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2018 Hyundai Accent

Gas

Compact Cars
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

92 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 1

Complaints4 fire · 1 injured reported 19

Crash ratingnot rated by NHTSA —

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 32 mpg

2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2018 Hyundai Accent is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact sedan with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Accent, is EPA-rated at 32 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 19 complaints, most often about the engine.

Hyundai Accent — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Hyundai Accent · Photo: EurovisionNim · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Accent	Gas	FWD	1.6L 4-cyl	28	38	32	$2,100
Accent	Gas	FWD	1.6L 4-cyl	28	37	31	$2,150

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39500, 39501.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Accent	3 / 10	Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 / California LEV-III ULEV125	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	SmartWay
Accent	3 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV125 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	SmartWay

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Sedan/Saloon
Doors	4
GVWR class	Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	4
Displacement	1.6 L

Engine Output

Horsepower

130 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: SE Base, SE and SEL). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	165.0–172.8 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	66.9 in
Height	56.3 in
Wheelbase	101.6 in
Track, front	59.4 in
Track, rear	60.2 in
Curb weight	2,507–2,685 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	61/39

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 3 configurations: 4-door Sedan (Auto), 4-door Sedan (Manual), 5-door Hatch. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Latches/Locks/Linkages

208

348,158 vehicles 75% reported repaired

Problem Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Sonata, 2016-2018 Sonata Hybrid, 2018-2020 Accent, and 2016-2017 Azera vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release." Risk A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury. Fix Dealers will replace the trunk latch base, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 208.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 21V619000 reported Aug 6, 2021 Hyundai Motor America the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Whether any of this applies to one specific Accent

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2018 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Hyundai publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Hyundai’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2018 Hyundai Accent, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

19complaints filed

0 involved a crash · 4 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported

10 per 10,000 built · Hyundai reported 18,592 Accent built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2018: 4 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2026: 3

Most-cited components

Engine 8

Electrical System 3

Unspecified 3

Structure 2

Service Brakes 2

Air Bags 1

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

This car burns through gas at an unbelievable rate. I have read that this is a common problem and Hyundai needs to address the problem - and REPAIR it - for all affected owners. I have about 75,000 miles and the problem has been ongoing for over a year. I have to add oil every week and if I forget, it is all burned up within 2 weeks

Engine May 6, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11736028

The break light came on. The local garage says I need a new master cylinder, and the dealer I purchesed the car from will not verify an extended warantee item or silent recall. This master cylinder part is all over the the internet as defective on multiple years

Service Brakes May 6, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11736029

El carro lo agarré en el dealer hace dos meses, regresé al día siguiente para que me arreglaran la alineación que me la dieron mala cada vez que conducía por el freeway el carro a alta velocidad se me jalaba hacia el lado izquierdo y es muy incómodo estar presionando con fuerza a la hora de manejar por largas horas por lo que estaba…

Suspension Sep 24, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11616222

RECIBI RECALL DE SEGURIDAD HYNDAI ACCENT 2018 INDICANDO QUE LA CERRADURA DEL BAUL NO FUNCIONE CORRECTAMENTE. This could cause the trunk to open on its own or not want to open when you need to open it. THE DEALER INDICATES THAT THE NOTIFICATION DOES NOT APPEAR IN THE SYSTEMS AND THAT THE TRUNK DOES NOT OPEN

Structure Jul 21, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11533601

The system that malfunctioned was the brake light(s) and/or electrical components which started a fire in the trunk of my car on 2 separate occasions. On one of the occasions, the top break light in my trunk apparently blew out without my knowledge, it wasn't until my two kids in the backseat started to smell smoke that I pulled over and…

Exterior Lighting Jul 3, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11530141

My 2018 Hyundai Accent caught fire in motion on the way to get gas on June 21, 2021. The car had no recalls and no electrical issues prior to the explosion. Fire department ruled the accident as electrical, I had the vehicle for 6 months.

Electrical System Feb 8, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11450899

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Hyundai itself: 4 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 1 killed, 4 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 22 per 100,000 built. Every Accent model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Extended coverage on file 2 filings by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Hyundai warranty extension TXXQCertain 2018 – 2019 model year Accent and certain 2016 – 2017 model year Tucson vehicles may display various Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC) related to the Airbag Control Unit (ACU), which may cause…
10 years or 120,000 miles, whichever comes first · Hyundai bulletin 23-BE-008HCertain 2018~19MY Accent (HC) vehicles may experience an inoperable horn that may be caused by internal contact alignment and corrosion.

The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every Hyundai warranty extension (62) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 84

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-10-08

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 72 service bulletins, 6 others, 3 service campaigns

Most often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Power Train, Engine, Equipment Adaptive/Mobility.

