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2016 Hyundai Accent: engine and transmission complaints

HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
49%
34 of 70 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

49% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2016 Hyundai Accent are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.

Worse than 62% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 30 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 34%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
34
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
100
this model year
Fires reported
3
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
0
7 crashes · 8 injuries

Complaints by component

ENGINE32 · 32%
AIR BAGS29 · 29%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM26 · 26%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER15 · 15%
STEERING10 · 10%
SERVICE BRAKES8 · 8%

The years either side

2010
25%
15 of 87
2011
37%
11 of 38
2012
33%
45 of 153
2013
36%
42 of 141
2014
32%
21 of 80
2015
51%
23 of 69
2016
49%
34 of 100
2017
60%
29 of 68
2018
too few complaints
2019
78%
21 of 30
2020
too few complaints
2021
too few complaints
2022
too few complaints
2023
no data

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

Cleaner alternatives

Same car, a better year

Other subcompact cars with no elevated signal in 2016

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners reported

EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE,ENGINE11/03/2018CRASH1 INJURED
MY VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION YESTERDAY THAT BROKE BOTH HEADLIGHTS, BUCKLED HOOD, KNOCKED THE ENGINE IN TO THE TRANSMISSION, AND BUSTED THE FRONT FAN AND COOLANT. THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY AND NEITHER DID THE SEAT BELT LOCK. THE DRIVER WAS INJURED WITH HIS LIP, NOSE AND FOREHEAD BUSTED BECAUSE THE SAFETY FEA…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE04/12/2026
The engine failed and requires a full engine replacement. The vehicle is currently at ALM Hyundai West, 1990 Thornton Rd, Lithia Springs, GA 30122, and is available for inspection upon request. Hyundai Motor America has already approved the engine replacement under a goodwill authorization, implicitly confirming the fa…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE12/15/2025FIRE
I was driving up a hill on interstate 8 in California and all of a sudden i heard a bang under the hood and see sparks and flames and my hyundai was on fire right there on the freeway. No clue why.

Three of 34 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Before you buy a 2016 Hyundai Accent

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.