CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2013-2014 Honda Accord is showing signs of an electrical problem with the starter failing soon after the 36K mile warranty expires. It's compounded by reports that the OEM battery doesn't have sufficient amps to start the V6 reliably after a year or two.

For now we are rating this problem with the "Beware" seal because it's occurring so soon after the 36K mile warranty expires. The upshot is when your Accord won't start, that's never good, but especially bad when it's just a few years old.

Also once again, owners are complaining that the 2013 Honda Accord seats are uncomfortable. Uncomfortable seats has been a significant complaint with the Accord since the 2008 model year.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
23,223 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2013 Honda Accord drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2013 Honda Accord Owner Comments (Page 3 of 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #49

Mar 262016

Accord

  • 32,400 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I parked my car in our home garage after driving 15-20 miles. An hour later, when I tried to take the car out, at ignition it just refused to start. I got many dashboard chattering indicators on but no engine cranking. Tried couple of times but same results. Checked head lights and found them bright and ok indicating no possible battery issue. Then I jump started from our other car parked next to it. It started almost immediately. But the dashboard indicators remained 'on'. I used vehicle setting menu and selected factory default reset. But the indicators remained 'on'. I took the car for a short drive. As soon as I drove some 15-20 feet, the indicators went off. I drove for some time and tried to stop the engine and restart it couple times without any problems. In my case, I was fortunate to have this happened at home garage and not middle of the road. But when I tried to research online about this problem, I found many such similar complaints and some of them were indicating possible 'bad' starter issue which required $800-1000 for the replacement and repairs. My car is around 18 months old with clean records of regular maintenance. The car has logged around 32,400 miles and maintained with care. As a concerned owner, after reading those online complaints and reports, I thought of sharing my issue here and record it too. I see there are enough similar complaints to arrive at there could be a faulty component (may be starter or something else, I am not an expert) which might need attention and possible recall repairs by the manufacturer

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #48

May 012014

Accord

  • 40,000 miles
I bought my 2013 Accord sport new. Almost immediately I noticed that after I start it and put it in drive, it would not go anywhere. Slight press of the acceleration pedal and slowly it would move forward, however within approximately a minute the acceleration pedal press and the vehicle moving would work as they should. Since I only considered this an inconvenience, even though this is not " normal", I ignored the issue. In mid 2014, while driving on the freeway, in los angeles, the vehicle's electrical system and the dashboard went completely out, only to flicker back to life within the next two seconds. A few months after, with no warning and for no apparent reason, while I attempted to start the vehicle, I discovered it to be completely dead. No clicks, no flickering lights. I replaced the battery at about 25K miles. Over the next year, the sudden electrical short, where the dashboard electronics and everything electrical on the car would turn off suddenly, continued. Every two months on average I would experience an episode, some while driving, some when I was stationary, with the engine running for couple of minutes. Beginning of 2016, I attempted to start the vehicle, again no sign of life, out of the blue. I jump started it, had it checked, no apparent problems or issues with the battery. End of March 2016, same problem. I went to start the vehicle, it turned the dashboard lights on, then it died...no clicks, no lights flickering. I had it checked by a mechanic, could not find anything wrong with it. I don't know what to do.I liked what Honda used to represent, I am not sure anymore about its reliability.

- Encino, CA, USA

problem #47

Mar 132016

Accord

  • 40,318 miles
I have a 2013 Honda Accord sport that is only 2.5 years old with 40,318 miles. The vehicle kept hesitating to start for about a week. I would play with key and then it would start. On Sunday, I stopped vehicle to put gas. Then it didn't start. I brought battery to auto zone and it was fine. I called Honda road hazard to have towed to Honda dealership. They put on diagnostic and it was a bad starter. The 36,000 mile warranty ended. The repair was not covered. The parts and labor were $896.34 to fix. I still haven't received bill for tow that wasn't covered. This should be a recall with multiple other complaints for this same repair. This is practically a new car with thirty more car payments. Honda used to be reliable. At least it killed in a gas station with people. I could have been stranded in dark parking lot. It was late in afternoon and the tow took over 45 minutes to arrive. A new car should start.

