2002 HYUNDAI ACCENT Complaints

MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH AT 35 MILES PER HOUR INVOLVING A 2002 HYUNDAI ACCENT 2 DOOR AND A MINIVAN. THE FRONT END OF ACCENT COLLIDED WITH SIDE PANEL OF A MINIVAN BETWEEN FRONT AND REAR DOOR. ACCENT WAS A HATCHBACK STYLE. IN THE HATCHBACK AREA WAS AN ASSORTMENT OF SMALL ITEMS AND A LAUNDRY BASKET FILLED WITH ITEMS WEIGHING A TOTAL OF APPROX 40 POUNDS. OUR CONCERN WAS THAT UPON IMPACT THE REAR SEAT BACK WHICH WAS IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION WAS "BOWED" FORWARD IN THE CENTER OF THE SEAT. IF ANYONE HAD BEEN SITTING IN THAT SEAT THEY WOULD HAVE EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT TRAUMA TO THEIR BACK. ALL VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE CAR WAS TO THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR OPENED NORMALLY, THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS ABLE TO BE OPENED AND CLOSED AND THE HATCHBACK WORKED NORMALLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT. *JB

ON MAY 24, 2006 MY HUSBAND WENT TO START THE CAR AND IT WOULDN'T START. HE KEPT TRYING TO START IT AND THEN A SMELL OF GASOLINE OVERWHELMED HIM. HE IMMEDIATELY LEFT THE CAR AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER (EARNHART HYUNDAI IN GILBERT ARIZONA). MY HUSBAND WAS TOLD LATER IN THE DAY BY SAM AT EARNHART THAT THE FUEL FILTER CLAMP HAD BEEN "BUSTED" AND THAT GAS HAD INADVERTENTLY LEAKED ALL OVER THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. HE (SAM) PROCEEDED TO TELL MY HUSBAND THAT "SOMEONE" HAD TAMPERED WITH THE FUEL FILTER AND THEY HAD NO WAY OF PROVING IT WAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. APPARENTLY, IN THIS MAKE OF HYUNDAI ACCENT, THE FUEL LINES RUN INSIDE THE CAB OF THE CAR, YOU NEED TO ACTUALLY TAKE THE DRIVER SEAT OFF TO WORK ON THE FUEL FILTER. WE HAVE NEVER HAD THE FUEL FILTER WORKED ON, SO THIS WAS A SURPRISE TO US. MY NEXT QUESTION IS WHY WOULD HYUNDAI HAVE FUEL LINES RUNNING INSIDE THE CAB OF THE CAR???? THIS IS THE MOST BIZARRE THING I HAVE EVER HEARD OF. IF HE HAD BEEN A SMOKER AND LIT UP LIKE MOST SMOKERS DO, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ENGULFED IN FLAMES. WE ASKED FOR A REPLACEMENT OF THE CARPET, DRIVERS SEAT AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT WAS SATURATED AND WE WERE TOLD NO. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD FOR ANYONE WHO HAS A HYUNDAI. *NM

ON BOTH 9/27/2004 AND 1/13/2006 THE REAR BRAKE CYLINDERS AND SHOES HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF LEAKING FROM THE CYLINDER. ON THE SECOND OCCASION, MECHANICS AT DOUG'S LYNNWOOD MAZDA/HYUNDAI DID NOT NOTICE THE PROBLEM ON THE ORIGINAL VISIT (12/2/2005), AND I HAD TO BRING IT TO THEIR ATTENTION IN ORDER TO GET IT FIXED. *JB

ONGOING ROUGH IDLE, POOR ACCELERATION. NOT SURE IF THIS PROBLEM IS CAUSING PERMANENT DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, BUT THE DEALER, ON THREE OCCASIONS IS UNABLE TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THE DRIVER FRONT AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE AIR BAG DEFLATED SO FAST IT CAUSED THE DRIVER TO HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AT THE SCENE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY DEEMED THE VEHICLE TOTALED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT ALERTED. UPDATED 7/18/2006 - *NM

