS BREAKING AND THAT THERE ISN'T ANYTHING WRONG ONE TIME THE TRANSMISSION SWITCH BROKE, THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND GOES OUT, THE CAR HAS BEEN POORLY ACCELERATING AND SLOWING DOWN WHILE I AM ON THE HIGH WAY, ACCELERATING CRAZILY AND USING UP MORE GAS THAN NORMAL, IT HAS MADE SUDDEN JERKS WHEN I ACCELERATE AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS OR HAS STALLED FOR A FEW SECONDS WHEN I PR…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10047137 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10009717 · 2003-03-14 (March 14, 2003)

WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THERE WAS A POPPING NOISE FROM UNDER FRONT END. ALSO A CREAKING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM UNDER THE RIGHT FRONT WHEN CAR WAS AT IDLE AND WHEN THE STEERING WAS TURNED BACK AND FORTH. CUSTOMER FELT NOISE WAS RELATED. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND AT THE TIME. THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES. *TT *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 29,099 miles reported. Look up ODI 10009717 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10187335 · 2007-04-09 (April 9, 2007)

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS 2001 HYUNDAI ACCENT. WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH ON A VERY NICE DAY THE VEHICLE BEGAN DRIFTING ON THE ROAD. THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE WENT OFF THE ROAD AND THE REAR TIRE WENT OFF THE ROAD AS WELL. THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WHEN THE DRIVER LOST COMPLETE CONTROL. HE STATED THAT ONLY THE DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE WAS STEERING CORRECTLY, THE OTHER TIRES WERE GOING SIDE TO SIDE. THE CONTACT COULD NOT CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND WAS REAR ENDED. HE SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE CONTACT HAD TAKEN SOME PICTURES, A…

Owner-reported narrative. 100,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10187335 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10257827 · 2009-02-08 (February 8, 2009)

APPROXIMATELY 3000 MILES AFTER HAVING A 60,000 MILE SERVICE INVOLVING REPLACEMENT OF ALL BELTS, INCLUDING TIMING BELT USING HIGH QUALITY BELTS OF KNOWN QUALITY, A HIGH VOLTAGE ARCHING CONDITION IS OBSERVED ON THE FACE OF THE HARMONIC BALANCER (HB). ARCH IS APPROX. .250-.500 INCH IN LENGTH AND PROJECTS FROM THE OUTERMOST EDGE OF THE HB TOWARD THE CENTER OF SAME. USING A JUMPER CABLE CONNECTED TO THE NEGATIVE BATTERY TERMINAL, ARCH CAN BE PULLED FROM THE OUTER EDGE OF HARMONIC BALANCER, BUT NO OTHER PULLEY SURFACE NOR BELT SURFACE. CONDITION IS I…

Owner-reported narrative. 60,055 miles reported. Look up ODI 10257827 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 8012740 · 2002-06-26 (June 26, 2002)

HAD A TIRE BLOWOUT, AND TIRE SHREDED WHICH KNOCKED OUT TIREWALL, AND RIPPED OUT WIRING HARNESS.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 8012740 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10065967 · 2004-04-12 (April 12, 2004)

WENT ON A TRIP OUT OF THE STATE. I NOTICED THAT I WASN'T GETTING MY NORMAL MILEAGE. I FILLED MY GAS TANK WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION AND PARKED; AFTER AN HOUR, I NOTICED THAT A RIVER OF GASOLINE WAS COMING FROM MY TANK. AFTER BEING PARKED TWO DAYS, I HAD LOST OVER 2 1/2 GALLONS OF GAS, AND NOTED A DISTINCT BURNING SMELL COMING FROM MY EXHAUST PIPE DURING MY DRIVE HOME. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF ARRANGING FOR AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY DEALER IN ORDER TO HAVE THE GAS TANK REPLACED OR REPAIRED.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 52,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10065967 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 750996 · 2001-08-23 (August 23, 2001)

GAS WAS LEAKING FROM TANK TO THE INSIDE OF THE CAR UNDER THE BACK SEAT AROUND THE PLATE THAT COVERS THE FUEL PUMP. GAS POOLED UNDERNEATH THE THE BACK SEAT ON PASSENGER SIDE. WHEN SEAT WAS REMOVED THE FOAM ON THE UNDERNEATH SIDE WAS SATURATED WITH GAS AND FROM THE TOP OF THE SEAT YOU COULD PUT PRESSURE ON THE SEAT AND GAS WOULD LITERALLY LEAK OUT OF THE SEAT. THE WEEK BEFORE OUR GRANDCHILDREN WERE IN THE BACK SEAT AND WE ALL WERE COMPLAINING OF HEADACHES. THE SMELL IS STILL THERE AFTER 2 ATTEMPT OF THE CAR DEALERSHIP SPRAYING IT AND ORDERIN…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 750996 at NHTSA ↗