Hyundai Accent Hatchbacks

carfreak09 · October 2010

Hey everyone, I just purchased a 2010 Accent GS auto with the premium package last night. It was the only '10 model left with the premium package in my area so my color choice was unfortunately slim and I ended up with Nordic white. Normally, I hate white cars, but I must admit it looks pretty good on this car, almost like a cream white and it makes the chrome accents in the light housings stand out more. Anyway, as a previous owner of a 2000 Accent L, I must say I'm very impressed with the level of content they now put into these cars and how much they have improved the handling. I was forced into buying a car out of necessity as my previous ride (95 Integra GSR sedan) was stolen and I need my car for work (I do deliveries). My funds are extremely limited so my car choices were narrowed down based on available incentives and nothing could beat the Accent this month. I feel I got a pretty good deal and was impressed with the discounts the dealer gave upfront with no haggling.

My first impressions are: I love this car! The gauge and center console lighting is very VW and looks classy. This car is chock full of nice little features, like lighted vanity mirrors, driver's padded armrest, separate idiot light for loose gas cap so people aren't freaked out over a check engine light for something so minor, ipod and aux inputs for the radio, and I love how the radio display conveniently shows the radio station listed above the corresponding preset button no matter what station you are listening to. It's the attention to detail Hyundai bestows on their cars that impresses me so much. Power is plenty adequate, in fact, it's quicker off the line than my old Integra. The Accent is very roomy and comfortable. This car simply blows the Yaris out of the water in features and looks!

I do have one problem and I'm hoping it can be easily fixed. A loud squeak started coming from the back of the car every time I hit a sharp bump. My dad was sitting in the back seat and couldn't pinpoint it. I'm thinking the hatch isn't tight enough as I encountered a similar squeak with my old Accent and the squeak started after I closed the hatch sorta hard. It was a bit of a buzz kill because I was enjoying showing off how quiet the car was and than this squeak popped up. Has anyone else had this problem and knows a simple fix?

Suggested improvements? Well, for one thing, I don't understand why the cargo cover doesn't have cables hooking it to the hatch so it raises up when the hatch goes up. This is the first hatchback I've seen that doesn't do that. The cover is totally in the way and when you flip it up manually, it comes off the hooks. This was one area Hyundai backtracked on and needs to reverse. Second, I miss the cloth door inserts that used to come on the GS. The flat plain plastic just isn't as appealing.

Anyway, I will be putting mileage on this car rapidly (about 3000 miles per month) and plan on checking in often so I should be able to provide an informative long term ownership experience. I'll be able to tell you how well the Accent holds up under harsh daily delivery conditions....Let's hope I don't have to use the famous warranty.

backy · October 2010

Congrats on the new car!

One thing to keep in mind is that adjustments (like squeaks/rattles) are covered for the first year or 12k miles, so be sure to have the squeak addressed before then.

The hatch could be loose--a minor latch adjustment could fix that. Also can try using WD-40 on the gasket (good idea anyway, to protect it from weathering). Another thing to check is that everything is tightened down in the spare tire well. That would probably be a rattle vs. squeak, but doesn't hurt to check. Could be a suspension component also. Did you check to make sure the back seat is firmly latched?

Very strange that the cargo cover doesn't lift automatically--two straps don't cost very much!

carfreak09 · October 2010

Thanks backy! I remember talking with you years ago. My previous screenname was lngtonge18 and I was quite active at Edmunds until 05. You can see my posts up until 03 or so in this very forum.

Anyway, I could practically choke my mom because the squeak started after she requested to see the trunk space. I opened the hatch and lowered the seats to show the impressive cargo space. After I put everything back together and we drove off, the loud squeak started. My dad was sitting in the back and he said it sounded like it was coming from behind him which would point to the hatch. We did check the spare tire area and moved the stuff out of there, but the squeak continued. Putting pressure on the seat made no difference either. I'm going to play around with it a little more before taking it back, mainly because I hate going to the dealer.

