RoadVitals

2010 Hyundai Accent

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
88
+1 complaint in 30 days
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Sep 8, 2015
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
4
4 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 88 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2010 Hyundai Accent, most frequently naming the brakes, visibility and exterior lighting categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 39 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

Sep 8, 2015
99,500 units potentially affected
The defect: 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.
The risk: Failure to illuminate the brake lights during braking or the inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash.
The 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.
Hyundai Motor AmericaManufacturer number 131View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Airbags
Filed Nov 6, 2026

I own a 2010 Hyundai Accent and the vehicle has a catastrophic restraint system failure (the red SRS light) making it unsafe to drive. I contacted Hyundai corporate via Case# 43484901 and they have explicitly refused to diagnose or remedy the safety defect citing a standard warranty expiration.

NHTSA ID
11776354
Incident
Nov 3, 2026
Airbags
Filed Jan 26, 2026
1 injury reported

The airbags failed to deploy in my 2012 car accident. I suffered facial injuries from hitting my face on the dashboard. I got a broken nose, c2 neck fracture and skull fracture.

NHTSA ID
11713337
Incident
Feb 19, 2012
Brakes
Filed Apr 15, 2024

Brake line corrosion and leak on drivers side. Location approximately where drivers door meets passenger door. It appears that all of the brake lines except a one foot section in the above location are coated with a hard rubber for corrosion protection. The one foot section in question however is raw metal which is "protected" on the bottom side by a removable plastic covering. The covering is clearly inadequate as the brake line rusted through, potentially causing a serious accident. I notice that Canada has some recalls on Hyandai vehicles other than the Accent for rusty brake lines.

NHTSA ID
11583122
Incident
Apr 15, 2024
Electrical
Filed Jan 11, 2023

The wiring connection between the blower motor into the hvac resistor is melting. There looks to be burn marks on the plastic female plug that goes into the resistor. I sometimes smell like plastic is burning. I have to keep fan at MAX speed to not use the resistor at all. I believe this could be a fire hazard.

NHTSA ID
11501208
Incident
Jan 7, 2023
Fuel system
Filed Jul 27, 2022

Whenever I get gas even when I pump really slow when I go to remove the nozzle gas spurts out. I have had the charcoal cannister replaced as well as replacing the gas cap but it still happens. This is very dangerous since gas is leaking onto the car and area surrounding it.

NHTSA ID
11476057
Incident
May 1, 2022
Airbags
Filed Nov 3, 2021

Last week my airbag red light came on out of no where, no accident led to this.This car has been maintained and any repairs done in a TIMELY FASHION I CALLED HYUNDAI HEADQUARTERS AND SPOKE TO A SUPERVISOR. SHE WENT ON AND ON ABOUT EVERYTHING BUT WHAT I WAS CALLING ABOUT. SHE THEN DEVULGED SOME INTERESTING ISSUES REGARDING MY VEHICLE. FIRST SHE SAID THERE WAS A RECALL. ON MY VEHICLE.I BELIEVE SHE SAID 944, WHICH SHE SAID WAS A RUST ISSUE RECALL ON THE UNDERCARRIGE. SHE THEN WENT ON TO SAY THE PASSENGER SIDE SAFETY was an issue and complaints from other accent owners of airbag light SHE THEN SAID OH I BET THATS WHY YOU AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON . SHE DID ALSO SPkEAK OF MY CAR HAVING SOME SORT OF EXTENDED FACTORY WARRANTY., CALLING IT EITHER A TXX OR POSSIBLY PXX WHATEVER THAT MEANS. I HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THIS ONLY TO FIND OUT THERE ARE MANY HYUNDAI ACCENTS THAT HAVE HAD airbag IREPAIRED FOR FREE. I WAS NOT TOLD THAT MINE WOULD ALSO BE FIXED FREE OF CHARGE. DUE TO MY PERSISTENCE THEY EXPEDIATED MY COMPLAINT TO A CASE MANAGER WHOM I SHOULD HEAR FROM IN A COUPLE OF DAYS. MY CASE NUMBER IS 18924458. WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL ON THIS? IT OBVIOUSLY IS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND HAS OCCURRED IN MANY ACCENTS. What should I do until I hear from case manager? What happens if I disagree with the case workers decision? I do have receipts for close to $ 2,000 worth of routine maintence and repairs which I will upload to you depending on the findings of the case manager.

