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Hyundai Accent 2002 Problems

Are you having problems with your 2002 Hyundai Accent? Let our team of motoring experts keep you up to date with all of the latest 2002 Hyundai Accent issues & faults. We have gathered all of the most frequently asked questions and problems relating to the 2002 Hyundai Accent in one spot to help you decide if it's a smart buy.

Used Hyundai Accent review: 2000-2015

Hyundai Accent arrived in Australia in June 2000 as a replacement for the Excel, a car that had proven to be a big hit downunder. Accent never did manage the huge sales of the Excel, but there are plenty of them out there in used-car land.

There's good interior room in this small-medium Hyundai and buyers with pre-teen children can use the Accent as a family car. The boot is roomy and easy to use and has a good shape that’s reasonably easy to load.

Hyundai's Accent has good handling and the feel through the steering is better than average for an Asian import. There's some understeer if you push hard but the car is reasonably neutral until then. A good set of tyres can markedly improve things in the handling department and won’t set you back a huge amount of money.

Later Accents had an increased presence in the Australian tuned suspension and steering departments, try those from 2011 to see what you think.

Hyundai’s build quality, which was a bit hit-and-miss in the company’s earlier years, had improved noticeably and the Accent benefited from being an all-new design. The later the car you buy the better it’s likely to be.

In September 2003 the Accent received a facelift to move it away from the somewhat bland look of the original model. The Accent’s engine was increased in size from 1.5 to 1.6 litres. Performance from the new unit made the Accent reasonably zippy on the road. You wouldn’t call it sporty, but it is certainly nicer to drive.

An all-new Accent arrived here in June 2006, bigger in all dimensions it has improved cabin and boot space. This body has had a lot of attention paid to its rigidity, giving it a slightly more sophisticated feel on the road. Can’t say we were excited by the new shape, but that decision is yours.

The latest series was launched in July 2011 and given a substantial makeover in August 2015. The 2015 revamp attracted quite a few sales so, while it’s still rare on the used market it introduced quite a few decent secondhand cars added to the used lot and these may be on sale a good prices to try and clear the rush.

Accent body choices are three and five-door hatch and four-door sedan, however, not all were offered at all times. If you need a station wagon, then the Hyundai i30 can be considered as a further option to the Accent range.

Hyundai is a well established as part of the Australian automotive scene. The dealer network is large and widespread, though as is often the way in a car in this class, representation in the bush can be on the sparse side.

We have heard of no real complaints about the cost of servicing or spare parts.

The Accent is a simple design and has good underbonnet space, so it’s quite easy to work on. A lot of routine stuff can be done by a good home handyperson. Always leave safety related items to the professional. Having a workshop manual on hand before starting your own servicing and repairs is always a smart move.

Insurance charges are moderate and there doesn’t appear to be a great deal of difference between companies as to the premiums they charge. Shop around but, as always, make sure you are doing a full apples-with-apples comparison before making your final choice.

The main structure of the Accent generally holds up well when subjected to the rigours of rough Australian roads. Anything that squeaks and/or rattles, particularly inside the cabin, during your test drive should be checked.

Look over the interior, including the boot, for signs of rough usage.

Do an engine check for easy starting and smooth idling. Where possible this should be done with the engine cold, preferably after it has been sitting overnight.

Turn the steering wheel all the way from one side to the other whilst travelling at a very low speed and listen for clunking noises near the front wheels. These probably mean the universal joints are worn. Not an expensive job.

Feel for a manual gearbox that baulks during fast gearchanges, especially during the three-two downchange.

Automatics are from the old school and usually last well. One that holds onto gears to long, or skips up and down unnecessarily may be due for an overhaul. If in doubt, get a quote before settling on purchase.

Rust isn't normally a problem, but look at all the lower body areas and around the front and rear windscreens to be safe. Any cars we have seen with rust in their bodies have been poorly repaired after crashes.

