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Hyundai Accent Hatchbacks

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Comments

  • redrazor1redrazor1 Member Posts: 1
    I just bought one at $12,400 for the whole shabang
    and that came with carpeted floor mats to boot.
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    Wow... a 2003 now costs around $12.4K? I got my 2002 Accent GL 5spd with just floor mats for $9.5K last august. Thats about 3 grand in change. Anyway, my car now has 23K miles and it still feels solid. A few things though, on first start it revs up and down a bit before finding its note. Wind noise is a lil bit louder now as well. My glove compartment still drops open when I hit a heavy bump. Overall, its a solid commuter car. My 2001 Maxima SE has rattles while my Accent doesn't. Solid.
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    I think they were quoting prices on an Accent GL with the power package and an automatic, which would raise the price up quite a bit. Plus, all Accents now come standard with side impact airbags, which led to an increase of $400. Anyway, glad you are enjoying you Accent! My 00 Accent was my first new car and I have since moved up to an 03 Tiburon GT. I'm loving it! Hyundai has really moved up and is earning repeat buyers like me.
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    Hyundai definitely has moved up in quality. I told my uncle that I own a Hyundai and he asked if I was frustrated with going back and forth to the dealer yet? I told him since I bought it 10 mos, I haven't brought it to the dealer yet. He didn't believe me. Then again, he did buy the 86 Hyundai Excel. =0)
  • chckeb1chckeb1 Member Posts: 8
    First I want to thank you all for your help with my previous questions, it's been almost one month since my '03 Accent purchase, noise, mileage and rpm shifting is getting better, I just came back from 600 round trip to VA and I must say she is adjusting to me not the other way around which is GREAT the only thing I would have expected from this car is that somehow I can reduce the 72mph shake, I had this with my '96 Accent as well, maybe a step on the tires (to 15) as long as thats within warranty limits anyone have any suggestions? I need an answer I'm going to FL soon and the only shaking I want on the way down is in stirring my coffee. By the way I've done this trip with '96 Accent and '01 Santa Fe both held up well.The 96 is still going strong with 120,000 miles on her no major repairs, the '01 was a gas guzzler shes gone
  • sopmansopman Member Posts: 46
    I have a 2001 Accent. Can someone recommend new tires?

    Sopman
  • inuvikinuvik Member Posts: 163
    If you can go to 14" rims and get 185/60R 14's it will make a world of difference how the car drives for the better
  • smokey75smokey75 Member Posts: 434
    Hey, I have a 2002 Accent. My front passenger seatbelt locks up constantly with the slightest bump. The passenger then has to take it off, let it retract back in, and put it back on. When I took it in they told me all of them do this. Has anyone else had this problem? Also, when you pull the side handle on the driver's seat to tilt it forward and get something out of the back, isn't it supposed to return to where you had it set? Mine comes back to the full upright position. Thanks...
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    As far as I know, the seatback angle memory is only on the passenger side seat. My 00 Accent did the same thing as you describe and so does my 03 Tiburon. My 00 Accent also had a sensitive passenger seat belt that tended to lock up if someone leaned forward slightly (it was also more sensitive if the person was larger in the belly area). It was very annoying for my friends. It's supposed to be a safety feature for installing baby seats more securely. Your's may be a bit too sensitive but the dealer was probably right in saying they all do it. Hope that helps.
  • dsantiagodsantiago Member Posts: 13
    I was driving a relative's 2002 accent uphill the other night when i decided to shift it into lower gear (2,l)...the minute I did that the car felt strained by I waited until the top of the hill to lay off the gas, at which point the engine started slowing down and made a weird sound, like whirring....i stopped the car, put it in park then drive and accelerated, at which point everything felt ok...

    my question is did I do some serious damage to the tranny, is this even normal...or is this a forewaring of tranny problems for this car...

    also when I start this car first thing in the morning it revs up and down on its own as if I was tapping the gas, eventually it stabilizes, but it gets to a point where it sounds like its about to stall...what is this?
  • sopmansopman Member Posts: 46
    Did you see any better gas mileage?

