2018 Hyundai Accent Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2018 Hyundai Accent, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine840.0%
- Electrical315.0%
- Body & structure210.0%
- Brakes210.0%
- Airbags15.0%
- Suspension15.0%
- Fuel system15.0%
- Interior & seats15.0%
- Exterior lighting15.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
This car burns through gas at an unbelievable rate. I have read that this is a common problem and Hyundai needs to address the problem - and REPAIR it - for all affected owners. I have about 75,000 miles and the problem has been ongoing for over a year. I have to add oil every week and if I forget, it is all burned up within 2 weeks.
EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION = ENGINE FAILURE + NO WARRANTY HONORER
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
The system that malfunctioned was the brake light(s) and/or electrical components which started a fire in the trunk of my car on 2 separate occasions. On one of the occasions, the top break light in my trunk apparently blew out without my knowledge, it wasn't until my two kids in the backseat started to smell smoke that I pulled over and tried to figure out where the smoke was coming from. When I opened my trunk, I noticed the top break light had burned through the encasement and the wiring was dangling in my trunk which caught a plastic bag on fire. On another occasion, it burned part of a brand-new rug before I caught it in time. I was told by two separate auto mechanics that for some reason the electrical current running through the wiring to the light bulbs is what caused it. When I brought it into Hyundai, they acted like it was no big deal. I recently got my oil changed at Valvoline this past week and they found another one of my brake lights had blown out (this time the right brake light), the auto mechanic at Valvoline told me that she has encountered a lot of blown-out lights in Hyundais versus other vehicle manufacturers and stated she believes it has something to do with the electrical components of the vehicle and an excess amount of electricity going through the electrical wiring to the light bulbs. My vehicle can be made available for inspection but it’s my fault for when I brought it in originally to Hyundai not to ask for the broken/melted pieces that they replaced. I do have the rug which was partially burned but do not have the plastic bag that was burned. Both my kids under 10 and myself were put at risk during these episodes. If I didn’t catch it in time on both occasions, my kids could've been severally injured by fire since they were closest to the trunk. It posed a distraction as well. The problem was confirmed by the Hyundai dealership in Winter Park, FL when I brought it in. There were no warnings, only noticed when we smelled smoke.
My 2018 Hyundai Accent caught fire in motion on the way to get gas on June 21, 2021. The car had no recalls and no electrical issues prior to the explosion. Fire department ruled the accident as electrical, I had the vehicle for 6 months. A loud explosion sound came from the hood, it started smoking and we pulled the car off the road, moments later it caught fire and created an explosion spreading from the hood to the back of the car. Because i dont have a car, I had temporarily close my small online business, this has been a nightmare.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
RECIBI RECALL DE SEGURIDAD HYNDAI ACCENT 2018 INDICANDO QUE LA CERRADURA DEL BAUL NO FUNCIONE CORRECTAMENTE. This could cause the trunk to open on its own or not want to open when you need to open it. THE DEALER INDICATES THAT THE NOTIFICATION DOES NOT APPEAR IN THE SYSTEMS AND THAT THE TRUNK DOES NOT OPEN
WATER GETTING INSIDE OF CAR DOORS DURING/AFTER LIGHT RAIN. CONSIDERABLE AMOUNTS OF WATER DRAIN OUT OF DOOR BOTTOM DRAIN HOLES WHEN CAR DOORS ARE FIRST OPENED AFTER RAIN STORM. SOME WATER APPARENTLY DOES NOT DRAIN UNTIL ALL 4 DOORS ARE OPENED. I HAVE WAITED AS MUCH AS 24 HOURS ON AN HOT DAY BEFORE OPENING CAR DOORS AND STILL HAVE WATER DRAINING OUT. CONCERNED ABOUT LONG TERM RUST OUT OF DOOR BOTTOMS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
The break light came on. The local garage says I need a new master cylinder, and the dealer I purchesed the car from will not verify an extended warantee item or silent recall. This master cylinder part is all over the the internet as defective on multiple years.
My 17 yr old son was driving his 2018 Hyundai Accent home from work, and was merging onto the freeway and when he realized the cars in front of him dead stopped he slammed his brakes but was unable to stop in time. Happens all the time right? It should just have a little front end damage, when the vehicle in front of him only had minor bumper damage. But, instead, within just moments, his vehicle burst into flames and he only had seconds to react. He grabbed his phone and wallet and had to exit through the passenger door because he was on the freeway and needed to get to safety. His car was completely engulfed in flames and burnt the entire car. He was very close to being either badly burned or killed, if he hadn’t acted as smart and quick as he did. What if this car was carrying a family with small children, or an elderly person who couldn’t move fast or react like my son did. It could have been a much, much worse situation. I just don’t want this to happen to anyone else. We, along with everyone else at the scene, including CHP and friends who are mechanics, believed this fire should not have happened, and we all feel like something must have been wrong with his vehicle for this fire to have happened. We just purchased this vehicle in Sept of 2021 from Mission Bay Chevrolet, we had only made 2 payments at the time of the accident. We have seen far worse accident and far worse front end damage on other vehicles and these car did not catch on fire. Cars aren’t supposed to catch on fire in an accident if this nature, this should not have happened, and we really want some answers as to why? Thank you for your time!
