2002 Hyundai Accent Pricing and Specs

This is not an unknown problem with this make and model. Sometimes the stereo system will start by losing sound on the FM radio, then progress through to the CD player and even the Bluetooth system. Eventually, you won’t be able to get any noise out of the unit at all. Apparently, it’s a glitch in the unit’s electronics and cant’ be fixed via a reset.

The advice is not to buy a second-hand unit from a wrecked car, as the same problem is likely to occur down the track. The good news is that there are companies in Australia that have developed a fix for this and can return your stereo to full working order. You can find them online.

The other solution would be to ditch the original stereo and fit something new with better quality sound and maybe even features like an integrated reversing camera.

Car makers will sometimes help out with such problems provided the car has been serviced correctly and not abused throughout its life. I agree that 40,000km is not a reasonable expectation for a modern automatic transmission, so I’d be contacting Hyundai Australia’s customer service division to see if anything can be done. Experience tells me that Hyundai takes its obligations in this area pretty seriously, so you may be offered some help with the cost of repairs.

You could also have the transmission inspected to see what went wrong (your state motoring club is a good place to start for independent inspections like this one) as this information might be very useful if you decide to take the matter further. The ACCC would be the final step in this process, and Australian Consumer Law deals with what is fit for purpose and what is not.

It’s very possible that this is a problem with the brake’s booster system. To give the braking system extra oomph, it uses a vacuum operated booster unit that multiplies the force in your leg. The vacuum comes from the engine’s intake system. If this booster develops a vacuum leak, it can allow excess air into the engine’s intake manifold. This extra air messes up the air-fuel mixture and the engine can start to rev up.

The brake booster is the first place a mechanic will check when presented with this problem.