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:
8 / 5
Injuries / Deaths:
6 / 0
Average Mileage:
36,655 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 electrical problems

electrical problem

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2013 Honda Accord Owner Comments (Page 1 of 18)

problem #356

Aug 102024

Accord

  • miles

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

I was driving into a parking spot and the car started flickering, the screen turned off and the steering locked and would not allow me to move the car at all even though it was in drive.

- San Dimas, CA, USA

problem #355

Aug 022024

Accord

  • miles
The car has just over 91,000 miles on it and the push button start is working only intermittently. I know I-??m not the only one because the online forums are full of started problems with these. It-??s my only car and Honda has known for years it is a problem with these.

- Rainsville, AL, USA

problem #354

Jul 012023

Accord

  • miles
The ABS module is malfunctioning which is a common issue with this car and should have been recalled many years ago.

- Pineville, NC, USA

problem #353

Jul 172024

Accord

  • miles

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

When starting the engine and while driving at speeds of 60+MPH, Malfunction lamp, FCW, VSA, LDW, Low tire pressure (TPMS), ECON mode, and EPS warning lights come on and vehicles slows to 10 MPH. Vehicle will remain in this condition until restarted which may or may not resolve the issue. Car will drive but not at speed desired and vehicles appears/sounds as if it is trying to change gears but cannot. The car continues to try to slow down to lower speeds.

- Tulsa, OK, USA

problem #352

Jul 012024

Accord

  • miles
The ABS/VSA Module failure: Tire pressure, traction control, steering, Lane Departure Warning (LDW), and Forward Collision Warning (FCW) dash lights come on; the vehicle is available for inspection upon request, pending recall or private repair. The safety of the driver, passengers, and outside parties is at risk in case of brake failure or brake locking in a situation where the LDW or FCW has failed to alert the driver of a pending collision. The dealer conducted a diagnostic service on the morning of 07/01/2024 indicating ABS Module and Brake Flush, codes $81.19 and $81.20, with a repair cost of $2,385.49 for the ABS Module part and labor of 4.95 ($3335.49) and Brake Flush labor of.8 ($179.95) for a total cost of $3,575.44. The vehicle or parts have not been inspected by police, insurance representatives, or others, although Galpin Honda performed the above diagnostic. The vehicle dashboard lights mentioned above come on shortly after driving the vehicle at times, with the lights alternating between on and off at any given start-up-?"they can light up or be off at start-up/drive-off.

- Arleta, CA, USA

problem #351

Jun 012019

Accord

  • miles
My vehicle dash has been displaying the TPMS light (blinking then solid), Power Steering, Traction control light for the past year to two. I have checked my tire pressure they are to specifications the sensors are fine, my traction control does not respond to the button in the car to enable or disable the traction control. I thankfully have not yet lost power steering but the light is on. I had researched the problem and have found several and I mean several honda accord owners all with the same problem. Only yesterday did my ABS light on my dash turned on and has consistently stayed on (on occasion would turn off like the others but then reappear). Based on internet searches and forums all things point to a faulty ABS module, a module countless honda accord owners have indicated Honda is aware of such fault and expect honda owners to pay an exorbitant amount of money to repair it when its a model wide issue. The danger this poses is the uncertainty of the reliability of these features that are meant to keep motorists safe. To make matters worse I am concerned about the safety of my family with a toddler and infant when riding my vehicle. This is not something that broke down due to negligence on the vehicle owners part. This is a manufacturer issue that affects every single honda accord from 2013 through 2022. To make matters worse when people tried to get the ABS module fixed its unavailable. Honda needs to repair all these modules and a recall needs to be issued. This is unacceptable. I will be very hesitant to buy another Honda again.

