2017 Hyundai Accent Airbags Problems

While traveling on a public roadway under wet conditions, the vehicle was unable to stop within a safe distance despite brake application, resulting in a rear-end collision with the vehicle ahead. The primary concern is that the airbags did not deploy during the impact, despite significant front-end damage. The collision caused severe deformation of the hood and extensive damage to the front-left area, including the fender, bumper, and headlight assembly, with visible intrusion into the engine compartment. The vehicle was subsequently determined to be a total loss, which raises concerns about whether the airbag system functioned as intended under these impact conditions. Prior to the incident, there were no warning lights, dashboard messages, or other indications of a malfunction. The issue has not been reproduced or evaluated by a dealer or independent service center due to the extent of the damage. The incident was documented by responding law enforcement, and the vehicle has been reported to an insurance carrier. The failure of the airbags to deploy in a collision resulting in severe front-end damage may have increased the risk of injury to the driver. The vehicle is no longer available for inspection.

NHTSA ID

11741551

Incident

Jun 2, 2026

I have had this vehicle for 5 years and even replaced the engine in this vehicle for it to end up with the same issue. I take very good care of it and get its maintenance done. But the car is slow to get up to speed and misfires really bad. I replaced the spark plugs in it and they were coated in oil. The airbag sensor will come on indicating it’s not operating properly. Overall a very unreliable vehicle that has multiple issues. It has ended in catastrophic engine failure twice now

NHTSA ID

11721938

Incident

Feb 25, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Accent. The contact stated while the contact's daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact's vehicle was involved in a head-on collision. The contact stated that the oncoming vehicle failed to stop at the stop sign, and resulted in a head-on collision. In addition, the contact stated that it resulted in a five-vehicle crash. The contact's vehicle was severely damaged to the entire front of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The contact's vehicle was towed to the local tow yard. The paramedics and the police arrived on the scene. A Police Report was filed, however the information was unavailable. There were a total of four occupants in the vehicle. There were two adults seated in the front seats and two minor children seated in the rear seat. All four passengers were transported to the local medical center. All four passengers sustained concussions and received medical treatment. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.

NHTSA ID

11624719

Incident

Nov 11, 2024

Mileage

144,000 mi

Passenger air bag dosent work. Dosent sense when someone is in the seat, the air bag light is on the dash.

NHTSA ID

11604577

Incident

Jan 18, 2023

October 2017 I purchased a 2017 Hyundai Accent. During my very first month driving this car right bumper clip broke. As I was under warranty took car in complained to the dealership. A tech came out and basically wacked it back in place. So now I notice both left and right sides of bumper are off track. My son is a licensed mechanic. Before I took it back to dealership he had checked and said mom your clip is broke. So he looks back under it again and now BOTH clips are broke. On 9/13/17 go back in. Hyundai notes in my paperwork clips are broke but failed to repair again at a little over 30,000 miles they note it again and failed to repair. This is a safety issue and I feel it should be a recall. The clips are cheap plastic and if it comes off I fear I will be in an accident.I have also been throwing PODS module defect codes and they just keep resetting it.This air light and OCS mat defect has shown up since I first purchased the car. So for 6 years code just keeps getting reset. After calling Hyundai they are FINALLY going to repair it. So my family has been endangered for 6 years. I'm also throwing a catalytic code and that's been going on since a little over 50,000.I called a local Hyundai dealership and was told warrenty only covers a certain part of the converter. I'm at 79,000 and fed mandates say manufacturer must cover it up to 80,000. I don't know what to do and all codes just keep being reset. Car is currently undergoing a fuel consumption test as it's been eating oil like crazy since a little over 50,000.

