HYUNDAI ACCENT · model year

2009 HYUNDAI ACCENT

128 NHTSA complaints, 9 crash reports, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2009HYUNDAIACCENT carries 128 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 9 crashes, 1 fire, 4 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2009 ACCENT is air bags with 27 filings, followed by visibility/wiper (13) and service brakes (12). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 2 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 2009 ACCENT, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

128
Complaints
9
Crashes
1
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

128 filings

Crashes Reported

9 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS27
VISIBILITY/WIPER13
SERVICE BRAKES12
POWER TRAIN8
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM7
EXTERIOR LIGHTING7
ENGINE6
UNKNOWN OR OTHER6
VISIBILITY5
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL4
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH4
SUSPENSION4
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM4
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC3
STRUCTURE2

Recalls (2)

15V56600008/09/2015

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Hyundai Accent vehicles manufactured March 1, 2009, to February 11, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the brake light switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning brake light switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate whe

13V11300001/04/2013

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburo

Recent Complaints

20251010SERVICE BRAKES

Brake Light Switch broke ,Brake light won't turn off

20230524ENGINE

The contact owned a 2009 Hyundai Accent. The contact stated that while his girlfriend was driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact’s girlfriend then coasted the vehicle to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000

Mileage: 93,000

20230516SERVICE BRAKES

ABS module leaking fluid

20220109AIR BAGS

Air bag light on at 146018 miles

20211203UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The rear windshield shattered for no reason. Because of the tint we had installed it stayed intact but you can't see through it. The car is in my driveway if you want to see it, but I have an appointment for Safelite to repair it on Monday, Dec 6, 2021. No, it has not been inspected by the police or anyone else. Safelite will be able to tell what happened when they come out. My husband was at work and the car was parked, when he came out to get in that is when he noticed it. There was no one else near where he parked his car and no evidence of anyone being near the car.

20201001SERVICE BRAKES

MY BRAKE LIGHTS WORK THEN THEY DONT I HAVE REPLACED FUSES BULBS I DONT KNOW WHAT ELSE TO CHECK THEY WAS WORKING YESTERDAY TODAY I WAS TOLD MY BRAKES LIGHT WASNT WORKING AFTER ALMOST GETTING REAR ENDED. I WAS STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT. THIS ISNT THE FIRST TIME IT HAS HAPPENED

Mileage: 129,274

20201001EXTERIOR LIGHTING

MY BRAKE LIGHTS WORK THEN THEY DONT I HAVE REPLACED FUSES BULBS I DONT KNOW WHAT ELSE TO CHECK THEY WAS WORKING YESTERDAY TODAY I WAS TOLD MY BRAKES LIGHT WASNT WORKING AFTER ALMOST GETTING REAR ENDED. I WAS STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT. THIS ISNT THE FIRST TIME IT HAS HAPPENED

Mileage: 129,274

20200909ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR LOCK STOPPED WORKING ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO. CAN NOT UNLOCK THE DOOR MANUALLY INSIDE OR WITH A KEY OUTSIDE OR WITH REMOTE. DESPITE THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE OR WARRANTY, THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, AND THE, NHTSA, SHOULD HAVE ALREADY HAVE HAD ORDERED A MANDATORY RECALL, GIVEN HUNDAI MOTORS IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS NOT ACTED ON ITS OWN. GIVEN THE,NHTSA'S RECORD ON RECALLS ( REACTIVE RATHER THAN PRO ACTIVE ) BASED ON THE NUMBER OF DEATHS REQUIRED, ANY MANDATED RECALL IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY...THE N IN NHTSA, BEST REPRESENTS NEGLECT!

Mileage: 128,000

20200315ENGINE

THE CAR WILL STALL WHILE RUNNING THEN WILL TURN OVER BUT NOT START FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME. IT HAS DONE THIS WHILE SITTING AT A RED LIGHT OR IN MOTION ROUNDING A CORNER.

Mileage: 160,000

20200215SUSPENSION

I WAS INTERESTED IN THIS CAR BUT BEFORE PURCHASING I TOOK IT TO FIRESTONE FOR A PRE-PURCHASE INSPECTION. ONE OF THE REPAIRS NEEDED WAS A CV AXLE. IT WAS POPPING WHEN YOU MAKE TURNS AND VISIBLY LEAKING GREASE. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO MAKE ANY REPAIRS WITHOUT DRASTICALLY INCREASING THE PRICE. ESSENTIALLY, THEY WOULD MAKE MORE MONEY SELLING THIS UNSAFE VEHICLE TO AN UNSUSPECTING BUYER. IF A CV AXLE FAILS WHEN A PERSON IS DRIVING, IT WOULD MEAN COMPLETE LOSS OF THE VEHICLE AND THEREFORE OBVIOUS CONSEQUENCES. I UNDERSTAND A USED CAR NEEDING MAINTENANCE, HOWEVER THIS IS COMPLETE NEGLIGENCE THAT COULD RESULT IS SOMEONE LOSING THEIR LIFE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE EARNESTLY, I'M GUESSING THIS ISN'T THE FIRST NOR THE LAST TIME THIS WILL HAPPEN AT THIS DEALERSHIP. YOU CAN SEE WHICH DEALERSHIP I'M REFERRING TO BY LOOKING AT THE OWNERSHIP RECORD AND THE DATE OF INCIDENT, OR BY CONTACTING ME DIRECTLY.

