Hyundai Accent 2012–2017
4th generation (RB)
NHTSA data through 13 August 2026882 complaints, 446 with mileageMethod
A DO NOT DRIVE recall covers part of this generation — check the VIN before driving it home.
- Reports with mileage
- 446
- Median of reported failures
- 52,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Engine (18.5%)
- Recalls
- 3
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 21,577 and 88,900 miles.
Figure 1 · Hyundai Accent 2012–2017 · 446 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 = 70 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 3 complaints (0.7%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 3,100
- 25%
- 21,577
- Median
- 51,996
- 75%
- 88,900
- 90%
- 116,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 70 | 15.7% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 34 | 7.6% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 43 | 9.6% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 20 | 4.5% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 45 | 10.1% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 38 | 8.5% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 35 | 7.8% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 28 | 6.3% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 30 | 6.7% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 21 | 4.7% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 25 | 5.6% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 20 | 4.5% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 8 | 1.8% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 15 | 3.4% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 5 | 1.1% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 2 | 0.4% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 1 | 0.2% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 1 | 0.2% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 2 | 0.4% |
| 200,000+ | 3 | 0.7% |
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.
Owners filed 882 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012–2017 Hyundai Accent, and 446 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 21,577 and 88,900 miles. The median is 51,996 miles.
The most-reported areas are the engine (18.5% of complaints, typically around 89,000 miles), the airbag system (13.4% of complaints, typically around 52,000 miles), the electrical system (10.5% of complaints, typically around 54,000 miles).
3 recall campaigns cover this generation. 1 of them carry a severe NHTSA advisory.
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 2012–2017 Hyundai Accent last?
Half of the failure reports on the 2012–2017 Hyundai Accent were filed by 52,000 miles and 90% by 116,000 miles — figures drawn from 446 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
3 reports (0.7%) came in past 200,000 miles — each one proof a Accent reached that mileage, not that it died there.
Before you buy a 2012–2017 Accent: the 3-minute check
Generated from 446 mileage-tagged complaints, 3 recall campaigns, 2 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 3 campaigns cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check brakes - electrical on 2012–2015 cars. Anti-lock Brake System module internal brake fluid leak causing an electrical short and engine-compartment fire, which can occur while parked as well as while driving. Root cause identified as the material formulation…
- Check engine - intake on 2012–2017 cars. 1.6L Gamma GDI intake valve carbon deposits from direct injection, causing rough idle and misfire at higher mileage; also high-pressure fuel pump tick.
- 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 22,000 and 89,000 miles, with a median of 52,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the engine and the airbag system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The airbag system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 52,000, 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.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · Hyundai Accent 2012–2017
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.
- Brakes66 reports41,00015,000–55,000Brakes: 66 reports, median 41,000 miles, middle half 15,000 to 55,000 miles.
- Airbag system118 reports52,00023,000–75,000Airbag system: 118 reports, median 52,000 miles, middle half 23,000 to 75,000 miles.
- Electrical system93 reports54,00032,000–78,000Electrical system: 93 reports, median 54,000 miles, middle half 32,000 to 78,000 miles.
- Problems owners could not categorise81 reports56,00022,000–90,000Problems owners could not categorise: 81 reports, median 56,000 miles, middle half 22,000 to 90,000 miles.
- Throttle and speed control39 reports56,00024,000–89,000Throttle and speed control: 39 reports, median 56,000 miles, middle half 24,000 to 89,000 miles.
- Engine163 reports89,00053,000–115,000Engine: 163 reports, median 89,000 miles, middle half 53,000 to 115,000 miles.
- Hydraulic brake circuit57 reports97,00078,000–163,000Hydraulic brake circuit: 57 reports, median 97,000 miles, middle half 78,000 to 163,000 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.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 163 | 18.5% | 89,000 | 53,000–115,000 |
| Airbag system | 118 | 13.4% | 52,000 | 23,000–75,000 |
| Electrical system | 93 | 10.5% | 54,000 | 32,000–78,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 81 | 9.2% | 56,000 | 22,000–90,000 |
| Brakes | 66 | 7.5% | 41,000 | 15,000–55,000 |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 57 | 6.5% | 97,000 | 78,000–163,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 39 | 4.4% | 56,000 | 24,000–89,000 |
| Steering | 38 | 4.3% | 24,000 | 11,000–50,000 |
| Body structure | 33 | 3.7% | 38,000 | 12,000–60,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 28 | 3.2% | 43,000 | 11,000–63,000 |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · Hyundai Accent 2012–2017 · 446 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 — 56% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 77% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 92% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
The staircase tops out at 99%: the remaining 0.7% of reports (3) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
56% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Brakes — median 41,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Engine — middle half 53,000–115,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 23,000–75,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 32,000–78,000 mi
- Problems owners could not categorise — middle half 22,000–90,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — middle half 24,000–89,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Hydraulic brake circuit — middle half 78,000–163,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
77% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Airbag system — median 52,000 mi
- Electrical system — median 54,000 mi
- Problems owners could not categorise — median 56,000 mi
- Brakes — median 41,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — median 56,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Engine — middle half 53,000–115,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — middle half 78,000–163,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
92% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Engine — median 89,000 mi
- Airbag system — median 52,000 mi
- Electrical system — median 54,000 mi
- Problems owners could not categorise — median 56,000 mi
- Brakes — median 41,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — median 56,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Hydraulic brake circuit — middle half 78,000–163,000 mi
Which systems, and when
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 51,996 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The engine accounts for 18.5% of complaints (163 reports, 77 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 89,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 53,000 and 115,000 miles.
