Hyundai Accent 2006–2011 problems by year and mileage
3rd generation (MC)
NHTSA data through 24 September 2026458 complaints, 373 with mileageMethod
Which year is yours? Tap it to see what breaks on it.
The 2006 Hyundai Accent
Close- Median failure report
- 61,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 43
- Recalls naming this year
- 3
Most reported on the 2006
- Airbag system23 reports
- Visibility/wiper6 reports
- Visibility equipment5 reports
3 recall campaigns name the 2006: Exterior lighting — brake lights; Exterior lighting. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2007 Hyundai Accent
Close- Median failure report
- 65,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 88
- Recalls naming this year
- 3
Most reported on the 2007
- Airbag system42 reports · median 70,000 mi
- Exterior lighting11 reports
- Visibility/wiper11 reports
3 recall campaigns name the 2007: Exterior lighting — brake lights; Exterior lighting. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2008 Hyundai Accent
Close- Median failure report
- 50,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 101
- Recalls naming this year
- 1
Most reported on the 2008
- Airbag system34 reports
- Visibility/wiper17 reports
- Exterior lighting10 reports
1 recall campaign names the 2008: Exterior lighting — brake lights. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2009 Hyundai Accent
Close- Median failure report
- 71,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 101
- Recalls naming this year
- 2
Most reported on the 2009
- Airbag system27 reports
- Visibility/wiper13 reports
- Brakes12 reports
2 recall campaigns name the 2009: Exterior lighting — brake lights. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2010 Hyundai Accent
Close- Median failure report
- 60,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 87
- Recalls naming this year
- 1
Most reported on the 2010
- Brakes17 reports
- Exterior lighting16 reports
- Electrical system12 reports
1 recall campaign names the 2010: Exterior lighting — brake lights. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2011 Hyundai Accent
Close- Median failure report
- too few reports to time
- Complaints filed
- 38
- Recalls naming this year
- 1
Most reported on the 2011
- Electrical system10 reports
- Engine10 reports
- Airbag system7 reports
1 recall campaign names the 2011: Exterior lighting — brake lights. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
Each tile shows the median mileage at which that model year’s failures were reported. The 2009 reports latest and the 2008 earliest, but part of that gap is age: the 2008 has had 1 more year on the road to accumulate mileage. 1 of these years carries fewer than 30 reports with an odometer reading and shows no median at all, rather than one computed from a handful.
The short answer
“Is the 2006–2011 Hyundai Accent reliable?”
- Median of reported failures
- 62,000 mi
- 90% of reports came by
- 102,000 mi
- Reports with mileage
- 373
- Recalls
- 4
Most reported
- Airbag system31.2% of complaints · median 71,000 mi
- Visibility/wiper12.9% of complaints · median 57,000 mi
- Exterior lighting11.8% of complaints · median 63,000 mi
Owners filed 458 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006–2011 Hyundai Accent; the airbag system leads with 31.2% of them, and half of the 373 that record an odometer reading came by 62,000 miles. A count like this can’t rate reliability on its own: NHTSA records what owners chose to report, not how many of each car were sold.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 32,000 and 82,000 miles.
Before-you-buy checklist ↓At your mileage ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
How many miles does a 2006–2011 Hyundai Accent last?
Complaint records can’t measure how long a car lasts; they show when reported failures happened. On the 2006–2011 Hyundai Accent, half of the 373 complaints that record an odometer reading were filed by 62,000 miles and 90% by 102,000 miles.
9 reports came in past 150,000 miles — each one proof that an Accent reached that mileage, not that it failed there.
Figure 1 · Hyundai Accent 2006–2011 · 373 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 49 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 10%
- 10,300
- 25%
- 32,000
- Median
- 61,590
- 75%
- 82,000
- 90%
- 102,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 34 | 9.1% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 31 | 8.3% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 26 | 7.0% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 30 | 8.0% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 30 | 8.0% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 27 | 7.2% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 37 | 9.9% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 49 | 13.1% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 38 | 10.2% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 24 | 6.4% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 17 | 4.6% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 4 | 1.1% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 10 | 2.7% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 2 | 0.5% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 5 | 1.3% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 3 | 0.8% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 4 | 1.1% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 1 | 0.3% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 1 | 0.3% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Common Accent problems, and when they happen
Figure 2 · Hyundai Accent 2006–2011
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Visibility/wiper59 reports57,00035,000–75,000Visibility/wiper: 59 reports, median 57,000 miles, middle half 35,000 to 75,000 miles.