    Sopman
  • snakeguy2000snakeguy2000 Member Posts: 3
    Hi,
       I recently bought a detroit diesel powered CRDi and it is the best diesel sedan i have ever driven on this side of the skoda octavia and ford mondeo
  • snakeguy2000snakeguy2000 Member Posts: 3
    The CRDi Accent gives me a consistent 20km to the litre.
  • baboo149baboo149 Member Posts: 5
    A dealer in my area has offered to sell me (this is verbal mind you)any Elantra or Accent at $500 below invoice, plus I keep the rebate. Is this too good to be true? Am I missing something? Can anyone tell me what they paid, and if they even cam close to $500 under invoice. Thanks!
  • malibu_jackmalibu_jack Member Posts: 75
    How are people liking their Accents? I am in the market for a used car and thought I might be able to score a one or two year accent with low KM's...Any advice? Is this a reasonalby sound car? Its more or less for commuting, nothing really long distance though.
  • ms350ms350 Member Posts: 7
    I love my Accent. I have an 02 4 door automatic for 13 months and almost 10,000 miles. Have not had a problem so far. No squeaks or rattles at all. It's a pretty solid little car & handles great. It's a great city car, rides on the highway though it does get blown around a bit if its windy. Great heat & ac. Great on gas. If you do get one, you will enjoy it, it's a fun little car. Good luck!!!
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    I bought a 00 Accent, the first year of the new design. I did have a couple of warranty repairs (the water pump bearing and throw out release bearing were making noise), but other than that, it served me well in 25k. I sold it to my friend who has since bought an 03 Elantra GT and sold it to his roommate. My friends haven't run into any other problems except a dead battery a few months ago. I recently drove it with almost 40k. The car was still solid and drove well. It's actually pretty quiet on the highway up to 70mph with minimal wind and road noise. The engine does get loud when pushed. The ride is soft but controlled and handling is pretty good for a car with 13" tires. The front seats are pretty comfortable too. The Accent is a reliable nicely refined cheap car. There are no known design flaws and no common complaints, so I think it's a great used car buy. I would suggest you look for an 01 with the 1.6 liter engine since the 1.5 is quite slow with the AC on, although the 1.5 is a proven engine that has been around since 1995.
  • malibu_jackmalibu_jack Member Posts: 75
    ...for their quick response. the wife and I took a 2003 out for a test drive yesterday and we were quirte impressed with it. right now we are comparing it to the toyota Echo.. It too is a nicer car, but the Accent seems scream value in the used car market since it has a higher depreciation. I have already seen 2002's out for less that $10000 CDN...not too shabby. As for the Echo, they seem to run around $14000 to $16000...a fair bit more...

    thanks again...will let you know what we decided on. Have a couple months before the funds become available.
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    My 2002 Accent GL 5spd just turned a year and it now has 30K miles. So far, 0 problems and 0 dealer trips. It passed NYC inspections with no problems. I do have the same symptoms as someone previously posted where during first startup, the engine revs up and down until it finds its note. I don't think that is a big thing since I notice that on a lot of Honda Civics too. One thing that I am really appreciating with my car is the A/C. It is so icy cold that I have to put the knob 2 notches past the red zone. Even with all the rain we're having, NYC summer weather is so hot and humid that you do need a good strong A/C. The car's suspension too is holding up. I have my share of everyday potholes and this car still has that new car feel when going over bumps. The only thing I am disappointed in is the resale value. I would be practically giving the car away if I sold it. But I am definitely satisfied with the car and would recommend it to anyone.
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    Often they are abused. Daddy will buy the 16 year old one for their birthday and the kid will do 25,000 miles without an oil change.

    I think quite a large portion of Hyundai reliability horror stories in the past were really Hyundai abuse stories.

    I remember buying a one year old Ford Festiva about 14 years ago for $4000. 29,000 miles and I bet the oil hadn't been changed more than once or twice. Still got about 115,000 on the engine and was able to swap it out for one from a wreck yard for $600 including labor and a new clutch.

    Was still going strong (except for a bad synchro) at 160K. Probably a lot more reliable than late 90's Kia products and a big reason I bought an Elantra in 2001. Korean cars can be very tough indeed if not abused too badly!
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    Not sure if this is strictly to the Accent or if its a 5 spd feature but I just found out I can shift into 1st gear without stepping on the clutch. This is when I'm coasting at 2-5 mph. I can also shift out of 3rd gear without stepping on the clutch while coasting at 30-40 mph.
  • malibu_jackmalibu_jack Member Posts: 75
    This can occur with any vehicle. It is possible to shift without a clutch if you time the RPM's JUST RIGHT.
  • pimp4pimp4 Member Posts: 13
    Hey! I just bought a 2003 Hyundai Accent GL 3 Door Hatchback and i dont know if this is ok but everytime i get home i smell some kind of like burn brake or something like that im sure its from the brakes, but my question os that is it ok for it to smell like that? is it because the car is new and so are the brakes or what??? im getting a little concerned about that, can anyone help?
  • smokey75smokey75 Member Posts: 434
    Every time I've brought a new car home it has smelled like that for a month or so.
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    It's a normal smell but it isn't coming from the brakes. Hyundais have a protective coating sprayed on the underbody to keep salt from corroding the car during the long trek over here. The coating burns off from the heat of the engine and exhaust and this is the burning smell you are noticing. It should wear off in a couple of weeks.
  • pimp4pimp4 Member Posts: 13
    Thanks for helping me ouy on this concern i was a little bit worried but now it makes me feel much better knowing that, tha smell will go in a couple of weeks or so. Thanks!
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    Jorge - (Posts 1042, 1045) Please check your email. Thanks!

