2013 Acura ILX Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other ILX years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 10 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 66 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Acura ILX. That is the most of any ILX model year in the database (10 years). The most reported problem area is air bags (25 complaints, 38%), typically at around 51,750 miles. Complaints mention 7 crashes, 3 injuries. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 66owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 7complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2013 Acura ILX problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 25 | 38% | 51,750 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 14 | 21% | 47,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 9 | 14% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 6 | 9% | 45 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 6 | 9% | 48,700 | — | — |
| Suspension | 6 | 9% | 46,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 6 | 9% | 47,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 6% | 50,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 5% | 45,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 5% | 82,274 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 3% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 2% | 27,229 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 2% | 48,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 2% | 300 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 2% | 1,825 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 2% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 2% | 13,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 2% | 82,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 2% | 1,825 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2013 Acura ILX recalls (6)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Power train:driveline:driveshaft
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2011-2015 CR-Z, 2010-2014 FCX, and Insight, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013-2014 Fit EV, 2007-2014 Ridgeline, 2013-2016 Acura ILX, 2013-2014 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2007-2016 RDX, 2005-2012 Acura RL, 2009-2014 Acura TL, and 2010-2013 Acura ZDX vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are JY0, JY1, and JY2.
Exterior lighting:headlights
Problem: American Honda Motor Co., Inc (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2013 Acura ILX vehicles manufactured January 16, 2012 to March 1, 2013, ILX Hybrid vehicles manufactured January 12, 2012 to February 7, 2013, and certain model year 2014 ILX vehicles manufactured May 2, 2013, to May 31, 2014, and ILX Hybrid vehicles manufactured October 18, 2013 to February 19, 2014. Excessive heat temperatures around the headlight bulb and reflector unit may diminish the output of the headlight and cause smoke, melting, and fire. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: The diminished light output may decrease the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash. Additonally, the excessive heat coming from around the bulb and reflector could cause the headlights to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the headlights, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Acura customer service at 1-800-862-2872. Honda's number for this recall is JE9.
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: Honda is recalling certain model year 2012 Honda CR-V and model year 2013 Acura ILX vehicles. If the manual or power door lock is activated while an interior front door handle is being operated by an occupant, the cable connecting the interior door handle to the door latch mechanism may become loose and move out of position. There is a possibility that the cable can move far enough out of position to prevent the door from properly latching.
Risk: If the door is not fully latched, the door may open while driving or in a crash, increasing the risk of personal injury to the vehicle occupants.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front door latch assemblies in the affected vehicles, free of charge. Additionally, the interior front door handles in certain Honda CR-Vs will also be replaced, free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on, or about, August 16, 2012. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
âComponent or system that failed/malfunctioned: Frontal Airbag Deployment System / Airbag Control Module (ACU). The vehicle is currently towed and available for inspection upon request before any insurance salvage disposition. âSafety risk: The non-deployment exposed the driver to severe direct…
I am submitting this complaint to document what I believe is a recurring defect involving the air conditioning compressor on my 2013 Acura ILX Hybrid. Vehicle history: * 2013: Vehicle purchased new. * 2019: Original A/C compressor failed and required replacement. * 2026: Replacement A/C compressor…
While driving downhill and using regenerative braking, my 2013 Acura ILX Hybrid suddenly experienced a hybrid system malfunction. Immediately after the event, the vehicle displayed "Check IMA System" and "Check Charging System" warnings and began exhibiting drivability and electrical-system…
My car has faulty code P0AE1 (Bypass Contractor Malfunction) that causes the 12v battery and hybrid battery failure. It also causes the brake less effective without hybrid assisting, and loss acceleration that are extremely dangerous while driving on road. This is well known issue for 2013 Acura…
IIU malfunction not valid for this vin, even though it is the exact issue that every other model faced. Acura REFUSED to complete the repair without paying $3400
Other Acura ILX years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 ILX | 3 | 0 |
| 2021 ILX | 11 | 0 |
| 2020 ILX | 10 | 2 |
| 2019 ILX | 36 | 5 |
| 2018 ILX | 23 | 4 |
| 2017 ILX | 20 | 4 |
| 2016 ILX | 52 | 6 |
| 2015 ILX | 19 | 4 |
| 2014 ILX | 29 | 5 |
| 2013 | 66 | 6 |
See all Acura ILX problems by year, every Acura model, or the Acura VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Acura ILX?
Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, power train problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 25 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2013 Acura ILX?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2013 Acura ILX a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other ILX model years, the 2013 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.