What are the most common problems on the 2016 Hyundai Accent?

NHTSA has 99 owner complaint(s) on record for the 2016 Hyundai Accent. Engine is the most-reported problem area on the 2016 Hyundai Accent, cited in 32 of 99 filed complaints (32%).

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2016 Hyundai Accent Problems & Owner Complaints

99 NHTSA owner complaints

7 crash 3 fire 8 injury

Age-normalised, this year draws ~9.0 complaints per year on the road — ranking 3 of 13 Hyundai Accent years we track (1 = most complaints per year).

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What owners report

Engine is the most-reported problem area on the 2016 Hyundai Accent, cited in 32 of 99 filed complaints (32%).

Air Bags is next (28 complaints, 28%), followed by Electrical System (26), Steering (10), Service Brakes (8).

Across all complaints, 7 report a crash, 3 report a fire, 8 report injuries.

The most safety-critical cluster is Air Bags: 5 crash, 5 injury report(s).

Complaints by vehicle system

Owner complaints filed with the U.S. NHTSA for the 2016 Hyundai Accent, grouped by the vehicle system each cites. A single complaint can name more than one system, so the group totals can add up to more than 99.

Engine 32 1 crash 2 fire 1 injury

“MY VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION YESTERDAY THAT BROKE BOTH HEADLIGHTS, BUCKLED HOOD, KNOCKED THE ENGINE IN TO THE TRANSMISSION, AND BUSTED THE FRONT FAN AND COOLANT. THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY AND NEITHER DID THE SEAT BELT LOCK. THE DRIVER WAS INJURED WITH HIS LIP, NOSE AND FOREHEAD BUSTED BECAUSE THE SAFETY FEATURES DIDN'T WORK ON THIS VEHICLE.”
NHTSA complaint #11145123, 2018 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“I was driving up a hill on interstate 8 in California and all of a sudden i heard a bang under the hood and see sparks and flames and my hyundai was on fire right there on the freeway. No clue why.”
NHTSA complaint #11705165, 2025 · fire

“The report does not specify the exact component that failed, but the fire originated under the hood of the 2016 Hyundai Accent. The vehicle and related documentation, including the fire department report, insurance claim, and incident photos, are available for review. The fire under the hood posed a serious safety risk as it occurred while the vehicle was in motion on a busy highway. Fortunately, the driver evacuated safely, but the incident could have resulted in injury or more severe consequences of both driver and other drivers traveling. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed…”
NHTSA complaint #11640127, 2025 · fire

Air Bags 28 5 crash 5 injury

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 HYUNDAI ACCENT. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH AN ELK. ALL THE AIR BAGS IN THE VEHICLE FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE BACK AND HAD BROKEN GLASS IN HER HAIR. THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER SUSTAINED CUTS FROM THE BROKEN WINDSHIELD GLASS AND BACK PAIN. THE REAR PASSENGER SUSTAINED HEAD AND BACK INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. ALL OCCUPANTS WERE WEARING SEAT BELT RESTRAINTS. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. THE CAUSE OF THE F…”
NHTSA complaint #10980408, 2017 · crash · 3 injury(ies)

“FRIDAY JUNE 5,2020 I FAINTED BEHIND THE WHEEL AND REAR ENDED ANOTHER DRIVER AND MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHICH RESULTED IN AN SLIGHT HEAD INJURY”
NHTSA complaint #11327650, 2020 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT WITH MY 11 YEAR OLD SON. A WOMAN RAN A RED LIGHT AND WE HIT THE CAR IN THE SIDE COMPLETELY MASHING OUR FRONT END. THE AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED AT ALL NONE OF THEM.WE WERE CROSSING THE INTERSECTION ON A GREEN LIGHT!!”
NHTSA complaint #11144304, 2016 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

Electrical System 26 3 fire

“The car caught on fire while driving on the freeway for no reason, an explosion occurred.”
NHTSA complaint #11546277, 2023 · fire

Unknown Or Other 15 1 crash 3 fire 2 injury

“Third brake light was smoking inside car. Pulled over and opened trunk to discover a melted bulb, socket and housing to the whole assembly. Contacted Hyundai USA and have not received a reply. Could have become a dangerous situation.”
NHTSA complaint #11427173, 2021 · 1 injury(ies)

Steering 10 1 crash 1 injury

“The Emergency brake light, ABS light, and esc light all come on while driving & speedometer goes to 0. The speedometer also stops tracking mileage when these lights come on. This used to happen on & off, but now it’s almost permanent. Hundreds are reporting the same exact issue online, but mechanics cannot figure out what the problem is. Me and countless others have taken the vehicle to mechanics multiple times with no resolve and thousands of dollars worth of diagnostics that are incorrect and don’t resolve the issue. It is dangerous because we don’t know how fast we’re going, and we don’t k…”
NHTSA complaint #11676043, 2025

“My steering wheel column was replaced 4 months ago because it was shorting itself - steering froze up while driving - I was unable to steer vehicle in any way - after total replacement I am having issues with dash board lights flashing on off - MPH states that I’m driving at 0 miles per hour and steering wheel froze up for a moment. SAME as before.”
NHTSA complaint #11461807, 2022

