AI Damage2013 Acura TSX: common problems
Owners of the 2013 Acura TSX filed 33 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 33
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Steering 58% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 15% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 9% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 9% of all complaints
- 5 Tires 6% of all complaints
- 6 Electronic stability control 3% of all complaints
- 7 Engine 3% of all complaints
- 8 Exterior lighting 3% of all complaints
- Steering: 19 complaints (58% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 5 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (9% of all).
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (9% of all).
- Tires: 2 complaints (6% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 5-speed
- manual, 6-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 33 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The airbags did not deploy when I got in the front end accident
A week later vehicle lost steering mobility. We had baton rouge, la acura dealership run a diagnostic. They failed to determine if the failure was directly associated with rear-end collision. I would say so. That is fine lil tough car. We are the second owners.
ABS / VSA module failed at 90k miles causing spongy brakes. Acura quoted me $3500 for a new module which is more than the value of the car.
My wife was driving when the Continental tire size 225/50/R17 suddenly blew out at approximately 70 MPH. Immediately pulled to shoulder of highway. This was a very tense moment at speed running on the rim to get immediately off the road.
The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The tires were replacement tires. The failure mileage was approximately 126,500.
On each occasion, the battery was drained due to the Bluetooth Module being defective. The dealer has confirmed the problem. This poses a substantial safety risk
However, no warning light came on and I was not going to fast for the weather or road conditions. I did not hit any pot holes or anything else to cause the part to fail. When I went to apply my brakes the brakes felt soft and spongy and I was concern with the car not stopping.
The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the passengerâs side air bag sensor warning light remained illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,523 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 18% most complained about).
On average one model year of the TSX has 61 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 33, below average.
What to check before buying
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Acura TSX?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, air bags, electrical system. Total complaints: 33. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (45%), warning lights, check engine (9%), airbags did not deploy (3%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2013 Acura TSX?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2013 Acura TSX from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2013 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.