IllustrationTRANSMISSION FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
1997 Hyundai Accent
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Hyundai Accent do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 64.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Accent years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 6 of 55 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports1 fire reports4 injury reports
What owners actually said
55 reportsCONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON A CITY STREET AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON DASHBOAD. ALSO, THERE WAS A GASOLINE SMELL AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK
WHEN TRYING TO START VEHICLE SOMETIMES IT MAKES A LOUD GRINDING NOISE OR IT WILL NOT START AT ALL. CONSUMER HAS HAD 2 STARTERS PUT IN. FIRST ONE WAS WITH IN FIRST SIX MONTHS OF OWNING CAR. *AK
CAR STALLS, RUNS ROUGH WHEN COMING TO A STOP. I BOUGHT IT FROM THE DEALER ON 9/17/99 FOR $8,068.96 INCLUDING FINANCE CHARGES. IT HAD 45,490 MILES. NOW IT HAS 68,841 MILES. THE DEALER SAID IT WOULD COST $1,600 TO REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. WHEN I ASKED ABOUT TRADING IT IN, THEY TOLD ME THE VALUE OF THE CAR IS ONLY $2,000.…
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CAR STALLS, RUNS ROUGH WHEN COMING TO A STOP. I BOUGHT IT FROM THE DEALER ON 9/17/99 FOR $8,068.96 INCLUDING FINANCE CHARGES. IT HAD 45,490 MILES. NOW IT HAS 68,841 MILES. THE DEALER SAID IT WOULD COST $1,600 TO REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. WHEN I ASKED ABOUT TRADING IT IN, THEY TOLD ME THE VALUE OF THE CAR IS ONLY $2,000. HOW DID IT DEPRECIATE SO MUCH IN ONE YEAR? IS THERE A RECALL ON THIS CAR? IS THE DEALER REQUIRED TO REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION UP TO 100,000 MILES REGARDLESS OF WHETHER I BOUGHT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY?*AK
ON OR ABOUT MARCH 4, 2000, THE SUBJECT VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT, AT WHICH TIME THE DRIVER REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30-35 MPH. BOTH THE PASSENGER SIDE AND DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. SOON THEREAFTER, THE ENGINE LIGHT BECAME ILLUMINATED. AFTER TAKING TO FARRISH IN MANASSAS, V…
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ON OR ABOUT MARCH 4, 2000, THE SUBJECT VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT, AT WHICH TIME THE DRIVER REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30-35 MPH. BOTH THE PASSENGER SIDE AND DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. SOON THEREAFTER, THE ENGINE LIGHT BECAME ILLUMINATED. AFTER TAKING TO FARRISH IN MANASSAS, VIRGINIA, IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE COMPUTER INDICATED THAT I THE ENGINE WAS OUT OF TIME. THE TIMING BELT WAS REPLACED AND DID NOT CURE THE PROBLEM. I WAS THEN TOLD I NEEDED A TUNE-UP, WHICH WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DONE AND DID NOT CURE THE PROBLEM, WHICH LEADS TO MY BELIEF THAT THERE IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE EMISSIONS CONTROL SYSTEM. THE CAR NOW HEATS AND GETS HOT TO THE TOUCH AT THE FLOOR BOARD. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND HAS FAILED TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. I PLAN TOMORROW TO REVOKE MY ACCEPTANCE OF THE VEHICLE.
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT. DRIVER'S SIDE IMPACT. PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED FIRST. DRIVER, MY DAUGHTER STRUCK THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG THEN DEPLOYED BURNING BOTH ARMS OF MY DAUGHTER. NO FRONTAL CONTACT AT ALL.
ENGINE IS DEFECTIVE AND HAS BEEN REPLACED ON 3 DIFFERENT OCCASSIONS UNDER WARRANTY. ALSO, ALL FOUR WINDOWS HAVE FALLEN ONTO THE DOORS. WINDOWS HAVE BEEN REPAIRED ON 4 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. *AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH APPLIED BRAKES, AND THEY FELT VERY MUSHY. CONSUMER'S HUSBAND TOOK OVER & DROVE VEHICLE HOME, AND BRAKE PEDAL WAS GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. DEALER WAS CONTACTED & BRAKES WERE REPAIRED. THE CYLINDERS ON BOTH FRONT AND REAR BRAKES WERE LEAKING. THE CYLINDERS WERE CHANGED. MECHANIC SAI…
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CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH APPLIED BRAKES, AND THEY FELT VERY MUSHY. CONSUMER'S HUSBAND TOOK OVER & DROVE VEHICLE HOME, AND BRAKE PEDAL WAS GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. DEALER WAS CONTACTED & BRAKES WERE REPAIRED. THE CYLINDERS ON BOTH FRONT AND REAR BRAKES WERE LEAKING. THE CYLINDERS WERE CHANGED. MECHANIC SAID THE PARTS WERE DEFECTIVE. *AK *ML
CONSUMER'S VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AT 20 MPH, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
CAR LOT HAS ALREADY REPLACED O2 SENSOR TWICE, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT STILL COMES ON. *AK
Official recalls
298V245000 · Suspension:front:springs:coil Springs
Oct 6, 1998
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
97V026000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor
Feb 26, 1997
THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WERE CONTAMINATED DURING ASSEMBLY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
3RQ00017 · Fuel Tank Cracking
Opened Sep 16, 2000 · Closed Oct 20, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
There is no summary currently available
EA00001 · Passenger Air Bag Related
Opened Jan 5, 2000 · Closed Mar 9, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:frontal
There is no summary currently available
PE99046 · Passenger Air Bag Related Fatalities
Opened Jul 7, 1999 · Closed Jan 5, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:frontal
ODI IS AWARE OF SEVEN FATALITIES OF CHILDREN (EXCLUDING CHILDREN IN REAR FACING CHILD SAFETY SEATS)THAT WERE CAUSED BY THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS IN MINOR OR MODERATE SEVERITY CRASHES INVOLVING MODEL YEAR 1995 THROUGH 1997 HYUNDAI ACCENT VEHICLES.TWO OF THE SEVEN FATALITIES OCCURRED IN PUERTO RICO.THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS FORFURTHER INVESTIGATION.