YearToAvoid

2013 Honda Accord Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

93/100

#2 most-complained of 16 Accord years

The 2013 Honda Accord has a Complaint Index of 93, the second-worst of 16 model years covered, with 1,421 complaints and 5 recalls. Steering (35% of complaints) and Electrical System (30%) issues dominate, giving it an Avoid verdict relative to other Accord years.

Complaints
1,421
Recalls
5
Crashes / fires
67 / 9
Injuries / deaths
59 / 1
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
26
22.5 city / 33.5 hwy

Top 2013 Honda Accord problems

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

  1. Steering499 (35%)
  2. Electrical System424 (30%)
  3. Engine230 (16%)
  4. Brakes144 (10%)
  5. Other131 (9%)
  6. Transmission & Powertrain109 (8%)
  7. Structure & Body74 (5%)
  8. Airbags51 (4%)
  9. Collision Avoidance & Cameras46 (3%)
  10. Fuel System45 (3%)

What owners report

  • Owners report the steering wheel losing correspondence with the tires, causing the car to veer or drift out of the lane and making it hard to keep control.
  • Some owners describe sudden unintended acceleration or engine surging while parking or coming to a stop, leading to crashes into walls or structures.
  • Multiple owners report airbags failing to deploy in crashes, including frontal and side-impact collisions, sometimes with serious injury.
  • One owner reported a parked vehicle catching fire and becoming fully engulfed, with smoke first noticed near the front of the car.
  • Owners describe losing steering control at highway speed, with the wheel spinning without the tires responding, resulting in multi-lane crashes.
2013 Honda Accord complaints: complaints filed per quarter682012 Q42014 Q32016 Q22018 Q12019 Q42021 Q32023 Q22025 Q1
1856 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2012 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2017 Q4 (68).

2013 Honda Accord recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 25V422000Jun 19, 2025Transmission & Powertrain72,256 vehicles

    Power train:driveline:driveshaft

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013 Honda Accord vehicles equipped with a 4-cylinder engine and a continuously-variable transmission. The affected vehicles were 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 driveshaft may corrode and break, due to damage from road salt or other contaminants.

    Risk: A broken driveshaft can result in a loss of drive power, or a vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is in park without the parking brake applied. Both scenarios can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the driveshaft assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is OM2. This recall expands previous recall number 20V769.

  2. NHTSA 23V858000Dec 18, 2023Fuel System2,490,460 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

    Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.

  3. NHTSA 20V769000Dec 10, 2020Transmission & Powertrain235,034 vehicles

    Power train:driveline:driveshaft

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Accord vehicles equipped with a 4-cylinder engine and a continuously-variable transmission that were 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 were assembled with a lubricant that may have degraded the drive shafts' protective coating, 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 both the left and right drive shafts, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 4, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.

See all 5 recalls for the 2013 Honda Accord →

2013 Honda Accord fuel economy and fuel cost

City
22.5 MPG
Highway
33.5 MPG
Combined
26 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,500
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
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 Accord years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2011Best13296926
2012Good40373826
2013Avoid931,421526
2014Avoid87981427
2015Caution67601526

All Honda Accord years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Honda Accord reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2013 Accord ranks 2nd worst out of 16 model years, with a Complaint Index of 93 and 1,421 complaints, mainly involving steering and electrical systems.
What is the biggest problem with the 2013 Honda Accord?
Steering is the top problem area, accounting for 35% of complaints (499 complaints) with a median failure mileage of 50,000 miles.
Does the 2013 Honda Accord have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2013 Accord, covering transmission and powertrain (driveshaft), fuel system (fuel pump and fuel tank), and electrical system (battery sensor) issues. None are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2013 Accord compare to other years?
With a Complaint Index of 93, the 2013 Accord is worse than most other years; only 2018 (index 100) ranks higher, while 2021 and 2023 (index 7 and 0) are the best-performing years.
What is the fuel economy of the 2013 Honda Accord?
The 2013 Accord gets an EPA-rated 26 mpg combined (22.5 city / 33.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,500.

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.