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Used Hyundai Accent review: 2000-2012

Hyundai Accent arrived in Australia in June 2000 to replace the extremely successful Hyundai Excel. Hyundai attempted to push it a bit more upmarket than the Excel and that included a price rise that took it out of the cheap-and-cheerful category. The lower cost Hyundai Getz also stole sales from Accent.

So sales of the Accent have never been as high as the Korean importers planned, but there are plenty on the used-car market and if you shop around there are some excellent buys out there.

Hyundai’s build quality, which was a bit hit-and-miss in the company’s earlier years, had improved noticeably and the Accent benefited from being an all-new design. The later the car you buy the better it’s likely to be. The main structure of the Accent generally holds up well when subjected to the rigours of rough Aussie roads. Anything that squeaks and/or rattles, particularly inside the cabin, during your test drive should be treated with suspicion.

There's good interior room in this small-medium Hyundai and buyers with pre-teen children can use the Accent as a full family car. The boot is roomy and easy to use and has a good shape that’s reasonably easy to load.

Hyundai's Accent has good handling and the feel through the steering is better than average for an Asian import. There's some understeer if you push hard but the car is reasonably neutral until then. A good set of tyres can markedly improve things in the handling department and won’t set you back a huge amount of money.

Model choices are quite limited because slow sales meant that the upmarket Accent hatchbacks, and all sedan variants were pulled off the Australian market in 2002. The sedan made a return in May 2006 with the introduction of a virtually all-new Accent.

In September 2003 the Accent received a facelift to move it away from the somewhat bland look of the original model. This facelifted version is more popular on the used scene and it’s worth paying the extra if you’re looking for a bit of pizzazz in an affordable car.

At the time of the 2003 body revamp, the Accent’s engine was increased in size from 1.5 to 1.6 litres. Performance from the new 78 kW unit made the small-medium Hyundai reasonably zippy on the road. It’s still not really sporting, but the car became more pleasant to drive, with shorter overtaking distances and the ability to climb hills with fewer gearchanges.

Gearbox options are five-speed manual and four-speed automatic. This means it’s lagging behind more recent competitors with multi-speed manuals and autos. The manuals are generally good in their gearchanges but can bind up at times for no obvious reason. Automatics do sap a fair bit of engine power in a car of this size and are probably best left to those who do a lot of heavy-duty commuting in serious traffic.

These days Hyundai is a fully established as part of the Australian automotive scene. The dealer network is large and widespread, though as is often the way in a car in this class, representation in the bush can be on the sparse side. We have heard of no real complaints about the cost of servicing or spare parts.

The Accent is a simple design and has good underbonnet space, so it’s easy enough to work on. A lot of routine work can be done by a good home handyperson, though safety related items should be left to the professional. It’s always a good idea to have a workshop manual on hand before starting your own servicing and repair work.

Insurance charges are moderate and there doesn’t appear to be a great deal of difference between companies as to the premiums they charge. Shop around but, as always, make sure you are doing a full apples-with-apples comparison before making your final choice.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

We have seen Accents reach 200,000 km without any real problems. These cars had obviously been driven sensibly and serviced by the book - ask to see the full service records. 

Look over the interior, including the boot, for signs of rough usage. This may be a sign that other out of sight areas have also been mistreated.

Rust isn't normally a problem, but look at all the lower body areas and around the front and rear windscreens to be safe. Any cars we have seen with rust in their bodies have been poorly repaired after crashes.

Do an engine check for easy starting and smooth idling. Where possible this should be done with the engine cold, preferably after it has been sitting overnight.

Feel for a manual gearbox that baulks during fast gear changes, especially during the three-two down change.

Turn the steering wheel all the way from one side to the other whilst travelling at a very low speed and listen for clunking noises near the front wheels. These probably indicate the universal joints are worn.

CAR BUYING TIP

Sellers will ask more for cars with a full service history, but it’s generally worth the extra outlay. Having paid the higher price it’s smart to keep its logbooks up to date. That way you can get most of your added investment back when it’s time to trade up.
 

