85 of the
2,760 complaints filed about the Hyundai Accent
are about the steering —
3% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2016.
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Accent. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds on several occasions, the steering wheel seized. No warning light was illuminated. The brakes locked up, causing a tire blowout. The contact stated that the tie rod was replaced. The contact stated that a neighbor assisted with freeing the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that, due to the age of the vehicle, the struts and brake pads should be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
NHTSA complaint #11723312 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Power steering power breaks, acceleration. Head rest, blind spot. Problems. Bought car ,driving to get home mirror was not in place needed to get on left lane to get under bridge crossing traffic was rushing through so fast I could adjust mirror so I turned to right on road the steering wheel glided so fast it frightened me. Wheel turning was slippery. So any way since I didn't know car I just kept going home. On my way I noticed the breaks are very sensitive breaks quick . I found the acceleration on stop and then turn to right it took force on my pressing gas acceleration to make it go very sluggish feeling there was a car behind me tailgating me to go it a while for car to get going..it was very dangerous thank God the other car slowed down or he would of hit from behind .. Finally Got home alright next day I called to make appointment to check underneath car I asked sales person 3 times before purchase but he didn't do it he kept telling me just a minute every time... He did it. So I made appointment for coming monday Oct 10. I went in drove slow to be careful, serviced it Hyundai mechanic looked it over but didn't test drive it don't run any electrical machines to check deeper of my unsafety report. With the power breaks or steering wheel and acceleration. . maybe because it cost money and no warranty left on my part and being second buyer.. Its very strange the acceleration sluggish does it only at different times so I cannot really trust it. Its very annoying. And stressful haven't been able to sleep well now I put also mall my saving for a car and I am in need of good safe transportation and I trade my old car in. Hyundai will not trade ,buy back nor sale me another. So please try to help with me on this report as quick . I don't want to have accident. Thanks [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11693531 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
For reasons unknown I was at a stoplight. The car started shaking, and the check engine light started blinking, and then the light went off. Also, the steering wheel locks up at times and I’m unable to to move the steering wheel because it’s locked.
NHTSA complaint #11679167 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11676043 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Accent. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH and turning to the right, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the power steering assist module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
NHTSA complaint #11623825 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On several occasions have hit Mt brakes and it felt like they wasn't engaging it felt as if they wasn't going to stop once I released my foot and pressed the break again and it engaged ,this was a scarey situation fear of the car not stopping, I belive this is a part of the recall
NHTSA complaint #11581594 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Accent. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the steering wheel had become stiff. The contact attempted to make a turn and the vehicle continued straight and crashed into a ditch. The contact mentioned that she lost control of the vehicle during the incident. The air bags did not deploy. No warning light was illuminated. A police report was not filled. The vehicle was towed to a lot. The driver was injured in the back and neck. The contact received a pain shot for her pains, prescribed ibuprofen, and received a x-ray. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to reach out to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11555153 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Key ignition locked, key would not turn and steering wheel locked while driving. Previously checked by Auto nation hyundai in Savannah, GA. They could not get it to lock up. Drove a few weeks and it locked up again while driving and would not unlock. Hyundai could not get it unlocked or the key to turn. Advised this is a major expense. Needs a new steering column and new ignition. This was extremely dangerous locking while driving. I would like this reviewed as a safety danger and a manufacturing problem.
NHTSA complaint #11530108 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This complainant is the Owner of a Hyundai Accent 2013 GLS. The car use to drive fine until about a month ago, while I was stepping on the brake to come to a stop, the steering wheels sharply moved into the other lane. This situation got even dangerous this last week when the vehicle started drifting on the high way. I reported to a MIDAS mechanic who agreed this is a safety hazard. This needs to be checked by Hyundai.
NHTSA complaint #11499375 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My car, a 2022 Hyundai Accent Sel, left the right lane I was traveling in on a highway and continued into the left lane, then onto the left shoulder, and finally stopped in a ditch. The airbags did not deploy. I am having the steering column checked and airbags checked as I have read on several websites online that this is one of the recalls on my car (the steering column may loosen and may cause a crash). The Insurance changed the at-fault clause to not at fault after they verified the information online about the steering column being defective. My car is still in the auto repair shop, 38 days, still awaiting parts because the car was not made in the USA. The damage is $13,197. I do not see this recall reported on this website. There is a recall for parts missing on the seatbelts, I had that fixed on my last oil change. I do not see this listed here as well. I received a recall notice about the seatbelts, but I did not receive a notice about the steering column. The auto body shop will tow my car to Hyundai to check the steering column after my car is fixed as they told me Hyundai would have to fix this. The airbags did not deploy. I have read other people have reported this happening to them. This is not a recall issue reported, but rather a complaint. No warning signals or sounds went off when my car pulled left and brought me to a ditch. I was extremely lucky not to get hurt.
