YearToAvoid

2021 Hyundai Accent Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Best

Complaint Index

6/100

#17 most-complained of 18 Accent years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2021 Hyundai Accent has 16 owner complaints and 4 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 6 out of 100 — #17 highest of 18 Accent model years (verdict: Best). The most reported problem area is seat belts (6 complaints, 38% of the total). Complaints report 1 fire and 1 injury.

Complaints
16
Recalls
4
Crashes / fires
0 / 1
Injuries / deaths
1 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
34.5
31 city / 40 hwy

Top 2021 Hyundai Accent problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Seat Belts6 (38%)
  2. Suspension, Wheels & Tires5 (31%)
  3. Engine4 (25%)
  4. Electrical System2 (13%)
  5. Brakes1 (6%)
  6. Steering1 (6%)
2021 Hyundai Accent complaints: complaints filed per month2Aug 2021Aug 2022Nov 2022Jan 2023Nov 2023Oct 2024Jul 2025
19 complaints filed with NHTSA from Aug 2021 to Jul 2025; peak Aug 2021 (2).

2021 Hyundai Accent recalls

4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 22V354000May 19, 2022Seat Belts230,233 vehicles

    Seat belts:front

    Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Accent, 2021-2022 Elantra, and 2021-2022 Elantra HEV vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment.

    Risk: An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.

    Remedy: Dealers will secure the seat belt pretensioner(s) with a cap, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 28, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 229. This recall expands and replaces NHTSA recall numbers 21V-796, 22V-069, 22V-218, and 22V-123 for Accent, Elantra, and Elantra HEV vehicles. All Accent, Elantra, and Elantra HEV vehicles already repaired under the previous recalls will need to have the new remedy completed.

  2. NHTSA 22V311000May 6, 2022Steering2 vehicles

    Steering:column

    Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Accent vehicles. A bolt in the steering column may not be secured properly, which can cause the steering column to detach from the steering rack and result in a loss of steering control.

    Risk: Loss of steering control can increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the lower steering column u-joint retention bolt, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 5, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 226.

  3. NHTSA 22V069000Feb 9, 2022Seat Belts354 vehicles

    Seat belts:pretensioner

    Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Accent vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioner(s) may explode upon deployment.

    Risk: An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 24, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 219. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 21V-796. This recall is replaced by NHTSA recall number 22V-354. Vehicles already repaired under this recall will need to have the new remedy completed.

See all 4 recalls for the 2021 Hyundai Accent →

2021 Hyundai Accent fuel economy and fuel cost

City
31 MPG
Highway
40 MPG
Combined
34.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$1,875
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2021 compared with other Accent years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2019Best2431131.5
2020Best1812434.5
2021Best616434.5
2022Good3516236

All Hyundai Accent years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Hyundai Accent a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2021 Hyundai Accent ranks #17 of 18 among Accent model years (Complaint Index 6/100, verdict: Best). It has 16 complaints and 4 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Hyundai Accent?
The most reported problem areas are seat belts (6 complaints), suspension, wheels & tires (5 complaints), and engine (4 complaints).
Does the 2021 Hyundai Accent have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2021 Hyundai Accent, most recently reported 2022, covering seat belts, steering, and brakes.
What is the fuel economy of the 2021 Hyundai Accent?
EPA rates the 2021 Hyundai Accent at 34.5 MPG combined (31 city / 40 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $1,875. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.