I agree about the cargo cover. Every hatchback I've owned from an 84 GTI to a 00 Accent had straps that connected the cover to the hatch. My 04 Lancer Sportback had a retractable cover. I'm not sure why Hyundai deleted this simple feature. I'll probably just take the cover out because you can't put anything in the hatch with it in the down position.

carfreak09 · October 2010

Ok, I'm 100% satisfied now! The squeak turned out to be caused by owner error, not a build defect. The reason the cargo cover was falling off on one side when I would flip it up was because the clip hadn't been seated properly. When I gave it a good push it snapped in place snugly. The cover now flips up and stays up until you flip it back down. It's no longer in the way when loading so I'll leave it in place. I still wish it was raised by the hatch though. The surprise occured when I noticed that the squeak completely stopped, even driving over very rough surfaces. So I was able to kill two birds with one stone by just doing a little investigating on my own instead of wasting time at the dealer. It's amazing how one loose clip caused so much racket.

carfreak09 · October 2010

I filled up tonight for the first time. I got 29 mpg! Very happy with that considering it was 95% city and suburban driving. My low fuel light never came on and it took 9.2 gallons to fill it up. The tank only holds 11.9 so I guess the light is set to come on when the tank literally only has 2 gallons left. Quite unusual considering most lights seem to be quite conservative.

When is everyone else's low fuel light turning on?

PF_Flyer · October 2010

Before you pop the cork on mileage, you might want to wait a tank or two. That first tank can be VERY deceptive as a measure of mileage since you really don't know how much was in the tank to begin with. And since fuel pumps are lubricated/cooled by the fuel in the tank, I try to avoid running the gas down low to the point where the light comes on. No need to stress that pump any more than you have to!

carfreak09 · October 2010

Ok, I have a little over 1000 miles already. A little bummed to see the mileage rising so fast, but very happy with the car.

Gas mileage so far: 29, 27, 28, and tonight 30.7 mpg! I was very happy to see the mileage so high, especially since I've been driving the car a little more aggressively.

I'm loving this car the more I spend time with it. It's quiet, solid, rattle free, roomy, handles good, and the dashboard's design, ergonomics, and build quality would easily make you think the car is more expensive than it is. The high level of features is still surprising. The doors close with a solid thunk and the hatch only needs a light touch to close. Nothing about the car leads you to believe you actually need the long warranty. The AC gets nice and cold. The stereo sounds pretty darn good, especially after I turned on the Pbass, which is a bass booster that I didn't know it had until I read the manual. You can adjust bass, treble, AND midrange, quite unusual at this price range. I love the way the power windows will continue working for 30 seconds after you shut off the ignition. My old Acura lacked that feature.

My only beef with the car is the tendency of the automatic to shift to overdrive way too soon. I'm sure its tuned this way to get the best mileage possible, but its a bit annoying. Under light throttle, the tranny seems to shift directly from 2nd gear to 4th overdrive. When it does this, the engine bogs down at 1400 rpms and is very slow to gain speed. I have to push down on the gas a little to kick it out of overdrive and get it to accelerate at a reasonable pace. I just find it odd that it seems to skip 3rd gear. If I start off a little more aggressively, it shifts through 3rd gear like it should, but I also notice a slight shift flare (a rise in rpms) when it goes from 4th into overdrive, almost as if it briefly shifts into neutral. I'm not concerned about the shift flare yet as the tranny is still learning my driving behavior, but I'll keep an eye on it and see if it gets worse. Overall, the automatic is mostly smooth and is obviously efficient based on my gas mileage. It's just not the most refined tranny. The Accent has plenty of pep when you step on it. I can't wait to rev the engine past 4000 rpms once the break in period is over.

Suggested improvements? Make cruise control available on the GS with the premium package! Add cloth door inserts to make the door panels looks less like a large slab of plastic. And for god's sake, please connect the cargo cover with the hatch lid so that they go up and down together! Twice, I've left the cargo cover up only to get in and see my entire rear view blocked. Oh, I would also like to see adjustable lumbar support. I was disappointed to see my car lacked it, especially since my old base 2000 Accent had it. The seats are comfortable for the most part, but they have a bit too much lumbar sticking in my lower back. The seats would be perfect if I could just reduce the lumbar a little bit.

carfreak09 · November 2010

Well, after 2.5 hours of tedious sewing and my fingers being sore from tugging on the string, I finally have a gorgeous soft leather steering wheel cover. I got a two tone gray/charcoal look to match the 2 tone interior and I got the entire cover perforated for that extra luxurious touch. The steering wheel feels so much thicker and more comfortable in my hands now. It also adds a bit of luxury to the interior. I highly recommend this upgrade to anyone who doesn't have an SE model.

