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Hyundai · NHTSA safety record

2011 Hyundai Accent

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 38 safety complaints about the 2011 Hyundai Accent with the US government. Of those, 3 describe a crash, 3 people were injured and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the exterior lighting.

The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 10 complaints, 26% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 45,000 miles, the median across the 27 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers March 2011 to August 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

38 complaints on file

38

Complaints

3

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

3

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 10 · 26%
ENGINE 10 · 26%
AIR BAGS 7 · 18%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 5 · 13%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 4 · 11%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 3 · 8%
SERVICE BRAKES 3 · 8%
STEERING 3 · 8%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 2 · 5%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 · 3%
SEAT BELTS 1 · 3%
SUSPENSION 1 · 3%
0 8 15

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 38.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2014 at 8.

12 9 6 3
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2011 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2011 Hyundai ACCENT, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test 3 HB FWD 4 DR FWD
Overall Not rated Not rated
Frontal crash Not rated Not rated
Frontal, driver Not rated Not rated
Frontal, passenger Not rated Not rated
Side crash Not rated Not rated
Side barrier Not rated Not rated
Side pole Not rated Not rated
Rollover
Chance of rollover 12.7% 12.4%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

1 on file

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

15V566000 · September 8, 2015

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 America · up to 99,500 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · 5 miles

AT APPROXIMATELY 1:00AM, THE CAR SLID ON ICE GOING 35MPH, HITTING A SIDEWALK AND A STEEL GATE. BOTH INDIVIDUALS IN THE CAR BLACKED OUT HEAD ON DASHBOARD, NO AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED FROM EITHER THE DRIVER OR PASSENGER SIDE. ONCE THE POLICE CAME 2MINUTES LATER. BOTH INDIVIDUALS STEPPED OUT OF THE VEHICLE BOTH WERE BLEEDING NONSTOP, HAD TO BE TAKING TO THE HOSPITAL. THE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS DAMAGED BADLY, 2500.00 WORTH OF REPAIR DAMAGE. BOTH PARTIES AT THE HOSPITAL, PASSENGER NEEDED STITCHES, INSIDE / OUTSIDE OF THE MOUTH, DRIVER LOST FRONT TOOTH, AND INJURED LEFT WRIST. BRUISED MARKS ON LEGS AND JAW OCCURRED WEEK LATER, NEEDED TO SEEK MORE MEDICAL ATTENTION RESULTING LOST OF JOB. *TR

NHTSA complaint 10575181. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING

1 injured · crash · 51,530 miles

I MERGED ON TO THE FREEWAY ON RAMP INCREASING MY SPEED AS NORMAL. WITNESS STATES I WAS DRIVING IN THE CENTER OF THE STREET. ALL OF A SUDDEN MY VEHICLE LOST TRACTION AND STARTING SWERVING RIGHT AND LEFT AS IF A TIRE HAD BLOWN OUT. I TRY TO GET CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BY LETTING OFF OF THE GAS AND STEERING STRAIGHT WHEN MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND I WAS UNABLE TO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL. I TRIED TO HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL STRAIGHT AS MY CAR VEERED OFF THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND ROLLED OVER ONCE. I HAD THREE SMALL CHILDREN IN THE BACK SEAT BUCKLED AND SECURED AND MY CAR LANDED ON ITS TIRES. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED DURING THE ROLLOVER ACCIDENT AND I WAS UNABLE TO GET CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE DUE

NHTSA complaint 10531981, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

crash · towed

AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY AFTER GETTING HIT IN THE FRONT END. *TR

NHTSA complaint 11324093. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

towed · 35,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT. AS THE CONTACT BEGAN TO DRIVE, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY TO 50 MPH WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MOVED THE GEAR SHIFTER INTO NEUTRAL AND POWERED OFF THE ENGINE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PUSHED ONTO THE CURB AND TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE CABLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 13627256. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.

NHTSA complaint 11162543. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
The vehicle is subject to Safety Recall 13V-113 (Campaign 131) for problems relating to the brake light switch. The recall repair was attempted in 2016 but the defect has recurred (current symptoms include but is not limited to: brake lights sporadically staying on with car off, key removed and all doors securely closed. This condition has caused the Battery to be repeatedly completely drained and has required a Battery replacement. Domino Effect of a Faulty Signal - Defective Switch causes intermittent, erratic, or "ghost" signals to the vehicles logic relays and computer elements. Logic Processor Confusion and Relay Chatter can mimic a relay or component failure and can lead to PCM, TCM,

NHTSA complaint 11755267, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Upon opening my driver side door the handle came off in my hand. I went to open the rear driver passenger side door and that handle came off in my hand. A repair shop went to open the rear passenger side door that handle came off. My fourth attempt I went to open my passenger side door and that one opened but loose. I have to get on passenger side and shimmy over to the driver side and then drive. When I go somewhere I have to leave my driver side window down so I'm able to get back in correctly. I'm disabled and it's hard for me to swing my legs over to the driver side. So how many cars out there that have this issue. Mine cannot be the only one!!!

NHTSA complaint 11644779. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
My car is experiencing the same issue as the recall on the engines for sonatas and Elantra in my year. My vehicle experienced a stall while in a drive thru the oil light illuminated and ever since then I have a ticking sound in the engine.

NHTSA complaint 11584706. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING
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. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
The recall issue showed at the inspection center and this vehicle has not been in an incident

NHTSA complaint 11499932. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Hyundai Accent

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2022 17 2 —
2021 16 4 —
2020 12 4 —
2019 31 1 —
2018 19 1 —
2017 68 0 —
2016 101 0 —
2015 70 2 —
2014 79 1 —
2013 141 1 —
2012 153 2 1
2010 87 1 —

Other 2011 Hyundai models

Sonata 3,376 Elantra 433 Santa FE 181 Tucson 124 Genesis 122 Veracruz 106 Sonata Hybrid 96 Elantra Touring 29

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Hyundai on this site — 205 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst