2016 Hyundai Accent Complaints

AIR BAGS — Filed 04/11/2026

I got into an accident and my airbags did not go off... my face hit the steering wheel and my hand is broken because the airbags didn't deploy

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE — Filed 02/02/2026

The engine failed and requires a full engine replacement. The vehicle is currently at ALM Hyundai West, 1990 Thornton Rd, Lithia Springs, GA 30122, and is available for inspection upon request. Hyundai Motor America has already approved the engine replacement under a goodwill authorization, implicitly confirming the failure is manufacturer-related. The engine failure left the vehicle undrivable, forcing me to operate rental vehicles and arrange multiple tows across three dealerships over nearly two years. An engine failure at under 100,000 miles on a well-maintained vehicle poses a direct safety risk a sudden engine failure while driving at highway or city speeds could result in loss of vehicle control, creating a serious risk of collision for the driver and other road users.Yes. The engine failure has been confirmed by three separate authorized Hyundai dealerships: Ed Voyles Hyundai (Marietta, GA), AutoNation Hyundai (Columbus, GA), and ALM Hyundai West (Lithia Springs, GA). Hyundai Motor America's own goodwill approval of a full engine replacement on July 18, 2025 further confirms the failure.Yes. The vehicle has been inspected by three authorized Hyundai dealerships acting on behalf of the manufacturer. Hyundai Motor America's corporate team reviewed and approved the engine replacement as a goodwill repair. All inspection and repair documentation is on file and available upon request.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE — Filed 12/12/2025

I was driving up a hill on interstate 8 in California and all of a sudden i heard a bang under the hood and see sparks and flames and my hyundai was on fire right there on the freeway. No clue why.

POWER TRAIN,ENGINE — Filed 12/02/2025

Engine is failing, oil leaking in the engine that messed up my catalytic converter and O2 sensors now it’s just sluggish , doesn’t accelerate properly, doesn’t idle nearly .

POWER TRAIN,ENGINE — Filed 09/23/2025

The vehicle made a loud catastrophic noises stopped running and couldn’t be restarted. Towed car to dealership where it was inspected and denied coverage based on owner not original owner. This 1.6L Gamma GDI Engine is part of the larger Hyundai and Kia Engine Litigation II (Case No. 8:18-cv-02223). The settlement provides a 15-year/150,000-mile extended warranty for said engine.

STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 07/24/2025

The Emergency brake light, ABS light, and esc light all come on while driving & speedometer goes to 0. The speedometer also stops tracking mileage when these lights come on. This used to happen on & off, but now it’s almost permanent. Hundreds are reporting the same exact issue online, but mechanics cannot figure out what the problem is. Me and countless others have taken the vehicle to mechanics multiple times with no resolve and thousands of dollars worth of diagnostics that are incorrect and don’t resolve the issue. It is dangerous because we don’t know how fast we’re going, and we don’t know if your abs, emergency brakes, & esc are all working properly. This issue is impacting Hyundai Accents years 2015, 2016, & 2017 based on the multiple threads & posts online. I think it’s related to electrical issues too because my windshield wipers & blinkers will randomly malfunction while this is happening. A random online user said that it is a “SMART Junction Box” issue that needs to be replaced. Please look into this and issue a recall because thousands of people are spending thousands of hard-earned dollars with no resolve.

AIR BAGS — Filed 06/11/2025

The passenger seat airbag seat sensor does not work properly. The sensor wiring gets loose making the airbag system not work. It’s a common problem in this make and model. So I don’t understand why it hasn’t been recalled yet.

ENGINE — Filed 05/25/2025

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Accent. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE — Filed 01/30/2025

The report does not specify the exact component that failed, but the fire originated under the hood of the 2016 Hyundai Accent. The vehicle and related documentation, including the fire department report, insurance claim, and incident photos, are available for review​. The fire under the hood posed a serious safety risk as it occurred while the vehicle was in motion on a busy highway. Fortunately, the driver evacuated safely, but the incident could have resulted in injury or more severe consequences​ of both driver and other drivers traveling. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. Due to the extent of the damage caused by the fire, it is unlikely that the issue can be reproduced or thoroughly examined. The vehicle has not been inspected by a mechanic since the incident. The incident was inspected by Chesterfield Fire & EMS (Report No. [XXX]), Chesterfield Police Department arrived on the scene, and an insurance claim is in process. About a week prior to the fire, oil indicator light would flash on and off periodically, unusual noise began, and the engine light came on. At the earliest convenience, the car was taken to a shop for inspection and consultation - with no life threatening concerns or mechanical damages reported. The day of and right before the fire, there was a loud noise and immediate smoke. The exact timing of the believed ignition of the fire started around [XXX] with the fire in full flames by [XXX] on [XXX]​.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 04/02/2024

My 2016 Hyundai accent engine has all of sudden stop working and i have explained to multiple shops and my insurance that i was deployed for a whole year and the car was driving fine and once I came back it just wouldn’t crank. Two Hyundai shops informed me that the engine is locked up but neither shop provided a thorough investigation as to why this has happened. There were two-three major hurricanes in Texas where it was stored while I was deployed in Kuwait and Iraq from march 2023- march 2024 as well as another hurricane in Georgia where i am currently located now which happened September 2024. The engine is locked with no explanation as to how and a Hyundai representative by the name of don who provided the goodwill repair on July 09 2024 and i had it towed to Hyundai in Marietta and they looked and provided the same explanation that the engine is locked and to get it replaced with no detailed reasoning why. My safety has been at risk due to driving across states and town to get this vehicle serviced properly and causing mental anguish and depression as I am not able to get to where I need to go everyday which is causing friction in relationship and I am missing important events. I emailed the CEO Randy Parker and his executive assistant Amanda has done nothing but further deny the goodwill with no explanation on how, why, what, when. No, the problem was not confirmed as again it was no detail reasoning behind how the engine locked when it was working fine before returning from overseas. The vehicle was inspected by the local Hyundai dealerships in Killeen Texas and another in Marietta, GA and only inspected by one adjuster recently on October 10, 2024. There was no check engine illuminated in the car once I returned from overseas as it has not been driven much. There is still no check engine light illuminated even after all the shops checking. To make this right, I would like for Hyundai (HMUSA) to honor the goodwill REPAIR and or REPLACEMENT of the engine.