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
  • player4player4 Member Posts: 362
    Guys do any of you own a 2003 Hyundai Accent 2-door? does it have side airbags? see i bought my 2003 Accent GL with the popular package with power windows, door locks, and mirros, and CD player, 2 weeks ago from now and yesterday i had to go to the dealer to sign some papers and i noticed that every accent had the side airbags even the base accent and mine does not, i went on the web site yesterday and the side airbags are a standard feature but my car does not have them, i also noticed that i doenst have the rear ashtray, and that the cloth on the seats is suppose to be the one on the 4-door accent not the 2-door. Im very worried about this and totally dissapointed in Hyundai i have to go to the dealership again tomorrow and see what theyll tell me about this i hope they give me another car or something but this is not right.

    Does your 2003 accent 2-door have side airbags? ashtray, and does the cloth color is the one on the 4-door or is it right?

    I would really apreciatte your comments about this .
    Thanks
  • ms350ms350 Member Posts: 7
    As far as what I've read, not all the 03's have side air bags. The ones made from January 03 on have side air bags, the ones before that do not. (The price was increased with the side air bags). Don't know about the seats or the ashtray as I have an 02 4 door but I have seen some 03's at my dealer with the polka-dotted seats which is on the 00-02's (If I recall right, they were all 2 doors). Hope this info helps! Good Luck!!
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    The above poster is correct. Hyundai made a mid-model year change by adding side airbags as standard to the Accent. Those 03 models made before January will not have the airbags (but you paid less). As for the rear ashtray (a who cares? item), I don't think the 2 doors have those. I thought all Accents had the same cloth but the 4 door may be differentiated by a different cloth pattern or cloth color. You have a 2 door so why do you think you should have the 4 door cloth? The GL model differs from the base model by adding cloth to the seat backs and the door panels. I think you need to just relax and take a moment to enjoy your new car!
  • player4player4 Member Posts: 362
    Ok thanks ir ealyy appreciated what you guys told me but im going to the dealer today or maybe tomorrow and if i end up getting nothis i dont care beacause i have my new car still, and im just worried about my new little car dont you guys think so? im not going to argue with the people at the dealer im just going to tell them and we'll see what happens ill let you guys know .

    Thanks!
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    and congrats on your new 03 Elantra! Glad to see you're getting some good feedback here. We look forward to hearing more about your ownership experience.... Happy motoring! ;-)

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
  • player4player4 Member Posts: 362
    The new 2004 Accent is about to come out later this month i think and has anyone heard of any changes or new options . ???

    Ive been enjoying my car its great and it has great gas milage! its a new 2003 Accent 3-door its awesome!
  • pulgopulgo Member Posts: 400
    Well, how good is the mileage you are getting?
  • darqerdarqer Member Posts: 2
    Hi I just recently bought a Hyundai accent L 2dr hatch 5spd...no power features no ac no power steering... My question is this the gas milage that the car is supposed to get is somewhere around 330 to the tank but for some reason ive gone 90 miles and have a little more than half a tank left at this rate i feel that ill be going 200 miles on the tank and thats 100 miles or so less than it should...the cars in good running condition no leaks 75,000 miles and i bought it for 2300 but im just wondering about that gas mileage so please email me at darqer@comcast.net if you could possibly let me know what the problem is thanks very much
  • aldagaldag Member Posts: 81
    I now have 42,829 miles on my 2000 Accent. The gas gauge is only a rough indicator of how much gas has been consumed. Fill the tank, reset the trip odometer. Fill the tank again as required, use the gas pump reading and the amount of miles on the trip odometer to determine miles per gallon. Doing this several times will give you a fairly accurate average. My results show about 32 to 33 miles per gallon around town, with a very nice 40 miles per gallon for highway driving. For example, I recently drove to Atlantic City, just a bit under 400 miles round trip on just a shade under 10 gallons of gas. What could spoil gas mileage? A dirty old air filter, maybe a bad sensor making it run too rich.
  • darqerdarqer Member Posts: 2
    filters fine but thanx for the tip.....also just got new tires cornells ( very cheap) 35,000 miles 20 dollars a tire though all i had money for but ill tell you right now I'm VERY Happy with this car i've driven many cars but this one by far is the greatest infact the other day I had 4 people actually in my car and let me tell you one was 6'0 another was 6'2 and one was 5'8 and then im 5'8 the weight totaled well over 500 pounds and the car still had wonderful pickup ... And i have been able to beat my friend civic off the line every time...ohwell just a thought I hope to become a repeat buyer someday...
  • arnalarnal Member Posts: 3
    hi everyone,

