1999 Hyundai Accent GL

Summary:

Shoot me if I ever do this again!!!

Faults:

The original tires only gave marginal grip in wet /snow conditions after 15,000 km, and had to be replaced at 25,000 for safety sake. They wore extremely fast. Replaced them with new tires.

This car has been in 2 under 5 km accidents. Rear ended on 401 ramp, flattened to rear window. Front end slide due to poor grip on wet roads, 4 km, front end totalled.

Major problem is intermittent loss of power when stopped. ie Transmission does not engage. The dealer cannot find the problem and does not recognise any "Recalls" posted on the All-Data web site. In the first year service was OK, second year, worse, third year, they cannot find any problems. Also they blame any problems on missed service intervals. ie Transmission should not have to be rebuilt after 30,000 km preventative action.

It is a lease so I can't dump it with out any major penalties.

Don, t buy one no matter what.

Try Toyota. My friend has a 89 corolla, and a 91 Camry with 486,000 km and 282,000 km respectively, His repair bills are basic service items, and anything mildly expensive was under warranty. This includes brake jobs.

General Comments:

All electrical problems developed after the alternator failed and was pumping out 18 volts. I think this over voltage affected the transmission and computer modules. It certainly set off the Air Bag.

I just got off the phone with the dealer again and they said the car needs new brakes. This is the problem. I just had the brakes done at a local garage who has serviced my other vehicle for 8 years. Go figure.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 23rd May, 2002

4th Sep 2002, 19:40

We are also going through some problems with our 1999 Hyundai Accent GSi. Everything seemed to be going well with the car. We regularly took the car for the recommended service appointments and changed the oil every 6,000 kms.

The first problem we had involved the exhaust manifold. With approximately 110,000 kms on the car the dealer found a crack in the manifold. They had to order a new part and the cost was quite expensive. Luckily for us, the dealer helped us out (we did not have an extended warranty).

The most recent problem for our car is the transmission. While driving, the transmission slips into neutral. We then have to move our automatic gear shift into the neutral position and back into drive to remedy it. When we do this, the car seems to jolt back into drive. This only seems to happen when the engine is still cold. Once the engine warms up, the problem disappears.

We are having it looked at tomorrow and with only 125,000 kms, I am hoping we do not need a new transmission.

I have always recommended Hyundai and I would like to continue recommending them (depending on the outcome tomorrow). Wish me luck! I will let everyone know what the diagnostic is.

14th Nov 2008, 02:01

I know its been a long time ago, but my car (same as yours) is doing the same thing. The car will lose its gear, you have to put it to neutral then back into drive, to drive again. I was wondering what the problem was?

1999 Hyundai Accent GL 1.5 SOHC 95hp

Summary:

The car of a thousand noises

Faults:

Nothing has mechanically malfunctioned with the car as of 20k miles, 9/12/01. It has all original parts (brakes, tires, etc). I'm sure this will change as time progresses..

Besides mechanics, the frame build and plastics are terrible. The thing has so many noises when you drive it, you may be legally insane after a long road trip.

The doors rattle, the dash board has noises from 4 distinct locations with cracking, rattling, and creaking noises.

The speaker grills even rattle. The transmission makes this whistle that's really high pitched. There is also a squeal from the left side of the engine compartment (alternator?).

Even the steering wheel creaks when I hang a left or right to turn onto another street.

I can see these noises occurring in an old vehicle, as I've experienced it in my old Toyota with 250k+ miles. But at such a young age and with so few miles, this is definitely a bad sign for its foreseeable future.

General Comments:

The interior is real cheap and it won't take a beating, apply that UV protectant often.

It seems like everything about this car is made with the least amount of materials possible, if the metals and plastics were any thinner the car would implode.

I hope the core mechanics will keep on going as the frame shakes on top of it.

Does anyone know if the 1999 Accent's engine is home grown in Korea or is it made by Mitsubishi? Hyundai has used Mitsu components in their cars before..

OK, enough bad mouthing Hyundai. As for the positives, the gas mileage is exceptional. The last I checked the car is getting 38MPG in the city. This MPG unusually higher than other Accents I've seen. Are the oil changes every 2,000 miles paying off?

The engine is rather peppy in first gear and it can get past the trendy SUVs with ease. The gears can get hard to shift if you engage them at the slightly wrong angle. The clutch engages the transmission smoothly.

I am trying to baby this car as much as possible so it can last at least 100k miles before I break down and buy a real car (Honda, Toyota, Nissan here I come!).

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 12th September, 2001

13th Sep 2001, 13:33

Is there REALLY any need to change the oil every 2,000 miles?! Seems rather unnecessary to me. With the advancements in modern engine oils, the lubricating properties last much, much longer. The typical oil change interval for cars in the UK are every 10,000-12,000 miles or 12 months whichever comes first. I doubt very much that being anal about oil changes will improve the economy. Just my 2 cents.

14th Sep 2001, 15:31

Good luck, a friend of mine has a Excel which was the predecessor to the Accent, and it's a nightmare on wheels. Transmission problems galore, not to mention that it drinks oil like a drunk (LOL). It only has 72,000 miles.

20th Apr 2009, 20:19

I recently bought a 99 Accent GL with 97k on it. The very same night I got the car, my check engine light also came on. We took it back to the dealer we got it from and he said it was a small gas leak. Well we tried to get that fixed and the car wasn't running bad, but the light kept coming back, and I'm a college student so obviously.. we let it go.

Well 6 months later, the car started acting like it hated gas. It "coughed" and wouldn't really go anywhere. We figured it was the fuel pump going bad so we replaced that ($200) and it got even worse. So we took it to a family friend that owns a garage and he told us that the check engine light read as misfire, and I did need a new fuel pump and I had a bunch of water in my gas. Well, he sucked a ton of water out of my gas tank and said run it through and the water will eventually come out and it'll be fine. I've been running this car for 2 weeks now and it still coughs like it did before.

I've had so much trouble with this car it's ridiculous. The only good thing I have to say about it is that I can easily snag 40 mpg with it, not highway.