Headlight complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 6% | — |
| 2018 | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2017 | 2 | 3% | 22,000 miles |
| 2016 | 3 | 3% | 113,000 miles |
| 2013 | 7 | 5% | 72,000 miles |
| 2012 | 1 | 1% | 9,000 miles |
| 2011 | 3 | 8% | 62,000 miles |
| 2010 | 16 | 18% | 61,000 miles |
| 2009 | 11 | 11% | 73,000 miles |
| 2008 | 10 | 10% | 66,000 miles |
| 2007 | 11 | 13% | 65,000 miles |
| 2006 | 3 | 7% | 86,000 miles |
| 2005 | 15 | 31% | 66,000 miles |
| 2003 | 1 | 3% | 75,000 miles |
| 2002 | 2 | 1% | 38,000 miles |
| 2000 | 2 | 2% | — |
| 1999 | 2 | 3% | — |
| 1997 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 1996 | 4 | 4% | — |
| 1995 | 6 | 4% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (headlights, tail lights, turn signals, interior lights).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I Dont no why but my Engine will randomly stall out even in the middle of making a.left or a right-hand turn and it's scary when I a.m. at an intersection intersection and I doll out then I have to shut my car off completely turn it back on and pump the gas. Till it starts . few days later my warning lights came on the meters and lights shot up quick and. Then the car shut down I was so freaked out my husband took it to the dealer ship they stated it was. A tire valve sensor they claimed to have checked all the fluids which i no was not the oil was burnt when i got out and checked old oil they want me to pay before they can repair but tire valve is not the #1 because i had another shop change. Out the stem these random occurrences happen today and warning lights still on. I read these sensor re covered upto 100,000 miles.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Accent. The contact stated while her daughter was driving 45 MPH, she became aware that the driver's side front headlamp was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the local autozone where she was informed that there was an electrical failure with the headlamp. Murfreesboro Hyundai (2203 nw broad st suite Hyundai, murfreesboro, tn 37129), was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was informed of failure. The failure mileage was 112,979.
Occasionally, when going to usr my vehicle, I will try to unlock the car with my fob and notice it won't respond. Upon starting my vehicle, the engine turns over but my electronics don't fully activate. My clock is off, the radio doesn't turn on, and I can't use the dome lights. However, my dashboard information panel does display my odometer, fuel, and temp gauge, and I can scroll through the display options, but they have all reset. My telltale warning lights come on briefly like a normal start, and when they go away my TPMS telltale remains flashing, indicating it's not getting a signal from my tires. Finally, though my engine sounds like is running, I can't put my vehicle in gear. My only fix has been to let the vehicle sit with the engine running for any where between 2 and 20 minutes, turn the vehicle off, and retry. …
September 2020 the car would not start after sitting for awhile, I recently had replaced the battery. Once I got the car to start, when. I slowed the car cut off while I was on a busy street, it's not the alternator everything was still on in the car. The check engine light appeared before the car cut off. Got started again, was able to drive. I've replaced fuel pump, cam shaft sensors, new battery. Any time I drive it the car cuts out when I am at a stop light, the car loses power while driving on the highway, and have to change the oil more often than 3000 miles. I find that I have to top my oil monthly. My check engine comes on randomly and goes off randomly. When I took the car to Hyundai regarding the check engine light, they stated it was a sensor issue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Accent. While the contact was driving to have the vehicle repaired according to NHTSA campaign number: 15V566000 (exterior lighting), the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake light switch failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact also mentioned that the vehicle had been at the dealer five times since the recall repair was performed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,850.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Accent. The contact stated the rear brake light failed to illuminate. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 61,590.
The tail lights, brake lights, and the third rear light stopped working. I checked all the fuses, and the were fine. My boyfriend was helping, and found that the brake pedal was a little sticky. As he was looking around the brake switch, he giggled it and the brake lights started working. I went online and found that a lot of people were complaining of this same problem, and that the 2010 was not included in the recall for this same issue. I would like to know if it's going to take a death from this to get the 2010 added to the recall list. I ride with my children in my car all the time. Now I'm not so sure I even want to keep the car let alone have my children ride in the thing.... Updated 03/19/15..updated 03/31/15 updated 9/22/2017
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Accent. The contact stated that the tail lights, hazard lights, and turn signal lights failed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated that there was no fault code from the diagnostic test. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V566000 (exterior lighting). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 35,001.
Related recalls (5)
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.
Exterior lighting
Hyundai is recalling 3,011 model year 2005-2007 elantra, tucson, sonata, azera and accent vehicles. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch May cause the brake lights to fail to illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or May cause the brake lights to remain illuminated when the brake pedal is released.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the stop lamp switch free of charge. The recall began on September 2, 2009. Owners May contact Hyundai of puerto rico customer service at 1-787-999-4310.
Exterior lighting › Brake lights › Switch
Hyundai is recalling 532,633 my 2006-2007 accent, entourage, sonata, my 2007 azera, elantra and santa fe, my 2005-2007 tucson and my 2007-2008 veracruz vehicles. The stop lamp switch in the affected vehicles May malfunction.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the stop lamp switch free of charge. The recall began on June 29, 2009. Owners May contact the Hyundai customer assistance center at 1-800-633-5151.
Exterior lighting › Headlights › High/low beam dimmer switch
A plastic slider piece within the headlamp dimmer switch assembly does not fully retract when the headlamp dimmer switch is moved from low beam to high beam position. The low beam lamps go out as intended, but the high beam lamps do not come on.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the headlamp dimmer switch assembly.
Frequently asked questions
Which Hyundai Accent years have headlight problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2010 (16), 2005 (15), 2007 (11), 2009 (11) and 2008 (10) model years. Headlight complaints make up 18% of all complaints for the 2010.
Is there a recall for Hyundai Accent headlight problems?
Yes — 5 recalls, including 15V-566 (switch, Sep 8, 2015); 13V-113 (switch, Apr 1, 2013); 09V-280 (exterior lighting, Jul 21, 2009). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Hyundai Accent headlight problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 66,000 miles; 39% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the brake lights (7 mentions), followed by the headlights (6).
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.