2021 Hyundai Accent: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
16 NHTSA owner complaints · 4 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 16 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 3.2
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Accent. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 40 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed; however, the contact was informed there was no fault found with the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mil…
The contact leased a 2021 Hyundai Accent through Enterprise Rent-A-Car. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power for about 5 seconds while accelerating and decelerating through traffic. The contact stated that he was able to duplicate the failure five times and related the failure to the engine; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer.…
During a tire swap, another lug nut broke off while trying to remove it. This issue has occurred before, and it seems that the faulty lug nut problem is still present. The car has only been serviced at Hyundai dealerships, and the tires were last rotated during a service at an authorized Hyundai dealership before this incident. The affected lug nut this time was on the front passenger side.
Recalls: 4 campaigns (4 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 21V937000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Master Cylinder | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Accent vehicles. The brake master cylinder may have been manufactured with sharp edges that can damage the inner oil seal, resulting in reduced braking performance. |
| 22V311000 | Steering:Column | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Accent vehicles. A bolt in the steering column may not be secured properly, which can cause the steering column to detach from the steering rack and result in a loss of steering control. |
| 22V069000 | Seat Belts:Front | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Accent vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioner(s) may explode upon deployment. |
| 22V354000 | Seat Belts:Front | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Accent, 2021-2022 Elantra, and 2021-2022 Elantra HEV vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a city car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 36 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $1,850
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Seat Belts6 complaints · typical job: Pretensioner or retractor replacement (1.5 h labour + parts)$360–$800
- Wheels5 complaints · typical job: Wheel bearing or hub replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$460–$920
- Engine4 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System2 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Service Brakes1 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Steering1 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
Other Hyundai Accent years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Hyundai Accent?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Seat Belts (6 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2021 Hyundai Accent a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 80/100, computed from 16 NHTSA complaints and 4 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2021 Hyundai Accent's most common problem?
6 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2021 Hyundai Accent sit in the Seat Belts group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is pretensioner or retractor replacement: about 1.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $360–$800 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2021 Hyundai Accent cost to run per year?
About $3,280 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $16,402 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2021 Hyundai Accent have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for the 2021 Hyundai Accent, 4 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 02/12/2021. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other economys of about the same age.
What will a 2021 Hyundai Accent really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Thin evidence — 16 complaints, 4 recalls on record
- 16 NHTSA complaints on record (3.2/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (5.5/yr)
- 4 recall campaigns, 4 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality