2013 Acura TSX: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
33 NHTSA owner complaints · 4 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 33 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 2.54
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
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.
Power steering electronic module went out and can’t find any replacements. Other models as the same as mine have been recalled.
I first reported this on July 7, 2023 under NHTSA ID#11530893. 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. Fortunately there was no vehicles in neighboring lanes as we swerved and got out of harms way. Continental Tire dealer …
Recalls: 4 campaigns (4 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 18V042000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Acura TSX, ZDX, Honda Accord Crosstour, Fit, Insight and Pilot vehicles, 2011-13 Acura TSX Sportswagon, 2010-2012 Honda Accord,, 2010-2011 Honda Civic, Civic NGV, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles and 2013 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles ever registered in the states of Alabama, California,… |
| 19V378000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, 2012-2014 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2013 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The front passenger air bag inflator… |
| 19V502000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic Hybrid, 2008-2010 Civic GX NGV, 2012-2015 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2014 Fit EV, 2010-2014 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The vehicles are… |
| 18V661000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Insight and Acura TSX and TSX Wagon, 2014-2015 Honda Crosstour and Pilot vehicles nationwide, as well as certain 2014 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, California, American Samoa, Guam, the… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size premium car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 25 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,050
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Steering19 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Air Bags5 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Electrical System3 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Service Brakes3 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Tires2 complaints · typical job: Tyre replacement and TPMS service, per axle (1.0 h labour + parts)$340–$1,020
- Chest Clip1 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Acura TSX?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Steering (19 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2013 Acura TSX a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 79/100, computed from 33 NHTSA complaints and 4 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2013 Acura TSX's most common problem?
19 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2013 Acura TSX sit in the Steering group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement: about 5.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,020–$2,500 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2013 Acura TSX cost to run per year?
About $5,448 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $27,240 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2013 Acura TSX have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for the 2013 Acura TSX, 4 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 09/01/2018. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other luxury midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2013 Acura TSX really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Thin evidence — 33 complaints, 4 recalls on record
- 33 NHTSA complaints on record (2.5/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (2.8/yr)
- 4 recall campaigns, 4 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality