2002 Hyundai Accent.

The 2002 Hyundai Accent is about average by owner complaints: 77 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 106, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about transmission & drivetrain, it has 1 recall, and it gets 25 to 28 mpg combined. The best Hyundai Accent year is 2014.

106Lemon Index · 100 = average car

About average.

Best year 2014

Photo shows a 2019 Hyundai Accent. Elise240SX, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · background removed

Before you buy. What matters most for this car.

Most common problemTransmission & drivetrain19% of owner complaints Recalls1Free fix at any dealer Better year to buy20147.1× fewer complaints than average Repair notes from Hyundai54Ask a seller if they were done

Owner complaints77first 3 years

Fuel economy25–28 mpgcombined, EPA

Front crash★★★★☆NHTSA, driver

How serious. Out of 134 owner complaints, owners reported:

26crashes

18injuries

2fires

2tows

54 repair notes from Hyundai

Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.

Every Hyundai Accent year. 2002 is highlighted. Lower is better.

2002106about average 2003462.2× fewer complaints 2004–few complaints 2005–few complaints 2006–few complaints 2007621.6× fewer complaints 2008482.1× fewer complaints 2009–few complaints 2010412.4× fewer complaints 2011234.3× fewer complaints 2012601.7× fewer complaints 2013531.9× fewer complaints 2014147.1× fewer complaints 2015313.2× fewer complaints 2016531.9× fewer complaints 2017402.5× fewer complaints 2018185.6× fewer complaints 2019224.5× fewer complaints

What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.

transmission & drivetrain19%

brakes18%

airbags16%

engine13%

speed control13%

Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.

Transmission problems in every Hyundai Accent year →

When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.

half by 43K

0K50K100K150K200K

Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 22K to 67K miles on the car (75 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.

Recalls 1

body structure 2002
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 201, "OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN INTERIOR IMPACT." DURING TESTING, THE 3-DOOR HATCHBACK EXCEEDED THE PERFORMANCE CR…

Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.

Check a VIN for open recalls

Problems Hyundai told dealers about

Hyundai sent dealers 54 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:

Subject on automatic transaxle harsh or delayed park reverse or park drive engagement
Subject regarding automatic transaxle harsh and/or delayed shifts

Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.

Safety

Stability controlNot offered

Collision warningNot offered

Lane departure warningNot offered

Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★☆ · side ★★★☆☆ · rollover ★★★★☆

NHTSA front crash test of the 2002 Hyundai Accent — Front crash test · NHTSA

Fuel cost and engines

About $2300–2550 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 1.5L 4-cyl, 1.6L 4-cyl.

In owners' words

Consumer stateed the master cylinder failed causing brake pedal to slowly sink to the floor.
2002 Hyundai Accent owner · NHTSA complaint 786006

More owner reports

Transmission failed at 54,000 miles, it would not shift into high gear.
NHTSA complaint 10082885

Problems with brake equipment on 2002 Hyundai Accent.
NHTSA complaint 10083954

Quick answers

Is the 2002 Hyundai Accent reliable?

About average by government complaints. It drew about the average number of complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 106; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Hyundai Accent year by this measure is 2014.

What are the most common 2002 Hyundai Accent problems?

In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are transmission & drivetrain (19%), brakes (18%) and airbags (16%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.

How many recalls does the 2002 Hyundai Accent have?

1 safety recall (latest: body structure). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2002 Hyundai Accent get?

25 to 28 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).

At what mileage do 2002 Hyundai Accent problems start?

Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 22,000 and 67,000 miles. The middle report was at 43,400 miles, from 75 complaints.

Does the 2002 Hyundai Accent have transmission problems?

Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 19% of its owner complaints.

How much does the 2002 Hyundai Accent cost in fuel a year?

About $2300 to $2550 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.

What engines does the 2002 Hyundai Accent have?

1.5L 4-cyl, 1.6L 4-cyl.

What Hyundai Accent year is better than the 2002?

By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2014, 2018 and 2019.

Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works