    i just bought a brand new 2003 accent gl, automatic, 1.6L, 11.9 gallons for the gas tank: I'm only getting about 225 miles per tank, and that's on the generous side. This is for town running (back and forth to school, shopping, and occasional short highway runs), but still, I thought it would do more than 20mpg. the car info says 26mpg town running, 35 highway.

    i've checked the air filter and it's clean, brand new. is there a possibility that one of the spark plugs is bad--is there an easy way to check by yourself? or is this normal?

    all the best, Arnal

    Also, does A/C and use of the radio/CD player decrease fuel economy?

    feel free to email me at arnal1975@yahoo.com. thanks.
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    How many gallons is it taking to fill up your tank? You aren't dividing the # of miles driven by the total tank capacity are you? I usually got 240-260 miles when driving in the city with the AC on and I had a 1.5 liter 5 speed. Actual gallons used was around 9 so I ended up getting the advertised 28 mpg. However, the first 8k I only got between 24-27 mpg. The 1.6 automatic will have lower mileage than what I got. Give your engine some time to break-in. Mileage should improve after about 5-8k. And yes, the AC will lower your mileage a few mpg.
  • 747pilot747pilot Member Posts: 38
    I am currently thinking of buying an Accent for work purposes.

    I run an independent movie theater and we must move our movie prints around and pick them up from other theaters. This can involve a great deal of driving.

    Right now we are using a courier service but recently the cost for this service has sky rocketed ($35 - $250 depending on distance). The owner has decided that he would still come out ahead if he pays us 59 cents a mile plus time.

    I recently purchased a 2004 Sonata LX. I am very happy with it so far but I don't won't to put a ton of mileage on this car moving movie prints around. What I need is a small hatchback that gets good fuel economy.

    When I was purchasing my Sonata I talked with my salesman about the Accent. They sell the most basic version as a loss leader for $7,600. If I understood him correctly this price was before rebate so the price was actually $6,600 at the time. After sitting in it I thought it was a very comfortable car for the price.

    I also thought about buying a used one but then you loose the long warrantee. I looked at a used 2002 Hyundai Accent with 8,000 miles on it for $5,499. Even with the shorter warrantee this is a pretty good deal.

    We are still a month away from switching. I have some things that will need to be worked out like insurance. Insurance can be trouble if you are using the car for work related things. Plus my girl friend thought it was odd about buying a second car just for work. I would be the full owner of the car legally. This would not be a company car. Hopefully the mileage would help off set these cost. Being paid for my time will help me personally profit from the idea.

    Anyone here use an Accent for work purposes? How is it working out?
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    747pilot - Sorry you have not gotten a response here yet. Have you had a chance to check out some of the Consumer Reviews for the Hyundai Accent in our New Cars Guide?

    Since insurance costs are an important factor, you may also want to check out some of the discussions on our Finance, Warranty, and Insurance Message Board. Also, you'll find lot of tips for saving on insurance in Edmunds' Insurance Section. Good luck, and please keep us posted on your decision. ;-)

