Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Honda Accord owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
In the past 2-3 months, multiple door lock actuators/latches on my 2013 Honda Accord have failed. Both rear doors will not reliably lock or unlock, and the front driver door actuator is intermittent. This means that three of the four doors cannot be secured or opened normally. This is a serious safety and security issue. The car cannot be locked to prevent theft or unauthorized entry. Children or passengers in the rear may not be able to exit safely in an emergency. I am also concerned that the failure could compromise crash safety if doors cannot be unlocked quickly after a collision. Performance Kings Honda (Cincinnati, OH) inspected the vehicle, confirmed the failures, and diagnosed both rear door latch/actuator assemblies as faulty. They provided an estimate of $1,000+ for repairs. I have an open case with American Honda. …
My vehicle trunk randomly unlatches and opens. The trunk does both while driving and when parked. The key fob button to open the trunk is not pressed or in range during these incidents. This is a safety concern in that if can block my rearward view. It is also an inconvenience since it can lead to theft of contents and the car.
My vehicle struck another vehicle in front of me from behind. Airbag lights came on yet did not deploy. Impact caused damage to my chest by the seatbelt. It caused a tissue expander implanted in my right breast to be damaged and ripped out the places stitched to me. The te was there as part of a breast cancer reconstruction process. Surgery was required to remove and replace the te. The front end of the vehicle was damaged, sensors needed replacement, and seatbelt structure also needed replacement.
Car was descending down a hill, I heard a loud metallic clunk and the car instantly rotated left throwing it across the oncoming lane and down an embankment through some trees, car stopped in mud. Mechanic from body shop that towed the car said the engine started fine but the car made a grinding sound when he tried forward and reverse, neither worked. Car was totaled due to body damage. Car was still under warranty but Honda would not investigate, repair or pay any damages.
I was driving my Honda Accord 2013 ex-l v6 on interstate 405 in washington state between bellevue and kirkland when I heard a large explosion over my head. Glass immediately fell on me and all over my car. I looked up and saw that my sunroof had broken into many pieces. The brunt of the glass fell on the passenger seat so I was lucky that no one was riding with me, but I still had a few cuts on my arm from the glass falling on me. Of course, in shock from the explosion, I swerved out of panic to the side of the road, which could have caused another accident if someone was on the right of me. Honda denies that the sunroof exploded and that a rock must have hit the sunroof, but I have seen countless first hand accounts on the internet detailing this same experience on multiple Honda vehicles. Honda will not take ownership and I could have been seriously hurt or impaled from the glass. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Honda Accord. The contact noticed that the front passenger side was leaking under the hood. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician diagnosed that the washer reservoir, hose, and the hood liner were chewed through completely. The technician informed the contact that the hoses, washer motor, and spray nozzle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 15,504. The VIN was not provided. Updated 04/20/16 consumer stated on 2/15/16 she noticed leak underneath passenger side front. Found hoses had been chewed through in several locations. Also found chewing of metal in engine compartment and hole chewed through liner of hood. …
While turning right to park in a residential townhouse parking space, the car accelerated suddenly and hit a tree which was very close but at the top of a slanting hill. It felt like the car was slipping on ice but there was no ice. A person outside of the car heard a strange noise. It felt like there was no ability to control the car. I tried to back up, I felt the same slipping so I stopped and left the car. The same person heard the noise again when I was backing up. I am an experienced driver with a clean driving record for over 20 years and have never experienced this. It was Sunday afternoon and there were no weather related issues. This was the 3rd stop of the day over a 1-2 hour period. This is a quiet street so there were no traffic issues. The car was leaking oil so it was towed to the body shop.
Battery terminal corrosion - the factory battery had severe corrosion problems after 2 yrs (unlike any of my other 3 cars). On the third year it died and was replaced with a aaa battery. After 6 months this battery is also showing corrosion. This seems to be a common issue after doing google searches. What's worse is the positive batter cable is not an easy nor economical replacement once the corrosion finds its way inside. I believe the corrosion is happening because of the 'Smart charging system' Honda is using on this vehicle. Never seen this problem in my 30+ yrs of owning dozens of cars.
I was driving down the highway and a car was veering into my lane. As I went to the left my steering wheel just kept spinning and the tires were going all over the place. I couldn't control the car because the steering wheel was not corresponding with the tires. We jerked across the highway from lane to lane until we finally crashed into the concrete wall of the highway. We then spun out into the middle of the highway where we rested. Honda had not responded at this time but everyone including the guys at the his body ship feel that this is a manufacturer defect.
As I was driving down the highway I veered to the left and the steering wheel started free spinning and the tires were not controlled by the steering wheel any longer. I had no control of the vehicle. I hit a wall and stopped in the middle of the highway. Honda has never come to inspect the vehicle as I was told they would. My vehicle is still sitting at the local Honda service department without anything done to it. Honda will not look into what caused my vehicle to lose steering. Updated 06/13/13
Body complaints in other Accord years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2013 Honda Accord?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the body & structure of the 2013 Honda Accord, 2% of the model year's 1,426 complaints. The component named most often is body (21 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Honda Accord body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2013 Honda Accord, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2013 Honda Accord body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 15,000 miles, and 71% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 6 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.