Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
20–25K
525–50K
550–75K
975–100K
3100–150K
0150K+
24 reports with mileage · 37 unknown
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.
Power Train. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Air Bags. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
17 crash reports3 fire reports10 injury reports
What owners actually said
61 reports
61,125 miles · Sep 25, 2003
Child SeatSeat Belts
I HAVE A 1999 HYUNDAI ACCENT. THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR SEAT BELT IS MALFUNCTIONING. IT WILL EITHER PULL OUT AND NOT RETRACT, OR IT WILL RETRACT ALL THE WAY AND NOT COME OUT. I CALLED A DEALER TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS FOR THIS, BEING A SAFETY ISSUE AND ALL, THEY TOLD ME NO. I HAD MY DAUGHTER'S CAR SEAT BELTED IN THAT SE…
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I HAVE A 1999 HYUNDAI ACCENT. THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR SEAT BELT IS MALFUNCTIONING. IT WILL EITHER PULL OUT AND NOT RETRACT, OR IT WILL RETRACT ALL THE WAY AND NOT COME OUT. I CALLED A DEALER TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS FOR THIS, BEING A SAFETY ISSUE AND ALL, THEY TOLD ME NO. I HAD MY DAUGHTER'S CAR SEAT BELTED IN THAT SEAT IN THE MORNING WITH NO PROBLEM, TOOK IT OUT AND WHEN WE TRIED TO PUT IT BACK IN, THE SEAT BELT WAS RETRACTED ALL THE WAY AND WOULDN'T PULL OUT AT ALL. FOR THE TIME BEING THE CAR SEAT IS IN THE MIDDLE POSITION, BUT NOW MY OLDEST CHILD'S BOOSTER SEAT WILL NOT FIT. IF THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WITH THIS PROBLEM, MAYBE A RECALL COULD BE ISSUED OR SOMETHING.
NHTSA ODI #10039548
Mileage unknown · Jul 25, 2003
Air BagsCrashInjury
CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN FRONTAL COLLISION AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND BROKE FOUR TOP TEETH. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
NHTSA ODI #10030180
55,000 miles · Jan 22, 2003
Air Bags
ON JANUARY 17, 2003 THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE VEHICLE WHEN IT TRAVELED OVER A MINOR BUMP IN A PAVED ROAD. THE VEHICLE IS UNDER WARRANTY. I STARTED AND DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER 1-22-03. THE DEALER STATED THE BATTERY WAS DEFECTIVE AND I DECLINED TO BUY THEIR BATTERY BUT BOUGHT A NEW BATTERY FOR THE CAR WHICH E…
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ON JANUARY 17, 2003 THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE VEHICLE WHEN IT TRAVELED OVER A MINOR BUMP IN A PAVED ROAD. THE VEHICLE IS UNDER WARRANTY. I STARTED AND DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER 1-22-03. THE DEALER STATED THE BATTERY WAS DEFECTIVE AND I DECLINED TO BUY THEIR BATTERY BUT BOUGHT A NEW BATTERY FOR THE CAR WHICH EXCEEDED THE SPECIFICATIONS OF THE OEM BATTERY. THE BATTERY WAS INSTALLED. UPON TRAVELING BACK TO OREILLY'S AUTO PARTS TO RETURN THE OLD BATTERY FOR A CORE EXCHANGE, I HIT A MINOR BUMP IN THE PAVEMENT AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED WITH THE NEW BATTERY AND RECURRED FOR A SECOND TIME WHEN THE CAR HIT A MINOR BUMP. I NOTE THAT OTHER 1999 HYUNDAI'S HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR A DEFECT IN THE WIRING HARNESS THAT CAUSES THIS LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. I DO NOT KNOW IF ALL ACCENTS HAVE THIS PROBLEM BUT THIS ONE DEFINETLY DOES AND IT CAN BE RECREATED. DON CAVENAUGH MOTORS IS DISCOURAGING REPAIRS BY ALLEGING AN OLD BATTERY CAN CAUSE THE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE WHICH IS FALSE, AND BY NOT FIXING THE PROBLEM. NOW I MUST TAKE THE CAR BACK FOR A SECOND REPAIR MEANWHILE I AM HAVING TO DRIVE IT WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON. I BELIEVE THAT HYUNDAI AND THEIR DEALING ARE FALSIFYING SERVICE RECORDS SO THAT THEY DO NOT REFLECT A PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT AS THIS IS A SAFETY DEFECT. MY REPAIR TICKET SAYS "AIR BAG LIGHT" AND STATES CUSTOMER DECLINED RECOMMENDED REPAIRS AND STATED HE WOULD GET A BATTERY FROM WAL-MART. THIS REPAIR TICKET MISS STATES THE FACT THAT THERE IS A DEFINITE PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG. ALSO, WHEN HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS CONTACTED THEY MADE A BLANKET DENIAL THAT THERE WERE OTHER CUSTOMERS WITH THIS PROBLEM. EVEN WITH GOOD QUALITY, IT WOULD BE NORMAL FOR A FEW CARS TO MALFUNCTION. I BELIEVE OTHER HYUNDAI ACCENTS HAVE DEFECTIVE AIR BAG WIRING HARNESSES JUST AS THE OTHER 1999 HYUNDAI MODELS ALREADY RECALLED AND THIS DEFECT POSES A SIGNIFICANT RISK OF INCREASED BODILY INJURY SHOULD AN ACCIDENT OCCUR.
NHTSA ODI #10003226
Mileage unknown · Aug 23, 2002
Power Train
CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION AS STATED IN RECALL # 99 V 178 000, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF RECALL DUE VIN. *AK
NHTSA ODI #8017123
Mileage unknown · Aug 11, 2002
Power Train
TRANSMISSION CEASES WHEN GOING ON INTERSTATES, CAUSING SUDDEN STOPPAGE OF VEHICLE ON THE INTERSATE CAUSING A SEVERE SAFETY PROBLEM TO THE CAR A PASSENGERS.*AK
NHTSA ODI #765486
Mileage unknown · Apr 26, 2002
Engine And Engine CoolingFire
VEHICLE WAS SERVICED ON ENGINE MANIFOLD. A COUPLE DAYS LATER, WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WITHOUT WARNING DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK
NHTSA ODI #8008703
Mileage unknown · Mar 15, 2002
VisibilityCrash
WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAVE NOT FUNCTIONED PROPERLY, RESULTING IN 3 DIFFERENT ACCIDENTS. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK
NHTSA ODI #8005770
Mileage unknown · Mar 13, 2002
Seat Belts
DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER RESTRAINTS UNLATCHED BY OCCUPANT MOVEMENT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK
NHTSA ODI #8005571
Mileage unknown · Mar 6, 2002
Air BagsCrash
WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH AND AS A RESULT OF A CAR CRASH AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AT ANY TIME. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
NHTSA ODI #8005058
Mileage unknown · Mar 6, 2002
Latches/locks/linkagesCrash
WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION HOOD FLIPPED BACKWARD, CAUSING CONSUMER TO SLAM ON BRAKES, RESULTING IN CONSUMER'S VEHICLE RUNNING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID VALVE SEALS DO NOT REMAIN SUFFICIENTLY ELASTIC, RESULTING IN TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKAGE. THIS LEAKAGE CAN RESULT IN REDUCED PRESSURE APPLICATION TO THE CLUTCHES, BRAKE, AND KICKDOWN SERVO, ALLOWING THEM TO SLIP.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: SUCH SLIPPAGE CAN CAUSE PREMATURE DETERIORATION OF THE FRICTION ELEMENT SURFACES AND COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE NOT TO ACCELERATE, OR NOT ACCELERATE AS EXPECTED, WHEN THE DRIVER PRESSES THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID VALVE.
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.
1999 Hyundai Accent Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year