- Youngsville, LA, USA

problem #46

Mar 122016

Accord

  • 42,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

A few months ago, my 2013 Honda Accord sport with 42K miles became hesitant to start. A turn of the key and I just heard clicks, after 3-5 tries it usually started on up. The problem progressed, yet I continued to "make due", I started putting the car in neutral to start it, and even had to be jumped off a few times. Eventually in early February my battery went bad, and I purchased a new one. On March 12,2016 my car refused to start. I had to have it towed to the dealership I purchased the car from - in 2013 with 18 miles on it...on 3/14/16 I was just informed that my starter is bad. To replace the starter it will be $850....not including the diagnostic fee of $110 and the towing cost of $80, all because this doesn't fall under the 3/36K warranty that is standard with Honda. Seems like a ridiculous price to pay, especially after seeing the other complaint on this site of other Honda owners with the same issue. I personally feel this should be a recall on Honda part. 2013 was the first year they made the Honda Accord sport edition ( I was told at the dealership), obviously something went awry at the factory. When I called the dealership to explain my problem, I gave the year, make, and model of my car. The technician that answered the phone replied with "oh, yes MA'am, I just spoke with you 10 minutes agoi?" it was the first time I had called. That tells me there are other 2013 Honda Accord sport owners experiencing the same problem. Make it right Honda!!

- Augusta, GA, USA

problem #45

Nov 222015

Accord

  • 25,000 miles
In November 2015 and again in January 2016 I was slowing down to move into a parking space (once in a parking lot and another on a side street) when my car had a sudden jolt of power. Fortunately, because I was going at a slower speed I was able to immediately hit the brake and come to a stop, but both times it was within inches of hitting the vehicle in front of me. The jolt was sudden and is not the same surge of power one feels if you step heavy on the gas pedal.

- Fort Collins, CO, USA

problem #44

Oct 152015

Accord

  • 45,000 miles
After my 2013 Honda Accord with cvt transmission sits for awhile (1- 2 days) without being moved, the transmission will not engage. It doesn't matter if it is in reverse or neutral. When I press on the gas pedal, the engine revs but the car doesn't do anything. After about 30 seconds, the car will move, but very slowly although the rpms are high. The car is fine after about a minute. My car now has 45,000 miles but it has had the problem since 30,000 miles. I have taken it to the dealership twice, but the service manager said "it is at factory specifications and they can't get it to duplicate the problem." I also called the Honda hotline, but they could or would not help. They told me I would just have to work with the dealership. My town only has one dealership; so, I guess I'm out of luck. Don't buy a Honda with the cvt transmission.

- Amarillo, TX, USA

problem #43

Mar 162013

Accord

  • 10 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Since delivery date of vehicle from dealer my vehicles navigation and stereo have not worked. I brought it in the service dept could not figure out what was wrong, they replaced the navigation and stereo and the problem still to this day exist. When this radio is on sometimes it freezes and the nav unit states the radio is off and other times it just stays on, volume increases on its own, cannot use touch screen, cannot change stations and then the lights on the dash go on and off and car shuts off. I have gone online and see that there are many other people reporting the same problem and when I take it to the dealer if it goes back to working the service dept tells me that they cannot diagnose the problem to keep driving it and bring it back. On Sept 21 I brought it in to dealer and it shut off at dealer 3X's making them jump start it and I have once again received my car with no assurance that it works. They said the battery and computer test come back ok but they changed the battery in hopes that that will resolve the issue. It is 9/24/15 and same thing happened this morning. But since after 3 hours of trying to turn it back on it did and I cant go back to being without a car because I have a 2 year old daughter, have to work and know the dealer will say its working again I have to just pray it will not happen while on the road

- Bloomfield, NJ, USA

problem #42

Aug 082014

Accord

  • 9,205 miles
This vehicle has been fine up to 9,205 miles. We have bought this vehicle back three times to our Honda dealer including this original date for shuttering, jerking, vibration, lagging and loss of power 0-25 M.P.H. worse with A/C or econ button on as well. Also while driving, transmission jumped out of gear then revs out then goes back into gear, this problem happened once on deceleration into a residential turn. This problem occurred after our last visit to dealer in July 2015. Vibration seems from drive line in gear and was told this is normal by dealer. These issues I feel are not normal. These problems occur in traffic and are unsettling because we are just waiting for the day for the car not to respond correctly when throttle is pushed and a rear end collision to occur or crossing an intersection because of throttle response, shuttering, jerking and lagging in power or even have an issue crossing an intersection.at highway speeds 55 M.P.H problems with shuttering and lagging not present. On 8-8-2014 the original complaint was made to my Honda dealer for these issues. We were told by dealer on that date that an update had to be performed for transmission valve body, P.C.M update, and new C.V.T fluid, the update was tsb-013-053. We rescheduled for 9-6-2014 and the update was performed( mileage at that time 10,031). This update really never solved the issue. I believe it is a transmission issue and that Honda does not know how to resolve it. Seems like service advisers (who have been courteous) are being coached in what to say to customers with their underlying issues so that the problems can be put off possibly past warranty so that they can contend with other major cost inducing recalls or T.S.B's like air bags to contend with.

