2013 Acura ILX reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2013 Acura ILX has 66 complaints with NHTSA after 14 years, or 3 per year. That is more complaints per year than most ILX years here — over the median of the other years, which is 2. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Driveshaft, Inflator, and Headlights.

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (25 of 66), then Electrical system (14) and Powertrain (9). Those filings include 7 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Next to 2014

The 2014 ILX has 29 complaints, 6 per year. The 2013 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2013 Acura ILX. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (6)

Recall Driveshaft 2020-12-10 · NHTSA campaign 20V770000

Summary 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.

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.

Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2019-06-27 · NHTSA campaign 19V500000

Summary 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.

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.

Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2019-03-06 · NHTSA campaign 19V182000

Summary 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.

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.

Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2016-02-03 · NHTSA campaign 16V061000

Summary 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.

Remedy 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.

Recall exterior lighting, headlights 2014-06-13 · NHTSA campaign 14V323000

Summary 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."

Remedy 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.

Recall latches, locks, and linkages, doors, latch 2012-07-19 · NHTSA campaign 12V338000

Summary 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.

Remedy 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.

Complaints by component (66 total)

Air bags

Electrical system

Powertrain

Engine

Service brakes

Suspension

Exterior lighting

Fuel and propulsion system

Steering

Speed control

Latches, locks, and linkages

Seats

Structure

Tires

Traction control

Visibility

Visibility and wipers

Wheels

Show 10 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"Component 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…"
Air bags · filed 2026-08-04
"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…"
Unknown or other, Engine · filed 2026-07-14
"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…"
Electrical system, Service brakes, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-06-08
"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…"
Electrical system · filed 2026-06-01
"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"
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine · filed 2026-02-16

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2013 Acura ILX 4 DR FWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2013 Acura ILX Hybrid 4 DR FWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
ILX	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (5-speed)	Front-wheel drive	24	34	27 MPG	$2950
ILX	2.4L, 4-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	22	31	25 MPG	$3200
ILX hybrid	1.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (AV-S7)	Front-wheel drive	38	38	38 MPG	$2100

Specs and fitment

1st generation (DE), 2013–2022

Body styles Sedan

Oil 0W-20 (2.4L) , 4.2 qt capacity

Tire size 215/45R17

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 23V858000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that 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. 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.

Compare

Next year 2014 Acura ILX See every Acura ILX model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Acura ILX reliable?

What are common problems with a 2013 Acura ILX?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (25 of 66), then Electrical system (14) and Powertrain (9). Those filings include 7 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Is the 2013 Acura ILX more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2014 ILX has 29 complaints, 6 per year. The 2013 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014.

Has the 2013 Acura ILX been recalled?

The 2013 Acura ILX has 6 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2013 Acura ILX?

Owners have filed 66 complaints about the 2013 Acura ILX with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Acura ILX get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 Acura ILX is 30 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does an Acura ILX use?

US ILX manuals specify 0W-20 for the 2.4L; capacity is about 4.2 quarts with filter.

What does recall 23V858000 cover involving the ILX?

American Honda is recalling affected vehicles under that campaign—see the NHTSA summary for the defect and remedy on covered ILX years.

What tire size did the first-generation ILX use?

215/45R17.