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN MY WIFE USES A SEAT PILLOW FOR BACK PAIN ON THE NEW CAR THE LIGHT THAT THE AIR BAG IS NOT ENABLED COMES ON. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND DID NOT HAPPEN WITH A PREVIOUS HYUNDAI. I WAS TOLD BY THE SELLER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THIS IS NORMAL. IT IS REPEATEDLY HAPPENING WHEN THE PILLOW IS IN USE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
El carro lo agarré en el dealer hace dos meses, regresé al día siguiente para que me arreglaran la alineación que me la dieron mala cada vez que conducía por el freeway el carro a alta velocidad se me jalaba hacia el lado izquierdo y es muy incómodo estar presionando con fuerza a la hora de manejar por largas horas por lo que estaba expuesta a tener un accidente aparte del check del motor apareció en mi tablero va y viene y no me dan respuesta de eso regresé al dealer y me dijeron que la alineación no iba ser 100 % posible ya que tenía malo los amortiguadores y que es necesario reemplazarlo y que debo pagarlo he regresado varias veces para que lo puedan arreglar ya que estaba malo desde que lo agarré en el dealer
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
My 17 yr old son was driving his 2018 Hyundai Accent home from work, and was merging onto the freeway and when he realized the cars in front of him dead stopped he slammed his brakes but was unable to stop in time. Happens all the time right? It should just have a little front end damage, when the vehicle in front of him only had minor bumper damage. But, instead, within just moments, his vehicle burst into flames and he only had seconds to react. He grabbed his phone and wallet and had to exit through the passenger door because he was on the freeway and needed to get to safety. His car was completely engulfed in flames and burnt the entire car. He was very close to being either badly burned or killed, if he hadn’t acted as smart and quick as he did. What if this car was carrying a family with small children, or an elderly person who couldn’t move fast or react like my son did. It could have been a much, much worse situation. I just don’t want this to happen to anyone else. We, along with everyone else at the scene, including CHP and friends who are mechanics, believed this fire should not have happened, and we all feel like something must have been wrong with his vehicle for this fire to have happened. We just purchased this vehicle in Sept of 2021 from Mission Bay Chevrolet, we had only made 2 payments at the time of the accident. We have seen far worse accident and far worse front end damage on other vehicles and these car did not catch on fire. Cars aren’t supposed to catch on fire in an accident if this nature, this should not have happened, and we really want some answers as to why? Thank you for your time!
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Accent. The contact stated the trunk failed to close. The contact stated that he tied a cord on the trunk ledger and added a hook to keep it closed however, the trunk was still slightly opened. The contact stated that he contacted the dealer several times to schedule an appointment for diagnostic testing, but the dealer had not returned his calls. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V619000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 2,800.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
The system that malfunctioned was the brake light(s) and/or electrical components which started a fire in the trunk of my car on 2 separate occasions. On one of the occasions, the top break light in my trunk apparently blew out without my knowledge, it wasn't until my two kids in the backseat started to smell smoke that I pulled over and tried to figure out where the smoke was coming from. When I opened my trunk, I noticed the top break light had burned through the encasement and the wiring was dangling in my trunk which caught a plastic bag on fire. On another occasion, it burned part of a brand-new rug before I caught it in time. I was told by two separate auto mechanics that for some reason the electrical current running through the wiring to the light bulbs is what caused it. When I brought it into Hyundai, they acted like it was no big deal. I recently got my oil changed at Valvoline this past week and they found another one of my brake lights had blown out (this time the right brake light), the auto mechanic at Valvoline told me that she has encountered a lot of blown-out lights in Hyundais versus other vehicle manufacturers and stated she believes it has something to do with the electrical components of the vehicle and an excess amount of electricity going through the electrical wiring to the light bulbs. My vehicle can be made available for inspection but it’s my fault for when I brought it in originally to Hyundai not to ask for the broken/melted pieces that they replaced. I do have the rug which was partially burned but do not have the plastic bag that was burned. Both my kids under 10 and myself were put at risk during these episodes. If I didn’t catch it in time on both occasions, my kids could've been severally injured by fire since they were closest to the trunk. It posed a distraction as well. The problem was confirmed by the Hyundai dealership in Winter Park, FL when I brought it in. There were no warnings, only noticed when we smelled smoke.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .