Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2013 Honda Accord: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 1,418 safety complaints about the 2013 Honda Accord with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved July 14, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

1,418
Complaints
5
Recalls
5
Investigations
5★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 67 crashes, 9 fires, 59 injuries, 1 death.

Key findings
  1. Steering leads the complaint list, cited in 497 of 1,418 complaints, followed by Electrical.
  2. Complaints peaked 8 years after the model year (154 filed in 2021) — a pattern consistent with wear-out failures rather than assembly defects.
  3. 5 NHTSA defect investigations are associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2013 Honda Accord, here is how reports break down by system.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 1,418 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Steering
497
Electrical
413
Engine & cooling
186
Brakes & stability
143
Other / unspecified
131
Power train / transmission
109
Body & structure
74
Airbags & restraints
53

"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."

Owner complaint filed July 2026 · Steering,Electrical System,Vehicle Speed Control · NHTSA ODI 11748251

"The first time it happened, the power steering of the car suddenly stopped working while driving on the highway. Now it happens randomly and usually start with a quick jerking motion of the steering wheel. I've looked into this and lot of Honda Accord owners had this issue before. I want to file a complains on this and see if the NHTSA can do anything to have Honda address/fix this issue for me. Thanks,"

Owner complaint filed July 2026 · Steering · NHTSA ODI 11747796

When complaints were filed

For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2013 Honda Accord peaked later than usual, in 2021.

Complaints filed per year — 2013 Honda Accord
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
7
124
107
125
100
133
135
97
87
154
75
88
87
70
29
121314151617181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through July 14, 2026). A late peak is the signature of wear-out failures: parts that don't fail until the vehicle has years and miles on it.

How the 2013 compares with other model years

Across the Honda Accord model years we track, the 2018 has the most complaints on file (1,796); the 2013 ranks 3 of 3.

Total complaints by model year — Honda Accord
All complaints on file per model year, as of July 14, 2026
1,520
2013
1,418
1,796
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 5 recalls

5 recalls apply to some or all 2013 Honda Accord vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Jul 201313V-297
Fuel System, Gasoline

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2013 Accord vehicles that are Low-Emission Vehicle (LEV) II rated that were manufactured January 15, 2013, through April 5, 2013. The fuel tank neck may be out of specification causing the fuel pump to not properly seal to the fu…

Jun 201717V-418
Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Honda Accord vehicles. The case for the battery sensor, part of the battery management system, may allow water to get in, potentially causing an electrical short.

Dec 202020V-769
Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Accord vehicles equipped with a 4-cylinder engine and a continuously-variable transmission that were originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland…

Dec 202323V-858
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, F…

Jul 202525V-422
Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013 Honda Accord vehicles equipped with a 4-cylinder engine and a continuously-variable transmission. The affected vehicles were originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentuc…

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★★
Overall
★★★★☆
Frontal crash
★★★★★
Side crash
★★★★★
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2013 Honda Accord have?

As of July 14, 2026, owners have filed 1,418 complaints about the 2013 Honda Accord with NHTSA. The most-reported system is steering.

How many recalls does the 2013 Honda Accord have?

The 2013 Honda Accord has 5 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2013 Honda Accord safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2013 Honda Accord an overall crash rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved July 14, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.