Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1996 Hyundai Accent, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Suspension24
- Power train22
- Air bags21
- Visibility9
- Tires7
- Structure7
- Service brakes, hydraulic6
- Seat belts5
- Latches/locks/linkages5
- Electrical system4
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 14 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
In the United Kingdom
10 cars built in 1996 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 62 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In New Zealand
31 1996 cars are on the New Zealand register; 3% arrived as used imports, 94% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 6 variants: combined 8.4–9.3 L/100 km (about 25–28 mpg US), CO₂ 193–214 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accent · Compact · Regular gasoline | 9.6 | 7.0 | 8.4 |
| Accent · Compact · Regular gasoline | 10.0 | 7.2 | 8.7 |
| Accent Sedan · Compact · Regular gasoline | 9.9 | 7.4 | 8.8 |
| Accent Sporty · Compact · Regular gasoline | 10.1 | 7.4 | 8.9 |
| Accent Sedan · Compact · Regular gasoline | 10.4 | 7.6 | 9.2 |
| Accent Sporty · Compact · Regular gasoline | 10.6 | 7.8 | 9.3 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 1996 Hyundai Accent.
| 2003140 23 May 2003 | Suspension On certain vehicles, road de-icing salt used during winter months may result in corrosion of the lower plate or the front lower control arm. Corrosion may proc… |
| 1998210 22 Oct 1998 | Suspension On certain vehicles, corrosion from winter road salt may cause pits to form on the lower coil of the front springs. These pits may allow cracks to develop, whic… |
| 1997045 10 Mar 1997 | Visual System THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER ELECTRICAL CONTACTS MAY BE CONTAMINATED WITH SOLDERING FLUX. THIS CONTAMINATION COULD INTERFERE WITH THE ELECTRICAL … |
| 1995209 21 Nov 1995 | Suspension NOTE: ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES WERE REPAIRED PRIOR TO DELIVERY. THE LEFT HAND AND/OR RIGHT HAND REAR AXLE CARRIER (SPINDLE) MAY HAVE BEEN MACHINED INCORRECTLY. TH… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. DURING WINTER MONTHS, LARGE QUANTITIES OF SALT ARE USED TO DE-ICE ROADS. THIS ROAD SALT COULD RESULT IN CORROSION OF THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING "SALT BELT" STATES: CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, AND WISCONSIN. DURING WINTER MONTHS, THE ROAD SALT USED TO DE-ICE ROADS CAN RESULT IN CORROSION THAT CAUSES PITS TO FORM ON THE LOWER COIL OF THE FRONT SPRINGS ALLOWING CRACKS TO DEVELOP. THIS CAN RESULT IN BREAKAGE OF THE LOWER SPRING COIL.
THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WERE CONTAMINATED DURING ASSEMBLY.
THROUGH CONTACT WITH ROAD HAZARDS AND CURBS, THE LOWER CONTROL ARM ASSEMBLY CAN SHIFT FROM ITS ORIGINAL POSITION.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Hyundai told its dealers about the 1996 Hyundai Accent: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 633884 | SUBJECT REGARDING DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE FOR CLIFFORD AND DEI SECURITY SYSTEM. *JG |
| 633870 | AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE PULSE GENERATOR DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P0717 AND P0722 - REVISED. *JG |
| 631420 | SUBJECT REGARDING AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES LIST. *YH |
| 631408 | SUBJECT ON AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE HARSH OR DELAYED PARK REVERSE OR PARK DRIVE ENGAGEMENT. *YH |
| 618056 | INFORMATION ON PERFORMING A TEST DRIVE FOR TRANSAXLE SHIFT QUALITY. *TT |
| 615629 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT SHIFTING OR CRACKING IN THE UNDERBODY LEFT AND / OR RIGHT LOWER ARM MOUNTING MEMBERS. *TT |
| 607524 | SUBJECT REGARDING CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE. *TT |
| 605655 | CONCERNS WITH SHIFT SHOCK AND DELAY UNDER VARIOUS CONDITIONS. *TT |
| 605010 | SUBJECT REGARDING AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P1613/1614. *TT |
| 604536 | VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A SLIGHT SHIFT FLARE DURING THE UPSHIFT FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. *TT |
| 601624 | INFORMATION ON THE OXYGEN SENSOR OFFSET VOLTAGE CHANGE. *YC |
| 600382 | EXPERIENCING A TICKING/COLLAPSED LASH ADJUSTER CONDITION. *YC |
| 54311 | MODIFIED TRANSAXLE CONTROL MODULES. *YC |
| 54112 | SERVICE PROCEDURES AND INFORMATION ON WINDOW ADJUSTMENT. *YC |
| 52651 | HDS ADAPTER CABLE HY02 INSTALLATION PROCEDURE. *TW |
| 52650 | TIBURON/ACCENT REAR SPOILER CENTER HIGH MOUNTED STOP LAMP. *TW |
| 52280 | MANUAL TRANSAXLE AIR BREATHER MODIFICATION. *JD |
| 51906 | RADIO REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION FOR ACCENT. *TW |
| 51905 | SHIFT CONDITION CAUSED BY SHORT CIRCUIT IN INHIBITOR SWITCH. *TW |
| 51902 | ENGINE MOUNT BRACKET TORQUE SPECIFICATION (SHOP MANUAL CORRECTION). *TW |
| 51899 | ACCENT BRAKE BOOSTER CHECK VALVE (SHOP MANUAL CORRECTION). *TW |
| 51898 | POWER STEERING RESERVOIR MOUNTING BRACKET DESIGN CHANGE. *TW |
| 51896 | IMPROVED SHIFT ENGAGEMENT LOGIC IN TRANSAXLE CONTROL MODULE. *TW |
| 51894 | MODIFIED TRANSAXLE CONTROL MODULES. *TW |
| 51307 | THE CYLINDER HEAD TORQUE SEQUENCE FOR IN-LINE 4 CYLINDER ENGINES NOTED IN THE LISTED SHOP MANUALS IS INCORRECT. *JD |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER CONTROL ARM
PASSENGER AIR BAG RELATED
PASSENGER AIR BAG RELATED FATALITIES
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation