"How reliable is the 1997 Hyundai Accent?"

"Based on 82 NHTSA complaints, the 1997 Hyundai Accent has a median complaint mileage of 73900 miles. The most common issue is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE."

"What are common problems with the 1997 Hyundai Accent?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1997 Hyundai Accent is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE, accounting for a significant portion of the 82 total complaints filed."

1997 Hyundai Accent: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 82 complaints

Total Complaints

73,900mi

Median Mileage

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

65,000 25th Percentile

73,900 Median Mileage

73,900 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

AIR BAGS

SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

AIR BAGS:ON-OFF SWITCH ASSEMBLY

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR

POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH , DOWNSHIFTING THE VEHICLE, THE GEARS STOPPED WORKING AND THE BRAKES WENT ON THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK"

"CONTAMINATED CLUTCH FLUID. BLED CLUTCH AND RESTORED CLUTCH PRESSURE."

"ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (SOLENOID WIRE FELL OFF)."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

VA: 9 MD: 6 ME: 6 NY: 6 MA: 6 NJ: 6 FL: 4 OH: 4 PA: 4 CT: 4

Who Files Complaints?

50%

Original Owners

50%

Second+ Owners

Hyundai Accent — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1995	197	71,725	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL	38
1996	142	98,000	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL	18
1998	72	52,500	FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY	8
1999	66	72,000	POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION	17
2000	115	61,000	POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION	21
2001	148	58,027	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL	28
2002	163	40,000	POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION	30
2003	45	32,080	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL	14
2004	40	36,000	AIR BAGS	12
2005	76	66,000	EXTERIOR LIGHTING	15
2006	49	61,000	AIR BAGS	2
2007	113	70,000	AIR BAGS	12
2008	135	55,000	AIR BAGS	15
2009	128	71,000	AIR BAGS	9
2010	119	60,000	SERVICE BRAKES	9
2011	51	47,549	ENGINE	5
2012	217	63,000	ENGINE	18
2013	203	42,000	ENGINE	27
2014	98	71,500	ENGINE	15
2015	98	54,000	AIR BAGS	9
2016	156	48,945	ENGINE	13
2017	96	48,791	ENGINE	9
2018	21	999	ENGINE	0
2019	37	54,000	ENGINE	3
2021	22	-	SEAT BELTS	0
2022	29	-	SEAT BELTS	3

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28