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U.S. public vehicle records

2009 Hyundai ACCENT: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

101 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

71,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2009 model year. Data snapshot: . 86 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 27 of 101 complaints (26.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Braking behavior2120.8%
Transmission and shifting76.9%
Electrical and battery issues65.9%
Steering behavior44.0%
Engine operation22.0%

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
27
Visibility/Wiper
13
Service Brakes
12
Power Train
8
Electrical System
7
Exterior Lighting
7
Engine
6
Unknown Or Other
6
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Air Bags27
Visibility/Wiper13
Service Brakes12
Power Train8
Electrical System7
Exterior Lighting7
Engine6
Unknown Or Other6

Air Bags: 27; Visibility/Wiper: 13; Service Brakes: 12; Power Train: 8; Electrical System: 7; Exterior Lighting: 7; Engine: 6; Unknown Or Other: 6

Reported problems by failure mileage

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

Under 25,000
15
25,000 to 49,999
14
50,000 to 74,999
16
75,000 to 99,999
27
100,000 to 149,999
10
150,000 and above
4
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,00015
25,000 to 49,99914
50,000 to 74,99916
75,000 to 99,99927
100,000 to 149,99910
150,000 and above4

Under 25,000: 15; 25,000 to 49,999: 14; 50,000 to 74,999: 16; 75,000 to 99,999: 27; 100,000 to 149,999: 10; 150,000 and above: 4

75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (27). 15 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.

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
2025
1
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20092
20102
20119
20123
201321
201415
201514
20169
20173
20187
20196
20205
20211
20221
20232
20251

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; 2025: 1

Pattern summary

Air Bags leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 21 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 7 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues 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.

Examples from the source records

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

Owner report 10281662 · 2009-08-25 (August 25, 2009)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ACCENT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE LOOKING OVER HER LEFT SHOULDER SHE NOTICED THAT SHE WAS UNABLE TO HAVE A VIEW OF ON COMING TRAFFIC. THE REAR DRIVERS DOOR SEAL AND THE BACK WINDOW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND INSPECTED WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED WITH THE FEATURE AND NO REPAIRS WOULD BE MADE. SHE THEN CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED WITH THE FEATURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 400 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 1,050. BL

Owner-reported narrative. 400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10281662 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10282879 · 2009-09-04 (September 4, 2009)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ACCENT(NA). WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS; THE STEERING WHEEL WAS OVER RESPONSIVE. THERE WAS DIFFICULTY MANEUVERING THE VEHICLE AND IT BEGAN TO WANDER OUT OF THE LANE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE VEHICLE MADE A 360 DEGREE TURN WHICH CAUSED IT TO ROLL OVER INTO A DITCH. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE POLICE AND AMBULANCE WERE NOT NOTIFIED. ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE TOWED THE VEHICLE TO A COLLISION CENTER. THE CAUSE OF FAILU…

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10282879 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10327014 · 2010-04-22 (April 22, 2010)

MY DAUGHTER, [XXX] , WAS INVOLVED IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT WHERE SHE REAR ENDED ANOTHER CAR HEAD ON GOING APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES AN HOUR' WHICH PROBABLY TOTALED HER CAR AND NO AIRBAGS DELPOYED NOT EVEN THE FRONT ONES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 18,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10327014 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10358812 · 2010-10-02 (October 2, 2010)

I HAVE A 2009 HYUNDAI ACCENT MY WIFE WEIGHS A LITTLE OVER 100 POUNDS WHEN SHE IS A PASSENGER IN THE CAR SHE ISN'T HEAVY ENOUGH TO TRIGGER THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG EVERY TIME. SOME TIMES IT WILL WORK SOMETIMES IT WON'T. WE TOOK TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID HAT EVERYTHING IS WORKING FINE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 29,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10358812 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10375133 · 2011-01-07 (January 7, 2011)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ACCENT. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE VEHICLE SLID ON ICE, CRASHED INTO A DITCH AND ROLLED OVER TWICE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. HE WAS NOT INJURED. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE WET AND THE GROUND WAS COVERED WITH ICE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE INSURANCE COMPANY TOWED THE VEHICLE IN ORDER TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THERE WAS NO MAINTENANCE DONE TO THE AIR BAGS PRIOR TO THE CRASH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10375133 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10379704 · 2011-01-31 (January 31, 2011)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ACCENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD CRASHING INTO A CONCRETE BARRIER. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED IN THE CRASH. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO A DEALER AND TRANSFERRED OVER TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY WHO DEEMED THE VEHICLE AS DESTROYED. THE DEALER NEVER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE DAMAGE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 7,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 7,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10379704 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10394317 · 2011-04-05 (April 5, 2011)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ACCENT. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20-25 MPH WHEN THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDALS WERE DEPRESSED SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE WITH A SLIGHT REDUCTION IN SPEED BUT FAILED TO COME TO A STOP. THE CONTACT THEN CRASHED INTO A PRECEDING VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES YET A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGES TO THE FRONT BUMPER AREA AND HEADLIGHT. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED FOR EXTERIOR BODY DAMAGES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS …

Owner-reported narrative. 14,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10394317 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10407374 · 2011-06-18 (June 18, 2011)

WHEN BRAKING FOR A RED LIGHT, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND ENGINE REVVED UP. DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH BOTH FEET. ENGINE KEPT REVVING UP. LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND DRIVER SLOWLY RELEASED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE ENGINE SEEMED TO RETURN TO NORMAL. NO FURTHER PROBLEM AT THIS TIME. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 18,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10407374 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

2 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

13V113000 · Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights:Switch

Reported: 2013-04-01 (April 1, 2013)

Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.

Consequence: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
15V566000 · Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights:Switch

Reported: 2015-09-08 (September 8, 2015)

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Hyundai Accent vehicles manufactured March 1, 2009, to February 11, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the brake light switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning brake light switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning brake light switch may also prevent the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position.

Consequence: Failure to illuminate the brake lights during braking or the inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake switch, free of charge. The recall began on October 21, 2015. Owners may contact Hyundai's customer service at 1-855-671-3059 or by visiting www.HyundaiUSA.com/Campaign131. Hyundai's number for this recall is 131. This recall is an expansion of 13V-113.

NHTSA campaign record ↗