1996 Hyundai Accent review from North America

The dash began to split just before warranty ran out. I went to the dealer, and was told to come back in a few days when their "Hyundai man" would be in. I returned a few days later, and was told that now my warranty had run out, and I would have to pay over $650 to replace the complete dash unit.

Soon thereafter the hatchback rubber insulation strip fell down... again I was told that I would have to pay, and that the complete ceiling would have to be replaced to fix the problem. I opted going to a nice Toyota dealer, who charged me $25 to glue the strip back. After a few months, the strip fell down again, and I just removed it...period.

At about 40,000 miles, the clutch went bad, and I was stranded in a parking lot. I called AAA, and they towed me to the dealer. I had to rent a car in the meantime. Five days later, I picked up my car... drove approx. 1 1/2 miles, and was stuck at a traffic light. I thought I had been hit from behind... instead it was the clutch again. AAA to the rescue.

My dashboard now has two gigantic splits... the middle part is starting to warp.

Two weeks ago, my car started feeling "funny" and sounding louder than usual. I took it to a shop, and found that the wheel bearings had to be replaced on the right side.

Did I mention that I've had to replace the brakes twice?

Today my "check engine" light went on. I drove to the dealer and was told that I needed a new sensor.. to the tune of around $230. I was told I would not pass the emissions test needed by our state (I had just passed the test last week).

The paint is starting to chip on the plastic parts.

The rubber around the shift stick is beginning to deteriorate.

I will NEVER buy another car from Hyundai...WHY? Because of the sneaky way they avoided fixing the little split in the dash... which definitely is a manufacturers problem no matter when it occurs. But since I made them aware of the problem BEFORE my warranty ran out, and they told me to come back later, they should have honored their commitment. Hallmark Dealer in Nashville, TN said that Hyundai had told them NOT TO HONOR IT.