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.

7.9

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$620
Average Mileage:
54,100 miles
Total Complaints:
116 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. replaced the starter (63 reports)
  2. not sure (21 reports)
  3. dealer replaced the starter (15 reports)
  4. replace starter (12 reports)
  5. dealer replaced the starter which fixed the problem (2 reports)
  6. replace starter, flexplate, rotate torque converter (2 reports)
2013 Honda Accord electrical problems

electrical problem

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2013 Honda Accord Owner Comments (Page 2 of 6)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #96

Aug 252016

Accord 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 34,000 miles

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

We bought our first Honda for my wife. A brand new 2013 Honda accord. I thought this would be a reliable car with good resale value. Boy was I wrong! First a front wheel bearing went out at about 25,000 mi., luckily this was under warranty. Then at around 34,000 starting problems. Would have to push start button several times to start, then it would be ok for awhile. I saw a video of how Honda changed the starter so now the bushings in the starter become corroded and the starter fails. This is BS!! Honda should have a recall on this defect in the starter! This will be the last Honda we ever buy! I'm going to replace the starter at a cost of 730.00 at Honda dealer and sell this piece of crap!

- Brad L., Circle Pines, US

problem #95

Jul 022018

Accord

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100,310 miles

Push start has to be pushed four or five times before cars starts up. Don't believe its the starter like the dealer wants me to believe. After view You Tube, I strongly believe its the ignition sensor. Honda dealer wants $160.00 just to diagnose the problem. From what You Tube is saying that the ignition sensor is a on going problem with the 2013 Honda. and they can't believe that Honda hasn't recalled this sensor. Not sure if I'll buy another Honda, because they are starting not to be honest. This is the 5th Honda I have own.

- smchilds, Waldorf, US

problem #94

Apr 302018

Accord ES 3.2L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 51,000 miles

At the beginning it randomly happened. Sometimes it cannot start, only the light on. After I restart, it will start normally. After a week or so, the engine completely cannot start. I tried to jump start with battery pack, however. I called the road assistant to tow the car. When the tow truck came, the driver can jump start the engine.

I brought the car to the dealer. After diagnostic, I was told that the problem is in the starter. The cost is about $890 + tax.

This is the first time I have the starter problem. It is only 4.5 years car and 51K.

Honda was always my priority because of their reliability...but maybe not anymore.

- F B., San Jose, US

problem #93

Jun 152018

Accord LX 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 28,000 miles

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

Very, very sad. We are a Honda Family. We have a 2013 Accord (first owner) and just bought a 2015 Odyssey.

On the Accord we have only 28,000 miles. About 4.5 years. Out of warranty. The vehicle does not crank about 50% of the times. It starts within 4-5 tries.

Took it to the dealership (Larry Hopkin Honda in Sunnyvale). Highway robbery. They said the Starter needs replacing. However, they said that to give that in writing (which is what the Honda America Main Company needs), they will charge ~$180. We got it diagnosed by a local mechanic for ~$80. He said you need a new starter.

Honda America Customer Support (1-800-999-1009) said that I'm pretty much on my own. No warranty. They said that however if I get a diagnosis from a Honda Dealer, then they may consider a loyalty discount. However, no guarantees. So I'm stuck paying $160 to another dealer (South Bay Honda) to get the starter replacement recommendation in writing, and then pay about $760 to Honda to get the Starter replaced (parts + labour). This is insane given that this is such a common complaint and the vehicle has so few miles.

I am tempted to go with a local mechanic and doing this cheaply without warranty, but this is crazy expensive, given that I just paid for another Odyssey just a few weeks ago. I am scared of the Honda's. Folks are even complaining about the starter for the Odyssey.

Honda, please listen to this and take some action. Please do a recall and reimburse customers who have to deal with a bad manufactured part.

- Nishit S., Sunnyvale, CA, US

problem #92

May 212018

Accord LX 4

  • Manual transmission
  • 60,000 miles

2013 Accord 4 cyl 6m trans. Same as other posters, first the battery died. Definitely the battery was bad, all the classic symptoms. Month or so later, turn the key and lights come on but engine doesn't crank. It takes 2 or 3 tries then cranks and starts like normal. I ordered the brush holder assembly, I'll see how that works.

Update from Jul 16, 2018: Update: Replacing the brush holder completely solved the problem.

Update from Jul 23, 2018: I purchased the brush holder set, P/N 31210-5A2-A01, from HondaPartsNow.com. Price was $28.16 plus shipping. If you have the skill to remove and replace the starter, you should be able to replace the brush ring.

- Dan H., Pilot, US

problem #91

Jun 052018

Accord 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 65,000 miles

Just completed a call to Honda concerning getting a starter replaced on a car that is only 4 yrs old. My previous car (Saturn) was 12 yrs old with 150K miles and still had it's original starter. I thought Honda was a good car. I am very disappointed with the quality and will never buy another Honda and will not recommend them to anyone I know! Honda offered no assistance on the cost to repair. This starter should be a recall item - Honda knows they are defective. I will probably contact a local Consumer Watch Dog group to draw more attention to this issue. I am additionally concerned as the replacement was a refurb due to the high cost. I assume since Honda removed the original starter from my car that was defective that they will sell it as a refurb to some one else. So this will be an ongoing issue for all Honda Accord owners with starter problems. Other than being able to stop your car when needed - I believe that being able to start it is right up there as a basic necessity! So disappointed.

- db1, Delray Beach, US

problem #90

Feb 022018

Accord EX 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 15,660 miles

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

When I push start button sometimes the dash lights and radio come on, but will not engage starter. Then I turn everything off and try again. At times it has taken six tries before the car starts. Dealer says they haven't seen this problem. They checked battery and found it was good. I called Honda but customer service lady does not have access to maintenance or complaint records. She gave me another number but they were no help. I have seen others on this site and they had to replace the starter. This car only has 15600 miles so hard to believe it is a starter problem.

- tomi60, Victoria, US

problem #89

May 092018

Accord LX 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 47,000 miles

My 2013 Honda Accord needed a new starter at only 47,000 miles. Fortunately, I had coverage for it under the extended warranty. I did a search and found this website with the many complaints about this issue; it is very disappointing that Honda has not issued a recall for the starters. I also saw online that this problem affects 2013-2015 Accord models. Owners who had had this problem and don't have warranty coverage should not have to pay hundreds of dollars out of their pockets (mine would have been $900) to replace a part that is obviously defective.

- Kathy S., Osseo, MN, US

problem #88

Feb 032018

Accord LX 2.4L 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 40,000 miles

Like most complaints about the starter on a number of 2013 Accords, mine started acting up when I hit 40K miles. I took it to a local Honda dealer and they checked the starter, alternator, battery, etc. and said every thing was fine...which it wasn't. I kept track of the starting and about 50% of the time my car would start on the first try, then about 30% on the 2nd try, and the other 20%, sometimes up to 6 attempts before it started. Like most, the dash would light up when I turned the key but sometimes nothing at all happened.

The fix: I guess the dealer would have replaced the starter at my insistence but the starter was $485.00 plus labor and this just seemed unreasonable. Like some others have noted, I checked E-bay and picked up a brand new starter for $84. I checked around and got to labor quotes from repair shops ($150 & $120) so bottom line my problem is fixed , car works fine, and total cost was about $204.

- Morris C., Prairieville, LA, US

problem #87

Aug 162017

Accord EX-L V6

  • Manual transmission
  • 65,000 miles

Had an issue with the starter so I had it replaced and the torque converter rotated as suggested by the Honda TSB 16-002. All seemed for 7 months now the problem is back. Honda needs to put out a recall for this problem and reimburse those who have already paid out of pocket!

- Colin M., Mount Sinai, US

problem #86

Apr 102018

Accord EXL V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 39,300 miles

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

I have a 2013 Honda EX-L v6, with only 39,500. Already the starter needs to be replaced. Does anyone know whether Honda will reimburse the cost for this, because based on all of the complaints this should be a recall.

- pillster, Beaumont, US

problem #85

Jan 302018

Accord LX 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 54,000 miles

I bought a 2013 Honda Accord and just over 39k miles, I was having issues with the car starter. I'd engage, the dash would light up, but nothing would happen. It started as it would take only 2-3 tries, but quickly turned to the last day before taking it in, took a few minutes to get it to turn.

The person at the Honda dealership I took the car to said she's seen this a lot in the 4 cylinder Accords, and she wasn't surprised. That was concerning on a 4-year-old car. I'll say the Honda dealerships are always great and they don't build the cars.

Unfortunately, this is going to put a bad taste in my mouth about Honda. The first car I drove 10 years ago was a '99 Honda Accord, and the first car I purchased after college was going to be an Accord, no questions asked because of that experience. Up to this point, the car has been great, but I can't get over dropping $800+ to replace a starter after 54k miles. Probably stepping away from Honda after this one.

- R S., Castro Valley, CA, US

problem #84

Feb 122018

Accord EXL 3.5L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 54,452 miles

I just started having what appears to be a starter problem on my 2013 Accord V6 at 55k miles (keyless) a few weeks ago. First, my battery went out almost two years after purchase, so thankfully the dealership replaced it under the warranty. Unfortunately since then, I have had to replace the rear calipers already and now having problems starting my car.

I went to the dealership and my car wouldn't turn on for them either so they mentioned it was a starter problem. I asked the dealership how much it would be to fix and they said approx $775 for part and labor. I went to Advance Auto Parts to confirm the problem and they ran a machine that indicated that the starter may not putting out enough voltage to start the car.

For a new car, this is way too many things going wrong so early in the game. People buy new cars to not deal with these type of headaches so soon after purchasing. My Toyota had less problems the first 5 years and it was already 15 years old than this car.

- Miguel R., Paterson, US

problem #83

Feb 272018

Accord EX L 2.4L4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 75,000 miles

Saw lots of post about the 2013 Honda Accord starters having issues. I am like most people where I have rarely had starter issues. However, I did have to replace the starter in my 2006 Odyssey van this year, but that was 11 years old and twice the mileage, which is a little more understandable.

