1996 Hyundai Accent Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Accent years
- More complaints than other years 7th of 28 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 101 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Hyundai Accent. That ranks 7th out of 28 Accent model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is suspension (24 complaints, 24%), typically at around 106,132 miles. Complaints mention 17 crashes, 2 fires, 14 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
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- 101owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 17complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Hyundai Accent problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 24 | 24% | 106,132 | — | — |
| Power Train | 22 | 22% | 74,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 21 | 21% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 9 | 9% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 7 | 7% | 58,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 7 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 5 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 4% | 16,805 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 3% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Hyundai Accent recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower arm
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. During winter months, large quantities of salt are used to de-ice roads. This road salt could result in corrosion of the front lower control arms.
Risk: Severe corrosion could result in perforation and potential fracture of the front lower control arm. If this fracture occurs, the tire and wheel assembly remains connected to the chassis through the forward lower control arm pivot point and through the strut attachment to the upper wheelhouse. Reduced control of the front wheel location increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the front lower control arms and, if necessary, will replace one or both front lower control arms if structural damage has occurred. Owner notification will begin on june 10, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Suspension:front:springs:coil springs
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the following "salt belt" states: connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, and wisconsin. During winter months, the road salt used to de-ice roads can result in corrosion that causes pits to form on the lower coil of the front springs allowing cracks to develop. This can result in breakage of the lower spring coil.
Risk: If the front coil spring breaks, it can become displaced from its seated position, and can contact a tire. Tire damage can result.
Fix: Dealers will install a spring guide to prevent a broken coil spring from contacting and damaging a tire.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor
Problem: The windshield wiper motor circuit breaker electrical contacts were contaminated during assembly.
Risk: This contamination interferes with the electrical circuit continuity and prevents the windshield wiper motor from operating. Inoperative windshield wipers can contribute to reduced visibility during inclement weather increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will remove the contaminants from the windshield wiper motor circuit breaker contacts.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower arm
Problem: Through contact with road hazards and curbs, the lower control arm assembly can shift from its original position.
Risk: The shifted location can result in improper wheel alignment and increased steering effort increasing the potential for a vehicle accident.
Fix: Dealers will reinforce the lower control arm member assembly attachment to the underbody.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Front suspension lower control arm (PE02055) — opened Jul 2, 2002, closed Dec 20, 2002, led to recall 02V341000.
- Passenger air bag related (EA00001) — opened Jan 5, 2000, closed Mar 9, 2001.
- Passenger air bag related fatalities (PE99046) — opened Jul 7, 1999, closed Jan 5, 2000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 hyundai accent. The contact stated that while the driver was traveling 65 mph, the lower control arm failed, the tire turned sideways into the fender and the vehicle dropped to the ground. The vehicle was towed his residence. The vehicle was not inspected or repaired. The…
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 hyundai accent. While driving 15 mph, the contact lost control of the vehicle and it stopped suddenly. The suspension split in half due to corrosion and the lower control arm collapsed. He was able to place the vehicle in reverse and drove back into his driveway. The…
Dt*: the contact stated, the service dealer refused to honor recall # 02v341000 for the front lower control arm. The vehicle was inspected in august of 2003. The front lower control arm on the right side was replaced in 2005 and the left side front lower control arm was replaced in august 8, 2006…
Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was being repaired for other recalls, upon inspection it was discovered the front coil springs and upper mounting brackets were cracked. There is nhtsa recall # 98v245000, regarding the front coil springs. The front coil springs were replaced under recall…
There was a recall on a 96 hyundai accent, received letter in mail about two years ago, took car to repair center at that time tech said everything was fine. On jan 30,2006 was driving car and front control arm snapped pertaining to the recall that was done. Called hyundai corp was just told to…
Other Hyundai Accent years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Accent | 17 | 2 |
| 2021 Accent | 16 | 4 |
| 2020 Accent | 12 | 4 |
| 2019 Accent | 31 | 1 |
| 2018 Accent | 19 | 1 |
| 2017 Accent | 68 | 0 |
| 2016 Accent | 102 | 0 |
| 2015 Accent | 70 | 2 |
| 2014 Accent | 79 | 1 |
| 2013 Accent | 141 | 1 |
| 2012 Accent | 153 | 2 |
| 2011 Accent | 38 | 1 |
| 2010 Accent | 87 | 1 |
| 2009 Accent | 101 | 2 |
| 2008 Accent | 101 | 1 |
| 2007 Accent | 88 | 3 |
| 2006 Accent | 43 | 3 |
| 2005 Accent | 49 | 1 |
| 2004 Accent | 33 | 0 |
| 2003 Accent | 37 | 0 |
| 2002 Accent | 134 | 1 |
| 2001 Accent | 112 | 2 |
| 2000 Accent | 92 | 4 |
| 1999 Accent | 61 | 1 |
| 1998 Accent | 47 | 1 |
| 1997 Accent | 55 | 2 |
| 1996 | 101 | 4 |
| 1995 Accent | 142 | 5 |
See all Hyundai Accent problems by year, every Hyundai model, or the Hyundai VIN decoder.
Similar Hyundai models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Hyundai Accent?
Owners most often report suspension, power train, air bags problems. The top one, suspension, accounts for 24 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Hyundai Accent?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Hyundai Accent a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Accent model years, the 1996 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.