    Revka
    Host of Hatchbacks & Wagons
  • gitongiton Member Posts: 15
    I have a 00 Accent GS hatch with 35k Miles. Only probs, engine light came on, fixed by replacing oxygen sensor (under warranty), seat track on front passenger wouldnt hold position, also fixed under warranty.
    Drawbacks: If you buy new, and you live in a major city, insurance is VERY high the first year, then gets much cheaper after the first year.
    The tiny tires and so so brakes make for some scary emergency stops.
    Other than that, I have really liked it for what it is, cheap barebones transportation. I unbolted the rear seats and store them, for more room, since I rarely have passengers in the back. Huge cargo space for such a small car.
    The floor cover over the spare in the rear is rather flimsy. I took it out, could be replaced with a bit of plywood if you need a flat floor.
    The value of all Hyundai's plummet, so I think the sweet spot is to get one used, and damn the warranty. You can pick one up so cheap used, it offsets having to pay for some repairs in my opinion.
    Be sure you get a used one with all records of oil changes.
    I have a friend who bought a Kia Sephia the same month I bought my accent, he NEVER changed the oil, now his car smokes, is having engine probs. I wouldn't take his car for free. But mine is likely to last many years because of regular fluid changes.
    My Accent has no power windows, or power locks. Its a minor annoyance, but then again in years ahead I won't have to pay $200 for a power window motor replacement.
    Good Luck!
  • virsagovirsago Member Posts: 1
    i was wondering if there are any good hyundai dealerships on long island, ny. i want an accent gt sooo bad but some of the people here have said some bad things about their dealers so i'm a bit worried. i think dashingdave said millenium hyundai was a good one so i was thinking about trying it.
  • snowbunny1snowbunny1 Member Posts: 4
    may decide to buy a 2003 Accent--also looking at a 2002 corolla--

    need any reviews of problems

    need ASAP--

    thanks.
  • SylviaSylvia Member Posts: 1,636
    Besides reading this discussion (past postings) you can also read the consumer reviews on the Accent's vehicle detail page here at Edmunds.

    http://www.edmunds.com/new/2003/hyundai/accent/100199806/ratings_- consumer.html?tid=edmunds.n.prices.leftsidenav..16.Hyundai*

    You can view reviews on the 2002 Corolla by looking up the information for the current year Corrola (new cars tab at the top of the page), going to the Consumer Reviews for the current year and then selecting the model year you wish to read the reviews on.
  • 5port5port Member Posts: 395
    I can only comment on my dealership were I bought my Elantra GT (Huntington Hyundai). The sales staff are a bunch of game players that try to distract you away from the price of the car and constantly talk about how cheap the payments are. They played ALL the classic dealer games so if you are going to get a good price you have to be on your toes about every move of the purchase.

       The service dept is completly different. They never quibbled about any complaint I had and always took corrective action. On one warranty repair they ordered the part and the wrong part came in. When I showed up to pick-up the car they said they were sorry and gave me a coupon for 3 free car washes and paid for one additional day on my rental. I cant say enough about the service there. As I said before beware of the sales staff. Print out the Edmunds prices and bring them with you. They hate informed customers.
  • rastosrastos Member Posts: 4
    I have a problem with my Accent (Year 2000 model). After visiting gas station and filling
    up with gasoline the yellow engine check lamp goes on.
    Soon after that the engine starts to behave
    erratically, 'hicups'and it sounds like one cylinder stopped working. The engine power
    falls, the exhaust gases becomes dark. After some 20 km or a bit more the problems are not so obvious anymore, the power loss is not
    very apparent, but the smoke still smells unnormally. It also happens that engine check light starts blinking when decelerating the car and the engine turns are falling, it seems like the car will die. After 200 km or more everything is fine again until next filling at the gas station. I must say that this happens only from time to time and only when I fill the reservoir full up.
    I have also noticed that sometimes it helps if I just open the reservoir cap (fuel filler cap) and then close it again, so You can hear the air which goes out.
    Otherwise the car works fine it has 45000 km and I visit the car service regularly.
    Also this is not very likely to be a problem with gasoline, it happens after visiting
    different gas stations.
  • arnalarnal Member Posts: 3
    It sounds to me like you are overfilling the gas tank, and failing to tighten the cap on the gas tank enough...that will cause the check engine light to go on...and all sorts of other problems as well. It also explains why the problem is not a function of gas, but of the way you are filling up.
  • rastosrastos Member Posts: 4
    OK, it sounds reasonable, but I'm still wondering how the gas tank could be overfilled?
    Is it full or is not full, that is the question! What makes the difference if everything is working as it must be. Obviously here is something that should be repaired or replaced. Also the way of filling is quite simple and always the same, I fill the gas until it stops going in the tank. But the problem is occasional.
  • arnalarnal Member Posts: 3
    how could the gas tank be overfilled? answer: if you fill it, and then pump a little more gas to get an even amount for payment (eg. if the cost of a full tank is $13.80, and you manually pump till $14.00), that's overfilling.

    then there's the separate issue of failing to tighten the cap adequately: all this should be in your accent manual.

    does the problem occur if you make a point of not filling it all the way? i would guess not.

    it's very possible nothing needs to be repaired.
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