1997 Hyundai Accent

1997 Hyundai Accent 4-DR.

Overall

Not Rated

Front Crash

Not Rated

Side Crash

Not Rated

Rollover

Not Rated

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

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

Campaign: 97V026000

SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS

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.

Campaign: 98V245000

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 HYUNDAI ACCENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOOR LATCHES ON ALL FOUR DOORS OF THE VEHICLE WERE DETACHING. THE DRIVER SIDE DOORS AND LATCHES WERE COMPLETELY INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO ENTER AND EXIT THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE PASSENGER DOOR. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

AIR BAGS,EQUIPMENT

DEAR SIR I WOULD LIKE TO BRING THE SURPRISING ISSUE IN FRONT OF YOU RELATED TO HYUNDAI ACCENT I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR MORE THAN A YEAR NOW. I WAS DRIVING THIS CAR ON THE 401 EAST HIGHWAY, ONTARIO, CANADA ON 16TH DECEMBER 2007 AT 2.35 P.M. MY WIFE AND MY LITTLE ONE AND A HALF YEAR DAUGHTER WERE ALSO ACCOMPANYING ME. I WAS COMING FROM WINDSOR AND HEADING TOWARDS TORONTO. SUDDENLY THE AIR BAG OF THE DRIVER SEAT BLEW UP WITHOUT ANY COLLISION OF MY CAR WITH ANY THING. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH THAT I WAS DRIVING IN THE RIGHT LANE AND MANAGED TO BRING MY CAR OUT OF THE DRIVING LANE. DUE TO ALMIGHTY'S GRACE NO CAR WAS FOLLOWING ME OTHERWISE THAT WOULD HAVE LEAD TO A DISASTER. I WAS AMAZED TO SEE THIS IN FRONT OF MY EYES THAT HOW COULD AIRBAG OF THE CAR BLEW UP WITHOUT ANY COLLISION. I AM CONFIDENT THAT THIS WOULD HAVE SURPRISED YOU TOO THAT HOW COULD YOU MANUFACTURE SUCH A DREADFUL VEHICLE IN WHICH THE PARTS ACTIVATE AT THE WRONG TIME AND COULD LEAD TO ACCIDENTS INSTEAD OF ACTIVATING FOR THE SAFETY OF PASSENGERS. I AM THANKFUL TO 911 EMERGENCY THAT THEY CAME ON TIME AND TOOK US OUT OF THE SITUATION AND WE MANAGED TO REACH BACK HOME SAFELY. I IMPRESS UPON YOU TO LOOK INTO THIS SERIOUS ISSUE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I AM ALSO INTERESTED TO BRING THIS ISSUE TO OTHER CAR MANUFACTURERS AND LEGAL DEPARTMENTS WHICH HAVE AUTHORIZED YOU TO MANUFACTURE CARS WITHOUT TAKING THESE THINGS INTO CONSIDERATION AND THE PASSENGERS HAVE TO PUT THERE LIVES ON RISK DUE TO YOUR SHEER NEGLIGENCE. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO COMPENSATE ME FOR ALL THE HASSLES AND RISK OF LIFE MY FAMILY AND I HAVE BEEN THROUGH AND PROVIDE ME WITH OTHER CAR WHICH IS FULLY CHECKED. I SPOKE WITH THE REPRESENTATIVE MS. MITCHEL AT THE HYUNDAI AMERICA NO. SHE HAS REGISTERED THIS SERIOUS ISSUE AND ASSIGNED CLAIM NO. 3182613. I WOULD LIKE THIS MAIL TO BE FORWARDED TO THE CONCERNED PERSON AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THEY CAN LOOK INTO THIS MATTER SERIOUSLY. THANKS AND REGARDS RAJAN MALHOTRA *TR

