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2018 Hyundai Accent

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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: 7 of 19 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. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports4 fire reports1 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

3 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jul 3, 2023
Electrical SystemExterior LightingFire

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 pulle…

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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 reason the electrical current running through the wiring to the light bulbs is what caused it. When I brought it into Hyundai, they acted like it was no big deal. I recently got my oil changed at Valvoline this past week and they found another one of my brake lights had blown out (this time the right brake light), the auto mechanic at Valvoline told me that she has encountered a lot of blown-out lights in Hyundais versus other vehicle manufacturers and stated she believes it has something to do with the electrical components of the vehicle and an excess amount of electricity going through the electrical wiring to the light bulbs. My vehicle can be made available for inspection but it’s my fault for when I brought it in originally to Hyundai not to ask for the broken/melted pieces that they replaced. I do have the rug which was partially burned but do not have the plastic bag that was burned. Both my kids under 10 and myself were put at risk during these episodes. If I didn’t catch it in time on both occasions, my kids could've been severally injured by fire since they were closest to the trunk. It posed a distraction as well. The problem was confirmed by the Hyundai dealership in Winter Park, FL when I brought it in. There were no warnings, only noticed when we smelled smoke.

NHTSA ODI #11530141

Mileage unknown · Feb 8, 2022
Electrical SystemFire

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…

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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 ODI #11450899

48,000 miles · Feb 18, 2020
Electrical System

I'VE HAD MY CAR FOR LESS THAN 2 YEARS AND THE BATTERY COMPLETELY DRAINED/DEAD. HYUNDAI REFUSES TO COVER IT UNDER THE 3 YEAR WARRANTY DUE TO MY CAR HAVING OVER 36K MILES. THE CAR WAS BRAND NEW WHEN I PURCHASED IT AND I'VE NEVER HAD A CAR BATTERY DIED SO FAST EVER IN MY LIFE. ALSO, SOMETIMES THE BACKUP CAMERA WON'T TURN OFF AND WI…

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I'VE HAD MY CAR FOR LESS THAN 2 YEARS AND THE BATTERY COMPLETELY DRAINED/DEAD. HYUNDAI REFUSES TO COVER IT UNDER THE 3 YEAR WARRANTY DUE TO MY CAR HAVING OVER 36K MILES. THE CAR WAS BRAND NEW WHEN I PURCHASED IT AND I'VE NEVER HAD A CAR BATTERY DIED SO FAST EVER IN MY LIFE. ALSO, SOMETIMES THE BACKUP CAMERA WON'T TURN OFF AND WILL STAY ON EVEN AFTER DRIVING FROND FOR MORE THAN 10 MINUTES. IT WILL ONLY TURN BACK OFF IF I TURN THE CAR COMPLETELY OFF AND THEN BACK ON AGAIN.

NHTSA ODI #11309994

Official recalls

1

21V619000 · Latches/locks/linkages:trunk Lid:latch

Aug 6, 2021

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."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.

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.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.