carfreak09 · November 2010

My Accent gave me a pleasant surprise today. I managed to get 31.7 mpg! This was achieved in all city driving with the AC off 80% of the time. This is the highest I've seen so far and it shocked me because I expected the mileage to be around 28 since I drove the car extra hard on this tank (I accelerated aggressively a lot more since my boss needed me to hurry). The tank before I achieved 30.6 mpg while accelerating much slower. Either my engine is starting to loosen up or it just loves to be revved

That said, up until this tank, my Accent has been pretty consistent with 29 mpg city with the AC on and 30 mpg city with the AC off. 27 mpg is the lowest I've seen and that was only on 1 tank. I'm quite enjoying this exceptional gas mileage, especially since it manages to outdo my old 00 Accent 1.5 5 speed despite being an automatic attached to a larger engine producing 21 more horsepower. Hyundai has really made some big improvements in 10 years!

toye · December 2010

Hey I've got a problem with my 08 Accent the ignition will not turn over period DEAD but the battery is fine as all the lights, stereo works fine. I've checked the fuses and they seem fine.....Is it electrical ?

carfreak09 · December 2010

Hmm....could be something wrong with the ignition relay or the starter solenoid. What does it do exactly when you turn the key? Do the dash lights turn off and all you hear is a click? The battery could still be bad as it can put out enough power for the accessories but not have enough juice to start the car.

carfreak09 · February 2011

Ok, I now have almost 11000 miles in only 4 months! Absolutely no problems and no dealer visits other than oil changes. I consistently get 30 mpg in the city when not running the AC and 29 mpg with it on. I drive it over some fairly rough roads multiple times a day and so far the car has stayed tight and rattle free. My only complaint is that the auto tranny's shifting isn't very refined. It's smooth 90% of the time but it sometimes shifts with a bump into 2nd gear (usually only when the tranny hasn't fully warmed up) and it sometimes has a shift flare when going into overdrive. It works fine though so I'll just make sure to keep it properly serviced and hope it lasts. Otherwise, the Accent is a great errand car and appears to be very well built and reliable.

aldag · March 2011

Still running OK, just refilled the tank with 7.9 gallons for 328 mostly highway miles. Summer gas mix yields more miles per gallon than the winter gas here in Connecticut. I usually use medium grade gas. Burning about 1/2 pint of oil per 1000 miles, there are no drips or leaks. The hatchback lifters are getting weak, I may replace them soon. The paint job still looks good after 11 years of continuous outdoor exposure, have been using Nu-Finish car wax. I am currently using Mastercraft Metric tires in the front and Lee tires in the back. I had Toyo tires previously, which lasted a long time (about 80,000 miles, very good for a 13" tire).

aldag · July 2011

The right front wheel bearing recently started making a whirring noise with vibration and had to be replaced at 136,310 miles. Working OK now.

carfreak09 · July 2011

Thanks for keeping us up to date on your Accent Aldag! I remember exchanging info with you way back in 2000 when I used the name lngtonge18. I no longer have my 2000 but it is still with a friend with around 90k miles. Only repairs that I know about after I sold it were bad spark plug wires at 50k and a leaking clutch master cylinder at 80k.

As for my 2010, I now have 25,500 miles with absolutely no problems!! It's only been to the dealer for oil changes. It's definitely been a better car than the 2000. My only complaints with the car are the unrefined automatic with occassionally bad shift habits, the lack of power when running the AC, and the so so gas mileage at highway speeds over 65. Otherwise its a solid little reliable car.

catnaper · September 2011

do you still have the 04' hows it doing..we r look n at a used one.

aldag · October 2011

Hi carfreak09, good to hear from you, I remember your posts from 2000 when my Accent was a new car. Good luck with your 2010, I hope you enjoy it for a good long time. My odometer just flipped over to 140,000 miles. Who would have thought that a Hyundai would last so long? I replaced my spark plug wires at around 100,000 miles due to deterioration from being oily. The engine is still running smoothly and the air conditioning is also original. I have a satellite radio which plays well through the original radio and is very useful for longer drives.

