1999 Hyundai Accent GS 1.5 from North America

Summary:

A quality car for a small price

Faults:

The visor clip broke.

General Comments:

This is a great little car. All I have done on the car is routine maintenance and replaced the visor clip. I'm not sure that this really counts as a repair because I broke it on a very cold morning. This was the first or second year that Hyundai offered the 100,000 mile warranty and I think they got serious about building a quality car. At 200,000 miles, it does not use any oil. She does drive like a small car; the ride can be choppy. If I had my wish, it would be for more horsepower. However, the manual transmission utilizes all of the grunt available. I will buy another Hyundai if this one ever wears out.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th February, 2004

1999 Hyundai Accent Coupe i 1.3i from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Good runner for the price

Faults:

Nothing has of yet gone "wrong", but after reading some of the reviews I have started to notice a few minor faults...

Squeaking from what appears to be the clutch when pulling away. Don't get the noise when in neutral.

Excessive rattling when in low revs from the engine.

Reverse gear sometimes difficult to engage.

General Comments:

Good engine - quick for a 1.3i.

Acceleration is good.

As much space as you'd expect from a 3 door coupe.

Lots of boot space - twice as much as my old 5 door fiesta.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th October, 2003

1999 Hyundai Accent E 1.4 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Unsurpassed value

Faults:

New front brakes on routine service.

Drivers window seal damaged.

General Comments:

For such a cheap car, this is fantastic. The engine has enough poke to get you out of any trouble, vision is good all round, and there is sufficient feedback from the road to ensure a safe, but exciting drive. The gear shift is quite clunky, but accurate and robust.

I love the exterior styling, although it may be a little 'bubbly' for some tastes. The interior is basic, but perfectly functional, and easy to keep clean.

I am currently looking for a replacement car for my wife's Metro, and am ideally looking for another Accent. For the money, I don't think there's anything that comes close.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 23rd May, 2003

1999 Hyundai Accent GS Not sure from North America

Summary:

I wouldn't buy a new one if Hyundai were the last car manufacturer on earth.

Faults:

First transmission @ 36,000.

Rattling noise from engine area @ 40,000.

Noise from wheel house front left/ suspension/ strut or whatever 42,000.

Second transmission @ 54,000.

Alternator @ 56,000.

General Comments:

This car is a true nightmare. It's been meticulously maintained. Premium gas, 3K oil changes etc. This doesn't seem to have helped though as two transmissions have gone out. The one I'm using now--a re-manufactured--is supposedly "better" (according to the not-very-helpful Hyundai rep I spoke with) than a new one. However, I'm starting, after 60K miles, to experience the same type of problem that ultimately led to the replacement of the first transmission, i.e., it feels like using a standard transmission when you're giving too much gas before the new gear is in place which happened when you don't "release" the clutch properly.

Also, the check engine light kept coming on so I took it to the shop one and two times, but the electrical problem I apparently had didn't disappear despite the shop's fine-tuning, or whatever it was they did... They finally decided to replace the alternator. That actually worked; knock on wood (this wasn't too long time ago).

I've replaced the tires, rotated those, aligned and balanced them, but still haven't been able to get rid of the noise that seems to be coming from that area (front left). It may be the strut/shock???

It took me awhile to realize where another noise I heard came from. I thought it came from the dashboard or glove compartment, but it turned out the culprit was the rear view mirror. Just an FYI.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 16th May, 2003

27th Jun 2006, 10:16

Transmissions use transmission oil, not engine oil. Changing your oil every three thousand kilometers wouldn't benefit your tranny as much as you may hope. Sounds like the problem is between the steering wheel and the drivers seat. It may be beneficial to you to learn how to shift because you're the only one getting new transmissions. And a re-manufactured ANYTHING is never as good as new, that's just common sense.

20th Aug 2008, 22:31

Don't use premium grade gasoline unless the car specifically says that you should. Changing the oil so soon will not completely change the performance of the car.

30th May 2010, 10:47

There's a Hyundai Accent outside our shop with 160K miles that needs it's first tranny since new. Pretty good if you ask me, and this is the first one we've seen needing a tranny.