Reliable Auto DB

2021 Hyundai Accent reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2021 Hyundai Accent has 16 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 4 per year. That is about even with the other Accent years here. Their median is 4 complaints per year. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Front, Column, and Brake master cylinder.

2012 Hyundai Accent
Photo by Elise240SX, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

16

Per year

4

Recalls

4

Years on the road

6

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Seat belts (6 of 16), then Wheels (5) and Engine (4). The most filings arrived in 2022 (7 of 16). Those filings include 1 that reports a fire and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 Accent has 12 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2022 has 16 complaints, 4 per year. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2022.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2021 Hyundai Accent. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (4)

Recall seat belts, front 2022-05-19 · NHTSA campaign 22V354000
Summary Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Accent, 2021-2022 Elantra, and 2021-2022 Elantra HEV vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment.
Remedy Dealers will secure the seat belt pretensioner(s) with a cap, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 28, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 229. This recall expands and replaces NHTSA recall numbers 21V-796, 22V-069, 22V-218, and 22V-123 for Accent, Elantra, and Elantra HEV vehicles. All Accent, Elantra, and Elantra HEV vehicles already repaired under the previous recalls will need to have the new remedy completed.
Recall steering, column 2022-05-06 · NHTSA campaign 22V311000
Summary Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Accent vehicles. A bolt in the steering column may not be secured properly, which can cause the steering column to detach from the steering rack and result in a loss of steering control.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and tighten the lower steering column u-joint retention bolt, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 5, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 226.
Recall seat belts, front 2022-02-09 · NHTSA campaign 22V069000
Summary Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Accent vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioner(s) may explode upon deployment.
Remedy Dealers will replace the seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 24, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 219. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 21V-796. This recall is replaced by NHTSA recall number 22V-354. Vehicles already repaired under this recall will need to have the new remedy completed.
Recall Brake master cylinder 2021-12-02 · NHTSA campaign 21V937000
Summary Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Accent vehicles. The brake master cylinder may have been manufactured with sharp edges that can damage the inner oil seal, resulting in reduced braking performance.
Remedy Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 213.

Complaints by component (16 total)

Seat belts
6
Wheels
5
Engine
4
Electrical system
2
Service brakes
1
Steering
1
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

1

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

1202172022420232202422025
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Accent. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 40 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer…"
    Engine · filed 2025-07-01
  • "Hard time stopping and controlling the vechile"
    Electrical system, Service brakes · filed 2025-04-26
  • "The contact leased a 2021 Hyundai Accent through Enterprise Rent-A-Car. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power for about 5 seconds while accelerating and decelerating through…"
    Engine · filed 2024-10-01
  • "During a tire swap, another lug nut broke off while trying to remove it. This issue has occurred before, and it seems that the faulty lug nut problem is still present. The car has only been serviced at Hyundai…"
    Wheels · filed 2024-05-11
  • "My 2021 Hyundai accent has randomly not started a in more than 10 different times. The lights go on and you can hear it trying to start but it never catches to actually start. It’s under warranty but the dealer says if…"
    Electrical system, Engine · filed 2023-11-21

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2021 Hyundai Accent 4 DR FWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Accent 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S1) Front-wheel drive 33 41 36 MPG $1800
Accent 1.6L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 29 39 33 MPG $1950

Specs and fitment

5th generation (HC), 2018–present
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-20 (1.6L Smartstream) , 4 qt capacity
Tire size 185/65R15 to 195/55R16 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 21V619000. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Sonata, 2016-2018 Sonata Hybrid, 2018-2020 Accent, and 2016-2017 Azera vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release." A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury. Dealers will replace the trunk latch base, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 208.

Compare

Previous year 2020 Hyundai Accent Next year 2022 Hyundai Accent See every Hyundai Accent model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Hyundai Accent reliable?

The 2021 Hyundai Accent has 16 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 4 per year. That is about even with the other Accent years here. Their median is 4 complaints per year. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Front, Column, and Brake master cylinder.

What are common problems with a 2021 Hyundai Accent?

The complaints owners file most often name Seat belts (6 of 16), then Wheels (5) and Engine (4). The most filings arrived in 2022 (7 of 16). Those filings include 1 that reports a fire and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2021 Hyundai Accent more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 Accent has 12 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2022 has 16 complaints, 4 per year. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2022.

Has the 2021 Hyundai Accent been recalled?

The 2021 Hyundai Accent has 4 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2021 Hyundai Accent?

Owners have filed 16 complaints about the 2021 Hyundai Accent with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Hyundai Accent get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Hyundai Accent is 34.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Hyundai Accent take?

RB (2012-2017) 1.6L Gamma: 5W-20 or 5W-30. HC (2018-on) 1.6L Smartstream: 0W-20. Confirm the manual for your year.

What does NHTSA campaign 21V619000 cover on later Accents?

Certain 2018-2020 Accent vehicles (with other Hyundai models): the trunk latch may become damaged, preventing opening the trunk from the inside.

When did the HC-generation Accent start?

Model year 2018 on this site (after RB 2012-2017).