Seat belt and steering problems are among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
Was your vehicle recalled for seat belt pretensioner issues? Read our post on the Hyundai & Kia Seat Belt Pretensioner Recall.
The Hyundai Accent has come a long way since it was introduced as a 1995 model year. Now in its fifth generation, Hyundai promotes the 2021 model’s intuitive safety features. The problem is that there are very basic elements that aren’t safe, like malfunctioning seat belts that may explode. Steering is also a component that may affect the safety of those traveling in a 2021 Hyundai Accent.
If you want feedback on any vehicle, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is a good place to start. You will have access to consumer complaints, recalls, investigations, and all the communications issued by the manufacturer to dealerships.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2019 2022
There have only been 5 complaints lodged with the NHTSA about the 2021 Hyundai Accent. Of these, 2 report injuries. One of them is due to steering challenges and the other to an engine compartment fire. There are no details on file about the fire and no injuries were reported. It happened in Washington State in March 2022.
Ironically, most of the complaints to the NHTSA refer to seat belt recalls. More specifically, they relate to the parts needed for the recall not being available. This may not sound like a big deal, but there are already 2 recalls on file with the NHTSA that warn seat belt pretensioners may explode. 2020 and 2022 Hyundai Accent model years are also affected.
The question on many people’s minds is, how safe is the 2021 Hyundai Accent?
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Seat Belts | |
| Wheels | |
| Wheels:lugs/nuts/bolts | |
| Engine | |
| Electrical System | |
| Steering |
The three complaints logged with the NHTSA about seat belts state that the parts needed for the recall aren’t available. None of them has experienced a failure, but they feel that the manufacturer has “exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.”
The first recall was issued in February 2022. It warns that, “An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.” Relatively few (just 354) 2020-2021 Accent vehicles are potentially affected. However, there is an update to this recall.
The second recall, issued in May 2022, carries the same warning. “In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment.”
But this time, 230,233 of 2020-2022 Accent and 2021-2022 Elantra and Elantra HEVs are potentially affected. The recall states that any vehicles that have already been repaired under previous recalls will need to “have the new remedy completed.”
One of the complaints, made by an owner from Maryland on September 24, 2022, states that he has been trying to get the Accent recall corrected for about 6 months. Having called several dealers it is clear that the necessary parts are not available.
“Isn’t it ridiculous that they are suggesting I park the car outside my garage because it is dangerous to park it inside, BUT it’s OK if I drive it?”
In August 2022, the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened a recall query on 2020-2022 Hyundai/Kia vehicles, including the 2021 Hyundai Accent. This followed allegations that the seatbelt pretensioners used in a wide range of Hyundai and Kia vehicles may rupture or explode.
The ODI has established that defective pretensioners can release shrapnel that results in abrasions and other injuries. The ODI also knows about at least 3 separate incidents where this has happened. In each of these incidents, the metal fragments injured occupants in the back seats of vehicles.
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While there is only one complaint on file so far regarding steering problems, another of the recalls for the 2021 Hyundai Accent relates to steering issues. It also affects the 2022 model.
The complaint from an owner in Illinois states that there seems to be some sort of alignment problem. The dealer tried to fix it 3 times, unsuccessfully, and “now they are ignoring me, they don’t answer my calls.”
While the dealer maintains “it’s not that bad,” the driver reports injuries. “To drive it one hour every day is a problem for me. Even my right hand and arm start to hurt after half (an) hour of constant dragging. Dealer told me all their Accents drive the same. Well, for me it means they all have (the) same problem.”
The recall indicates there is a problem with the Accent’s steering.
According to the recall notice mailed to 226 owners in July 2022, a bolt in the steering column may not be secured properly. This can cause the steering column to detach from the steering rack and result in a loss of steering control. Dealers must “inspect and tighten the lower steering column u-joint retention bolt, as necessary, free of charge.”
Even though the recall does not apply to the 2020 model, there is a complaint on file that blames the 2020 Hyundai Accent’s electric power steering for a crash that resulted in one injury. The victim, from Minnesota, calls it a “major safety defect.”
What happened was that “the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn … then all of a sudden it turned extremely easily.” This caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle, which resulted in a head-on collision “that injured me and left me with fractured ribs and sternum.”
The NHTSA tests a large percentage of vehicles and gives them a 5-star rating based on simulated crashes. These intend to help consumers compare vehicle safety when they are looking for a vehicle. The more stars a vehicle has, the safer it is.
Unfortunately the ratings for the 2021 Hyundai Accent aren’t great. The most problematic is the result of the side barrier test that simulates an intersection collision between a standing vehicle and a moving barrier at 38.5 mph.
Despite the fact that the NHTSA awarded the 2021 Hyundai Accent 5 stars for its overall side barrier test results, had the passenger dummy been a real person, the results may have been devastating.
The NHTSA report states: “Due to the intrusion of the left rear door during the side impact test, the interior door panel struck the torso of the rear passenger dummy, causing a high lower spine acceleration. High lower spine accelerations, in excess of 82 g’s, indicate a higher likelihood of thoracic injury.”
The overall frontal crash and rollover resistant tests both have 4-star results. The rollover test, which measures the risk of the vehicle rolling a single-vehicle, loss-of-control situation, found there to be an 11.3% rollover risk.
If a vehicle defect affects your safety or impacts on its value, you might have bought a lemon. If you think this might be the case, you can call our Helpline or fill in a Lemberg Law contact form. We will do a free evaluation.
We’ve been helping clients faced with lemon law issues for a very long time. We have also helped to negotiate many settlements with vehicle manufacturers. Just remember that if you do have a lemon, Hyundai’s going to have to pay your legal bills.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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My 2021 Hyundai accent has randomly not started a 5 different times. The lights go on and you can hear it trying to start but it never catches to actually start. It’s under warranty but the dealer says if they can’t see it when it’s happening then they can’t fix anything. I only have 12,000 miles on this 2 year old car.