HYUNDAI ACCENT · model year

2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT

51 NHTSA complaints, 5 crash reports, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2011HYUNDAIACCENT carries 51 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 5 crashes, 0 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2011 ACCENT is engine with 10 filings, followed by electrical system (8) and air bags (7). 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 1 active recall campaign, 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 2011 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.

51
Complaints
5
Crashes
0
Fires
5
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

51 filings

Crashes Reported

5 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE10
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM8
AIR BAGS7
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL5
UNKNOWN OR OTHER4
STEERING3
SERVICE BRAKES2
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)2
VISIBILITY/WIPER1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING1
SUSPENSION1
TIRES1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH1

Recalls (1)

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

Recent Complaints

20250225UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Upon opening my driver side door the handle came off in my hand. I went to open the rear driver passenger side door and that handle came off in my hand. A repair shop went to open the rear passenger side door that handle came off. My fourth attempt I went to open my passenger side door and that one opened but loose. I have to get on passenger side and shimmy over to the driver side and then drive. When I go somewhere I have to leave my driver side window down so I'm able to get back in correctly. I'm disabled and it's hard for me to swing my legs over to the driver side. So how many cars out there that have this issue. Mine cannot be the only one!!!

20240423ENGINE

My car is experiencing the same issue as the recall on the engines for sonatas and Elantra in my year. My vehicle experienced a stall while in a drive thru the oil light illuminated and ever since then I have a ticking sound in the engine.

20230703STEERING

Key ignition locked, key would not turn and steering wheel locked while driving. Previously checked by Auto nation hyundai in Savannah, GA. They could not get it to lock up. Drove a few weeks and it locked up again while driving and would not unlock. Hyundai could not get it unlocked or the key to turn. Advised this is a major expense. Needs a new steering column and new ignition. This was extremely dangerous locking while driving. I would like this reviewed as a safety danger and a manufacturing problem.

20230103AIR BAGS

The recall issue showed at the inspection center and this vehicle has not been in an incident

20230103ENGINE

The recall issue showed at the inspection center and this vehicle has not been in an incident

20200511CrashAIR BAGS

AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY AFTER GETTING HIT IN THE FRONT END. *TR

20190806ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

MY 2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT HAS A PERSISTENT PROBLEM WITH IGNITION COIL FAILURE LIKE OTHER COMPLAINTS FOUND ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE EVERY IGNITION COIL. THE FIRST WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY, ALL OTHERS AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED AT COST OF OVER $1000. HYUNDAI ALSO REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS AT THE SAME TIME. MY CAR ONLY HAS 67000 MILES ON IT, THESE ARE NOT COMPONENTS THAT SHOULD NEED REPLACING SO EARLY AND SO OFTEN. THIS CAUSES FINANCIAL HARDSHIP AS WELL AS A SAFETY RISK AS SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER CAN LEAD TO ACCIDENTS AND UNSAFE LOW SPEEDS. PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL AS THIS MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS TO THE NHTSA ABOUT THIS VEHICLE HAVE TO DO WITH THIS IGNITION COIL ISSUE.

Mileage: 67,000

20190806ENGINE

MY 2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT HAS A PERSISTENT PROBLEM WITH IGNITION COIL FAILURE LIKE OTHER COMPLAINTS FOUND ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE EVERY IGNITION COIL. THE FIRST WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY, ALL OTHERS AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED AT COST OF OVER $1000. HYUNDAI ALSO REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS AT THE SAME TIME. MY CAR ONLY HAS 67000 MILES ON IT, THESE ARE NOT COMPONENTS THAT SHOULD NEED REPLACING SO EARLY AND SO OFTEN. THIS CAUSES FINANCIAL HARDSHIP AS WELL AS A SAFETY RISK AS SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER CAN LEAD TO ACCIDENTS AND UNSAFE LOW SPEEDS. PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL AS THIS MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS TO THE NHTSA ABOUT THIS VEHICLE HAVE TO DO WITH THIS IGNITION COIL ISSUE.

Mileage: 67,000

20190203ENGINE

AS WITH MANY OTHERS, HAVE ENGINE COILS GOING BAD, WHICH CAN LEAD TO MANY OTHER PROBLEMS IF NOT ADDRESSED QUICKLY. I BOUGHT THIS CAR 18 MONTHS AGO @ 33000 MILES. IT NOW HAS JUST TURNED OVER TO 40000 MILES. FIRST TIME I EVER HAD S COOL GO BAD IN 45 YEARS OF CAR OWNERSHIP. THEN FIND IT'S A HABITUAL ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE.

Mileage: 40,000

20181219VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT. AS THE CONTACT BEGAN TO DRIVE, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY TO 50 MPH WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MOVED THE GEAR SHIFTER INTO NEUTRAL AND POWERED OFF THE ENGINE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PUSHED ONTO THE CURB AND TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE CABLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 13627256. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.

Mileage: 35,000

20181103UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND I HAVE FIXED EVERYTHING FROM THE MECHANICS TO EVERYTHING ELSE IT STILL POPS UP AND THE MECHANIC TOLD ME I AM HAVING A MISSFIRE SOUND WHILE IN MOTION IT WOULD BLONK AND AT TIMES IT WOULD STAY ON AND COME OFF

Mileage: 96,783

20180725VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I WAS DRIVING ALONG ON A CITY STREET GOING ABOUT 40MPH. AS I WAS DRIVING THE GAS PEDAL BECAME SLACK AND THE CAR STARTED ACCELERATING RAPIDLY. I HAD TO DRIVE WITH THE BREAK DEPRESSED IN ORDER TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. WHILE THE CAR WAS IN PARK, THE CAR CONTINUED TO REV. I TURNED THE CAR OFF. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR, IT WAS REVVING AS BADLY AS IT HAD BEFORE I TURNED IT OFF. CURRENTLY, THE CAR IS AT THE USED CAR DEALERSHIP, AND THEY HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO FIX IT OR EVEN HOW IT HAPPENED TO BEGIN WITH.

Mileage: 40,000

20180612ENGINE

AS I WAS DRIVING WHEN I GOT UP TO A CERTAIN SPEED OVER 60 I WILL HEAR A TICKING NOISE THEN THE MOTOR WILL START TO JUMP AND THEN THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT IT DOWN

20180612SEAT BELTS

AS I WAS DRIVING WHEN I GOT UP TO A CERTAIN SPEED OVER 60 I WILL HEAR A TICKING NOISE THEN THE MOTOR WILL START TO JUMP AND THEN THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT IT DOWN

20180612WHEELS

AS I WAS DRIVING WHEN I GOT UP TO A CERTAIN SPEED OVER 60 I WILL HEAR A TICKING NOISE THEN THE MOTOR WILL START TO JUMP AND THEN THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT IT DOWN

20171114AIR BAGS

"TAKATA RECALL" MY AIRBAG LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR 6 MONTHS AT THE SAME TIME A RATTLE BEGAN IN THE AREA OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. I RECEIVED A CARD FROM TK HOLDINGS GIVING ME A SITE TO CHECK IF MY AIRBAG IS RECALLED. THE SITE DOES NOT WORK. THE SITE INDICATED ON THE CARD IS WWW.AIRBAGRECALL.COM. A PAGE COMES UP TO ENTER VIN BUT WHEN I ENTER IT, IT KEEPS KICKING BAG TO THE ENTER VIN PAGE. I CALLED THE NUMBER AND IT TELLS ME TO GO TO THAT PAGE. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO.

20170724ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (WAIKEM HYUNDAI, 3748 LINCOLN WAY E, MASSILLON, OH 44646 (330) 478-0281) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A FAULTY IGNITION COIL CYLINDER TWO THAT NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THIS WAS AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE AND HAD BEEN TAKEN TO WAIKEM HYUNDAI SEVERAL TIMES WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH DIFFERENT IGNITION COIL CYLINDER FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES AND A CASE WAS OPENED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000.

Mileage: 40,000

20161020AIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

Mileage: 95,000

20160705ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I HAVE NOW HAD TO REPLACE ENGINE COILS 6 TIMES. THEY USUALLY FAIL ONE AT A TIME AND THE FIRST 5 WERE UNDER WARRANTY. THERE ARE SO MANY ISSUES WITH HYUNDAI ACCENT 2011 OWNERS AND ENGINES COILS. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. THIS IS DESPICABLE HYUNDAI.

Mileage: 63,700

20160705ENGINE

I HAVE NOW HAD TO REPLACE ENGINE COILS 6 TIMES. THEY USUALLY FAIL ONE AT A TIME AND THE FIRST 5 WERE UNDER WARRANTY. THERE ARE SO MANY ISSUES WITH HYUNDAI ACCENT 2011 OWNERS AND ENGINES COILS. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. THIS IS DESPICABLE HYUNDAI.

Mileage: 63,700

Compare 2011HYUNDAIACCENT to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT have?
The 2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT has 51 NHTSA complaints, 5 crashes, 0 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT?
The 2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT?
Yes, the 2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT has 1 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 2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT?
The most-complained component for the 2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT is ENGINE with 10 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and AIR BAGS.
Is the 2011 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. The 2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. 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.