The Lane Check

Home › Cars › Hyundai › Accent › 2013

2013 Hyundai Accent problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
36%
42 of 118 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

36% of relevant owner complaints on the 2013 Hyundai Accent are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.

Better than 61% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 23 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 30%).

NHTSA data checked October 3, 2026

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2013 Hyundai Accent have engine problems?

More than most. The pattern is elevated rather than severe. 42 of 118 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2013 Hyundai Accent concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (36%), and the largest group is filed under engine (34). For comparison, the 2012 scores 33% and the 2014 scores 32%. On a test drive, check for stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
42
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
141
this model year
Fires reported
9
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
1
16 crashes · 23 injuries

Complaints by component

SERVICE BRAKES43 · 30%
ENGINE34 · 24%
HYDRAULIC24 · 17%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM18 · 13%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER16 · 11%
AIR BAGS14 · 10%

The years either side

2010
25%
15 of 87
2011
37%
11 of 38
2012
33%
45 of 153
2013
36%
42 of 141
2014
32%
21 of 80
2015
50%
23 of 70
2016
49%
35 of 101
2017
60%
29 of 68
2018
too few complaints
2019
79%
22 of 31
2020
too few complaints
2021
too few complaints
2022
too few complaints
2023
no data

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

How the 2013 compares with other Hyundai Accent years

Of the 9 Hyundai Accent years with enough complaints to score, the 2013 is the 4th-best on engine and transmission share (36%). The worst is the 2019 (79%), the best the 2010 (25%). By volume, the 2013 drew 141 complaints (42 drivetrain), against 153 for the 2012 and 80 for the 2014.

Hyundai Accent years to avoid and best years →

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2013 Hyundai Accent

  • The mileage where it happens. When owners of the 2013 Hyundai Accent said the problem showed up, and the range most of them fell in.
  • What the repair costs. Typical engine repair ranges, to price into your offer.
  • Cleaner alternatives. Similar cars and nearby years with a better record.
  • Up to 15 owner reports, with the ones about your car's own engine first.
  • What to ask the seller and what to check on the test drive, for this car.
  • Two cars side by side, if you are deciding between them.

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE12/20/2013CRASH1 INJURED
I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT ON OCTOBER 14, 2013 WHERE I STRUCK A DEER HEAD ON AT 50MPH AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I WROTE TO HYUNDAI AND COMPLAINED, AND AFTER THEIR "INVESTIGATION", THEY DETERMINED THAT I WAS NOT ENTITLED TO ANY ASSISTANCE. WELL, TWO NIGHTS AGO, ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2013, I STRUCK AND WENT UNDER …

One of 42 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows up to 15, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

2013 Hyundai Accent engine and transmission recalls

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2013 Hyundai Accent, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

1 other recall on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module23V651000 · Sep 2023
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Sonata Hybrid, 2012-2015 Accent, Azera, Veloster, 2013-2015 Elantra Coupe, Santa Fe, 2014-2015 Equus, 2010-2012…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model; one of NHTSA's listings did not answer when this page was built, so the list may be incomplete. Checked October 3, 2026.

Checking one particular 2013 Hyundai Accent? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

Get a history report from EpicVIN Before you pay: EpicVIN’s $1 offer is a 3-day trial (up to 5 reports) that renews at $49.99 a month unless you cancel. Other plans are listed under “View all our packages” at checkout. We may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It does not change what this page reports.

Questions people ask about the 2013 Hyundai Accent

Does the 2013 Hyundai Accent have engine problems?

More than most; the pattern is elevated rather than severe. 42 of 118 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2013 Hyundai Accent concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (36%). Before buying one, have an independent mechanic check the engine and ask the seller whether it has been repaired or replaced.

What is the most common problem with the 2013 Hyundai Accent?

Going by NHTSA owner complaints, the most common problem filed against the 2013 Hyundai Accent is service brakes: 43 of 141 complaints (30%) name it, followed by engine (34) and hydraulic (24). A complaint can name more than one component, so these overlap. Engine, transmission and fuel-system complaints together make up 36% of the relevant total.

Is the 2013 Hyundai Accent reliable?

On the engine and transmission, owner complaints point to a weak spot: 36% of relevant complaints filed with NHTSA concern the drivetrain (elevated signal). That is better than 61% of the 1,790 model years we track. Among the 9 Hyundai Accent years we score, it ranks 4th-best. Complaint data describes the model year, not one car, and it says nothing about trim, paint or electronics outside the drivetrain; an independent inspection still decides it.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2013 Hyundai Accent?

No. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2013 Hyundai Accent, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Hyundai Accent years are better?

Among the Hyundai Accent years we track, the 2010 (25%), the 2014 (32%) and the 2012 (33%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2013 (36%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car. Every year side by side: https://thelanecheck.com/cars/hyundai-accent

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

Check a VIN

Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.