20200214AIR BAGS

2009 HYUNDAI ACCENT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED.*JS

20191209AIR BAGS

WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED, THE AIR BAG LIGHT TURNS ON AND WON'T TURN OFF. RESTARTED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT STILL STAYS ON. ANOTHER ISSUE THAT I NEVER REPORTED IS BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUN VISORS WON'T STAY UP. I REPLACED THE DRIVER SIDE, BUT THIS IS VERY DISTRACTING TO A DRIVER TO HAVE THE VISOR DROP DOWNAND FEEL THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY CONCERN. THE REST OF THE INFORMATION IS ABOUT THE AIR BAG LIGHT BEING ON, NOT THE VISORS.

Mileage: 85,000

20191209UNKNOWN OR OTHER

WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED, THE AIR BAG LIGHT TURNS ON AND WON'T TURN OFF. RESTARTED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT STILL STAYS ON. ANOTHER ISSUE THAT I NEVER REPORTED IS BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUN VISORS WON'T STAY UP. I REPLACED THE DRIVER SIDE, BUT THIS IS VERY DISTRACTING TO A DRIVER TO HAVE THE VISOR DROP DOWNAND FEEL THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY CONCERN. THE REST OF THE INFORMATION IS ABOUT THE AIR BAG LIGHT BEING ON, NOT THE VISORS.

Mileage: 85,000

20191119AIR BAGS

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND WON'T SHUT OFF. CAME ON IN MORNING JUST STARTING THE CAR AND HAS NOT TURNED OFF. I HAVE UNHOOKED BATTERY AND CHECKED FUSES BUT STILL ON.

Mileage: 147,000

20191027AIR BAGS

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT FOR PASSENGER SEAT-OCS---NOTE MANY OTHER 2009 HYUNDAI ACCENT HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR PASSENGER AIR BAG ISSUES--ALSO 2008/9/10/11/12,ETC-WHY NOT THIS ONE???

Mileage: 79,000

20191025AIR BAGS

AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON WHEN I TURNED THE CAR ON ONE DAY. I WAS INFORMED THE AIRBAG PRESSURE SENSOR HAD FAILED AND WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE SEAT TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM AS THE AIRBAG WOULDN'T DEPLOY CORRECTLY IF SOMEONE WAS IN THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT. RECENTLY LEARNED IT WAS A RECALL FOR SOME KIA MODELS THROUGH A NOTICE FOR MY KIA SEDONA, BUT MY MODEL WASN'T INCLUDED ALTHOUGH THE ISSUE IS IDENTICAL.

Mileage: 45,000

20190725AIR BAGS

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON ONE DAY. AND ITS ON CONSTANTLY. I CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY DONT CARE. I BELIEVE HYUNDAI IS THE LEAST TRUSTWORTHY BRAND FOR CAR AND SHOULD NOT BE SOLD IN US MARKET.

Mileage: 120,000

20190217UNKNOWN OR OTHER

MY CAR MISFIRED AND AFTER THAT STARTED TO SPUTTERING WHEN I IDOL, SLOW DOWN OR SPEED UP. I GOT NEW PLUGS PUT IN AND PUT SOME DRY GAS IN TANK.STILL SPUTTERS WHEN IN IDLE OR SLOWING DOWN. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BLINKS AND THEN STAYS ON.

Mileage: 77,900

20181202FireFUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

IT STARTED RUNING BAD I PULL OVER SMOKE COMEING FROM FIRE WALL I PUT IT OUT /NEXT DAY I STARTED IT AND TURN IT OFF/ THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON/ ONLY 54000.00 MILES/THANK YOU/RUNING ON THE HIGHWAY

Mileage: 5,400,000

20181013UNKNOWN OR OTHER

DURING OR AFTER OPERATION OF THE AIR CONDITIONING, WATER POURS DOWN INTO THE FOOTWELL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THIS HAPPENS REGARDLESS OF ANY OTHER PARAMETERS.

Mileage: 75,000

Compare 2009HYUNDAIACCENT to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2009 HYUNDAI ACCENT have?
The 2009 HYUNDAI ACCENT has 128 NHTSA complaints, 9 crashes, 1 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2009 HYUNDAI ACCENT?
Yes, the 2009 HYUNDAI ACCENT has 2 recall(s). The most common affected component is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 HYUNDAI ACCENT?
The most-complained component for the 2009 HYUNDAI ACCENT is AIR BAGS with 27 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY/WIPER and SERVICE BRAKES.
Is the 2009 HYUNDAI ACCENT safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.