Kirstie_H · November 2011

A reporter is looking to speak with someone who has recently traded down from a midsize to a small car, or who recently bought a compact car after shopping both midsize and compacts. Please e-mail pr@edmunds.com with a daytime phone contact and a brief description of your experience.

aldag · June 2012

Looks like this message board doesn't get much activity anymore, nevertheless here is an update for my 2000 Accent at 150,450 miles. I am bringing it to the mechanic tomorrow because I am having trouble putting gas into the car. Seems like there is some kind of blockage or back pressure which causes most gas pumps to turn off. I note from other blog sites that this seems to be a common complaint for older Hyundai cars so I will post the repair results for those who might be interested.

jemini21 · June 2012

My 2001 Accent is been doing something very weird lately. Coming out of a stoplight, my engine got no pull at all, on first gear, I had to provide a lot of accelerator at half-clutch for the thing to even move. And as I moved and shifted, it choked and sputtered and wheezed along, and the check engine light blinked on and off.

feels like its not getting gas or air or something because it barely moved was so scared to drive home in the freeway thinking its gonna stop in the middle. Also what's weird is that this happened a few seconds after I had the heater on. When I turned the heater off, it sputtered along a while, slowly reducing in intensity, and then disappeared. It happened again when I turned the heater on, at full blast only though. Can anybody tell me whats wrong with it? I need Help!! :confuse:

bednashaccent · June 2012

So a few months ago I bought a 2003 accent gt with 78k for about 3400. I love it. Honestly had no problems at all! Except at around 81k the valve spring went bad inside of the cylinder and we had o replace it. I'm at 83k now and I'm in love

but I feel like its getting not so good gas milage :c any help? Also has anybody done any sort of mods to the car engine wise? I want to beef it up to around 180-200 HP. It's a 1.6 L 4 cly auto. Help?

bednashaccent · June 2012

Try looking into a bad valve spring inside one of the cylinders. Mine sputtered for a while like that, although mines an 03

carfreak09 · June 2012

There really isn't much you can do to improve the output of the 1.6 Alpha motor. You can only improve output by about 10-15 hp max. A short ram air intake will improve throttle response and add a little pep. Improving the exhaust will net a few horsepower. But that's about it. Turbo kits are extremely expensive and unreliable. It's unfortunate but there really isn't a tuner market for the Accent

aldag · July 2012

The most interesting part of your sputtering problem is the connection with the heater use. I am thinking a bad ground problem. Turning on the heater causes a fluctuation in the electrical ground at some location due to the extra current flow. What I did with my 2000 Accent was to remove all locations where wires were bolted to the chassis for ground. I replaced the black anodized bolts (insulated) with zinc plated bolts. I cleaned the terminals and bolt holes with sandpaper and reassembled. Especially critical is the ground for the fuel pump located under the fuse box below the dashboard. A bad ground on the fuel pump will stall the car.

aldag · July 2012

In a previous message I noted that it had become difficult to pump gas into my 2000 Accent. The mechanic determined that the vapor canister was shot. Carbon pellets were leaking out and clogging the associated plumbing. Hyundai supplied a kit including the canister, an air filter, and a liquid-vapor separator valve. This repair completely solved the problem and now I can get gas on even the most sensitive gas pumps. Total cost $510. Recommendation - do not overfill the tank as getting gas into the vapor canister will destroy it.

pamos · September 2012

My son recently purchased a 2005 Accent - auto trans, with about 105,000 miles on it. He has had a bit of bad luck with vehicles and he knows absolutely nothing about them. A few weeks after purch (private owner) the car started overheating and dying on him. He had it towed 2x to the mechanic. First it was fuse, then got really bad and they said his head gsket was leaking so they replaced the head gasket (had to have the head resurfaced), water pump, themostat, radiator & bypass hoses and timing belt (since they were in there).

That was Aug 17 and it just died on him again and he had to have it towed again. I think he has run out of tows with his insurance at this point. Initially the mechanic said it ws the fuse again but the haven't looked over the whole car yet. We have (or I) have already spend $1500.00 in repairs for this thing and needless to say he is paranoid as hell about driving it. Can't say that I blame him. I am now scared that they will find something else that they will deam unrelated and it will cost even more.

Any ideas of what this may be??? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

aldag · September 2012

With regards to this problem which seems to include over heating, one item you might check is to make sure the radiator fan comes on when the radiator becomes warm enough. It is true that when these small cars overheat there can be problems with the head gasket which is why it is so important to find the cause of the over heating.

aldag · September 2012

Today I said good bye to my 2000 Accent as I traded it in on a new car. The Accent was great and exceptionally versatile, with a good record of reliability. The final odometer reading was 155,656 miles. Everything was still working correctly, even the air conditioning was cold. But the wear and tear of being outside in the New England environment continuously took a toll and it was finally time for a new car.

Hyundai Accent Hatchbacks

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