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Used Hyundai Accent review: 2000-2010

Hyundai Accent replaced the Hyundai Excel in Australia in June 2000, but didn’t achieve the outstanding sales success of that model. That was partly due to a price rise, but the biggest hassle from the Accent’s point of view was its smaller brother, the Hyundai Getz. 

Hyundai’s build quality, which was a bit hit and miss in the South Korean company’s earlier years, was on the improve by the time the Accent arrived. Check for fit and finish of internal components during your test drive. Anything that squeaks and/or rattles should be treated with suspicion.

Having said that, the main structure of the Accent generally holds up well when subjected to the rigours of rough Aussie roads. 

There's good interior room for its class and buyers with pre-teen children can use the Hyundai Accent as a full-on family car. The boot is roomy and easy to use and has a good shape that’s reasonably easy to load. The extra size over the Getz is appreciated by these owners.

Hyundai's Accent has good handling and the feel through the steering is good, though you would exactly describe it as being sporty. There's a understeer if you push hard but the car is reasonably neutral until then. A good set of tyres can really improve things in the handling department and investing in a set give you an enjoyable car at a very modest price .

Model choices are quite limited because slow sales meant that the upmarket Accent hatchbacks, and all sedans variants were pulled off the Australian market in 2002. The sedan made a return in May 2006 with the introduction of a new Accent.

In September 2003 the Accent received a facelift to move it away from the somewhat bland look of the original model. This facelifted version is more popular on the used scene and it’s worth paying the extra if you’re looking for a bit of pizzazz in an affordable car. 

At the time of the 2003 body revamp, the Accent’s engine was increased in size from 1.5 to 1.6 litres. Performance from the new 78 kW unit made the small-medium Hyundai reasonably zippy on the road. Still not really sporting, but the car became more pleasant to drive, with shorter overtaking distances and the ability to climb hills with fewer gearchanges.

Gearbox options are five-speed manual and four-speed automatic. The manuals are generally good in their gearchanges but can bind up at times for no obvious reason. Automatics do sap a fair bit of engine power in a car of this size and are probably best left to those who do a lot of heavy-duty commuting in serious traffic.

These days Hyundai is well and truly established as part of the Australian automotive scene. The dealer network is large and widespread, though as is often the way in a car in this class, representation in the outback can be on the sparse side. We have heard of no real complaints about the cost of servicing or spare parts.

The Accent is a simple design and has good underbonnet space, so it’s easy enough to work on. A lot of routine work can be done by a good home handyperson, though safety related items should be left to the professional. It’s always a good idea to have a workshop manual on hand before starting your own servicing and repair work.

Insurance charges are moderate and there doesn’t appear to be a great deal of difference between companies as to the premiums they charge. Shop around but, as always, make sure you are doing a full apples-with-apples comparison before making your final choice.

Turn the steering wheel all the way from one side to the other whilst travelling at a very low speed and listen for clunking noises near the front wheels. These probably indicate the universal joints are worn.

Rust isn't normally a problem, but look at all the lower body areas and around the front and rear windscreens to be safe. Any cars we have seen with rust in their bodies have been poorly repaired after crashes.

Do an engine check for easy starting and smooth idling. Where possible this should be done with the engine cold, preferably after it has been sitting overnight.

Feel for a manual gearbox that baulks during fast gearchanges, especially during the three-two downchange.

Look over the interior, including the boot, for signs of rough usage. This may be a sign other out of sight areas have also been mistreated.

Expect to pay from $4000 to $7000 for a 2001 Hyundai Accent GL sedan; $5000 to $8000 for a 2003 GLS five-door hatch; $7000 to $12,000 for a 2007 Accent S three-door; $9000 to $14,000 for a 2008 SLX three-door; and $12,000 to $17,000 for a 2010 SLX.

Try to find out the service history of the car you’re buying. Owners who have a car serviced by the book often drive it more gently and keep up routing cleaning and other maintenance. 
tors and auto-charging systems take care of pretty much everything including ensuring engine-start power.