NHTSA complaint #11491558 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When you start the car and touch the steering wheel, it vibrates hard, and the 2 front tires. while driving you can barely keep the car on the road it seems the steering wheel has little or no control. It gets better after you drive a bit, but still vibrates and while parked the steering wheel moves on its on. Lastly after turning the car off the steering wheel and tires still vibrates for about 2-5 seconds afterwards.
NHTSA complaint #11478442 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When the car stops at a stop sign or traffic light the engine sometimes stalls and the engine and EPS warning light turn on. Also sometimes when trying to accelerate, acceleration is not possible, especially on the highway. This is a major safety risk of rear-end accidents.
NHTSA complaint #11475901 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My steering wheel column was replaced 4 months ago because it was shorting itself - steering froze up while driving - I was unable to steer vehicle in any way - after total replacement I am having issues with dash board lights flashing on off - MPH states that I’m driving at 0 miles per hour and steering wheel froze up for a moment. SAME as before.
NHTSA complaint #11461807 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The steering wheel, when in use in turning, emanates a fairly distinct "clicking" sound, whether turning left or right. I have been told this happens in hyundai and kia vehicles, and that there has been some movement from manufacturer to replace the "Steering Coupler" in some models. I first noticed mine approximately 6 months ago. Will I receive a letter for my dealership to replace mine? I bought new (August 2015) and now have only 57,000 miles on vehicle. I am afraid if this gets worse I might loose ability to steer and that it could happen at the worst possible moment. Can you help? [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
NHTSA complaint #11458166 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The steering wheel, when in use in turning, emanates a fairly distinct "clicking" sound whether turning left or right. I have been told this happens in Hyundai and Kia vehicles, and that there has been some movement from manufacturer to replace the "Steering Coupler" in some models. I first noticed mine approximately 6 months ago. Will I receive a recall letter from my dealership to replace mine? I bought new in (August 2015) and now have only 57,000 miles on vehicle. I am afraid if this gets worse I might loose ability to steer and that it could happen at the worst possible moment. Can you help? [XXX] I want this information shared with NTSB, I want any and all recalls to come to my email and home address via US Mail. Thank you INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
NHTSA complaint #11458171 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The electric power steering (EPS) system in my Hyundai Accent 2012 5-door hatchback intermittently stops and starts working, and when it does not work, a dashboard red EPS light comes on. This problem has been occurring on and off for a few months now. When the system is not working, the car becomes very difficult to steer, especially at slow speeds. The problem seems to occur more frequently in cold weather at start up, occasionally occurs in warmer weather, and often resolves itself after driving the vehicle for awhile, but sometimes starts while driving. Because the problem is intermittent and the strength needed to steer at slow speeds is significant, there is a safety risk. Because the problem is intermittent, it has not been reproduced by a dealer or service center. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer but I plan to have them do this when I take the car in for other recall work. This problem sounds very similar to the one triggering a recall in Hyundai Elantra vehicles in 2015 (recall number 127). I see from online reports that other Hyundai Accent owners and owners of other Hyundai vehicles reporting similar issues and I wonder whether Hyundai should be required to recall all vehicles with similar EPS systems to fix this issue. Thank you for reviewing this report.
NHTSA complaint #11445038 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The car seems to have sort of an alignment problem. Steering keeps going to the left and I constantly have to pull steering to the right. Even with both have on steering wheel the car goes to the left lane. If I make a left turn the steering seems to want to stay to the left and I get the feeling the car is going to flip over. It's like there is a gap in the steering wheel. A miscommunication between the steering and front axle kind of. They tried to fix it three times without any success, and now they are ignoring me, they don't answer my calls. I only drive it to work because I have to. The dealer says it's not that bad. Well maybe it's not that bad to drive it around the block but to drive it one hour everyday is a problem for me, even my right hand and arm start to hurt after half hour of constant dragging. Dealer told me all there accents drive the same. Well for me it means they all have same problem probably. Mechanics told me they get lot of cars with same problem. I am sure they are aware of it. I even took a video while driving to demonstrate defect and definitely it's not safe to drive. They tried to align the car three times at two different dealers with no success. Dealers repair files attached.
NHTSA complaint #11431287 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.