2nd generation (LC) · LC · 587 complaints, 302 with mileage
Owners filed 587 complaints with NHTSA about the 2000–2005 Hyundai Accent, and 302 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 25,000 and 78,000 miles. The median is 50,000 miles.
The most-reported areas are the transmission and driveline (17.0% of complaints, typically around 51,900 miles), the airbag system (14.0% of complaints, typically around 36,000 miles), the hydraulic brake circuit (7.7% of complaints, typically around 25,000 miles).
| System | Complaints | Share | Typical mileage | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 100 | 17.0% | 51,900 | 26,777–72,000 |
| Air Bags | 82 | 14.0% | 36,000 | 22,000–66,000 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 45 | 7.7% | 25,000 | 12,000–39,900 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 44 | 7.5% | 38,701 | 22,000–71,069 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 36 | 6.1% | 35,000 | 18,000–55,000 |
| Electrical System | 32 | 5.5% | 41,000 | 10,000–96,500 |
| Visibility | 30 | 5.1% | 49,000 | 10,000–101,000 |
| Suspension | 30 | 5.1% | 88,500 | 77,000–114,000 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 30 | 5.1% | 58,000 | 46,000–70,000 |
| Structure | 25 | 4.3% | 83,665 | 64,000–114,000 |
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 115 | 47 |
| 2001 | 148 | 50 |
| 2002 | 163 | 88 |
| 2003 | 45 | 22 |
| 2004 | 40 | 29 |
| 2005 | 76 | 66 |
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 50,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 17.0% of complaints (100 reports, 50 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 51,900 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 26,777 and 72,000 miles.
The airbag system accounts for 14.0% of complaints (82 reports, 44 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 36,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 22,000 and 66,000 miles.
The hydraulic brake circuit accounts for 7.7% of complaints (45 reports, 13 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 25,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 12,000 and 39,900 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 7.5% of complaints (44 reports, 23 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 38,701 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 22,000 and 71,069 miles.
Throttle and speed control accounts for 6.1% of complaints (36 reports, 15 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 35,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 18,000 and 55,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 5.5% of complaints (32 reports, 19 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 41,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 10,000 and 96,500 miles.
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2002 model year drew the most — 163 complaints — while 2004 drew the fewest at 40. The median year sits at 95.
No recall campaigns covering this generation appear in NHTSA's post-2010 recall file. That is not the same as an absence of problems — recalls address safety defects specifically, and many of the complaints above concern faults that are expensive or annoying without meeting that threshold.
Of the 587 complaints filed against this generation, 120 reported a crash; 23 reported a fire; 114 reported an injury; 11 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 20.4% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 25,000 and 78,000 miles, with a median of 50,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the transmission and driveline and the airbag system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The airbag system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 36,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Alpha II timing belt service interval; crank position sensor and ignition coil failures causing stalling are the most commonly reported items.