- Shirley, NY, USA

problem #41

Jan 142015

Accord 4-cyl

  • 60,000 miles
For over a week my 2013 Honda sport had difficulty starting. I was thinking this was due to the cold weather and in speaking with my cousin who has same vehicle he said his did the same and it was the new technology with the cvt. So I felt ok until Wednesday January 14th I went to leave work and my car would not turn over. I had 2 people try and jump me nothing. I had to have my car towed to brown's Honda in charlottesville, va. The next day I got a call saying that my starter had gone and I would have to pay $879 to replace it. The part alone was $430 give or take. I did not have that kinda of money for I had to have my car towed to a local dealership in my town and the guy found used part of a 2013 Honda that had been in an accident. Took him all of an hour to put it on. Charged $50 for labor and part was have the price. He showed me that part that he returned to me and said it was defected. He even wrote a letter to Honda on my behalf as well. This is just ridiculous my car has yet to even see it's 3rd birthday! also my backup camera tends to go out as well. Like when a tv messes up and gets static.

- Louisa, VA, USA

problem #40

May 252014

Accord 6-cyl

  • 323 miles
05/25/14 while backing the vehicle out of my drive way I noticed the a thumping sound and a jerking from the vehicle which caused great alarm from me. I called the dealer and they told me to bring it in. When I took the vehicle in the kept it for about a day and told me that they could not find anything wrong with it and that the inspector said that the same thing was happening to a new vehicle, that the noise and jerking was just the way it was. They called it a hard shift. My car is not a daily driven vehicle being I have two other cars that I primarily use. At the time of the incident my car had aprox. 303 miles on it. Now several months later on 01/01/15 when I went to start my vehicle I noticed the same problem, and being that I had already taken it once to the dealer and them telling me nothing was wrong with it, I had no second thought of taking it out on the road. I proceeded to drive down my residential street and realized I had forgot something at home. So on the residential intersection I started to make a U turn when all of a sudden steering cut out on me in the middle of my turn. I narrowly missed oncoming traffic and stopped right before I hit the curb and a parked car. When I did stop and got my composure back I looked down and there was a steering wheel light on and a buzzing noise. All this while going no more then 6 miles and hour. At this current moment my car is less then 2 years old and has less then 400 miles on it and I cannot believe that this would happen to such a new car with so little miles on it. Following this incident I googled my car to see if I was the only one having this problem and lord behold I was not. There are numerous accounts of this happening to other people some resulting in serious accidents. But most of the cars in those incidents that I could see had about 20K to 30K miles on them and mine does not even have 1K on it yet.

- Montebello, CA, USA

problem #39

Oct 092013

Accord 4-cyl

  • 8,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Oil or fluid leak between transmission to engine mating surface.

- Ventura, CA, USA

problem #38

Nov 132013

Accord 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 250 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Honda Accord. While driving approximately 4 mph and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated. The dealer was made aware of the failure but was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 250. Updated 1/7/15 the consumer stated the vehicle's hesistation had occured since the date of purchase and continued. Updated 06/3/2015

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #37

Oct 242014

Accord 4-cyl

  • 49,500 miles
During low speed driving (approximately 30-40 mph) and squeaking noise was emitting from the right rear tire. Prior to this, the power steering warning light, anti lock brake warning light, anti skid warning light, all illuminated. When the car was diagnosed at dch Honda, temecula it was reported that the right rear wheel bearing was broken / falling apart. It was stated by the mechanic that the car would not be safe to drive until the bearing was replaced and that this was covered under the powertrain warranty. However, there was no previous notification (technical bulletins, recalls) on this issue. Drivers beware. The mechanic informed me that there was significant "play" in the rear wheel while attached to the hub. If the bearing came completely undone, the wheel could come off while driving.

- Murrieta, CA, USA

problem #36

Dec 012013

Accord

  • 10 miles
After the vehicle has been parked for a while the transmission will not engage properly. It happens in both reverse and drive. When I put my foot on the accelerator the engine revs really high (4,000 to 5,000 RPM) but the car barely moves at all. The problem goes away after about 20 - 30 seconds even after shifting gears from reverse to drive. The problem seems pretty random (I.e. it doesn't happen all the time), but I have figured out a way to make it happen more frequently. If the car is parked on an angle such as the driver side lower than the passenger side such as in sloped parking lot, or the front higher than the back on an incline like my driveway. I am concerned that there is a defect in the transmission. This is safety related because with the engine at a very high RPM if the transmission finally "kicks in" it would create a dangerous situation - image a car unexpectedly lunging forward or in reverse out of control.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #35

Sep 022013

Accord 4-cyl

  • 1,000 miles
Upon acceleration from a stop or a speed under 15 mph, the car occasionally hesitates for 2-4 seconds. Nearly have gotten T-boned several times when making a left turn well in front of approaching traffic. Have been to dealer three times. They installed a hardware/software to the cvt to no avail, but have been unable to duplicate, as it typically happens about once a week. This is definitely a safety issue.