“Steering froze up while driving - was unable to turn car more than a few inches with great difficulty”
NHTSA complaint #11440432, 2021

Service Brakes 8 1 crash 1 injury

“The car was rented by a Turo host with defectuous brakes and worn-out tires. During 3 weeks and 3400 Mi, forward disk brakes produced a thud of metallic grinding without effective braking at each brake. Forward tires were measured 2/32" and 'Replace Tire' marking were noticed on the treads. Rear tires were measured 3/32" and 'Replacement Tire Monitor' marking were noticed on the treads. A rear tire exploded on a straight line, between 55 and 60 Mph, the burst fortunately did not cause any swerve and the vehicle was able to be stopped on a few meters. During the journey, the driver's seat be…”
NHTSA complaint #11543603, 2023

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Vehicle Speed Control 7 1 crash 1 injury

“Electrical issues horn doesnt work nor does the speedometer ..”
NHTSA complaint #11426892, 2021

“I Dont no why but my Engine will randomly stall out even in the middle of making a.left or a right-hand turn and it's scary when I a.m. at an intersection intersection and I doll out then I have to shut my car off completely turn it back on and pump the gas. Till it starts . few days later my warning lights came on the meters and lights shot up quick and. Then the car shut down I was so freaked out my husband took it to the dealer ship they stated it was. A tire valve sensor they claimed to have checked all the fluids which i no was not the oil was burnt when i got out and checked old oil they…”
NHTSA complaint #11447692, 2020

Structure 6 3 crash 1 fire 2 injury

“The car caught on fire while driving on the freeway for no reason, an explosion occurred.”
NHTSA complaint #11546277, 2023 · fire

“I WAS IN A FRONT END COLLISON, 45 MPH, MY AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY.. I WAS MOVING ON A HWY.”
NHTSA complaint #10990843, 2017 · crash

Seats 5

“This reports a recurring Safety Restraint System (SRS) airbag warning light issue for no apparent reason other than potentially defective components. Please investigate this! Any issues with the SRS system of a vehicle by default puts the safety of the vehicle's passengers at risk. The SRS airbag warning light first turned on randomly in June 2023 and remained on for a few weeks every time the car was on or being driven. (I am the second owner of the car, and this happened a year after purchase; I do not know if the original owners also had issues with this SRS warning light.) This SRS warnin…”
NHTSA complaint #11569397, 2023

“The car facing Air bag light ON few days ago. Mechanical Shop inspect the car the scan shows code B1490 ( PODA ( Passenger Occupant Detecting System) Sensor (Bladder) defect Contact the Hyundai Customer care to check if there is any extend warranty on the this part, they said NO, open case # 21683569”
NHTSA complaint #11530698, 2023

“The air bag warning light comes on frequently while I am driving and the passenger side air bag does not always turn off when there is not a passenger sitting in the passenger seat like it should. It is to the point where I am afraid to drive my car after spending a ridiculous amount of money on our family car. Please help us. Thank you in advance.”
NHTSA complaint #11478342, 2022

Electronic Stability Control (Esc) 4

“WHEN THE CAR TURNS OVER, THE BRAKE, TRACTION CONTROL, AND ABS LIGHT STAYS ON, THE SPEEDOMETER DOESN'T MOVE WHEN IN MOTION AND THE FUEL RANGE SWITCHES NUMBERS WHILE IN MOTION”
NHTSA complaint #11246078, 2019

“WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON THE HIGHWAY AND MY SPEEDOMETER KICKED OFF. I WAS IN MOTION AND THEN THE ABS, BREAK AND TRACTION LIGHTS POPPED UP AND MY SPEEDOMETER WENT TO 0 EVEN THOUGH I WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 70MPH. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND POSES A REAL THREAT TO SAFETY. IT HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES.”
NHTSA complaint #11287613, 2018

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI ACCENT. WHILE DRIVING, ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATORS ILLUMINATED FOR 15 SECONDS AND THEN TURNED OFF. AS A RESULT, THE MILEAGE HAD INADVERTENTLY RESET. THE CONTACT CALLED AN UNKNOWN LOCAL DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD BE DIAGNOSED ONLY IF THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11030411, 2017

Fuel/Propulsion System 4

“My 2016 Hyundai accent engine has all of sudden stop working and i have explained to multiple shops and my insurance that i was deployed for a whole year and the car was driving fine and once I came back it just wouldn’t crank. Two Hyundai shops informed me that the engine is locked up but neither shop provided a thorough investigation as to why this has happened. There were two-three major hurricanes in Texas where it was stored while I was deployed in Kuwait and Iraq from march 2023- march 2024 as well as another hurricane in Georgia where i am currently located now which happened September…”
NHTSA complaint #11621511, 2024

