Your vehicle report
2002 Hyundai Accent
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 134
- Received Dec 2001 to Aug 2024
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline16 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbags fail to deploy in crashes14 complaints · 10% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Unintended acceleration despite braking8 complaints · 6.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #02V167000Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 201, "occupant protection in interior impact." during testing, the 3-DOOR hatchback exceeded the performance criterion in the standard midway along the length of the windshield support pillar (a-pillar).
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 identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 26 crashes, 2 fires, 29 people injured, 5 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 17 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
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.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 2 |
| 2002 | 25 |
| 2003 | 20 |
| 2004 | 25 |
| 2005 | 5 |
| 2006 | 9 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 5 |
| 2010 | 10 |
| 2011 | 6 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 4 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 134 |
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.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 16 | 12% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 14 | 10% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 8 | 6.0% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 6 | 4.5% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 6 | 4.5% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 6 | 4.5% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 5 | 3.7% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 4 | 3.0% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 4 | 3.0% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 4 | 3.0% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 4 | 3.0% | – | |
| Axle breaks while driving, wheel detaches | 4 | 3.0% | – | |
| Transmission will not engage reverse gear | 4 | 3.0% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 3 | 2.2% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 3 | 2.2% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 3 | 2.2% | – | |
| Brake master cylinder leaks fluid and fails | 3 | 2.2% | – |
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 #02V167000June 25, 200267,565 vehicles affected
structure: frame and members
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 201, "occupant protection in interior impact." during testing, the 3-DOOR hatchback exceeded the performance criterion in the standard midway along the length of the windshield support pillar (a-pillar).
An occupant's head that contacts the a-pillar during a crash could experience an increased risk of a head injury as a result of this condition.
Remedy
Dealers will install new energy management brackets to support the a-pillar covers and increase the energy absorbing performance of the a-pillar in the relevant area. Owner notification began october 28, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
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 2002 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