2013 Honda Accord problems & reliability
1,418 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Honda Accord, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
42 complaints report injuries (59 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2013 Honda Accord vehicles were involved in 186 fatal crashes with 100 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 497 | 35% |
| Electrical System | 413 | 29% |
| Engine | 179 | 13% |
| Unknown OR Other | 118 | 8% |
| Power Train | 109 | 8% |
| Service Brakes | 108 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 51 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 50 | 4% |
| Seats | 47 | 3% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 44 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 48,280 miles (middle 50% between 22,348 and 77,000 miles), based on 812 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Diagnostic trouble code 81-20 internal circuit failure. Cleared dtc. Road test vehicle, 81-20 dtc return replace vsa modulator w/brake flush, starter motor intermittently seizing up, front engine mount leaking, both front sway bar end links leaking grease, valve cover gasket leaking. High mileage and no history…”
Suspension · filed Jul 10, 2026
“Whenever in park or reverse the vehicle suddenly power cycles. The vehicle also power cycles when steering and locks the wheel. This can be fatal if it happens on the public road in the middle of traffic.”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Jul 4, 2026
“Honda Accord 9th Gen ABS/VSA Issues - DTC Code 81-20 /32-11. TPMS/ABS/VSA/Brake/Power Steering lights are on. Dealer claim is an ABS module issue and need replacement.”
Service Brakes · filed Jul 1, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
- Loss of Direction Control
Engineering Analysis EA21001 · opened May 6, 2021 · closed Aug 25, 2023
- Loss of Direction Control
Defect Petition DP20005 · opened Nov 23, 2020 · closed May 7, 2021
- Electrical overstress
Engineering Analysis EA19001 · opened Apr 19, 2019 · closed Sep 19, 2024 · led to recall 20V024
- Electric Power Steering Failure
Preliminary Evaluation PE14033 · opened Nov 4, 2014 · closed Oct 6, 2015
Technical service bulletins
162 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2013 Honda Accord. The 10 most recent:
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain HEALTHY 2013 Accord which fit the criteria listed below.
APaS11292021 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 29, 2021
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain HEALTHY 2013 Accord which fit the criteria listed below.
APaS11162021902 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 16, 2021
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain HEALTHY 2013 Accord which fit the criteria listed below.
APaS11032021901 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 3, 2021
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain HEALTHY 2013 Accord which fit the criteria listed below.
APaS10142021 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 14, 2021
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain HEALTHY 2013 Accord which fit the criteria listed below.
AHPa08262021 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 26, 2021
Service Bulletin - When a failure is detected, the EPS control unit goes into back-up mode. The new software provides partial assist during back-up mode.
A15-055 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 28, 2021
Service Bulletin - There is a loud buzzing or whining when adjusting the driver's or front passenger's seat forward and backward. The flex cable in the seat adjustment mechanism is not correctly lubricated.
A19-029 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 22, 2020
Service Bulletin - There is a loud buzzing or whining when adjusting the driver's or front passenger's seat forward and backward. The flex cable in the seat adjustment mechanism is not correctly lubricated.
A19-029 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 18, 2019
Service Bulletin - There is a loud buzzing or whining when adjusting the driver's or front passenger's seat forward and backward. The flex cable in the seat adjustment mechanism is not correctly lubricated.
A19-029 (v2) · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 5, 2019
Service Bulletin - There is a loud buzzing or whining when adjusting the driver's or front passenger's seat forward and backward. The flex cable in the seat adjustment mechanism is not correctly lubricated.
A19-029 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 4, 2019
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2013 Honda Accord has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2013 Honda Accord?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 48,280 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.