Faults:
Seats uncomfortable for long-distance driving.
Manifold cracked at 98,750 miles.
Throttle position sensor replaced at 97,920 miles.
Cheap car from the start - high labor and part cost.
General Comments:
The car was alright from the start.
If you can do the work yourself, do so.
Any of the warranties that are promised by Hyundai are not true unless you do every single bit of maintenance with them - even oil changes. They wouldn't cover a misfire problem because a month prior I started doing all of the maintenance.
My fiancee noticed two days ago (11/8/04) that her exhaust is getting loud. I looked under her hood and just behind the oxygen sensor under the heat shield is a crack in the manifold. I can't believe that would happen after that many miles. I have an 88 ranger with 412,000+ miles on the body and the engine was rebuilt once and I just replaced the driver's side 2 months ago. The manifold (s) should last the life of the engine at least.
Transmission filters, spark plug wires, and even wheel studs from the rotor have to be purchased through Hyundai because they don't have any aftermarket parts that fit or stock them. I had to return parts several times because they never fit.
The car is cheap from the start, but then they charge over $70 an hour for labor (more than any other place I have ever heard of) and have a high percentage markup on parts. It costed $48 for a transmission filter and I can go and buy one for my mom's 98 Taurus at Auto zone for $16. The touch-up paint is almost $15 and you can get it at Wal Mart for $3.
Taking a 10 hour trip to Michigan from Wisconsin is very uncomfortable - especially with no cruise control.
There has to be a recall for that manifold.
30th Nov 2005, 08:53
Not entirely sure what all auto parts stores there are in your area. But, Advance Auto Parts carries two different brands of transmission filter for the 02 Accent. Might want to try there.