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT THIS WEEK FOR WHICH THE DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE ME $99 TO INSPECT A CRACKED FUEL TANK PER RECALL IN WHICH POSSIBLY 66,086 VEHICLES OF MY TYPE ARE INVOLVED. I HAVE THE FEELING THAT THE DEALER WILL TRY NOT TO COVER THIS REPAIR. SEE MY DETAILS BELOW. RECALL CAMPAIGN: 00V314001. SHOULD THE DEALER BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS REPAIR? THIS CAR IS IN PERFECT SHAPE DESPITE THE MILEAGE. IT HAS NEVER BEEN HIT, TOWED OR IMPROPERLY JACKED. I HAVE A 1997 ACCENT GT ( MFG 04/16/97). I WAS NOTIFIED BY MAIL SOME MONTHS BACK THAT THE GAS CAP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED TO PREVENT EXCESS PRESSURE BUILDUP IN THE TANK THAT MIGHT LEAD TO THE TANK CRACKING. I WENT TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP, EARNHARDT HYUNDAI IN GILBERT, AZ, AND THEY REPLACED THE CAP AS SPECIFIED AND SUPPOSEDLY PRESSURE TESTED THE TANK. NOT LONG AFTER THAT I BEGAN TO SMELL FUMES WHENEVER I FILLED UP AND THE SMELL CONTINUED FOR 50 TO 75 MILES BEFORE ABATING. I DROPPED THE TANK AND CHECKED EVERYTHING I COULD FIND, REINSTALLED, AND STILL HAD THE PROBLEM. TODAY I DROPPED THE TANK AGAIN AND UPON CLOSE INSPECTION I FOUND A SMALL CRACK (ABOUT 1/2 INCH) IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TOP OF THE TANK. CLEARLY THE TANK NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BUT "IS THERE IS AN IMPROVED TANK?" AND "WILL IT BE COVERED IN CONNECTION WITH THE GAS CAP RECALL?" SINCE CAUSE AND EFFECT HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED. THE DEALERSHIP IS NOT COOPERATING WITH THIS REPAIR. IT IS MY COMPLAINT AND DEMAND THAT HYUNDAI MUST PROVIDE FULL, PROMPT REMEDY FOR THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS (FLAMMABLE) DEFECT BUT HASN'T DONE SO. THIS CAR HAS 162,640 MILES (BUT RUNS LIKE NEW!). DON'T GET THIS WRONG, IT IS A GREAT CAR BUT HAS A SERIOUS DEFECT AND HYUNDAI IS NOT STEPPING UP TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIR WHICH THE DEALER ESTIMATES WILL COST APPROXIMATELY $350 TO FIX. OPTIONAL INFORMATION: 1997 HYUNDAI ACCENT 1.5L DOHC. *TR

SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

RIGHT FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE HITTING ROTOR CRACKING THE ROTOR REPLACED ALL AFFECTED PARTS AT OUR OWN EXPENSE REPLACED COIL SPRING,ROTOR,BRAKE PADS. HYUNDAI SAYS THIS VEHICLE NOT IN THE RECALL EVEN THOUGH IT IS REGISTERED IN THE EFFECTED AREA OF THE RECALL THIS COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY LED TO CATASTROPHIC FAILURE IF IT HAD NOT BEEN DETECTED. *TR

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR LATCH ON MY '97 HYUNDAI SONATA BROKE AND ITS REALLY BIG SAFETY CONCERN. I'VE BEEN LOOKING ON THE INTERNET AND ITS NOT JUST ME WHO HAS THAT PROBLEM THE DOOR LATCH BREAKS EASILY AND IT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY TO GET IT FIXED SINCE THE PART COSTS $93 +. AND SINCE THE DOOR CAN'T OPEN ITS GOING TO COST A LOST OF MONEY FOR LABOR BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO GET THE DOOR OPENED SOMEHOW AND LABOR GOING TO BE VERY EXPENSIVE. HERE'S THE WEBSITE THAT REFERRED ME: HTTP://WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG/VIEWCOMMENTS_REVIEW_46625.HTML. *NM

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

THE SMELL OF FUEL PROMPTED THE CONSUMER TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER SINCE THERE WAS A FUEL TANK RECALL. CONSUMER LOCATED A CRACK ON THE FUEL TANK. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE NHTSA RECALL 00V314000. *AK

STEERING,AIR BAGS

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HAD AN ACCIDENT. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER WAS INJURED. ALSO, CONSUMER STATED THAT THE GUIDING ARM WAS VERY WEAK. THIS CAUSED PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING.*AK

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

CONSUMER STATED WITHOUT ANY INDICATION REAR BRAKES LOCKED UP.*AK

AIR BAGS

THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT STAYED ON CONTINUOUSLY. THE CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT THIS MAY CAUSE PREMATURE DEPLOYMENT OR NONE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK *NLM

POWER TRAIN

CAR WAS RETURNED TO HYUNDAI UNDER WARRANTY IN JANUARY 2002. REPORTED TO HAVE A BAD TORQUE CONVERTER AND STARTER. BOTH REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. LAST WEEK CAR WOULDNT START AGAIN. OUR MECHANIC DIAGNOSED SAME PROBLEM. WAS TOLD THAT IF CAR HAD BEEN PROPERLY DIAGNOSED AS HAVING EXTENSIVE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WHILE UNDER WARRANTY THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN PROPERLY REPAIRED AND NOT PATCHED UP. HYUNDAI IS NOW REFUSING TO ABSORB COST SINCE THE CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. TORQUE CONVERTERS AND STARTERS DONT GO BAD YEARLY!!! HELP!!