NHTSA ID

11561024

Incident

Dec 20, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Accent. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s side air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that after a visual inspection of the vehicle, she became aware that the vehicle was leaking oil. The check engine warning light was also illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with failures to the passenger’s side occupant sensor and the catalytic converter. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11557888

Incident

Jan 15, 2017

My airbag check engine light kept going on and off for a couple weeks. A diagnostic was done on it at the auto repair shop and they told me the pods module came back with an error. They said with this malfunction none of the airbags will deploy if there's an accident, which is a huge safety risk. They said it will cost $2500 to fix but Hyundai had an airbag recall out where the airbags will not deploy in an accident, it just didn't include 2017 Hyundai Accent. I believe this may be part of a recall, that 2017 may need to be included in the formal recall. I have an appointment scheduled with a Hyundai dealership to get another diagnostic at the end of November but I'm sure they will say the same thing is wrong. I just want to see if 2017's are actually part of the recall and save other people the trouble of driving a faulty car and having to pay over $2000 for an issue that's actually a recall. This is my family's only car and I won't be able to afford to fix this issue right now, so I'm worried about using the car with faulty airbags and risking everyone's life.

NHTSA ID

11552290

Incident

Oct 10, 2023

Airbag light came on while driving. Took the car to the dealer and the dealer noted PODS MAT DEFECT. Dealer recommended replacing mat and unit. As the vehicle warranty for 5 years just expired, the burden for repairs is unfairly falling on me. I contacted Hyundai and they told me that the warranty expired and they cannot cover the cost for the fix. This is very expensive (greater than $1500) and should have been covered by the manufacturer .

NHTSA ID

11482071

Incident

Aug 15, 2022

Car was hit in the front right broadside hard enough to break the axle, but the airbag did not deploy.

NHTSA ID

11433182

Incident

Sep 15, 2021

Randomly have the passenger side airbag light go off on dashboard then an warning light in gage cluster for air bag issues will come on.

NHTSA ID

11428283

Incident

Jul 2, 2021

The airbag warning light comes on and won’t go off. According to the Hyundai dealership it’s just a faulty mat on the passenger side but they are claiming it’s a $1400 fix.

NHTSA ID

11428268

Incident

Aug 8, 2021

I BOUGHT IT USED WITH 63,000 MILES AROUND 11/8/20, EVERYTHING WAS GOING GOOD, AND ONE DAY I NOTICED THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON. OVER A THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, THE LIGHT WOULD STAY ON & IF I TURNED MY CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN, IT WOULD TURN OFF BUT COME BACK ON A COUPLE MINUTES LATER. I LOOKED IT UP, AND IT TALKED ABOUT A POSSIBLE ISSUE WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM OR THE AIRBAG SENSOR. I ALSO NOTICED THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD THE AIRBAG LIGHT ISSUE WITH THEIR HYUNDAI VEHICLES, MOSTLY THE ACCENT MODELS.

NHTSA ID

11386746

Incident

Jan 1, 2021

Mileage

66,000 mi

NOT EXACTLY SURE WHEN BUT MY 'PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF' LIGHT STARTED TO RANDOMLY APPEAR AND NEVER TURNS OFF DESPITE THERE BEING A PASSENGER. ALSO MY BACK SEATS WOULD NOT LATCH CLOSED, CREATING AN UNSAFE RIDING TIME FOR A CHILD IN A BOOSTER SEAT. WHICH IS A HUGE CONCERN BECAUSE I FREQUENTLY PROVIDE RIDES FOR TWO YOUNG CHILDREN MY AIR CONDITIONING UNIT BECOMES SO HOT THAT MY FEET ARE LITERALLY BURNING ME. I END UP TAKING MY SOCKS AND SHOES OFF DUE TO HOW HOT IT GETS. THE MOTOR FOR THE ENGINE IS INCREDIBLY LOUD DESPITE THE SMALL AMOUNT OF MILES. I HAVE ISSUES WITH ACCELERATING FROM STOP

NHTSA ID

11348519

Incident

Aug 1, 2020

Mileage

22,000 mi

OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM DEFECT. MY CAR WAS ONLY 2,000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY AND HYUNDAI WILL NOT COVER THIS DEFECT. RIGHT PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG SENSOR MAT IS FAULTY CAUSING THE AIR BAG LIGHT TO COME ON. I'VE DONE MY RESEARCH ONLINE AND THIS IS PRETTY COMMON. IT SHOULD BE A RECALL AND I SHOULDN'T BE HAVING TO SPEND $1,400 TO GET IT FIXED.