26-EM-016H TSB Service bulletin
2026-10-08 · Engine
Some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning procedure for vehicles diagnosed with this condition. All internal combustion engines consume some engine oil during normal operation, depending on driving conditions and mileage, and this procedure should only be performed when dee
26-EM-015H TSB Service bulletin
2026-10-07 · Engine
Certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures for vehicles exhibiting this condition. All internal combustion engines consume engine oil as part of normal engine operation. Oil consumption rates may vary based on mileage, operating conditions, driving habits, and mainte
11032523 Other
2026-04-10 · Air Bags
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN). These inflators were not supplied, approved, or authorized by the vehicle manufacturers and have primarily been found in vehicles that previously experienced a crash and
11032522 Other
2026-04-10 · Air Bags
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN), that have been identified in U.S. vehicles following prior crashes, theft, or non‑certified airbag replacements. These inflators are not approved for use, may
P33 OL Other
2025-12-19 · Electrical System
In response to this trend, we engineered a software upgrade that addresses the social media theft method and made it available to owners of eligible models free of charge at authorized Hyundai dealers since early 2023. In addition to the anti-theft software, we’ve developed a new zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protector hardware upgrade that can be installed at the ignition cylinder location
25-01-089H DCS Other
2025-12-15 · Electrical System
Upon customer's request ONLY, the Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 25-01-089H provides the service procedure for installation of a key cylinder reinforcement protector assembly and two anti-theft decals on the front windows. This repair procedure is being provided in addition to the previous Anti-Theft software provided under Service Campaign 993 (TSB 24-01-009H-1).
25-01-089H DN Other
2025-12-15 · Electrical System
In addition to the Anti-Theft software provided under Service Campaign 993 (TSB 24-01-009H-1), a zinc reinforced ignition cylinder protector hardware upgrade is being made available to customers upon request. This supplemental security measure is to be installed at the ignition switch location and provides additional protection against the social media theft method. Vehicles not equipped with an i
25-01-089H TSB Other
2025-12-15 · Electrical System
This bulletin provides the service procedure for installation of a key cylinder reinforcement protector assembly and two anti-theft decals on the front windows.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
P0300 P0300 on Hyundai →	Misfire detected, but not isolated to one cylinder.	Engine · Ignition coils →	2 bulletins
P0301 P0301 on Hyundai →	Cylinder 1 is misfiring.	Engine · Ignition coils →	2 bulletins
P0302 P0302 on Hyundai →	Cylinder 2 is misfiring.	Engine · Ignition coils →	2 bulletins
P0303 P0303 on Hyundai →	Cylinder 3 is misfiring.	Engine · Ignition coils →	2 bulletins
P0304 P0304 on Hyundai →	Cylinder 4 is misfiring.	Engine · Ignition coils →	2 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 2.6%

failed emissions

378 initial inspections of 368 vehicles.

Measure	The 2018 Accent	Every 2018 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	2.6%	3.0%	377
Failed the safety inspection	2.1%	1.9%	378
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0%	0.22%	378
Miles driven a year	9,522	10,002	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	79,072	82,833	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2018 vehicle” is every 2018 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

Accent by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2022 C 2 17 36 mpg 2021 F 4 16 36 mpg 2020 F 4 12 36 mpg 2019 A 1 31 32 mpg 2018 this page A 1 19 32 mpg 2017 A 0 68 31 mpg 2016 A 0 102 31 mpg

Common questions about the 2018 Accent

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2018 Hyundai Accent have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2018 Hyundai Accent. The most serious on file is 21V619000, covering Latches/Locks/Linkages. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2018 Hyundai Accent?

NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2018 Hyundai Accent yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it A (92/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Hyundai Accent?

Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2018 Hyundai Accent, the best EPA combined figure is 32 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2018 Hyundai Accent?

Transport Canada measured it at 165.0–172.8 in long, 66.9 in wide (body, without mirrors), 56.3 in tall, on a 101.6 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 2,507–2,685 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2018 Hyundai Accent?

Owners have filed 19 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Hyundai Accent, most often about engine, electrical system, unspecified. Of those, 4 a fire, 1 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2018 Hyundai Accent?

The EPA smog rating for the 2018 Hyundai Accent is 3 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III ULEV125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2018 Hyundai Accent?

The manufacturer has filed 84 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2018 Hyundai Accent, most often covering electrical system, equipment, power train. The most recent is dated 2026-10-08. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2018 Hyundai Accent do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2018 Hyundai Accent failed the emissions check on 2.6% of first inspections — close to the 3.0% for every 2018 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 2.1% (every 2018 vehicle: 1.9%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	2 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	2 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	1	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	19	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	none	NHTSA NCAP	NHTSA has not tested this model year. Cars are selected for testing, so untested is not unsafe.
Service bulletins	84	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	7 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

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