- West Covina, CA, USA

problem #350

Mar 282024

Accord

  • miles

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

I lost control of vehicle while driving because the electrical steering motor stopped working. I-??ve had the electric starter already replaced twice with Honda parts and it-??s still not working. There-??s something wrong with the steering. I already placed a complaint and I have not heard back from Honda or NHTSA. I sent letters to NYS Senators Schumer and Hillabrand and I have not yet heard back from them yet either. I sent letters emails to Congress and the Senate transportation committees. I-??ve found testimonials for the same issues online even with videos. I just read a complaint that was nearly identical the experience I had except it happened in 2020. The power steering stops and starts same for the cars starter and windows. I took the car to Honda dealer to repair it on March [XXX], 2024. I now have a car repair bill for $8500 at Curry Honda in Yorktown Heights. They said I needed to replace entire exhaust system $3000 because they couldn-??t get to the steering column without taking down the fragile exhaust system. Basically, I had no choice. In order to start the repairs they wanted a $4,500 down payment which I paid. They-??ve now had the car for 37 days. They described the steering column and motor system as being completely corroded to the point where the steering column was going to snap/break. What they said at the Honda dealer was the Honda steering motor and wiring was completely corroded which is not common. A few weeks later they told me that the knuckle/ball bearings were rusted out and that all the shock absorbers needed replaced as they were also rusted out even the screws according to them. They said these should all be replaced or I would fail inspection. The bill went from $3000 to $4700 to $6200 to $7900 to now $8500 includes tax. They-??re still working on the vehicle and they-??ve had it since March [XXX], it-??s now May [XXX], 2024. I-??ve asked them for the parts that they-??re removing and they said they-??ll save the parts. Do you want them" Recall" INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM O

- Yorktown Heights, NY, USA

problem #349

Dec 082023

Accord

  • 120,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the traction control, vehicle stability assist, the low tire pressure, and steering wheel symbols were illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle but was worried that the warnings had indicated a larger mechanical failure with the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the ABS module and motherboard needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #348

Apr 062023

Accord

  • miles
Several Dashboard lights came on. Electric Steering, Tire Pressure Sensor, Traction Control, ABS, Brake lights. Paid 300 dollar diagnostic fee for Honda dealer to tell me this is a known issue on Hondas and would cost 3,000 dollars to repair. Final verdict, ABS module needs replacement. Also seems to be causing issues with the transmission shift points due to the Vehicle speed sensor having an error with code P-0717 input shaft speed error. Upon doing research, the mother board connections from connector to the motherboard are very thin and lose connection over time causing safety issues since it's unknown if the ABS is working correctly with the fault lights on, also the tire pressure is not currently monitored correctly due to the light is always on among other monitored systems that have lights illuminated on the dashboard.

- Franklin, TN, USA

problem #347

Oct 122013

Accord

  • miles
Hoping to take care of the starter grinding on startup for my 2013 Honda Accord V6-?? It-??s a known issue with the 2013-2017 Accord V6 redesigned starter (starter part number 31200-5G0-A02). Honda's fix (TSB 16-002) is yet another redesigned starter (redesign of the redesigned starter part number 31200-5G0-A04 ), plus a one time only one hole rotation of the flywheel. In the TSB 16-002 it states: If replacing the starter with the redesigned starter and rotating the flywheel doesn't work, then the next course of action is to replace the torque converter (which is not cheap and who knows if it-??s a good fix-??REALLY). I had the starter and engine battery replaced before on this car at a Honda dealership to correct the problem. Needless to say, it did not correct the screeching noises upon pushing the start engine button. The safety of the driver and the occupants will be in peril when being stuck in hazardous weather (storms, heat alert indexes, snow, freezing weather) without the ability to start the car. This is a design flaw that Honda clearly knows about with no solution in sight. I already had this repaired before at a Honda dealership, but it never corrected the problem. Honda needs to initiate a recall since it knows it-??s a massive problem by issuing a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB 16-002).

- Okemos, MI, USA

problem #346

Mar 262024

Accord

  • miles

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

ABS Contol Module Failure. Error code 81-19. Ther is a major defect with the modules failing from 2013 through 2017 Hondas. There are so many failing that there are no parts in the market and the part cost around $1600. this is a safety concern as abs breaks can lock up.

- Glendora, CA, USA

problem #345

Sep 052023

Accord

  • miles
ABS Control Module failure. This is a safety issue because it causes the anti-lock brakes and traction control to not work. Cost of repair $2,537.95 at Honda dealership. Representative seen the lit up dashboard and knew exactly what the issue was before technician even diagnosed it. Told me that the chip to fix it has been out of stock for well over a year.

- Indianapolis , IN, USA

problem #344

Feb 282023

Accord

  • 140,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Honda Accord. The contact stated that there was a vibrating rumbling sound while starting the vehicle. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA ID Number: 10088442 (Electrical System) however, the vehicle was not included. The vehicle had not been taken to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.

- Richmond, VA, USA

problem #343

Feb 052024

Accord

  • miles
Unknown

- Providence, RI, USA

problem #342

Dec 202023

Accord

  • miles
Dear NHTSA, I am writing to urgently bring to your attention a pervasive issue with the starter in Honda Accord 2013 models equipped with a push-start system. The problem began in January 2023, leading to the replacement of the car battery, brakes, and tire sensors. Despite these efforts, the issue persisted, prompting the replacement of the starter in December 2023. However, within two weeks, the newly replaced starter failed again. The problem recurred on January 09, 2024, despite cumulative repairs exceeding $3000. I have found numerous online complaints from other Honda Accord 2013 owners, indicating a widespread problem that requires immediate investigation to ensure the safety of vehicle owners. If additional information or clarification is required, please do not hesitate to contact me at [XXX] Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Monterey, CA, USA

problem #341

Dec 262023

Accord

  • miles
I have had car serviced faithfully since ownership in 2013. Last visit to dealer I was informed that the VSA modulator control unit has malfunctioned. It-??s very concerning that there has not been a recall on this since it impacts brakes, tires, steering. I am requesting a replacement of this modulator at no charge.

- Woodford, VA, USA

problem #340

Nov 222023

Accord

  • miles
The passenger side window stop and starts and when it gets to full close, it opens back up on its own a few inches. For another Honda Accord that I own if the same year, the passenger window does not go up/down from the drivers side.

- Yorktown Heights, NY, USA

problem #339

Dec 292023

Accord

  • miles
Lost ability to steer vehicle. It was impossible to steer the car. The car was running on and in one instance moving at low sped in my own driveway. There have been 3 instances when this happens. The problem went away after turning the car off and restarting the vehicle. 2) the starter won-??t start on occasion as it takes multiple attempts to start vehicle. 3) I had to replace the starter and also a sensor forward collision sensor so the entire dashboard display for every light would turn off. Literally, every light on the dashboard turns on, even for low tire pressure. The bidders concern from operation perspective is the steering. There-??s no doubt in my mind that this is a critical and serious defect with this make and model of the 2013 Honda Accord. I looked online and there are literally thousands of reports of the same issue. There are complaints of uncontrollable steering too. One gentleman did a YouTube video demonstrating what-??s happening. I will do the same for the steering in this vehicle the next time it happens. Why hasn-??t the NHTSA issued a mandatory recall and forced Honda to make this recall happen now. I hope this isn-??t a political decision because I know lives are in serious jeopardy with this loss of ability to steer the vehicle with no warning. Lastly, I-??ve bought and owned 5 Honda in my lifetime: 3 Honda Accords, 1 Odyssey and 1 Pilot and I-??ve never needs to file a complaint in the past as they-??ve always been a reliable, safe vehicle. I-??m extremely concerned about this problem and I urge NHTSA and Honda to do the right thing and issue an immediate recall to remedy this issue. You are now aware of this issue in a formal complaint and it appears that there are already several thousand complaints based on what-??s online. Please take action.

- Yorktown Heights, NY, USA

problem #338

Oct 262023

Accord

  • miles
Info Entertainment System. It was going on and off I took it to Honda and the price was well over $1,200. I have taken my car for maintenance only to Honda and think that at 120,000 miles after I replaced the starter a month before that this car should be working in full condition. I am a senior and now the radio Bluetooth cameras are no longer available. Called Honda customer service to ask for help I know 2013 was the first year they used this system because I have and XL Accord. when I called the Rep she said honda had a Goodwill program and sure they could help me, then the second girl called and customer service and said please send me your car dealers mechanic price and Diagnostics. I scan them in and sent it to her Next day the third person in customer service called and said oh I'm sorry you are over the 90,000 warranty. But I told her customer service lady number One never said anything about the Goodwill program being s 90,000 mile warrenty. A bulony story. No help either from the email I sent to a Mr Corbin VP vomplaunts. now I have to drive around and as a senior I would like to have my cameras working anda radio. Bluetooth. I have no working camera and all the maintenance I have done on the car I am really upset I do not have any of it and I cannot go very far for example when a family member got very sick I could not travel in dark to that area because the car is not helpful without that connection.. Yes I can use the GPS on my phone but it is ridiculous that now that I have paid this car off that at 120,000 miles I'm going to have to get rid of it and I just can't afford a new one. They should fix it for less than $1,300. As a senior I really need the cameras working and I've never heard of any car without a radio. I know now that the younger cars also have the info system problem on recall. Mine should also be on that recall list. Can you help? I feel they left me rude, without even a sorry or suggestion

- Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

problem #337

Oct 022023

Accord

  • miles
intermittent warning signal lights on on all three components: ABS, power steering, TPMS. It is being shown on the internet and youtube that the ABS module has faulty soldering inside that connections break easily. We need honda to recall this as this is a known problem if you search around on the internet.

- San Diego, CA, USA

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