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Hyundai · NHTSA safety record

2018 Hyundai Accent

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

Owners have filed 19 safety complaints about the 2018 Hyundai Accent with the US government. Of those, 4 mention a fire, 1 person was injured and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the latches, locks and linkages.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 8 complaints, 42% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 999 miles, the median across the 7 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers March 2018 to May 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

19 complaints on file

19

Complaints

0

Describe a crash

4

Mention fire

1

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
ENGINE 8 · 42%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 3 · 16%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 · 16%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 · 11%
STRUCTURE 2 · 11%
AIR BAGS 1 · 5%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 · 5%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 · 5%
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 1 · 5%
SUSPENSION 1 · 5%
0 4 8

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 19.

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 2018 at 4.

8 6 4 2
18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2018 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 has not crash tested the 2018 Hyundai Accent. Its New Car Assessment Program tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It is not a low score.

What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke during ordinary use.

Recall campaigns

1 on file

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH

21V619000 · August 6, 2021

The defect
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Sonata, 2016-2018 Sonata Hybrid, 2018-2020 Accent, and 2016-2017 Azera vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."
The risk
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the trunk latch base, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 208.

Hyundai Motor America · up to 348,158 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.

ENGINE

1 injured · fire

My 2018 Hyundai Accent had to recalls when purchased with a auto loan January 2021, In June 2021 the vehicle caught fire and exploded in the motion. Vehicle had been serviced for brake rear drums, 2 diagnostics before June. Fire department ruled fire as electrical.

NHTSA complaint 11447954. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire

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.

NHTSA complaint 11450899. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

fire

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

NHTSA complaint 11452126, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

fire

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

NHTSA complaint 11530141, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
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.

NHTSA complaint 11736028. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
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.

NHTSA complaint 11736029. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION = ENGINE FAILURE + NO WARRANTY HONORER

NHTSA complaint 11712985. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
I have to check my oil every other day. For some reason my car is sucking up all the oil and I don’t believe I should be putting oil in it every other day.

NHTSA complaint 11695921. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Oil consumption is bad and I keep getting an oil change every month and a half

NHTSA complaint 11680729. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

144,801 miles

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Accent. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled, with the check engine and the low oil warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 144,801. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA complaint 11662736. 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 —
2017 68 0 —
2016 101 0 —
2015 70 2 —
2014 79 1 —
2013 141 1 —
2012 153 2 1
2011 38 1 —
2010 87 1 —

Other 2018 Hyundai models

Tucson 397 Sonata 373 Santa FE Sport 321 Elantra 282 Santa FE 109 Kona 75 Elantra GT 50 Ioniq Hybrid 13

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