2013 Acura ILX Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2013 Acura ILX ranks 2nd worst out of 10 model years for reported problems, with a complaint index of 89, 66 complaints, and 6 recalls. Airbags are the top problem area, tied to failed deployments in crashes, giving it an Avoid verdict relative to other ILX years.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 89/100
- #2 of 10 ILX years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 66
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 6
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 7
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 3
- Top issue
- Airbags
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 27
- 24 city / 34 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 3 / 0
Top 2013 Acura ILX problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags25 (38%)
- Electrical System17 (26%)
- Transmission & Powertrain9 (14%)
- Brakes7 (11%)
- Engine7 (11%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires7 (11%)
- Other6 (9%)
- Fuel System3 (5%)
- Steering3 (5%)
- Structure & Body3 (5%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Owners report airbags failing to deploy during moderate-speed rear-end and frontal collisions, sometimes resulting in head, neck, or chest injuries.
- Brakes reportedly gave out or failed to stop the car in time, leading to collisions at intersections and on exit ramps.
- Some drivers heard a loud popping sound followed by the sunroof glass shattering while driving at highway speed.
- Electrical problems left the car unable to start or crank, requiring jump starts, with fog lights and navigation system suspected of draining the battery.
- A persistent rattling or bumping noise from underneath the car near the engine area could not be fixed despite multiple dealership visits.
- Tire pressure warnings appeared unexpectedly while driving on the highway.
2013 Acura ILX recalls
6 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 20V770000Dec 10, 2020Transmission & Powertrain248,358 vehicles
Power train:driveline:driveshaft
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Acura ILX, 2013 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid, and 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles with a manual transmission and 2009-2013 Honda Fit vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The drive shafts' protective coating may not have been applied properly during manufacturing, making it more susceptible to damage from road salt, or other contaminants, and potentially cause it to break.
Risk: A broken drive shaft may cause a sudden loss of drive power. The vehicle could also roll away if the parking brake has not been applied before the vehicle has been exited. Either condition can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the drive shafts, replacing either the left or right drive shaft, if necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of the safety risk with an interim letter mailed February 2, 2021. A second letter will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are P9M, PAV, BAY, TAX, CA0, and MAZ.
- NHTSA 19V500000Jun 27, 2019Airbags1,558 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013 Acura ILX, 2015 RDX, 2005-2010 and 2012 RL, 2009-2014 TL, 2010 and 2012 ZDX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2011-2013 and 2015 CR-Z, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013 Fit EV, 2010-2011 and 2013 Insight and 2007-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are S5B and W59.
- NHTSA 19V182000Mar 6, 2019Airbags1,101,534 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement driver air bag inflator as part of a previous Takata inflator recall remedy or a replacement driver air bag module containing the same inflator type as a service part. Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode.
Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is O41. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is U40.
2013 Acura ILX fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 24 MPG
- Highway
- 34 MPG
- Combined
- 27 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,950
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Premium
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2013 compared with other ILX years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2013 Acura ILX reliable?
- Compared with other ILX model years, 2013 ranks poorly, sitting 2nd worst out of 10 years with a complaint index of 89 and 66 NHTSA complaints.
- What is the biggest problem with the 2013 Acura ILX?
- Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 38% of complaints, including reports of failure to deploy in crashes, with a median failure mileage of 51,750 miles.
- Does the 2013 Acura ILX have a recall?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2013 ILX, covering airbags, electrical headlights, a transmission drive shaft issue, and a door latch problem.
- What year Acura ILX should I avoid?
- Based on NHTSA data, 2013 and 2016 are the worst ILX years, with complaint indexes of 89 and 100 respectively, while 2015 and 2020 rank as Best.
- Were there crashes linked to the 2013 Acura ILX airbags?
- Yes, the Airbags category logged 4 crashes among its 25 complaints, several describing airbags that failed to deploy in accidents.