Most common 2013 Acura TSX problems
Share of the 33 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Acura TSX complaints by model year
Best TSX years: 2014, 2007, 2006. Years to avoid: 2012, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011. Compare all years →
2013 Acura TSX recalls (4)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic Hybrid, 2008-2010 Civic GX NGV, 2012-2015 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2014 Fit EV, 2010-2014 Insight, and 2009-2015…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger 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 › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, 2012-2014 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2013 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the inflator installation and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2019.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Insight and Acura TSX and TSX Wagon, 2014-2015 Honda Crosstour and Pilot vehicles nationwide, as well as certain 2014 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina,…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Acura TSX, ZDX, Honda Accord Crosstour, Fit, Insight and Pilot vehicles, 2011-13 Acura TSX Sportswagon, 2010-2012 Honda Accord,, 2010-2011 Honda Civic, Civic NGV, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles and 2013 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles ever registered in the…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 16, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2013 Acura TSX:
Electrical overstress
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events.
What 2013 Acura TSX owners say
Steering
Our non-moving vehicle was involved in a hard rear-end collision at a in city traffic waiting to make a legal turn. A week later vehicle lost steering mobility. We had baton rouge, la Acura dealership run a diagnostic. They failed to determine if the failure was directly associated with rear-end collision. I would say so. That is fine lil tough car. We are the second owners. All we have had to do is preventive maintenance and change a battery. Acura cars at 88K miles do not have electrical component steering problems. At the time an owner of a 2008 TSX had 179K miles with no problems. Our household had to experience more than a$1700 unexpected expense. Spoke with an NHTSA rep last week. She mentioned the steering system is under warranty for that model year (2013). Help
As I was driving down a straight road, the steering wheel locked and I got a message on the dashboad. It said that the electrical power steering system May not be working. I turned off the car. I turned it back on and continued to drive. However, within 1 min, the wheel locked again. Thank god I hadnt gotten on the freeway. There could've been serious consequences as this is an extremely dangerous situation while driving. I slowly brought it back home as I had to continuously turn off and on the car to unlock wheel for 1 min. To make some turns. This should not have happened to this car that I bought less than 10 years old. I had just taken it in a couple of months ago for an oil check and inspection.
Air bags
The contact owns a 2013 Acura TSX. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the passenger's side air bag sensor warning light remained illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2013 Acura TSX. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 18V042000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer (sterling mccall Acura, 10455 southwest fwy, houston, tx 77074, [phone]) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacture was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Brakes
On Friday, September 24, 2021 when I went around a curve my car felt like the vehicle stability assist was trying to kick on. However, no warning light came on and I was not going to fast for the weather or road conditions. I did not hit any pot holes or anything else to cause the part to fail. When I went to apply my brakes the brakes felt soft and spongy and I was concern with the car not stopping. Safety issues for me and others were if my car didn't stop and me hitting another vehicle and injuring/killing them or myself due to the component failure. I was able to get my car to Acura Sterling McCall in Houston and they were able to duplicate the issue and I was advised the VSA needed to be replaced. That this was causing the soft brakes.
ABS / VSA module failed at 90k miles causing spongy brakes. Acura quoted me $3500 for a new module which is more than the value of the car.
2013 Acura TSX engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 22 / 31 / 25 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 6-speed manual | FWD | 21 / 29 / 24 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 28 / 22 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2013 Acura TSX a good car?
Based on 33 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2013 TSX rates average: 13% fewer complaints than a typical year of the TSX at the same age. 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 TSX?
The steering — 19 complaints, 58% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the air bags (5) and brakes (3).
How many recalls does the 2013 Acura TSX have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2013 Acura TSX, the most recent from June 27, 2019 (inflator module). 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 TSX?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2007 and 2006. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2012, 2004, 2009, 2010 and 2011. See the full Acura TSX years comparison.
At what mileage do 2013 Acura TSX problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 70,000 miles; 25% 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.