2013 Acura ILX — Should You Buy One?
Typical asking price: $7,000–$11,000. There is 1 high-severity known issue you need to know before handing over a check.
Deciding between model years? Compare the 10 Acura ILX years we've written up →
Kestrel Take
The first-year ILX is a dressed-up ninth-generation Civic: a 2.0L with a five-speed automatic, a 2.4L Civic Si engine with a six-speed manual, or the Civic Hybrid's IMA system. Its 66-complaint record is mostly paperwork — 38% is the Takata driver-inflator recall (three separate campaigns for this year) and the parts wait that came with it, not a failure of the car. What is left is small and specific: door locks that unlock themselves, a headlight recall for dim low beams, a driveshaft recall on salt-belt manuals, and hybrid-battery warnings on the IMA car. Buy a 2.0L or 2.4L with all six recalls closed; treat the Hybrid as a battery purchase first and a car second.
What we checked
Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-25
NHTSA holds 66 owner complaints for the 2013 Acura ILX, and 6 recall campaigns.
A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. 38% of them are about one thing — airbags. That much concentration is a genuine pattern rather than background noise, and it is the first thing to check on any example you look at.
6 recall campaigns cover this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.
Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.
Known Issues for the 2013 Acura ILX
Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.
The 2013 ILX is on three Takata driver-side inflator recalls (16V061, 19V182 and 19V500): the inflator can rupture in a crash and throw metal at the driver. The fix is a free replacement inflator, but the record is full of owners who waited a year or more for parts in 2016–2017, so a car that changed hands in that window may never have gone back. Run the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup before you drive it; an open Takata recall is a reason to not sit in the driver's seat until it is done. Four of the 25 airbag complaints are non-deployment reports after crashes, which no inspection can check.
Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under airbags (25); 6 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.
Recall 20V770 covers 2013–2015 ILXs with the six-speed manual that were sold or registered in the road-salt states: the driveshaft's protective coating can wear through, the shaft rusts and can break, and a broken shaft means sudden loss of drive — or a rollaway if the car was parked in gear without the handbrake. Dealers inspect and replace the affected shaft free. Most of the nine POWER TRAIN complaints are owners chasing this recall while parts were unavailable in 2021. Only applies to the 2.4L manual; automatics are not on the campaign. If the car is a manual from the Northeast or Midwest, ask for the recall paperwork and look at the driveshafts for surface rust near the CV boots.
Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed; $300–$700 per driveshaft otherwise
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the transmission and drivetrain (9); 6 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.
The 14 electrical complaints split three ways. Several owners describe the driver's door unlocking on its own while driving or the car unlocking after being locked — a door lock actuator, roughly $150–$350 a door at an independent shop. ILX Hybrid owners report 'Check IMA System' and 'Check Charging System' warnings, which on this Civic-derived IMA setup usually means the hybrid battery pack is done; one owner was quoted $3,400. Ask an Acura dealer whether this VIN carries any extended IMA battery coverage rather than assuming it does. A couple of owners also saw an intermittent 'Check Power Steering System' warning that cleared itself — the electric steering rack is expensive if it does fail, so have codes read. On the test drive, lock the doors from the fob, drive a block, and confirm they stay locked.
Repair cost (estimate): $150–$350 per lock actuator; $2,500–$3,500 for a hybrid battery pack — about 39% of what this car is typically worth
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under electrics and electronics (14).
Recall 12V338, issued before most 2013s had even sold: if a front door lock is operated at the same moment someone is pulling the interior handle, the cable between handle and latch can be disturbed so the door does not fully latch and can swing open while driving. Honda replaced the front door latch assemblies free. It is an early campaign so most cars have had it, but check the VIN anyway and, at the car, close each front door gently from inside and push outward on it to confirm it caught.
Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed
Source: 6 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.
Recall 14V323 replaced headlight assemblies on 2013 ILXs built January 2012 to March 2013 because heat around the low-beam bulb degraded the housing, cutting light output and in the worst case charring the plastic. Owners still report foggy, dim lights years later — either the recall was never done or the replacement lens has yellowed like any other. At the car, look for milky or browned lenses and a burnt smell near the bulb cap with the lights on for five minutes.
Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed; $400–$900 per aftermarket assembly
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the lights (4); 6 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.
Walk-Away Red Flags
- ✗Any of the three Takata inflator recalls still open on the NHTSA VIN lookup
- ✗Driver's door that unlocks itself after being locked, or a latch that needs a second slam
- ✗Hybrid: a 'Check IMA System' warning or a battery gauge that empties under light throttle
- ✗Manual car from a road-salt state with the 20V770 driveshaft recall unperformed
- ✗Milky or browned low-beam lenses with a hot-plastic smell at the bulb cap
Good Signs
- ✓All six recalls shown closed on the NHTSA VIN lookup
- ✓Driver airbag inflator replaced, with a dealer invoice dated 2017 or later
- ✓Hybrid: IMA battery pack replaced with a Honda invoice in the last few years
- ✓Manual: driveshafts inspected or replaced under 20V770 with the paperwork
- ✓Clear headlight lenses and doors that stay locked for the whole test drive
Found a specific Acura ILX?
This page covers what goes wrong on the 2013 Acura ILX in general. The Kestrel report covers this specific car— the asking price vs. market, the photos, the seller's description, and a BUY / NEGOTIATE / WALK AWAY verdict with a negotiation script.
Get My Verdict — $7.99No account required. Delivered to your inbox, usually within minutes.
Not ready to pay for one? The free read is instant and needs no card — it checks the asking price against the market and names the top issues for this year. It stops short of the verdict, because that needs the photos.
Known issues on this page are based on documented owner reports, NHTSA complaints, class-action records, and manufacturer technical service bulletins. Individual vehicles vary. A pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic is always worth doing.
No bullshit, no upsells, no affiliate links. One report, one price — we'll never charge you rent for your own thinking.
Think we got something wrong? Tell us — a real person reads every message.