- Visibility equipment30 reports60,00029,000–75,000Visibility equipment: 30 reports, median 60,000 miles, middle half 29,000 to 75,000 miles.
- Electrical system49 reports60,00045,000–77,000Electrical system: 49 reports, median 60,000 miles, middle half 45,000 to 77,000 miles.
- Exterior lighting54 reports63,00042,000–77,000Exterior lighting: 54 reports, median 63,000 miles, middle half 42,000 to 77,000 miles.
- Engine33 reports65,00040,000–90,000Engine: 33 reports, median 65,000 miles, middle half 40,000 to 90,000 miles.
- Airbag system143 reports71,00034,000–94,000Airbag system: 143 reports, median 71,000 miles, middle half 34,000 to 94,000 miles.
- Brakes46 reports76,00050,000–88,000Brakes: 46 reports, median 76,000 miles, middle half 50,000 to 88,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
All systems in a table
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag system | 143 | 31.2% | 71,000 | 34,000–94,000 |
| Visibility/wiper | 59 | 12.9% | 57,000 | 35,000–75,000 |
| Exterior lighting | 54 | 11.8% | 63,000 | 42,000–77,000 |
| Electrical system | 49 | 10.7% | 60,000 | 45,000–77,000 |
| Brakes | 46 | 10.0% | 76,000 | 50,000–88,000 |
| Engine | 33 | 7.2% | 65,000 | 40,000–90,000 |
| Visibility equipment | 30 | 6.6% | 60,000 | 29,000–75,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 27 | 5.9% | 78,000 | 37,000–95,000 |
| Body structure | 16 | 3.5% | 39,000 | 8,000–80,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 16 | 3.5% | 35,000 | 7,000–100,000 |
System by system, in words
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 62,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The airbag system accounts for 31.2% of complaints (143 reports, 119 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 71,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 34,000 and 94,000 miles.
A single system taking 31.2% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
Visibility/wiper accounts for 12.9% of complaints (59 reports, 50 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 57,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 35,000 and 75,000 miles.
The exterior lighting accounts for 11.8% of complaints (54 reports, 43 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 63,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 42,000 and 77,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 10.7% of complaints (49 reports, 40 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 60,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 45,000 and 77,000 miles.
The brakes account for 10.0% of complaints (46 reports, 36 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 76,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 50,000 and 88,000 miles.
The engine accounts for 7.2% of complaints (33 reports, 24 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 65,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 40,000 and 90,000 miles.
Known problems with the 2006–2011 Accent
Engine 2006–2011
Timing belt driven engine with CVVT; belt and tensioner service is the dominant maintenance-related failure. No large-scale systemic defect campaign specific to this generation in the US.
Before you buy a 2006–2011 Accent: the 3-minute check
Generated from 373 mileage-tagged complaints, 4 recall campaigns, 1 documented problem area. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 4 campaigns cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check engine on 2006–2011 cars. Timing belt driven engine with CVVT; belt and tensioner service is the dominant maintenance-related failure. No large-scale systemic defect campaign specific to this generation in the US.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 32,000 and 82,000 miles, with a median of 62,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the airbag system and visibility/wiper are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Visibility/wiper in particular shows a median failure mileage of 57,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Accent problems by mileage: where your car sits
Type your odometer reading, or read the common mileages in the table. Your marker lands on the timing chart above and on the curve below.