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Used Hyundai Accent review: 2000-2003

Hyundai paved the way for the other Korean carmakers to enter the Australian market and it remains the leader of the Korean pack. It wasn’t without its problems in the early days, but has evolved into a respected make that has earned its stripes in the Australian motoring landscape.

The Accent resides in the period in which Hyundai was moving from a maker of cheap and cheerful cars with questionable quality and reliability to a producer of refined, durable cars as it is today.

MODEL WATCH

The Accent was the replacement for the Excel, the small Hyundai that is perhaps best remembered for the chassis problem it suffered when someone forgot to weld the front end, but is generally well regarded by those who bought them and drove them for many, many thousands of kilometres and found them to be most reliable.

Compared to the Excel the Accent was longer, wider and heavier, and rode on a longer wheelbase, but the interior and boot space was little different. That said Hyundai claimed that the head, leg and hiproom were improved.

The styling was freshened with the Excel’s soft rounded curves replaced by sharper lines that were more attractive for the time.

Hyundai offered three body styles in the range, consisting of a three-door hatch, a five-door hatch and a four-door sedan. The model range included the base GL sedan and three and five-door hatches that opened the range, the GS three-door hatch and the GLS five-door hatch.

The Accent’s engine was a 1.5-litre double overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine of its own making. Peak power was 76 kW at 5800 revs and torque was133 Nm at 3000 revs.

The Accent was no fireball, but it had sufficient get up and go to satisfy most owners.

Buyers could choose between a five-speed manual gearbox and a four-speed auto, both of which got the job done without much fuss, and final drive was through the front wheels.

There was little to complain about with the Accent, but equally there was little to inspire. It was adequate rather than exciting, doing everything acceptably well if your priority was A to B transport.

The model range opened with the GL, which was available in sedan and three and five-door hatch body styles, and came with power steering, immobilizer, digital clock, four-speaker AM/FM radio cassette sound, intermittent wipers and 60/40 split-fold rear seat.

If you stepped up to the GS three-door hatch you also got a power antenna and power windows, a rear spoiler with high-mount stoplight, central locking, and leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob.

Further up the chain was the GLS, which could be had in sedan or five-door hatch styles, and came with power mirrors, air, and front fog lamps.

IN THE SHOP

Like the Excel the Accent was fundamentally sound, with durable engines, gearboxes and drivelines, but was often plagued by little things that could sour the experience.

The engine has a cam timing belt so make sure it has been replaced as per the service schedule and not ignored by an uncaring or cash-strapped owner as can happen. Other than that make sure it has had regular oil changes.

Ensure the auto transmission shifts smoothly and doesn’t stick in gear. If it sticks in third the pulse generator probably needs replacing.

If there’s an issue with early Hyundais it’s in the peripheral systems and components, like the electrical system and associated bits and pieces. Wiring harnesses tended to be too tight, the wires often too short, and there were lots of reports of poor connections. Corroded connections were often reported to dealers.

IN A CRASH

All models had a driver’s airbag and seat belt pretensioners for basic safety protection.

ABS anti-lock brakes were an option and are worth having.

AT THE PUMP

The Accent is quite a fuel miser and you could expect to see 7.0-8.0 L/100 km around town and 6.0-6.5 L/100 km on the open road.

OWNERS SAY

Merle Stomps doesn’t want to update her 2000 Accent simply because she doesn’t think she can buy a car that will give her as good a run as her Hyundai. She says it does 7.0 L/100 km, has good performance, and has been a pleasure to drive in the 240,000 km she has done in the seven years she’s owned it. During the warranty she had the clock and both side mirrors replaced, and there was a wiring problem with the air-conditioning, while she spent $300 on an ignition problem after the warranty expired.

LOOK FOR

• Robust and reliable engines

• Modest performance

• Good fuel economy

• Reasonably roomy

• Troublesome electrical system

THE BOTTOM LINE

Solid, generally reliable basic transport as long as you don’t want a thrilling drive.