ON A 2002 HYUNDAI, THE THROTTLE SENSOR MALFUNCTIONED IN 2004. THIS CAUSES THE ENGINE TO REV TO VERY HIGH LEVELS (AS HIGH AS 4-5000 RPM) AND THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD; BRAKING BARELY SEEMS TO HOLD IT BACK. IT IS LIKE A CAR POSSESSED. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, MY HUSBAND WAS BACKING OUT OF THE GARAGE, AND THE CAR SHOT OUT OF THE GARAGE, INTO THE ALLEY, AND HE NEARLY HIT THE GARAGE BEHIND US. THE THROTTLE SENSOR WAS REPLACED. IN EARLY 2006, IT FAILED AGAIN. I WAS DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AND THE CAR LEAPT FORWARD; I HAD TO REPEATEDLY TAP THE BRAKE TO AVOID HITTING THE PEOPLE IN FRONT OF ME. WITHOUT USING THE BRAKE OR THE GAS, THE CAR WOULD MOVE AT 20 MPH. IT HAPPENED AGAIN THE FOLLOWING MORNING WHEN I STARTED THE CAR. THE ENGINE REVVED VERY HIGH WITHOUT ME EVER TOUCHING THE GAS. IT HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR HAS JUST BEEN STARTED AND WHEN IT HAS BEEN RUNNING. PUTTING THE CAR INTO PARK AND TAPPING THE GAS WILL OFTEN CAUSE THE RPMS TO GO DOWN. AFTER THE 2002 INCIDENT, THE SERVICE CENTER CASUALLY MENTIONED THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER HYUNDAIS. DURING THE MOST RECENT REPAIR, I MADE A POINT OF MENTIONING THIS WAS THE 2ND TIME THIS MALFUNCTION HAD OCCURRED; THE MECHANIC DIDN'T EXPRESS ANY FEELINGS OR IMPRESSIONS ABOUT THIS. THE CAR IS STILL COVERED, FOR THE REMAINDER OF 2006, UNDER A BUMPER-TO-BUMPER WARRANTY, SO THIS HAS BEEN REPAIRED TWICE BY THE DEALERSHIP. HOWEVER, THIS IS AN ALARMING MALFUNCTION THAT COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, AND IT SEEMS TO BE HABITUAL FOR THIS CAR -- EVERY 2 YEARS-- AND PERHAPS FOR OTHERS TOO. IT'S MADE ME NERVOUS ABOUT OWNING THE CAR MUCH LONGER. *NM

DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED ON NOVEMBER 21, 2003 AT 46,856 MILES THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED; NOW THE SECOND TRANSMISSION IS FAILING. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SHIFT HARD FROM LOW GEAR TO THE HIGH GEAR. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH, IT TAKES LONGER TO SHIFT FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. THERE IS A VIBRATION WHEN SHIFTING OCCURS. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALERSHIP HAVE BEEN CONTACTED AND DETERMINED THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. *JB

WITH RIGHT HAND, LIFTED HANDLE OF DRIVER SIDE DOOR , HANDLE SNAPPED AT TOP, LEFT TOP HALF STILL ATTACHED, CAN'T OPEN DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR REPAIR, WAITING FOR REPAIR APPOINTMENT CONFIRMATION. *NM

ON COLD STARTUP CAR STAMMERS,HESITATES AND REVS (SOMETIMES SHAKES).LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING, ENGINE RUNS LOUD,INTERMITTENTLY WILL NOT ACCELERATE.CAR IS 3 YEARS OLD,ONLY HAS 11000 MILES,AND HAS BEEN LEFT WITH DEALER 3 TIMES REGARDING THIS.FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR REPLACED AND COMPUTER RESET.SERVICE DEPARTMENT STILL UNABLE TO RESOLVE.

WHILE DRIVING BRAKE PAD FELL OFF. THE BRAKE FLUID LEAKED OUT. VEHICLE HAD VERY LOW MILEAGE ON IT.*AK