Most common 2009 Hyundai Accent problems
Share of the 101 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Hyundai Accent complaints by model year
Best Accent years: 2020, 2018, 2021. Years to avoid: 2012, 1995, 2002, 1996. Compare all years →
2009 Hyundai Accent recalls (2)
Exterior lighting › Brake lights › Switch
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Hyundai Accent vehicles manufactured March 1, 2009, to February 11, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the brake light switch may malfunction.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake switch, free of charge. The recall began on October 21, 2015.
Exterior lighting › Brake lights › Switch
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.
What 2009 Hyundai Accent owners say
Air bags all 27 →
Tl* the contact owned a 2009 Hyundai Accent. While driving at approximately 70 MPH, the contact's vehicle crashed into the preceding vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was 80,000.
On the lower portion of the tachometer, there is a warning light: air bags. This light is on continuously, whenever the car is turned on. My daughter reports it has been on for "quite some time". I called the closest Hyundai dealership service department, and was told that probably means all of the air bags are disabled. A dangerous situation. Further, they could diagnose the situation for one hour of shop time, or $110. That's not repair, only a scope test. I told dealer the car only has used 77K miles on its 100K warranty, and was told since were are not original purchasers, there is no warranty on malfunctioning air bags, or warning light sensors. …
Windows, wipers & sunroof
"Hyundai recall" a couple years ago I was driving on the highway and my driver side sun visor fell down and blocked my view of driving. It was an uncomfortable situation because I had to hold up the visor while I was driving the rest of the way home, thankfully it was not a much more dangerous situation. Eventually when I got home, I tried to fix it myself, and it held up for a while, but eventually fell off again, so I ended up having to rip it off altogether since it was such an impairment whilst driving. A few months later the same thing happened to the left side visor and luckily I was at my grandpas house and he figured out how to take the visor off without ripping it off, so the wiring clips are still intact. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Hyundai Accent. The contact was driving approximately 10 MPH during the night and attempted to merge into a lane when suddenly, another vehicle crashed into the front driver's side door. There were no injuries. A police report was filed of the incident. The contact was able to drive the vehicle from the scene of the crash. The failure was contributed to the rear window edges that were designed with darkened material, causing a blind spot. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 14,200.
Brakes
The brakes lines (both front and rear) failed while I was driving. I was traveling down a 4 lane road (speed limit 35mph) when I noticed that my brake pedal went all the way to the floor when I was stopping at a red light. I was able to pull the car over to the side of the road (luckily I was not on the freeway or needed to make a quick stop because I would have definitely crashed into another car). I noticed dripping fluid (brake fluid) coming from the middle of my car. I had my car towed to an auto mechanic's shop where they inspected the brakes and brake lines. Both my front and rear brake lines were corroded and rotten out and needed to be replaced. The mechanic noted that the brake lines rotted away where there was no coating. My car is only 6 years old and under 100,000 miles and a part like that should not have failed me. It is a safety issue to not coat the entire brake line.
Break light recall - location mount vernon, ohio - date 12-12-2015 I was driving to a christmas event and was pulled over by a state highway patrol officer due to my breaklights being out. I pulled over in the nearest parking lot and had my boyfriend look at it. He said there is a little switch behind the break area that was stuck. He flicked it a few times and it came loose and started working. I am glad the officer let me know before I got into I-71 traffic. I would like to know how to take care of this.
2009 Hyundai Accent engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 27 / 33 / 29 |
| 1.6L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 26 / 35 / 29 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Hyundai Accent a good car?
Based on 101 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 Accent rates average: 1.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the Accent at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Hyundai Accent?
The air bags — 27 complaints, 27% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the windows, wipers & sunroof (18) and brakes (15).
How many recalls does the 2009 Hyundai Accent have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2009 Hyundai Accent, the most recent from September 8, 2015 (switch). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Hyundai Accent?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2020, 2018 and 2021. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2012, 1995, 2002 and 1996. See the full Hyundai Accent years comparison.
At what mileage do 2009 Hyundai Accent problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 71,000 miles; 34% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.