Total Complaints
156 filings
HYUNDAI ACCENT · model year
156 NHTSA complaints, 13 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
New Car Assessment Program
The 2016HYUNDAIACCENT carries 156 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 13 crashes, 9 fires, 14 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 4/5 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 2016 ACCENT is engine with 31 filings, followed by air bags (27) and electrical system (24). 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.
NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 2016 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.
Total Complaints
156 filings
Crashes Reported
13 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE | 31 |
| AIR BAGS | 27 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 24 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 14 |
| STEERING | 9 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 7 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 7 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 6 |
| SEATS | 5 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 4 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 4 |
| POWER TRAIN | 3 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 3 |
| SUSPENSION | 2 |
| WHEELS | 2 |
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.
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.
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.
Engine is failing, oil leaking in the engine that messed up my catalytic converter and O2 sensors now itâs just sluggish , doesnât accelerate properly, doesnât idle nearly .
Engine is failing, oil leaking in the engine that messed up my catalytic converter and O2 sensors now itâs just sluggish , doesnât accelerate properly, doesnât idle nearly .
The vehicle made a loud catastrophic noises stopped running and couldnât 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.
The vehicle made a loud catastrophic noises stopped running and couldnât 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.
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 itâs 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 donât resolve the issue. It is dangerous because we donât know how fast weâre going, and we donât 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 itâs 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 âSMART Junction Boxâ issue
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 itâs 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 donât resolve the issue. It is dangerous because we donât know how fast weâre going, and we donât 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 itâs 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 âSMART Junction Boxâ issue
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 itâs 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 donât resolve the issue. It is dangerous because we donât know how fast weâre going, and we donât 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 itâs 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 âSMART Junction Boxâ issue
The passenger seat airbag seat sensor does not work properly. The sensor wiring gets loose making the airbag system not work. Itâs a common problem in this make and model. So I donât understand why it hasnât been recalled yet.
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Accent. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
Mileage: 180,000
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 reviewâ. 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 consequencesâ of both driver and other drivers traveling. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. Due to the extent of the damage caused by the fire, it is unlikely that the issue can be reproduced or thoroughly examined. The vehicle has not been inspected by a mechanic since the incident. The incident was inspected by Chesterfield Fire & EMS (Report No. [XXX]), Chesterfield Police Department arrived on the scene, and an insurance claim is in pr
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 reviewâ. 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 consequencesâ of both driver and other drivers traveling. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. Due to the extent of the damage caused by the fire, it is unlikely that the issue can be reproduced or thoroughly examined. The vehicle has not been inspected by a mechanic since the incident. The incident was inspected by Chesterfield Fire & EMS (Report No. [XXX]), Chesterfield Police Department arrived on the scene, and an insurance claim is in pr
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 reviewâ. 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 consequencesâ of both driver and other drivers traveling. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. Due to the extent of the damage caused by the fire, it is unlikely that the issue can be reproduced or thoroughly examined. The vehicle has not been inspected by a mechanic since the incident. The incident was inspected by Chesterfield Fire & EMS (Report No. [XXX]), Chesterfield Police Department arrived on the scene, and an insurance claim is in pr
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 wouldnât 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 2024. The engine is locked with no explanation as to how and a Hyundai representative by the name of don who provided the goodwill repair on July 09 2024 and i had it towed to Hyundai in Marietta and they looked and provided the same explanation that the engine is locked and to get it replaced with no detailed reasoning why. My safety has been at risk due to driving across states and town to get
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 wouldnât 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 2024. The engine is locked with no explanation as to how and a Hyundai representative by the name of don who provided the goodwill repair on July 09 2024 and i had it towed to Hyundai in Marietta and they looked and provided the same explanation that the engine is locked and to get it replaced with no detailed reasoning why. My safety has been at risk due to driving across states and town to get
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 wouldnât 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 2024. The engine is locked with no explanation as to how and a Hyundai representative by the name of don who provided the goodwill repair on July 09 2024 and i had it towed to Hyundai in Marietta and they looked and provided the same explanation that the engine is locked and to get it replaced with no detailed reasoning why. My safety has been at risk due to driving across states and town to get
The instrumental panel suddenly malfunctioned the abs, airbag, and check engine lights illuminated, and the speedometer dropped to zero. The instrumental panel returned to normal, but the mileage range reset to 0. This was while I was traveling on a highway going 70mph. While it did not cause an accident this time, it was very upsetting. Further it is concerning that there was a recall on the 2014 Hyundai Accent for wiring issues that could cause a fire in the engine also referred to as an intermittent. We had the car inspected and nothing was found to be wrong with the battery/alternator or starter and nothing we could do in regular maintenance to ensure the safety of this vehicle. Note the mileage of this vehicle is 108k which is interesting considering the powertrain warranty was for 100k miles.
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 confirmed by [Dealership Name/Independent Service Center]. They have verified the engine issue and noted it in their service records. I can provide documentation from this service center upon request. Inspection by Manufacturer or Others: The vehicle has been inspected by [Dealership Name] and Hyundai Motor America (HMA) corporate. The problem was also discussed with Hyundai representatives, including Am
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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.