“Component/System Failure: The component that has malfunctioned is the engine. This issue is critical and affects the vehicle's overall performance. The malfunctioning engine is available for inspection upon request, and I am willing to facilitate this inspection to substantiate my claim. Safety Risk: The engine's failure poses a significant safety risk, including potential engine stalling or loss of power while driving, which could lead to accidents or collisions. The ongoing issue has compromised my safety and that of other road users. Confirmation of the Problem: The problem has been confirm…”
NHTSA complaint #11609672, 2024

“2016 Hyundai Accent SE 86,000 Miles. My car has no acceleration I don't get on the highway due to This issue. It feels like the car is Going to stop but it doesn't. I have To put the drive pedal to floor. To get desired speed. Also I have to put oil in the care Weekly. Even after a oil change No oil is leaking to the eye. I ride around with oil in my Car. Hyundai has been ineffective With any help the service manager Say alot Hyundai McDonough Ga The service manager said he Would do a diagnostic test When i get to the dealership At appointment time. That when He change everything around S…”
NHTSA complaint #11513530, 2023

Exterior Lighting 3 1 crash 1 injury

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI ACCENT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HER DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING 45 MPH, SHE BECAME AWARE THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT HEADLAMP WAS INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL AUTOZONE WHERE SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE WITH THE HEADLAMP. MURFREESBORO HYUNDAI (2203 NW BROAD ST SUITE HYUNDAI, MURFREESBORO, TN 37129), WAS CONTACTED BY PHONE AND MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,979.”
NHTSA complaint #11320348, 2020

Power Train 3

“Engine is failing, oil leaking in the engine that messed up my catalytic converter and O2 sensors now it’s just sluggish , doesn’t accelerate properly, doesn’t idle nearly .”
NHTSA complaint #11702589, 2025

“The vehicle made a loud catastrophic noises stopped running and couldn’t be restarted. Towed car to dealership where it was inspected and denied coverage based on owner not original owner. This 1.6L Gamma GDI Engine is part of the larger Hyundai and Kia Engine Litigation II (Case No. 8:18-cv-02223). The settlement provides a 15-year/150,000-mile extended warranty for said engine.”
NHTSA complaint #11691000, 2025

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI ACCENT. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO ACCELERATE AND JERKED. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE STEERING MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE UNEXPECTEDLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JEFFERSON CITY HYUNDAI IN JEFFERSON CITY, MO, BUT THE FAILURES WERE UNABLE TO BE DUPLICATED. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FAILURES PROGRESSIVELY WORSENED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11030513, 2017

Seat Belts 2

“MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON 3 DAYS AGO AND HASN'T TURNED BACK OFF. TODAY I TESTED MY SEATBELTS AND THEY DON'T LOCK LIKE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO "UPON IMPACT". I CALLED MY LOCAL HYINDAI DEALERSHIP WHO INFORMED ME THAT THERE IS NO SAFETY RECALL AVAILABLE TO REMEDY THIS SAFETY ISSUE.”
NHTSA complaint #11318586, 2020

Suspension 2

“WHEN CAR IS STATIONARY; TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT AND/OR RIGHT CAUSES A REPEATED CLACKING SOUND ONLY HEARD WHILE INSIDE THE CABIN. POSSIBLY SUSPENSION OR STRUT PROBLEM.”
NHTSA complaint #11092685, 2018

“THE VEHICLE IS MAKING A NOISE WHEN YOU ARE STEARING THE GEAR”
NHTSA complaint #10859908, 2015

Wheels 2

“THIS VEHICLE IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A FACTORY FURNISHED SPARE TIRE/WHEEL NOR TOOLS TO REMOVE A TIRE/WHEEL. I HAD A FLAT TIRE, CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE BUT THEY COULD ONLY TOW ME TO A REPAIR FACILITY BECAUSE THE VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE A SPARE TIRE/WHEEL. THIS IS A DANGEROUS IF YOU ARE IN A REMOTE AREA, DON'T HAVE PHONE COMMUNICATIONS, DISASTERS AND SUCH, OR REPAIR FACILITY THAT IS 100'S OF MILES AWAY OR CLOSED.”
NHTSA complaint #10884681, 2016

Tires 1

“I bought two new Futura 2000 LTE tires (P175/70R14) and in less than a week, there were bubbles in both. There were no impacts and the tires themselves show no evidence of impact.”
NHTSA complaint #11479299, 2022

Traction Control System 1

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI ACCENT. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL INDICATORS SUDDENLY ILLUMINATED. ALSO, THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD NOT OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11098455, 2017

How we read this (methodology)

How to read this: raw complaint totals are not a clean reliability score — a model year with more cars sold, or simply more years on the road, accumulates more complaints regardless of how good it is. So this page leans on two signals that are not distorted by sales volume: the share of complaints falling on each vehicle system (the breakdown above) and NHTSA's own crash / fire / injury / death flags. When we compare model years of the same model, we normalise by years on the road (complaints ÷ vehicle age) rather than comparing raw totals. Age-normalised, the 2016 Hyundai Accent draws about 9.0 complaints per year on the road, ranking 3 of 13 among the Hyundai Accent model years we have ingested (1 = most complaints per year on road).

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Data source: U.S. NHTSA (nhtsa.gov). SaveVIN surfaces public recall data and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NHTSA.