| System | Middle half of reports, mi | At 60k mi48% below | At 90k mi81% below | At 120k mi93% below | At 150k mi98% below | At 200k mi100% below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag system | 34,000–94,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Visibility/wiper | 35,000–75,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Exterior lighting | 42,000–77,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Electrical system | 45,000–77,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Brakes | 50,000–88,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Engine | 40,000–90,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Visibility equipment | 29,000–75,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
Figure 3 · Hyundai Accent 2006–2011 · 373 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 48% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 81% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 93% of reports below
- 150,000 mi — 98% of reports below
- 200,000 mi — 100% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it above
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
2006–2011 Hyundai Accent recalls (4)
NHTSA records 4 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around the exterior lighting (4). Several campaigns against one area can mean a remedy that did not hold, or separate defects in parts filed under the same heading; the summaries below name each defect.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Sep 2015 · 2009–2011 · Exterior LightingFailure to illuminate the brake lights during braking or the inability to disengage the cruise control could…
The defect. 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…
What can happen. Failure to illuminate the brake lights during braking or the inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake switch, free of charge. The recall began on October 21, 2015. Owners may contact Hyundai's customer service at 1-855-671-3059 or by…
Apr 2013 · 2006–2009 · Exterior LightingFailure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could…
The defect. Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe…
What can happen. Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the…
The free fix. Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall…
Jul 2009 · 2006–2007 · Exterior LightingAny of these malfunctions could lead to a crash.
The defect. Hyundai is recalling 3,011 model year 2005-2007 elantra, tucson, sonata, azera and Accent vehicles. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to fail to illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause the brake lights to remain…
What can happen. Any of these malfunctions could lead to a crash.
The free fix. Dealers will replace the stop lamp switch free of charge. The recall began on september 2, 2009. Owners may contact Hyundai of puerto rico customer service at 1-787-999-4310.
Apr 2009 · 2006–2007 · Exterior LightingAny of these malfunctions, alone or in combination, may lead to a crash.
The defect. Hyundai is recalling 532,633 my 2006-2007 Accent, entourage, sonata, my 2007 azera, elantra and santa fe, my 2005-2007 tucson and my 2007-2008 veracruz vehicles. The stop lamp switch in the affected vehicles may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch…
What can happen. Any of these malfunctions, alone or in combination, may lead to a crash.
The free fix. Dealers will replace the stop lamp switch free of charge. The recall began on june 29, 2009. Owners may contact the Hyundai customer assistance center at 1-800-633-5151.
Crashes, fires and injuries owners reported
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 458 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 40 (8.7%)
- Fires
- 3
- Injury reports
- 28
- Fatality reports
- 1
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Accent problems by model year
The 2008 drew the most complaints of this generation, 101, most of them about the airbag system, and the 2011 the fewest, 38. A typical year drew about 88.
| Year | Complaints | With mileage | Median miles | Most reported | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 43 | 39 | 61,000 | Airbag system (23) | 3 |
| 2007 | 88 | 72 | 65,000 | Airbag system (42) | 3 |
| 2008 | 101 | 82 | 50,000 | Airbag system (34) | 1 |
| 2009 | 101 | 86 | 71,000 | Airbag system (27) | 2 |
| 2010 | 87 | 67 | 60,000 | Brakes (17) | 1 |
| 2011 | 38 | 27 | under 30 reports | Electrical system (10) | 1 |
What Accent owners reported
The contact owned a 2009 Hyundai Accent. The contact stated that while his girlfriend was driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact’s girlfriend then coasted the vehicle to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an…
2009 · 93,000 miles · Engine
The passenger side door lock stopped working about two months ago. Can not unlock the door manually inside or with a key outside or with remote. Despite the age of the vehicle or warranty, this is without a doubt a serious safety issue, and the, NHTSA, should have already have had ordered a mandatory recall, given…
2009 · 128,000 miles · Electrical system
When the car is started, the air bag light turns on and won't turn off. Restarted several times since and the air bag light still stays on. Another issue that i never reported is both driver and passenger sun visors won't stay up. I replaced the driver side, but this is very distracting to a driver to have the visor…
2009 · 85,000 miles · Airbag system
Airbag light came on when i turned the car on one day. I was informed the airbag pressure sensor had failed and would have to replace the entire seat to rectify the problem as the airbag wouldn't deploy correctly if someone was in the passenger front seat. Recently learned it was a recall for some Kia models through a…
2009 · 45,000 miles · Airbag system
Built from 373 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-09-26 · open data · how it is built
Other Accent generations
- Accent 2000–2005 240 reports with mileage, most about the transmission and driveline
- Accent 2012–2017 311 reports with mileage, most about the engine