this model yearOf 144 owner complaints for this model year, around 25% describe 5 deaths, 29 injuries, and 2 fires. These are unverified owner accounts, but the pattern is worth reading before buying.
this model yearOne EU Safety Gate alert naming this model is classed as a serious risk. Check the production dates against this car.
this model yearOne further recall campaign covers this model year. Ask a dealer whether it remains outstanding on this car.
Almost all of this describes the model year, not the individual car. Nothing here can tell you about this vehicle’s mileage, accidents or ownership — no identifier encodes those.
Owner complaints for this model year
144Complaints
26Involved a crash
2Involved a fire
29Injuries
5Deaths
Most reported components
power train27
fuel system19
gasoline18
air bags16
service brakes15
engine and engine cooling14
Read 15 of the most serious reports
steering,tires3 deaths3 injuriescrash
NHTSA #10086510
GOING DOWN A HILL, MY NIECE SUDDENLY COULD NOT STEER HER VEHICLE, RESULTING IN 3 TEENAGE DEATHS, AND 3 SERIOUS INJURIES. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE, THE FRONT AXLE HAD A CLEAN BREAK IN IT.THE DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE WAS ALSO MANGLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED.
child seat1 death2 injuriescrash
NHTSA #11090344
I AM A POLICE OFFICER, CRASH RECONSTRUCTIONIST, AND CHILD SEAT TECHNICIAN. I WAS INVOLVED IN INVESTIGATING A SERIOUS INJURY CRASH IN WHICH A CHILD WAS IN A DOREL JUVENILE GROUP, SCENERA NEXT CONVERTIBLE SEAT. THE SEAT BROKE AND FAILED TO MAINTAIN ITS INTEGRITY. THERE WAS A VERY LARGE CRACK DOWN THE SIDE FRAME, AND THE ENTIRE BACK OF THE SEAT BROKE OUT FROM WHERE THE HARNESS STRAPS COME THROUGH. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A CHILD SEAT BREAK EVEN A FRACTION AS MUCH AS THIS SEAT DID, THE SEAT AND CHILD WERE REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE BY PARAMEDICS PRIOR TO MY SEEING THE SEAT. SO I DON'T KNOW ANY DETAILS BEYOND THE FACT IT WAS INSTALLED FORWARD FACING AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. *TT *BF *TR *DT*JB
engine and engine cooling1 deathfirecrash
NHTSA #10048641
THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AND CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE TRAPPED THE DRIVER INSIDE, BURNING HIM TO DEATH. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NLM
air bags5 injuriescrash
NHTSA #10112187
I WAS DRIVING 45 MPH, DRIFTED SLIGHTLY ON A CURVE, CORRECTED LEFT WENT RIGHT INSTEAD ON A SANDY DECLINE BRAKED AND FLIPPED TWICE. NEITHER OF THE TWO AIRBAGS WENT OFF. THE CAR IS TOTAL LOSS. *JB
air bags4 injuriescrash
NHTSA #8004881
WAS DRIVING 40MPH AND HIT A LARGE PUDDLE OF WATER IN THE ROAD VEHICLE SLID AND DID 360 DEGREE TURN. HIT A LIGHT POLE, OFF CENTER AND THEN A FENCE. UPON IMPACT, NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. DRIVER/ FRONT AND REAR PASSENGERS SUFFERED INJURIES. HAD EMERGENCY ROOM TREATMENT.*AK
air bags2 injuriescrash
NHTSA #8005945
WHILE DRIVING 60-65 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR END ACCIDENT. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, RESULTING IN DRIVER SUSTAINING MAJOR INJURIES, AND PASSENGER SUSTAINING MINOR INJURIES. CONSUMER HAS NOTIFIED MANUFACTURER ABOUT MALFUNCTION OF AIR BAGS.*AK
air bags,seat belts1 injurycrash
NHTSA #11014131
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2002 HYUNDAI ACCENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, THE CONTACT BECAME UNCONSCIOUS AND CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, AND THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO OPERATE AS INTENDED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A FRACTURED STERNUM AND VERTEBRATES IN THE BACK, INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED OR NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED.
vehicle speed control1 injurycrash
NHTSA #10314205
TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 2002 HYUNDAI ACCENT. SHE STATED THAT WHILE AT A SERVICE STATION AND DRIVING IN REVERSE LESS THAN 5 MPH THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN AND BEGAN TO SPIN IN CIRCLES. A CRASH OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF; HOWEVER, THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. THERE WERE DAMAGES TO THE VEHICLE. SHE ALSO SUSTAINED A NECK INJURY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND WHEN THEY TRIED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE OFF OF THE TOW TRUCK, IT STARTED ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN AGAIN . THEY DIAGNOSED IT STATING THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A BROKEN MOTOR MOUNT. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 54,063. UPDATED 4/7/2010 *CN UPDATED 09/02/10*JB
structure1 injurycrash
NHTSA #10264528
2002 HYUNDAI ACCENT - OWNER WAS INJURED IN ACCIDENT. CONDITIONS AND INJURIES ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE STATED IN RECALL 02V167000. *NJ
air bags1 injurycrash
NHTSA #10210222
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HYUNDAI ACCENT. WHILE SWITCHING LANES BETWEEN 35-40 MPH, THE CONTACT REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT'S FACE SLAMMED INTO THE WINDSHIELD. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 30,000.
air bags1 injurycrash
NHTSA #10156870
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THE DRIVER FRONT AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE AIR BAG DEFLATED SO FAST IT CAUSED THE DRIVER TO HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AT THE SCENE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY DEEMED THE VEHICLE TOTALED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT ALERTED. UPDATED 7/18/2006 - *NM
air bags1 injurycrash
NHTSA #10098485
MY DAUGHTER HIT A CAR AT ABOUT 25 - 30 MPH AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
air bags1 injurycrash
NHTSA #10080090
WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, ANOTHER VEHICLE REAR ENDED THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE, WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE TO HIT A GUARD RAIL. UPON IMPACT, THE FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS INJURED. *JB
air bags1 injurycrash
NHTSA #10071810
AFTER REAR ENDING ANOTHER VEHICLE AT 30 MPH FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
air bags1 injurycrash
NHTSA #10031905
CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN AT 40-50 MPH IT COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND CONSUMER SUSTAINED UNJURIES.*AK *TS
Filed by owners of this model year and unverified by NHTSA — one person’s account, not an established fact.
Recalls for this model year
1 recall on record
02V167000
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 201, "OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN INTERIOR IMPACT." DURING TESTING, THE 3-DOOR HATCHBACK EXCEEDED THE PERFORMANCE CRITERION IN THE STANDARD MIDWAY ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE WINDSHIELD SUPPORT PILLAR (A-PILLAR).
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL NEW ENERGY MANAGEMENT BRACKETS TO SUPPORT THE A-PILLAR COVERS AND INCREASE THE ENERGY ABSORBING PERFORMANCE OF THE A-PILLAR IN THE RELEVANT AREA. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN OCTOBER 28, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.
Published by model year, not by VIN — may not apply to this vehicle, or may already have been done. Confirm with a dealer.
EU recalls for this model
1 Safety Gate alert names this model· 1 classed as serious risk
Vehicles may develop an electrical short in the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module, increasing the risk of an engine compartment fire. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.