Most common 2013 Acura ILX problems
Share of the 66 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Acura ILX complaints by model year
Best ILX years: 2020, 2015, 2017. Years to avoid: 2013, 2016, 2019. Compare all years →
2013 Acura ILX recalls (6)
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,…
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
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.
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.
Exterior lighting › Headlights
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…
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.
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
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.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front door latch assemblies in the affected vehicles, free of charge.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2013 Acura ILX:
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
What 2013 Acura ILX owners say
Air bags all 25 →
The contact owned a 2013 Acura ILX . The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle in front of her suddenly stopped. The driver depressed the brake pedal however, was unable to stop in time and crashed into the rear of an unknown Audi. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the chest, neck, and head. The driver believes the impact knocked her unconscious. The contact stated she was in pain and had to seek medical attention. A Police report was filed. There was no reported fire. The vehicle was towed to an independent lot. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer was contacted however, no further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 91,000.
There were two different times my Acura 2013 ILX was involved in two different accidents and the airbags didn't deploy. 1. Back on 4/2018 brakes didn't respond properly, then ceased to another vehicle and airbags didn't deployed. No major injuries, but high bills. 2. January 2019, my husband was rear ended by an Audi, was sent to the opposite side of the street, car was total loss, airbags never deployed. He suffered MAJOR injuries, couldn't walk for two months, used a walker after that for over two years, suffered dislocated discs, neck and his whole body is not the same anymore. Can't tell anymore how many procedures he has been through.
Electrical system
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 problems. Following the failure, the vehicle experienced reduced acceleration from a stop, rough engine restarts, loss of auto-stop functionality, charging-system issues, intermittent low-voltage behavior, and eventual no-start/jump-start conditions. The vehicle was inspected and diagnosed by an authorized Acura dealership. Diagnostic testing identified fault codes P0A78 (Motor Power Inverter Internal Circuit Malfunction), P1440 (Motor Power Inverter Module Output Circuit Malfunction), and P1437 (Motor Power Inverter Module Short Circuit). …
My 2013 acura ix hybrid does have issues as in service bulletin 20-021. Contacted dealer and got informed that was repaired recall and send me invoice for repairs in the amount of 2600 usd. Contacted manufacturer and been informed that no recall for my car vin is bot associated to recall above (20-021). Did check report from carfax and only repair on my car was some on battery in 2019 (attaching too). My car has exact same codes and diagnose from Nalley Acura service points to IMA inverter (p1440 & p1505) and needs to be replaced. As can be seen from my statements, entire diagnose points to exact same symptoms and car is also under same model and year but manufacturer didn't include vin into recall to fix the issue. Please help me with resolving this issue and to get my car repaired under service bulletin as supposed to be from beginning. …
Transmission & drivetrain
The contact owns a 2013 Acura ILX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V770000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to immediately come to a stop. The contact had to depress the brake pedal extremely hard to stop the vehicle. The brake warning light was illuminated. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the brakes had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Power train issue the vehicle loses power while driving on the roads and highway. (i have a 1-year-old daughter) It has not been confirmed by a dealer/professional when i bought it in they can't diagnose without warning lights. the warning light were not on when I first brought it in a couple year ago, but the car still loses power frequently and now all the brakes system lights are on.
2013 Acura ILX engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5L 4-cyl hybrid | CVT | FWD | 38 / 38 / 38 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 24 / 34 / 27 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 6-speed manual | FWD | 22 / 31 / 25 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2013 Acura ILX a good car?
Based on 66 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2013 ILX rates use caution: 2.0× as many complaints as a typical year of the ILX at the same age. It is one of the ILX years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Acura ILX?
The air bags — 25 complaints, 38% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (14) and transmission & drivetrain (9).
How many recalls does the 2013 Acura ILX have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2013 Acura ILX, the most recent from December 10, 2020 (driveshaft). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Acura ILX?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2020, 2015 and 2017. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2013, 2016 and 2019. See the full Acura ILX years comparison.
At what mileage do 2013 Acura ILX problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 46,000 miles; 62% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.