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1996 Hyundai Accent Recalls & Complaints

4

open safety recalls on record

Serious

142 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.75 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious02V341000

Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Arm

SEVERE CORROSION COULD RESULT IN PERFORATION AND POTENTIAL FRACTURE OF THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Serious97V026000

Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Motor

THIS CONTAMINATION INTERFERES WITH THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONTINUITY AND PREVENTS THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FROM OPERATING.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE CONTAMINANTS FROM THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER CONTACTS.

THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WERE CONTAMINATED DURING ASSEMBLY.

Moderate96V113000

Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Arm

THE SHIFTED LOCATION CAN RESULT IN IMPROPER WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND INCREASED STEERING EFFORT INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REINFORCE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM MEMBER ASSEMBLY ATTACHMENT TO THE UNDERBODY.

THROUGH CONTACT WITH ROAD HAZARDS AND CURBS, THE LOWER CONTROL ARM ASSEMBLY CAN SHIFT FROM ITS ORIGINAL POSITION.

Moderate98V245000

Suspension:Front:Springs:Coil Springs

IF THE FRONT COIL SPRING BREAKS, IT CAN BECOME DISPLACED FROM ITS SEATED POSITION, AND CAN CONTACT A TIRE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSTALL A SPRING GUIDE TO PREVENT A BROKEN COIL SPRING FROM CONTACTING AND DAMAGING A TIRE.

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.

Complaint volume

142 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

18Crashes
2Fires
16Injuries
0Deaths

Across 142 complaints. Severity Index 0.75.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Air Bags · Frontal18 · 13%Power Train · Automatic T…17 · 12%Suspension · Front · Cont…10 · 7%Tires6 · 4%Suspension · Front5 · 4%Latches/Locks/Linkages · …5 · 4%Structure · Body · Door5 · 4%Suspension · Front · Spri…5 · 4%
  1. Air Bags:Frontal — 18 reports
  2. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 17 reports
  3. Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Arm — 10 reports
  4. Tires — 6 reports
  5. Suspension:Front — 5 reports
  6. Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch — 5 reports
  7. Structure:Body:Door — 5 reports
  8. Suspension:Front:Springs:Coil Springs — 5 reports
  9. Visibility:Windshield — 4 reports
  10. Air Bags — 4 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (5) · 1996 · 1997 (2) · 1998 (1) · 1999 (1) · 2000 (4) · 2001 (2) · 2002 (1) · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 (1) · 2006 (3) · 2007 (3) · 2008 (1) · 2009 (2) · 2010 (1) · 2011 (1) · 2012 (2) · 2013 (1) · 2014 (1) · 2015 (2) · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 (1) · 2019 (1) · 2020 (4) · 2021 (4) · 2022 (2)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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