The airbag system accounts for 13.4% of complaints (118 reports, 70 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 52,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 23,000 and 75,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 10.5% of complaints (93 reports, 48 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 54,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 32,000 and 78,000 miles.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 9.2% of complaints (81 reports, 32 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 56,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 22,000 and 90,000 miles.
The brakes account for 7.5% of complaints (66 reports, 27 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 41,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 15,000 and 55,000 miles.
The hydraulic brake circuit accounts for 6.5% of complaints (57 reports, 12 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 97,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 78,000 and 163,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2012 model year drew the most — 219 complaints — while 2017 drew the fewest at 98. The median year sits at 130.
The first year of the generation, 2012, sits above the median. That is a common pattern — early production of a redesigned vehicle tends to surface problems that later years do not repeat — and it is worth weighing when choosing between years.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 3 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.
1 of these carry a severe advisory — NHTSA's do not drive or park outside warnings, which the agency applies only when it considers the risk immediate. If you own one of these vehicles, that is the first thing to check by VIN.
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.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 882 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 93 (10.5%)
- Fires
- 75
- Injury reports
- 79
- 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.
Documented problems
Brakes - Electrical 2012–2015
Anti-lock Brake System module internal brake fluid leak causing an electrical short and engine-compartment fire, which can occur while parked as well as while driving. Root cause identified as the material formulation of the ABS module O-ring rubber, which deteriorates and allows internal leakage. Hyundai Safety Recall 251 / NHTSA 23V-651 covers certain 2012-2015 Accent vehicles built 5 March 2011 to 31 October 2014; the interim remedy is an ABS fuse replacement and owners were told to park outside pending repair.
Engine - Intake 2012–2017
1.6L Gamma GDI intake valve carbon deposits from direct injection, causing rough idle and misfire at higher mileage; also high-pressure fuel pump tick.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 219 | 125 |
| 2013 | 206 | 112 |
| 2014 | 99 | 42 |
| 2015 | 100 | 54 |
| 2016 | 160 | 70 |
| 2017 | 98 | 43 |
Recalls (3) — is your car included?
Apr 2024 · 2012–2015 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic park outsideAn engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
The defect. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Sonata Hybrid, 2012-2015 Accent, Azera, Veloster, 2013-2015 Elantra Coupe, Santa Fe, 2014-2015 Equus, 2010-2012 Veracruz, 2010-2013 Tucson, 2015 Tucson Fuel Cell, and 2013 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module may leak brake fluid internally and cause an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
What can happen. An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
The free fix. Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024 through October 11, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 251.
Sep 2020 · 2012 · EquipmentAn overheated accessory outlet increases the risk of fire.
The defect. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2012 Hyundai Elantra and Sonata Hybrid, 2012 Accent and Veloster vehicles. The 12V accessory socket outlet may have been over-tightened during installation, possibly disabling the thermal fuse and allowing the outlet to overheat with prolonged use, such as by using the Tire Mobility Kit air compressor to inflate a tire.
What can happen. An overheated accessory outlet increases the risk of fire.
The free fix. Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the Tire Mobility Kit accessory outlet plug with a direct-to-battery connection wire harness kit, free of charge. The recall began September 28, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 193.
Jun 2015 · 2015 · Air BagsIf the ODS fails to detect that the seat is occupied by a child restraint seat, the front air bag will not be…
The defect. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015 Accent vehicles manufactured September 15, 2014, to February 10, 2015. In very cold temperatures, the occupant detection system (ODS) may not be able to determine if a child restraint seat is in the front passenger seat.
What can happen. If the ODS fails to detect that the seat is occupied by a child restraint seat, the front air bag will not be deactivated and, in the event of a crash necessitating front air bag deployment, the air bag deployment could cause increased risk of injury to the occupant in the child restraint seat.
The free fix. Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will correct ODS software, free of charge. The recall began on June 4, 2015. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 129.
What owners reported
I purchased a 2012 Hyundai Accent 5 door 03/02/21012 and discovered after the purchase there was no spare tire just a repair kit. I was not told before the purchase. Who would even think that a spare was not included. This is a safety issue especially if you are on the side of the road in the dark and it's inclement…
2012 · 52 miles · Tyres
the contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Accent. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 to 65 MPH, the vehicle would suddenly decelerate. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized dealer, who stated that the fuel rail pressure sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Approximately two days after…
2012 · 202 miles · Engine and its cooling system
the contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Accent. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle began to accelerate independently. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnosis; however they were unable to replicate the failure. The manufacturer was notified but offered no…
2012 · 800 miles · Throttle and speed control
the contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Accent se. The contact stated that while traveling 50 MPH, he drove into a pothole which caused the passenger front tire to blow. The vehicle did not come equipped with a spare tire but rather a tire sealant. The hole was too large for the sealant to be effective, leaving the contact…
2012 · 1,000 miles · Tyres
Built from 446 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page