This page covers 7 recalls, 62 owner complaints, NHTSA crash-test ratings and EPA fuel economy for the 2013 Acura ILX.
25–38 mpg combined
6.2–9.4 L/100km
Compact Cars
Fuel economy data from fueleconomy.gov (EPA / U.S. Dept. of Energy). Annual cost based on 15,000 mi/yr at 55% city driving and current fuel prices. MPG is U.S. gallons; L/100km converted. Ranges reflect the 3 tested variants for this model year.
5/5 Overall
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating
The dominant complaint pattern for the 2013 Acura ILX centers on the airbag system, which accounts by far the largest share of owner reports. Owners most commonly describe the airbag warning light illuminating while driving, often without any apparent trigger, and report that dealers sometimes declined to diagnose or repair the vehicle. The powertrain draws the next cluster of complaints, where owners describe stalling, hesitation, and in hybrid-equipped trims, warning lights tied to the inverter unit generating fault codes. Electrical system complaints round out the picture, with owners reporting various warning lights appearing without a clear cause. The airbag warning light coming on and staying on, with no resolution offered at the dealer level, is the most consistently repeated symptom across the complaint set.
62
Total Complaints
6
Crash-Related
3
With Injuries
By System
The 2013 Acura ILX has 7 recalls, the most serious being a driver's frontal airbag inflator that can explode and send metal fragments into the cabin, posing a risk of serious injury or death.
The airbag inflator issue is covered across multiple filings but represents a single defect. On the lighting side, headlamp output can drop to a level that reduces the driver's visibility at night, raising the risk of a crash. Separately, halogen headlamps on certain vehicles can overheat when left on while the car is stationary, potentially melting the lens and producing smoke or fire. The driveshaft can fracture and cause a sudden loss of drive power, and if the driver has not applied the parking brake before exiting, the vehicle may roll away. There is also a door latch concern: if the lock is activated while someone is pulling the interior door handle, the connecting cable can slip out of position, leaving the door unlatched and able to swing open while driving or in a crash.
At a glance
What can fail
The protective coating on drive shafts may not have been applied correctly during manufacturing, leaving them vulnerable to damage from road salt and contaminants, which could cause the drive shaft to break.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect your drive shafts and replace the left or right drive shaft if needed, at no cost to you.
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Ratings from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
Complaints are owner-reported and reflect individual experiences, not confirmed defects. They are distinct from recalls. Data sourced from the national vehicle safety complaint database. See trending complaints →
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The driver frontal air bag inflator may explode due to propellant breakdown from long-term exposure to high humidity, temperature, and temperature changes.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Driver air bag inflators installed during previous recalls or as service parts may explode during a crash when the air bag deploys due to a manufacturing defect.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the driver air bag inflator with a different inflator at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Moisture can seep into the dual-stage driver frontal air bag inflator over time, potentially causing it to rupture.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the air bag inflator at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Headlamp reflectors and lenses can overheat when halogen headlamps run while the vehicle is parked. Extended operation risks melting the headlamps, potentially causing smoke and fire.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the headlamps with updated versions.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Excessive heat around the headlight bulb and reflector can reduce headlight brightness and cause smoke, melting, and fire.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the headlights at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The cable connecting the interior door handle to the latch mechanism can loosen and shift out of position if the door lock is activated while someone is operating the handle. This may prevent the door from latching properly.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the front door latch assemblies. For certain CR-V models, interior door handles will also be replaced.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
