2016 Hyundai Accent Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: October 28, 2026 · Filed: October 28, 2026

ABS module electrical fault and fire. On the evening before the fire, the vehicle displayed ABS and ESC warning lights with diagnostic fault code C2402 (motor electrical fault). A continuous buzzing/vibrating noise came from under the hood near the engine compartment and persisted for several minutes even after the engine was shut off and key removed. Disconnecting the negative battery terminal immediately stopped the noise. The next morning, approximately 12 hours later, the vehicle caught fire in the engine bay near the ABS module. The fire was extinguished manually. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The ABS module and surrounding wiring show fire damage and are available for inspection. This defect poses a serious fire risk.

Incident: October 6, 2026 · Filed: October 6, 2026

I brought my vehicle to Victorville Hyundai to address the official manufacturer safety warranty extension, Campaign Z01, which covers a defective passenger side Occupant Classification System (OCS) airbag sensor. My vehicle currently has 129,000 miles. The dealership and the service manager refused to perform the necessary safety diagnostic or inspection unless I signed a pre-authorization contract agreeing to pay a out-of-pocket fee of $219. The manager explicitly stated that this fee would be charged if they found that the sensor was contaminated with "outside water or dust." While I confirmed that the vehicle has never sustained any liquid spills or water intrusion, the vehicle is driven in the High Desert area and naturally contains standard environmental dust due to its age and mileage. By inserting the word "dust" into a mandatory pre-authorization agreement, the dealership is creating an intentional, deceptive financial loophole to deny a corporate safety warranty and avoid repairing a critical restraint system component. Because I refused to sign this predatory waiver, the dealership refused to service my vehicle's airbag defect, leaving a critical safety issue unresolved

Incident: June 1, 2026 · Filed: September 30, 2026

Engine failure on a vehicle under 100,000 miles creates a risk of sudden loss of power while driving. A failing catalytic converter & coil packs can cause overheating and potential fire risk. These components were either pre-existing manufacturer defects or were damaged during the engine replacement process at Auto Nation Columbus (Columbus, GA), neither of which was disclosed to me as the owner.

Incident: July 1, 2026 · Filed: August 27, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Accent. The contact stated that she recently purchased the vehicle from a private seller. When the contact drove the vehicle for the first time, there were no issues or warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. However, when the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an inspection, it was discovered that the airbag module warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 143,000.

Incident: February 2, 2026 · Filed: April 12, 2026

The engine failed and requires a full engine replacement. The vehicle is currently at ALM Hyundai West, 1990 Thornton Rd, Lithia Springs, GA 30122, and is available for inspection upon request. Hyundai Motor America has already approved the engine replacement under a goodwill authorization, implicitly confirming the failure is manufacturer-related. The engine failure left the vehicle undrivable, forcing me to operate rental vehicles and arrange multiple tows across three dealerships over nearly two years. An engine failure at under 100,000 miles on a well-maintained vehicle poses a direct safety risk a sudden engine failure while driving at highway or city speeds could result in loss of vehicle control, creating a serious risk of collision for the driver and other road users.Yes. The engine failure has been confirmed by three separate authorized Hyundai dealerships: Ed Voyles Hyundai (Marietta, GA), AutoNation Hyundai (Columbus, GA), and ALM Hyundai West (Lithia Springs, GA). Hyundai Motor America's own goodwill approval of a full engine replacement on July 18, 2025 further confirms the failure.Yes. The vehicle has been inspected by three authorized Hyundai dealerships acting on behalf of the manufacturer. Hyundai Motor America's corporate team reviewed and approved the engine replacement as a goodwill repair. All inspection and repair documentation is on file and available upon request.

Incident: April 11, 2026 · Filed: April 12, 2026

I got into an accident and my airbags did not go off... my face hit the steering wheel and my hand is broken because the airbags didn't deploy

Incident: December 12, 2025 · Filed: December 15, 2025

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.

Incident: December 2, 2025 · Filed: December 2, 2025

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 .

Incident: September 23, 2025 · Filed: October 2, 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.

Incident: July 24, 2025 · Filed: July 24, 2025

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 know if your abs, emergency brakes, & esc are all working properly. This issue is impacting Hyundai Accents years 2015, 2016, & 2017 based on the multiple threads & posts online. I think it’s related to electrical issues too because my windshield wipers & blinkers will randomly malfunction while this is happening. A random online user said that it is a “SMART Junction Box” issue that needs to be replaced. Please look into this and issue a recall because thousands of people are spending thousands of hard-earned dollars with no resolve.