MODELYEARINDEX

Which Hyundai Accent years to avoid

Across 12 scored model years, the 2013, 2012 and 2015 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Hyundai Accent Full report
F
Grade 2010–2021
2013 vs model median 2.2×
Model median3× median
Airbags & Restraints 13
Drivetrain 8
Engine 7
Avoid

2012 · 2013

Best

2018 · 2019

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2010
1.34× 57 C
2011
0.58× 26 B
2012
1.82× 63 D
2013
2.23× 72 F
2014
0.66× 19 B
2015
1.35× 40 D
2016
1.72× 79 C
2017
1.43× 48 C
2018
0.41× 12 A
2019
0.20× 13 A
2020
0.25× 10 B
2021
0.45× 22 B
2022 P
0.91× 32 B

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2012 D 63 reports · median 22,051 mi

  1. Airbags & Restraints 12

    The contact owns a 2012 hyundai accent. While the contact was driving approximately 35 MPH, the air bag warning indicator began to illuminate continuously as a result to water spillage on the front passenger seat. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Tires & Wheels 10

    I was turning a corner going to work and the front passenger tire popped. I called the roadside assistance to come take care of the vehicle. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Brakes 10

    2012 hyundai accent. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle faulty brake calipers and seeks reimbursement for repairs. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

15 crash · 10 injuries

2013 F 72 reports · median 25,000 mi

  1. Airbags & Restraints 13

    Cpsc: i1370075a. 2013 hyundai accent. Consumer stated his daughter was involved in a one car accident. Which the car rolled numerous times. Also, not one air bag deployed and the car was totaled. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Drivetrain 8

    Aug 2011 bought 2010 accent automatic with 38,000 miles . After I complained of vehicle vibration [a known problem to hyundai] dealer and manufacturer replaced two transmission mounts as defective but refused to fix… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Engine 7

    My wife and I, both over sixty, were driving back from ohio to connecticut on the penn rt 80, it was snowing and the road surface was slippery but drive-able. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

20 crash · 16 injuries

The best year for the Accent

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2019 is the best-scoring Accent model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 92.5 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2019 0.20× 13 A
2018 0.41× 12 A
2020 0.25× 10 B

Recalls

10 campaigns on record, 1 carrying a Park It or Park Outside warning.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
23V651000 Park it SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE 2012–2015 1,649,478
21V619000 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH 2018–2020 348,158
20V393000 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL 2012 272,126
22V354000 SEAT BELTS:FRONT 2020–2022 230,233
15V566000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH 2010, 2011 99,500
22V218000 SEAT BELTS:FRONT 2020 6,240
15V218000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL 2015 2,580
22V069000 SEAT BELTS:FRONT 2020, 2021 354
21V937000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER 2021 76
22V311000 STEERING:COLUMN 2021, 2022 2

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2013 were reported at a median of 25,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Hyundai Accent years should you avoid?
2013, 2012, 2015 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Hyundai Accent model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Hyundai Accent?
2019 is the best-scoring Hyundai Accent model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 92.5 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Hyundai Accent have?
10 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Hyundai Accent model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2013 Accent
Complaints in window
72
Severity-weighted
145
Model median (weighted)
65
vs model median
2.23×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
3
Open investigations
1
Score 33.4 F