Hyundai Accent Problems

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.

Taking your car to a Hyundai dealer is a fabulous idea because you might just find that this will turn into a warranty claim where Hyundai foots the bill and not you. Theoretically, your car could still be covered by its original five-year warranty (depending on what date it was sold new) but some Hyundai cars were also covered by extra warranty and extended drivetrain warranties. This is what you need to establish, but a Hyundai dealer will be able to give you the answer.

This is how car dealerships get a bad name. Your car would have come with a five-year/unlimited kilometre factory warranty. Since it's been (factory) serviced by the book, that cover should still apply up to October 2024. Which means it's Hyundai's problem to make it work properly every time you turn the key.

The fault certainly sounds like it lies with the inhibitor switch (which prevents the car starting unless it's in Park or Neutral) but it doesn't matter. If the car doesn't work correctly and it's under warranty, it's Hyundai's responsibility to put it right. Of course, there are exceptions such as examples of driver abuse and normal wear and tear items like tyres and brake pads, but a critical safety function like this is definitely a warranty issue.

Contact Hyundai's customer service department, report the issue and the dealership's `offer' and see what head office has to say.

You're right in that Australia has no lemon laws, but we do have Australian Consumer Laws which are aimed at protecting consumers against these sorts of problems. It's frustrating that some car dealers are still using the old ‘oh, they all do that' defence to explain away problems that need to be fixed. Car companies would do well to crack down on any of their dealers who give such glib answers.

So the advice is to go straight over the dealer's head and talk to Hyundai's customer service department. A modern car shouldn't surge at any speed, and since your car is covered by its factory warranty, you need to give Hyundai every chance to put it right. Only after Hyundai has given up without a resolution should you talk to the ACCC on the basis of the car not being fit for purpose.

My experience is that Hyundai has been very diligent in fixing problems like this and looking after its customers, so forget the dealer and go straight to head office.

If she’s been happy with her Accent, then perhaps a Hyundai i30 Active would be a good bet. It has Bluetooth, a rear view camera and GPS standard, so ticks all the boxes.

I don’t believe it is possible to update your car, but to be sure give Hyundai a call on 1800 186 306.

The cheapest new Hyundai is the Accent Sport Manual, listed at $15,490. For more info on the latest models, check out our pricing and specs page, and you'll find all Hyundai reviews and news here. 

They’re quite reliable with no major issues to be concerned about. The main things are the overall condition of the car, the kilometres travelled and the service history. If all those boxes can be ticked the car should be fine.

It’s a problem with the car’s electronics, but because it only happens intermittently it’s hard for the dealer to find the cause, and thus the fix. All you can do it is to persist with the dealer and hope the cause can be found.