1999 Hyundai Accent GL 1.5 SOHC 95hp from North America

Summary:

The car of a thousand noises

Faults:

Nothing has mechanically malfunctioned with the car as of 20k miles, 9/12/01. It has all original parts (brakes, tires, etc). I'm sure this will change as time progresses..

Besides mechanics, the frame build and plastics are terrible. The thing has so many noises when you drive it, you may be legally insane after a long road trip.

The doors rattle, the dash board has noises from 4 distinct locations with cracking, rattling, and creaking noises.

The speaker grills even rattle. The transmission makes this whistle that's really high pitched. There is also a squeal from the left side of the engine compartment (alternator?).

Even the steering wheel creaks when I hang a left or right to turn onto another street.

I can see these noises occurring in an old vehicle, as I've experienced it in my old Toyota with 250k+ miles. But at such a young age and with so few miles, this is definitely a bad sign for its foreseeable future.

General Comments:

The interior is real cheap and it won't take a beating, apply that UV protectant often.

It seems like everything about this car is made with the least amount of materials possible, if the metals and plastics were any thinner the car would implode.

I hope the core mechanics will keep on going as the frame shakes on top of it.

Does anyone know if the 1999 Accent's engine is home grown in Korea or is it made by Mitsubishi? Hyundai has used Mitsu components in their cars before..

OK, enough bad mouthing Hyundai. As for the positives, the gas mileage is exceptional. The last I checked the car is getting 38MPG in the city. This MPG unusually higher than other Accents I've seen. Are the oil changes every 2,000 miles paying off?

The engine is rather peppy in first gear and it can get past the trendy SUVs with ease. The gears can get hard to shift if you engage them at the slightly wrong angle. The clutch engages the transmission smoothly.

I am trying to baby this car as much as possible so it can last at least 100k miles before I break down and buy a real car (Honda, Toyota, Nissan here I come!).

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 12th September, 2001

13th Sep 2001, 13:33

Is there REALLY any need to change the oil every 2,000 miles?! Seems rather unnecessary to me. With the advancements in modern engine oils, the lubricating properties last much, much longer. The typical oil change interval for cars in the UK are every 10,000-12,000 miles or 12 months whichever comes first. I doubt very much that being anal about oil changes will improve the economy. Just my 2 cents.

14th Sep 2001, 15:31

Good luck, a friend of mine has a Excel which was the predecessor to the Accent, and it's a nightmare on wheels. Transmission problems galore, not to mention that it drinks oil like a drunk (LOL). It only has 72,000 miles.

20th Apr 2009, 20:19

I recently bought a 99 Accent GL with 97k on it. The very same night I got the car, my check engine light also came on. We took it back to the dealer we got it from and he said it was a small gas leak. Well we tried to get that fixed and the car wasn't running bad, but the light kept coming back, and I'm a college student so obviously.. we let it go.

Well 6 months later, the car started acting like it hated gas. It "coughed" and wouldn't really go anywhere. We figured it was the fuel pump going bad so we replaced that ($200) and it got even worse. So we took it to a family friend that owns a garage and he told us that the check engine light read as misfire, and I did need a new fuel pump and I had a bunch of water in my gas. Well, he sucked a ton of water out of my gas tank and said run it through and the water will eventually come out and it'll be fine. I've been running this car for 2 weeks now and it still coughs like it did before.

I've had so much trouble with this car it's ridiculous. The only good thing I have to say about it is that I can easily snag 40 mpg with it, not highway.

1999 Hyundai Accent Sedan GL 1.5 SOHC from North America

Summary:

A good car if you plan to steal one and drive it for 2 years

Faults:

If I drive over bumps the deck makes this 'cracking' noise that grabs everyone's attention in the car.

There are no mechanical problems yet, but I fear the worst as the reviews from this website have perked up my paranoia towards this car.

General Comments:

When I first got it I put on a bra and covered up the seats to maintain its Korean integrity.

It seems the Hyundais will only last if you treat them like babies and never drive them harder than they can handle, and service the thing double the suggested intervals in the owner's manual.

The A/C makes the engine sound like it's grinding up wood to make particle boards, and it steals a lot of power from the engine.

The manual gearshift is choppy and takes time to shift between gears, this delays the acceleration as the car behind you practically runs into your bumper as the acceleration stalls. The acceleration is also jumpy and rather unpredictable as it seems to be a mood change within the car.

I also have difficulty in engaging reverse at times.

Another strange thing that has come up within the transmission is that it's making some weird noises. When I accelerate I notice a metallic-like whistling sound that is difficult not to notice. (metallic as in tinny). The noise is only produced when I am in gear and accelerating. Revving the engine idle does not produce the sound.

Does anyone else have this "whistling" issue regarding the engaged transmission?

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 20th August, 2001

21st Aug 2001, 15:38

The whistling sound is standard in all Hyundai's. Mine does that as well and it's an automatic... I have not had any problems with mine though.

22nd Aug 2001, 15:50

Is a squeaking alternator also common regarding Hyundais? I forgot to include that in the review.

6th Oct 2002, 09:18

The noise that you are hearing is coming from the exhaust I have had mine replaced 3 times. It was actually a recalled item on certain models. The noise is loud and peoples heads turn when you go by. I believe it was a header pipe though not sure, but it was an exhaust problem. Other than that my 99 Hyundai accent has been trouble free and I have owned it since new. It has about 38,000 miles on it now and is built 100 times better then my 2000 Accent.

4th Oct 2003, 07:46

With regard to the need to baby your Hyundai Accent. I've had a Hyundai Excel that I've pushed hard for 10 years of highway driving. That is when I shift from first gear to second gear it must be approaching its red-line because the engine fuel pump will cease working and begins again when shifting to 2nd gear. I'm usually at 35 mph when shifting to 2nd gear between 2nd gear and 3rd gear I'm at 55mph and between 3rd gear and 4th gear I'm at 62 mph. Enough to get me safely on the beltway here in No. VA where they drive at 70 mph and the speed limit is 55 mph. I use synthetic oil that is change with a new filter every 3k. When I replace my 1990 Hyundai Excel with a 2000 Hyundai Accent I've driven it just as hard and haven't had any problems with it. Is it just luck that I've gotten 2 great cars from Hyundai...don't know. I do know that I'll replace it once it get 10 years old with another Hyundai!! If you get a lemon car just sell it and save yourself the headache. Bite the bullet and get a new car, one that won't drive you mad or crazy.

21st Feb 2006, 19:05

Just wanted to point out to the person who commented above that the Excel was made (in part) by Mitsubishi, which is why the early ones were rated so much higher than the Accents.

Not saying the Accents are bad, just saying that it's apples and oranges.