RATING

60/100

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Used Hyundai Accent review: 2000-2006

Hyundai's small-medium Accent is what's known in the trade as an honest car. It’s not particularly stylish and doesn’t have a lot of character, but has all the things that sensible people want in a car. Meaning it’s reliable, well built and performs day in and day out without any fuss or bother.

The Accent is a pleasant car to drive. Handling is semi sporting and the feel through the steering is good. There's a fair bit of understeer if you push hard, a keen driver will find this quite acceptable, if not exactly exciting. As is often the way, a good set of tyres can really improve this small car.

There's good interior room for its class and we know of more than one family with young children who are happy with an Accent as a family car. The boot is roomy and easy to use and has a good shape that’s reasonably easy to load.

Introduced to Australia in June 2000, the Accent was the follow up to the very popular Hyundai Excel. Indeed the cars we knew as Excel had been sold as Accent in other countries for several years. The South Koreans feel that a new model needs a different name to keep it fresh. In Australia we tend to be the other way around, if a car has a good reputation we prefer to hold onto the existing name.

A couple of years after the launch of the Accent, Hyundai brought in another, smaller, car in the Getz. Though not quite in the same class, buyers tended to shop Getz against Accent. 

None of which did the Accent a lot of good in the sales race. So, towards the end of 2002 most of the upmarket Accent models were pulled off the Australian market. At the same time the body range was reduced to just hatchbacks as the sedan was withdrawn. Accent sedan made a belated return in 2006 with the introduction of the new model, but these are still scarce on the used-car scene.

The last of the superseded 2002 models weren’t sold on the new market until several months into 2003. These are sometimes resold as 2003 models and priced accordingly, but it’s the build date on the compliance plate that’s important. So be careful you don’t pay a 2003 price to buy a used one, then get offered a 2002 trade in a year or two down the track. 

In September 2003 the Accent received a facelift to move it away with the somewhat bland look of the original model. This latter is proving more popular on the used scene and it’s worth paying the extra to get one. A virtually all-new Hyundai Accent arrived in Australia midway through 2006, but not many of these have made their way onto the used market as yet

At the time of the 2003 body revamp, the Accent’s engine was increased in size from 1.5 to 1.6 litres. Performance from the new 78 kW unit made the small-medium Hyundai reasonably zippy on the road. 

Hyundai’s build quality, which was a bit hit and miss in earlier times, was very much on the improve by the time the Accent arrived. The Accent appears to be holding up well to the rigours of rough Aussie roads. 

These days Hyundai is well and truly established as part of the Australian automotive scene. The dealer network is large and widespread, though as is often the way in a car in this class representation in the outback can be on the sparse side. We have heard of no real complaints about the cost of servicing or spare parts.

The Accent is a simple design and has good underbonnet space, so it’s easy enough to work on. A lot of routine work can be done by a good home handyperson, though safety related items should be left to the professional.

Insurance charges are moderate and there doesn’t appear to be a great deal of difference between companies as to the premiums they charge. Shop around but, as always, make sure you are doing a full apples-with-apples comparison before making your final choice.

Rust isn't normally a problem, but look at all the lower body areas and around the front and rear windscreens to be safe. 

Do an engine check for easy starting and smooth idling. Where possible this should be done with the engine cold, preferably after it has been sitting overnight.

Feel for a manual gearbox that baulks during fast gearchanges, especially the three-two downchange.

Turn the steering wheel all the way from one side to the other whilst travelling at a very low speed and listen for clunking noises near the front wheels. These probably indicate the universal joints are worn.

Look over the interior, including the boot, for signs of rough usage. This may indicate the complete car has been treated harshly, or it may just be that the kids have run amuck from time to time.

A year 2000 Accent GL three-door hatch will now cost about $5000 to $5000 on the used market; a 2002 Accent GLS sedan about $12,000 to $13,000; and a 2005 Accent LS five-door hatch will fetch about $15,000 to $16,000.

Start your research on second hand cars at least a two to three weeks before you intend to buy. And keep an open mind on all the possible choices in the early days.

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Complete guide to Hyundai Accent 2002
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