NHTSA ID
11439154
Incident
Oct 30, 2021
Airbags
Filed Oct 13, 2021

The air bags randomly stopped working. I was not in a collision or near anything that would have made my air bags deploy or stop working. I have two air bag lights that are staying on to let me know that the airbags are not working. I had a mechanic do a free consultation and he could not find anything wrong with the airbags besides the airbag being faulty.

NHTSA ID
11436585
Incident
Oct 9, 2021
Visibility
Filed Sep 16, 2021

The driver-side sun visor was falling off during driving when the visor hung at the left (the hanging rod broke from inside) and it's dangous because I could not see. It's definately a safty issue that are talked broadly and a recall is neccessary.

NHTSA ID
11433281
Incident
Sep 16, 2021

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

26-GI-004H

BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS

Some Hyundai vehicles may be equipped with a parking distance warning (PDW) sensor(s) that may trigger various DTCs and display warning messages on the instrument cluster, resulting in the PDW sensor(s) failing to detect nearby objects or triggering multiple false alarms. This condition may be a result of external damage to the PDW sensor membrane or sensor cover from rock chips or road debris, a collision, or previous vehicle repairs or modifications.

26-EM-016H TSB

ENGINE

Some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning procedure for vehicles diagnosed with this condition. All internal combustion engines consume some engine oil during normal operation, depending on driving conditions and mileage, and this procedure should only be performed when deemed necessary based on inspection and diagnosis of the vehicle as outlined in TSB 26-EM-015H, Engine Oil Consumption – Inspection & Repair Guidelines, or the latest revision.

26-EM-015H TSB

ENGINE

Certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures for vehicles exhibiting this condition. All internal combustion engines consume engine oil as part of normal engine operation. Oil consumption rates may vary based on mileage, operating conditions, driving habits, and maintenance history. Hyundai recommends following the prescribed maintenance schedule and periodically checking the engine oil level using the dipstick to maintain proper engine oil level.

DTN DL

AIR BAGS

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN). These inflators were not supplied, approved, or authorized by the vehicle manufacturers and have primarily been found in vehicles that previously experienced a crash and underwent airbag replacement using non-genuine parts. These dangerous inflators have ruptured during deployment, posing a serious risk of injury or death due to metal fragments entering the vehicle cabin. To date, Hyundai is aware of three people who have died while driving a Hyundai vehicle with one of these substandard replacement airbag inflators that deployed in what likely would have been a survivable crash. NHTSA has issued a public advisory urging vehicle owners and service professionals to have vehicles inspected if there is reason to believe that a non-genuine replacement airbag may have been installed. Vehicles with salvage or rebuilt titles, prior airbag deployments, or unknown repair histories may present a higher risk. NHTSA strongly cautions against self-inspection by vehicle owners and recommends inspection by trained technicians.

DTN DCS

AIR BAGS

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN), that have been identified in U.S. vehicles following prior crashes, theft, or non‑certified airbag replacements. These inflators are not approved for use, may rupture during deployment, and have caused serious injuries and fatalities. Please see attached announcement, provided by NHTSA, for more details.

25-BD-012H TSB

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. This TSB illustrates the various causes of condensation inside the lamp assembly. Lamp assembly replacement is NOT necessary in most cases. This condition can be eliminated by turning on the lamps with the engine running for several minutes or during normal driving operation.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Hyundai Accent by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2022172051.5
2021164155.1
2020124159.1
2019311053.0
2018191054.4
2017680047.7
20161030045.5
2015702162.2
2014791155.2
20131431154.4
20121532156.9
2011381041.6
2010Viewing881041.9
20091012049.0
20081011043.4
2007883156.6
2006433152.0
2005491046.9
2004330047.2
2003370046.6
20021341046.9
20011122054.9
2000924055.8
1999611051.1
1998471148.6
1997552359.0
19961014363.0
19951425466.1
1994000—
1993100—
1992000—
1991200—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.