YearToAvoid

2013 Acura ILX Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

89/100

#2 most-complained of 10 ILX years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2013 Acura ILX has 66 owner complaints and 6 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 89 out of 100 — #2 highest of 10 ILX model years (verdict: Avoid). The most reported problem area is airbags (25 complaints, 38% of the total). Complaints report 7 crashes and 3 injuries.

Complaints
66
Recalls
6
Crashes / fires
7 / 0
Injuries / deaths
3 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
27
24 city / 34 hwy

Top 2013 Acura ILX problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags25 (38%)
  2. Electrical System17 (26%)
  3. Transmission & Powertrain9 (14%)
  4. Brakes7 (11%)
  5. Engine7 (11%)
  6. Suspension, Wheels & Tires7 (11%)
  7. Other6 (9%)
  8. Fuel System3 (5%)
  9. Steering3 (5%)
  10. Structure & Body3 (5%)
2013 Acura ILX complaints: complaints filed per quarter72013 Q22015 Q32017 Q12018 Q42021 Q12023 Q32025 Q1
89 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2013 Q2 to 2026 Q3; peak 2016 Q3 (7).

2013 Acura ILX recalls

6 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

See all 6 recalls for the 2013 Acura ILX →

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

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)02550751002013201420152016201720182019202020212022
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2013Avoid8966627
2014Caution6729527
2015Best2219426.5

All Acura ILX years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Acura ILX a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2013 Acura ILX ranks #2 of 10 among ILX model years (Complaint Index 89/100, verdict: Avoid). It has 66 complaints and 6 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Acura ILX?
The most reported problem areas are airbags (25 complaints), electrical system (17 complaints), and transmission & powertrain (9 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 46,000 miles.
Does the 2013 Acura ILX have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2013 Acura ILX, most recently reported 2020, covering transmission & powertrain, airbags, electrical system, and structure & body.
What is the fuel economy of the 2013 Acura ILX?
EPA rates the 2013 Acura ILX at 27 MPG combined (24 city / 34 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,950. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.