- West Melbourne, FL, USA

problem #34

May 012013

Accord 4-cyl

  • 1,000 miles
When the car is cold, occasionally the 2013 Accord cvt has a lot of difficulty moving in drive or reverse. When the vehicle is acting up, I have to push the throttle over half way down to back the car out of the driveway. Depending on how cold and how long the car has been sitting, this may continue as I drive down the road. I can push the throttle half way or almost all the way down and the vehicle barely moves. Sometimes if I rock it between drive and reverse it will operate normally. The problem resolves after a few minutes, but the car is very unpredictable to drive as it requires so much throttle to move at a slow speed.

- Snoqualmie, WA, USA

problem #33

Jan 152013

Accord 6-cyl

  • 69,000 miles
Automatic transmission slipped out of gear and into lower gear, cause very high engine revs and sharp deceleration. I was able to re-engage transmission after slowing down to near stop, shifting into neutral, and then shifting into 2nd. It was a dangerous situation as I was on an urban interstate highway. From thereafter, this would re-occur periodically and gradually increased in frequency.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #32

Oct 292013

Accord 6-cyl

  • 6,559 miles
This car has the V6 engine in it. I noticed a slight vibration when driving at about 40 mph when the car had 6500 miles on it. I took it to the dealer and they kept it for a week and said their experts in California could not see it on the computer data collected. Over a period of several months, I had it in for the same issue and finally they replaced the torque converter. The issue got considerable worse after that. I brought it back several more times, a total of over 30 days in their shop, and they now say this is normal for the car. They say the variable cylinder management (vcm) system is pulsing at 50 hz to save fuel and this pulsing causes a resonance that I am feeling and hearing. They say it is not a safety issue but I don't believe them. The vibration and noise now occurs at any speed from 15 to 60 mph. In my experience, any mechanical system that hits a resonate frequency eventually fails. The dealer's one mechanic told me this is the worst he has ever felt or heard but he can't do anything about it unless the California boys approve it. He said if he unplugs the vcm the noise and vibration go away. They told me if I paid them $6500 they would give me a new car. Any help you could provide would be appreciated.

- Acworth, GA, USA

problem #31

Aug 012013

Accord 4-cyl

  • 10,000 miles
First incident was approx in Aug, 2013. Driving on the highway accelerating at 36-40 mph, car starting shuddering and lunging forward, loud noise coming from car and it wouldn't accelerate. Slowing down didn't help- it made it shudder more. Pulled off road thinking, maybe a flat tire" I stopped the car checked and nothing.I was shaken up because the car was jerking and shuddering and you couldn't control it.I let it sit, while driving home, it had difficulty accelerating to the speed limit of 50. It then shuddered as the car slowed down when you took your foot off the gas, let it coast to a stop w/O applying the brakes. Trying to accelerate, it was very sluggish, then it kicked in and took off. As if the A/C was on, straining the engine. I called the dealer and of course, couldn't duplicate it. They insisted nothing was wrong and it was just some odd incident. I know what the car did. I drove it for almost a year, experiencing this off and on but not to that degree the first time, with the shuddering when you slowed down and the lack of acceleration and then the "kick in"... it got pretty bad in the mid part of July, 2014. This was happening more frequently. The lack of acceleration - big problem with expressway driving. Took it to the dealer, they indicated a service bulletin had been issued. They ordered a kit (valve") and replaced the hardware and adjusted the software per the recommendation of Honda.it seemed to be fixed, for five days. It started losing acceleration on the highway, I could barely get to 70 mph in very heavy traffic. Dangerous! I took the vehicle to the dealer again 10 days later and told them it wasn't fixed. The head service tech drove it, wont duplicate. They are trying to troubleshoot. I'm concerned that driving this vehicle for a year with this problem has caused permanent damage to the transmission. I notified american Honda.

- Plainfield, IL, USA

problem #30

Jan 282014

Accord 4-cyl

  • 5,000 miles
When car has been sitting for a long period (overnight or during the day while at work) the cvt transmission initially does not engage. The tachometer shows increased engine revs but the car barely moves. After ~ 30 seconds transmission starts to work normally. This happens intermittently (~ 3 - 4 times per month). Dealer could not reproduce problem (not surprising given frequency of occurrence) and claims there is no problem whatsoever. I'm concerned about the reliability of the transmission and whether this problem will manifest itself in a more dangerous situation.

- Vernon Hills, IL, USA

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