NHTSA ID

11340692

Incident

Jul 21, 2020

Mileage

62,000 mi

THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON (AND STAYS ON) FOR NO APPARENT REASON WHEN CAR WAS STARTED. THE CAR HAS NOT SUSTAINED ANY IMPACT OR ANY DAMAGE. IT APPEARS A SENSOR HAS FAILED. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 42K MILES AND IS IN PERFECT SHAPE.

NHTSA ID

11254543

Incident

Sep 10, 2019

Mileage

42,000 mi

WHENEVER I START DRIVING THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT TURNS ON AND WON'T TURN OFF UNTIL I TURN THE CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON AND IT STILL TURNS BACK ON WHEN I START MOVING.

NHTSA ID

11245416

Incident

Aug 19, 2019

Mileage

55,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING DOWN ROAD AND TRUCK HIT ME ON PASSENGER SIDE AND AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY

NHTSA ID

11234947

Incident

Jul 25, 2019

Mileage

45,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2017 HYUNDAI ACCENT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED AND PUSHED OVER THE MEDIAN. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED HEAD ON INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND TOWED TO A TOW YARD. THE CONTACT CALLED STEVENS CREEK HYUNDAI AT 408-249-1200 (LOCATED AT 4425 STEVENS CREEK BLVD, SANTA CLARA, CA 95051) AND WAS REFERRED TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STARTED AN INVESTIGATION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,500.

NHTSA ID

11179807

Incident

Feb 10, 2019

Mileage

35,500 mi

ON EASTER SUNDAY 04/01/2018 I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT THAT CAUSED ,$ 10,800.00 IN FRONT END COLLISION DAMAGE , NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THE RESULTING COLLISION CAUSED MY SEATBELT ON BREAK 3 OF MY LEFT RIBS . I HAD ACCIDENTALLY DROPPED A CLOSED WATER BOTTLE BETWEEN MY LEGS , SAID BOTTLE THEN ROLLED UP UNDER BRAKE PEDAL , AFTER I LOOKED DOWN TO SEE WHERE IT WENT I LOOKED UP TO MY HORROR DISCOVERED A RED ISHTAR WITH A CAR STOPPED IF FRONT OF ME . I SLAM ON WHAT BRAKE I HAD AVAILABLE CUT SHELL HARD RIGHT AND COLLIDED LEFT FRONT OF MY CAR INTO RIGHT REAR OF BUMPER IN FRONT OF ME , I THEN RICOCHET INTO GUARD RAIL THUS DESERT HE OTHER FRONT SIDE OF MY VEHICLE . AGAIN NEITHER FRONT OR SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED.

NHTSA ID

11096678

Incident

Apr 1, 2018

Mileage

6,500 mi

AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. GOT IT DIAGNOSIED AND APPEARED CODE B1490 (OCCUPENT CLASSIFICATION)

NHTSA ID

11083863

Incident

Mar 22, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2017 HYUNDAI ACCENT. WHILE DRIVING 74 MPH, THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY IN THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE AFTER BEING STRUCK ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE QUARTER PANEL. THE VEHICLE TRAVELED OVER THE MEDIAN, STRUCK AN EMBANKMENT, ROLLED OVER, AND LANDED ON ITS ROOF. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THAT CONTACT SUSTAINED A CONCUSSION, HEAD LACERATION, AND A FRACTURED COLLAR BONE THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW LOT AND DEEMED DESTROYED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TOWED TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND WAS SENDING AN INSPECTOR TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 841. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

11022080

Incident

Aug 22, 2017

Mileage

841 mi