Your vehicle report

1997 Hyundai Accent

The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.

NHTSA data through October 2026View original NHTSA data Change vehicle

Your vehicle at a glance

Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.

Owner complaints
55
Received Oct 1997 to Jun 2011
Official recalls listed
2
Naming this model year; check your VIN for applicability
BrakeNews flagged problems
0
Statistical signals, not official defect findings or recalls

Owner reports

Most reported problems

  1. 1
    Airbags fail to deploy in crashes6 complaints · 11% of this vehicle’s complaints
  2. 2
    Engine suddenly shuts off while driving5 complaints · 9.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
  3. 3
    Coil springs break and puncture tires3 complaints · 5.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
See all reported problems

Official NHTSA records

Recalls to check

  • Recall #98V245000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the following "salt belt" states: connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, and wisconsin. During winter months, the road salt used to de-ice roads can result in corrosion that causes pits to form on the lower coil of the front springs allowing cracks to develop. This can result in breakage of the lower spring coil.
  • Recall #97V026000The windshield wiper motor circuit breaker electrical contacts were contaminated during assembly.
View recall details

BrakeNews signals

Flagged complaint patterns

Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.

No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.

How flags are identified

Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 7 crashes, 2 fires, 4 people injured, 0 deaths.

Explore by system

Where do owners report problems?

Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.

Schematic car with five system shortcutsGeneric side view, with the front on the left. Numbered links explore engine, brakes, steering, electrical, and body complaints. Text controls below provide the same choices.12345FRONTSCHEMATIC VIEW

Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.

View selected problems

Showing all 6 listed problems by system.

Engine & powertrain

Brakes

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Electrical & lights

Airbags, belts & seats

Steering, suspension & tires

Body, doors & glass

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Driver assistance

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Other

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Complaint history

When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.

Complaints received about the 1997 Hyundai Accent
12
Show as a table
YearComplaints
19971
199812
199911
20007
200112
20024
20033
20042
20050
20060
20072
20080
20090
20100
20111
20120
20130
20140
20150
20160
20170
20180
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 (to Oct 2026)0
Total55

Problems owners report

Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.

ProblemComplaintsShareShare ratioStatus
Airbags fail to deploy in crashes611%–
Engine suddenly shuts off while driving59.1%–
Coil springs break and puncture tires35.5%–NHTSA recall #98V245000
Vehicle catches fire from wiring35.5%–
Transmission will not engage reverse gear35.5%–
Transmission fails or loses power while driving35.5%–

AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.

Recalls

  • NHTSA recall #98V245000October 6, 199864,967 vehicles affected

    suspension: front: springs: coil springs

    Vehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the following "salt belt" states: connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, and wisconsin. During winter months, the road salt used to de-ice roads Can result in corrosion that causes pits to form on the lower coil of the front springs allowing cracks to develop. This Can result in breakage of the lower spring coil.

    If the front coil spring breaks, it Can become displaced from its seated position, and Can contact a tire. Tire damage Can result.

    Remedy

    Dealers will install a spring guide to prevent a broken coil spring from contacting and damaging a tire.

  • NHTSA recall #97V026000February 26, 199774,965 vehicles affected

    visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor

    The windshield wiper motor circuit breaker electrical contacts were contaminated during assembly.

    This contamination interferes with the electrical circuit continuity and prevents the windshield wiper motor from operating. Inoperative windshield wipers Can contribute to reduced visibility during inclement weather increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will remove the contaminants from the windshield wiper motor circuit breaker contacts.

Other model years

About this data

NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1997 Hyundai Accent.

Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.

Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN