2003 Hyundai Accent
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Hyundai › Accent › 2003
These records cover every 2003 Hyundai Accent. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Owner complaints
37 complaints12 involved a crash1 involved a fire14 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Air bags
When I start my car the air bag light flashes off
- Air bags
The passenger seatbelt airbag sensor wire was caught and cut in normal use of the car, while it was under warranty. when I brought it in, they said that it was not covered under warranty, and so we have taken it to a 3RD party mechanic to fix it. When he ordered the replacement part through…
The passenger seatbelt airbag sensor wire was caught and cut in normal use of the car, while it was under warranty. when I brought it in, they said that it was not covered under warranty, and so we have taken it to a 3RD party mechanic to fix it. When he ordered the replacement part through hyundai, the replacement part has alterations which fix the problem that caused the issue. so they know about the problem but won't fix it. when it IS broken the car doesn't know that there IS a passenger in the car and so the airbag would never go off.
- Power train
I was getting on interstate 95 & the car jerked back then completely stopped shift in into gears & has no reverse.
- Suspension
TL* the contact owns a 2003 hyundai accent. While driving 55 mph, there was an abnormal noise coming from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the lower control arm fractured due to excessive corrosion. The vehicle was…
TL* the contact owns a 2003 hyundai accent. While driving 55 mph, there was an abnormal noise coming from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the lower control arm fractured due to excessive corrosion. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the driver's side rear lower control arm fractured also, due to excessive corrosion. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000. updated 12/03/15*lj *cn
- Air bags
TL* the contact owns a 2003 hyundai accent. The contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacture was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 167,763.
- Power train › Automatic transmission
My car was driven under 70,000 miles when my transmission started going out. I was in the car with my one year old niece at the time leaving to go home. My car started violently thrusting forward with all of us in the car and was jerking violently. I thought we were going to get in an accident with…
My car was driven under 70,000 miles when my transmission started going out. I was in the car with my one year old niece at the time leaving to go home. My car started violently thrusting forward with all of us in the car and was jerking violently. I thought we were going to get in an accident with the child in the car in march 2006. As we pulled on the freeway the car did the same thing for the first 10 miles and we were sure we were going to die. But I pulled off the road and let it cool down. When we arrived at my parents we serviced the vehicle which I think had to be towed and I was given a refurbished transmission in march 2006. during the fall of 2007 the same problem occurred and the gears were acting up as they were before and the car was violently thrusting forward and jerking. I almost got into an accident while going to work with my students. I reported it to hyundai motor of america and took it in for repairs in september 2007. They installed a refurbished transmission and took care of another powertrain issue and installed a new alternator. However in the fall of 2008 the battery and alternator went out and I had to pay out of pocket to get it fixed although the alternator was still under warranty. after I took my hyundai to the dealer to get an oil change in the fall of 2010 I noticed that it was acting strange. Needless to say my transmission was acting up again and I almost got into an accident with 3 other cars due to it's violent thrusting and stalling in november 2010, december 2010, january 2011 and february 2011. In april 2011 it was diagnosed that yet again I had transmission failure. I contacted hyundai since my transmission fails every 10,000 to 70,000 miles and the transmission goes out every 1-4years with my car so it IS consistent. *tr
- Fuel system, gasoline
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 hyundai accent GL (na). The contact stated that while fueling the vehicle, the fuel shot back out. She had to constantly stop and restart pumping gas to avoid the failure. The failure began december 2010 and occurred every time the vehicle was fueled. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. The failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 112,937.
- Fuel system, gasoline
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 hyundai accent. The contact stated that while filling the fuel tank, the fuel spilled out onto the ground. The contact also stated that the it took 51 clicks to fill his tank and it was not eco-friendly. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer but not diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was 18,250.
- Air bags › Frontal · Air bags › Side/window
Front crash ..no airbags deployed and side impact crash ... No airbags deployed two separate crashes with significant damages to vehicle but no airbag deployment . *Tr
- Exterior lighting › Headlights
2003 hyundai accent. right headlight doesn't work. I replaced the headlight two or three times, however it still doesn't work. wiring harness IS in a position that the wire IS too tight and can't be adjusted or repaired. not sufficient slack in wiring harness. *Tr
- Air bags › Frontal · Air bags › Side/window
Non-deployment of airbags after runnung into freeway concrete embankment. *Tr
- Engine and engine cooling
2003 hyundai accent, 85K miles oil pan leaks, rusted through hole (dealer confirmed), lost 3 qt oil within 2500 miles. purchased new in 2003. *tr
- Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel · Fuel system, gasoline · Power train › Automatic transmission · Vehicle speed control
Http://home.comcast.net/~altair1972m/screw_hyundai.mht. 2003 hyundai accent. original posting was 3395 characters. must cut to 2000. Did not get the advertised mileage to the gallon. the accelerator stuck if you floored it, and not long after I bought it, transmission started slipping out.…
Http://home.comcast.net/~altair1972m/screw_hyundai.mht. 2003 hyundai accent. original posting was 3395 characters. must cut to 2000. Did not get the advertised mileage to the gallon. the accelerator stuck if you floored it, and not long after I bought it, transmission started slipping out. I reported problems. They were able to fix transmission slip simple diagnostic. Computer problem. accelerator sticking could not be reproduced and they had to give me back the car in death trap condition. my bro in law's 16 yo bro checked it out. Found mat was catching the accel. 2 freehold hyundai techs could not find the problem, but a 16 year old could. Fyi, nhtsa complaints list has both complaints from someone else. Over time noticed that at way mark, car IS showing less and less mileage @ same amount of gas. was 190 miles when I bought the car. today around 160. Flash forward a few years. had some trouble where the speedometer would drop down to 0 and then not move. I would smack the dashboard, hard, and it would catch and begin to move, but calibrated to new speed I was going when I hit it and it took. at stop I'D hear click, click as it recalibrated itself to correct speed when it tried to go past 0. took it in near it's 57K mark for the pre 60K inspection. fh did a diagnostic and found nothing. A few days later was driving the car and the tach was doing the same thing. took pics. Called fh and asked if this speed at rpm was ever possible in this car. it was not. demanded replacement of gauges. however, when the failed after 7 days to find the problem, they wiped diagnostic charge. they pulled out the gauge cluster, wiggled the wires, and did something with the sensor. Filed a complaint with hyundai motor corp. called them later in the week to tell them fuel gauge not working. took more pics. *tr
- Power train › Automatic transmission
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 hyundai accent. the contact stated that the transmission pulled and pushed while driving 40 mph. the dealer repaired the vehicle. the current mileage IS 84,000 and failure mileage was 62,000. updated 03-04-08 *bf
- Air bags › Frontal
I was taking my kids out of town for the holiday, we stopped at a rest area in indiana, left rest stop proceeded to proper speed hit a deer and airbags did not deploy. Car IS a wreck and beyond repair, seeking a lawyer to see what possible actions can be taken. Could've lost my kids because of the airbags did not work properly. *jb
- Engine and engine cooling · Steering
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 20 mph on dry asphalt roads, the brake warning light illuminated constantly, followed closely by tightness in the steering. shortly thereafter, the engine stalled and shut off. the vehicle was not seen by a dealer following the incident.
- Air bags › Frontal
In a frontal impact at approx. 35 mph our air bags did not deploy in our 2003 hyundai accent 2DR hatchback. The car was totaled, my husband and I both went to the hospital afterwards with severe bruising and swelling. We still have back pains and stomach pains from the impact. the insurance co.…
In a frontal impact at approx. 35 mph our air bags did not deploy in our 2003 hyundai accent 2DR hatchback. The car was totaled, my husband and I both went to the hospital afterwards with severe bruising and swelling. We still have back pains and stomach pains from the impact. the insurance co. IS still investigating the fault, but don't seem concerned about the air bag failure. I contacted hyundai USA and they've sent me a package so they can learn about and investigate the issue. *nm
- Air bags › Frontal
Dt*: the contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the vehicle was involved in a collision with a large commercial truck. the vehicle was pushed into a guardrail, and the frontal air bags did not deploy. both vehicle occupants sustained minor bruising injuries. the vehicle was taken to a…
Dt*: the contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the vehicle was involved in a collision with a large commercial truck. the vehicle was pushed into a guardrail, and the frontal air bags did not deploy. both vehicle occupants sustained minor bruising injuries. the vehicle was taken to a volkwagen service dealer, where the dealer was not able to determine the cause of the problem. there was no police report filed.
- Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Emission control
My 2003 hyundia accent already had two failures of the emiision control system. the second failure only showed a check engine light for a few seconds then showed all systems normal agian. each failure was found by different dealership but the same problem. the first time this happened the…
My 2003 hyundia accent already had two failures of the emiision control system. the second failure only showed a check engine light for a few seconds then showed all systems normal agian. each failure was found by different dealership but the same problem. the first time this happened the computer kept the check engine light on until the dealership repaired it but the second time the check engine light was on only for a few seconds, almost like the car was prgrammed to ignore the problem. *nm
- Power train
Consumer vehicle jerks into higher gears. transmission sometimes slips out of gear and drags. *ts the vehicle also made a loud noise which was followed by a fast jerking motion. *nm
- Seat belts › Front › Webbing
My son was driving a 2003 hyundai accent that was involved in a frontal crash with a full size pick-up truck. During the crash the seat belt broke and he was thrown into the passenger door resulting in injury. Hyundai's investigator check the car and said the seat belts had been cut by ems. We…
My son was driving a 2003 hyundai accent that was involved in a frontal crash with a full size pick-up truck. During the crash the seat belt broke and he was thrown into the passenger door resulting in injury. Hyundai's investigator check the car and said the seat belts had been cut by ems. We checked with ems and they said it IS their policy not to cut seat belts. They also said nobody cut our seat belt. This was a new car with approximately 2,500 miles at the time of the crash. *nm
- Air bags
I was traveling southbound in the right lane of a two-lane road in phoenix. a vehicle traveling northbound on the same road was attempting to make a left turn onto a side street. the vehicle (a ford explorer) turned left in front of me and caused me to collide with the front passenger side of…
I was traveling southbound in the right lane of a two-lane road in phoenix. a vehicle traveling northbound on the same road was attempting to make a left turn onto a side street. the vehicle (a ford explorer) turned left in front of me and caused me to collide with the front passenger side of that vehicle. my car (hyundai accent) was hit on the front driver side and the front of the car was seriously damaged and windshield cracked. my air bags did not deploy. the vehicle I hit had minimal damage, yet its airbags did deploy. I went to the er with chest and neck pains. the x-rays showed swelling to my neck and a bruised upper chest. the car was declared totaled by a claims adjuster.
- Suspension › Rear › Axle › Spindle
The vehicle's right rear spindle or carrier assembly failed. *nm *jb
- Electrical system › Ignition
The key will turn in the ignition , but the engine fails to turn over. Therefore, the vehicle wouldn't start. when this occurred the vehicle was towed to the dealership, where the ecm chip was replaced. The ecm chip was replaced twice, and I currently being replaced for the third time. *ak
- Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module
While driving the air bag warning light illuminated. dealership informed the consumer that there was no module installed. The cause of the problem was not determined. *Ak
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10251285This bulletin contains information about the proper removal of the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all models. If the protective cover is not removed correctly, there is a possibility of the rubber insert and rail spring becoming partially separated on the inner side of the wiper blade, which could lead to poor wiping performance and/or possible scratching of the windshield glass. Follow the procedure in this bulletin to properly remove the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all new wiper blades.
- 10247189This bulletin provides important checkpoint guidelines when performing engine oil and filter change services.
- 10235566Hyundai applies a Paint Protection Film (PPF) on new vehicles before delivery to dealerships. It provides a barrier between the paint and contaminants, such as rail dust, acid rain, and industrial fallout. In rare cases, the paint can become clouded under the PPF. These spots are the result of moisture trapped between the PPF and the paint.
- 10230904This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. This TSB illustrates the various causes of condensation inside the lamp assembly. Lamp assembly replacement is NOT necessary in most cases. This condition can be eliminated by turning on the lamps with the engine running for several minutes or during normal driving operation.
- 10217258Effective June 2, 2008, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 110 (FMVSS 110) established a threshold for correcting load carrying capacity information indicated on tire placards when vehicle weight has been increased before retail sale. This limit is the lesser of 1.5% of GVWR or 100 pounds. If the total added weight exceeds the lesser of the limit, a label must be added to the driver-side B-pillar within 25mm (1 inch) of the original tire placard.
- 10217251Follow the guidelines outlined in this bulletin to inspect and clean or replace certain components of the engine intake system accordingly during engine short block or sub-assembly replacement.
- 10196546Hyundai approves only the ATF, DCT gear oil and IVT gear oil specified in the vehicles owners manual. Use of other ATF may result in improper shift quality or other drivability conditions. Use of other DCT and IVT gear oil may result in reduced durability. Hyundai does not approve the use of any aftermarket ATF or gear oil additives.
- 10190044This bulletin provides the service procedure for engine connecting rod bearing clearance testing. Perform the procedure outlined in this bulletin to fulfill the Bearing Clearance Test inspection requirements to determine next required steps.
- 10190038This bulletin provides best practice recommendations when performing brake service procedures.
- 10189989This bulletin provides the inspection procedure and repair guidelines for certain vehicles listed below.
- 10183963This bulletin describes the procedure to inspect and identify fluid which may appear around the brake caliper area.
- 10183960This bulletin provides tire vibration service procedures, including how to optimize vehicle vibration performance. For all wheel/tire balance claims, the Tire Balance Data Sheet must be fully completed including imbalance and Road Force Variation (RFV) data. The Data Sheet can be found at the end of this bulletin.
- 10178175This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to moisture accumulation in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. The TSB illustrates the various causes of condensation inside the lamp assembly. Lamp assembly replacement is NOT necessary in most cases. This condition can be eliminated by turning on the lamps with the engine running for several minutes, or during normal driving operation.
- 10176182This bulletin provides information on tire maintenance best practices and procedures for dealers and customers to maximize tire life and performance.
- 10176178This bulletin describes the general guidelines to help disinfect and protect vehicle exterior/interior surfaces using recommended safe chemical products.
- 10174808This bulletin provides information on identifying dealer stock vehicles with either: A Battery SOC alert - low Battery State of Charge (SOC) at or below 50%. A 30 Day alert - vehicle has not started and reported an SOC in 30 days.
- 10174807The automatic transmission warranty repair policy authorizes in-dealership repairs of the following components for both OEM (new) and remanufactured automatic transmissions:
- 10173546This bulletin describes the general guidelines to disinfect and protect vehicle interior surfaces using certain safe chemical products.
- 10172142This bulletin describes the requirements for all wheel alignment and/or vehicle tracking claims and best practices when diagnosing and conducting alignment-related repairs for all models and model years.
- 10170883This bulletin provides guidelines to inspect the USB, head unit, and multi-box for common connection conditions. 2. This bulletin presents guidelines to inspect for common Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connection conditions. 3. This bulletin provides physical differences between the USB 2.0 port and USB 3.0 port.
- 10169370The Blind Spot Detection (BSD) or Blind-Spot Collision Warning (BCW) is a system that measures the speed of and distance from the following vehicles by using two magnetic wave radar sensors attached in the rear bumper. The BSD/BCW detects vehicles within the blind spot zone and gives off an alarm (visual and audible). The two magnetic radar sensors provide these functions for BSD/BCW: ? Senses other vehicles in the BSD/BCW zone and turns on the BSD/BCW warning lamp for the driver. The warning lamp starts blinking, along with an audible sound, when the driver turns on the turn signal lamp to enter the lane where another vehicle is driving.
- 10167253This bulletin provides instruction detailing the proper methodology for scanning and uploading captured GDS data files to the Techline Repository. Compliance with this bulletin ensures that the GDS data files are correctly transferred and matched with a Techline Case number.
- 10082455"The pcm or tcm contains logic to adjust solenoid duty and line pressure as needed to compensate for normal clutch wear over the life of the transaxle. This bulletin provides the procedures necessary to reset (erase) and relearn the pcm/tcm adaptive values. After the following repairs have been completed, the pcm/tcm adaptive values must be reset in order to provide optimum shift quality. If the procedure IS not performed, the transmission may experience a shift flare or harsh shift. H replace automatic transaxle or pcm/tcm h reprogram or exchange a pcm/tcm from another vehicle"
- 10030984Hyundai: automatic transaxle range switch diagnostic trouble codes p0705 (range switch signal problems), p0707 (range switch open circuit), and p0708 (range switch short circuit or multiple inputs). An improperly adjusted or improperly operating range switch may result in the above mentioned conditions. Malfunction indicator light (mil) illuminated; impossible engine start in p or n.
- 10020913Automatic transaxle diagnostic trouble code (dtc) list.
- 10019362Remanufactured automatic transaxle differential oil seal.
- 10019121Fuel filter location - shop manual correction.
- 10018890Automatic transaxle diagnostic trouble codes list.
- 100158532000-2004 1.5L & 1.6L accent p0130 (oxygen sensor) and p0530 (speed sensor).
- 10015733Automatic transaxle diagnostic trouble codes list.
- 10015328Diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0130 (oxygen sensor malfunction); diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0503 (speed sensor malfunction; reverse to drive lurch while rolling backwards (on automatic transaxle equipped vehicles only).
- 10014323Fd46xg poly alkylen glycol (pag) oil specifications for air conditioning component replacement.
- 10009778Windshield wiper arm mounting nut tightening torque specification.
- 10009777Fd46xg pag oil specifications for air conditioning component replacement.
- 10005632Dual-stage supplemental restraint system (srs) repair after collision. 2004 accent also included.
- 10005268Automatic transaxle pulse generator diagnostic trouble codes p0717 & p0722. 2004 accent included.
- 10004616Resistance values for idle speed control actuator (isca). Various models including the 2004 sonata.
- 100032212003 shop manuals and etms on webtech.
- 10002344Ata solenoid diagnostic trouble codes p0740, p0741, p0742, p0743, p0745, p0747, p0748, p0750, p0752, p0753, p0755, p0757, p0758, p0760, p0765.
- 10002341The engine control module (ecm) main power relay type located under the main dash has been changed.
Every Hyundai Accent model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.