Update from Mar 14, 2018: I had the starter replaced and it solved the problem. The new starter was considered a remanufactured one but was told it was new because they didn’t have enough cores yet to truly remanufacture them. Cost was $525 installed. :(

- Tommy H., Greenville, SC, US

problem #82

Feb 012018

Accord Sport 2.4L 4

  • CVT transmission
  • 56,000 miles

2013 Honda Accord Sport 56k mi. Starter began to not crank engine on first try. I Googled Accord starter problem and found Car Complaints. I quickly realized that the starter would soon fail completely. Went to eBay and found (Chinese) replacement for $91. I figured that if the original Honda (Mitsubishi) starter is a 56k.mi. POS, how much worse can a Chinese starter be?

Changed out starter myself (see Youtube). New Chinese starter works fine. Disassembled original starter, (see Youtube) the high-current copper contacts were fried, maybe 2/3 of the original copper thickness gone. Ordered Honda Brush Holder Assy. (Honda P/N 31210-5A2-A01) from Majestic Honda (in R.I.) online parts store (40% off list). for $26. Rebuilt original starter (Youtube video). Now, for about $120, The car is fixed (for hopefully another 56k.mi.) and I have a spare rebuilt starter in the trunk in case it starts acting up on a road trip. Almost any garage could replace it.

The final solution to this problem would probably be to internally jump the contacts inside the starter and add a heavy-duty solenoid switch in the engine compartment somewhere. The brushes in the original starter were not worn much, so they probably would not be a point of failure until very high mileage. OBVIOUSLY, this solution is probably beyond the capabilities of most do-it-yourselfers.

Update from Apr 15, 2018: This is an update to previous starter complaint. I had disassembled failed original starter and found high-current contacts fried. It finally dawned on me why this was happening. The contacts are right next to the carbon commutator brushes. Carbon dust from wear on the brushes contaminates the contacts. When the contacts close on a layer of carbon dust, the high current passing through the resistive carbon particles makes the particles white hot and they erode the copper contacts. Putting the contacts right next to the brushes is a fundamentally bad design. The traditional starter design had the solenoid and contacts as a separate unit on top of the starter. The carbon from the brushes could not get onto the contacts. Honda must have put a young inexperienced engineer on starter design, who thought he was doing a smart thing by putting the contacts inside the starter motor. Wrong. Honda should reimburse all victims of this amateur design error. Memo to engineer: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. David Wilson , Billerica MA USA

- davidwilson, Billerica, US

problem #81

Jan 222018

Accord EX 4 cyl

  • CVT transmission
  • 59,712 miles

Driving over 25 years, the first encounter starter is broken

Starter costs: $459.86

Labor costs: $350

- Db X., San Antonio, US

problem #80

Dec 042017

Accord EX 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 54,000 miles

Bought this CPO from a well known Honda dealer in Metro Atlanta. Car ran perfect with no issues for a year until I reached 45K miles and one day the car won't start. Took it to the dealership where they told me I needed a new battery with 110 months warranty or something like that. After $94 I got my car back and was all happy. In the meantime Honda had me return to the dealership for a recall regarding the battery sensor that shorts and was probably the root cause of my battery replacement. Logged a request with Honda but of course they denied any link between faulty sensor and dead battery. Fair enough, but then at 54K miles, I started having the same symptoms I had on my 1998 toyota avalon @ 230K miles; car will only start after 3 to 6 tries. On my Avalon, all I did was to pull the starter, replace the solenoids ( copper plates) and problem solved. It cost me $25 from NAPA.

Now if what my Honda is pretty much having the same starter issue, dealer is asking for $700 to replace the starter on 5 years old car that has 56K miles now? My 20 years old toyota lasted 230K miles before the starter went out! How come my Honda accord which is supposed to be reliable needs a starter @ less than 60K miles???? Judging by the number of complaints about the starter, this is clearly a defect on this particular year and model. Honda needs to do something about it and do a recall, otherwise I won't buy Honda anymore.

- jstacks, Duluth, ga, US

problem #79

Dec 152017

Accord Sport

  • Automatic transmission
  • 60,000 miles

It is really annoying that I purchased a Honda Accord under the assumption that it is a reliable vehicle and it is already having issues. It is a 2013 with 60,000 miles and my starter is a going out. Fixing the starter will cost me as much as a monthly car payment that I am still making payments on. I previously owned a Nissan Altima and I don't think I ever changed the starter I sold it with 180,000 miles and Honda is supposed to be better? It is frustrating because Honda can care less, they just make as much money off of you as they can because dummies like me think their stupid cars are reliable. DON'T BUY A HONDA unless you like throwing money away.

- Serge D., San, US

problem #78

Dec 262017

Accord LX 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 28,000 miles

So, only 4 years in and 28,000 miles driven and the starter completely failed. Wow, why did I buy Honda again? For the brand's amazing reliability? Oh, I forgot to mention: I had to replace the battery about 1 month ago. Yep, 4 years and done. Even better, the tires needed to be replaced. Granted, we live on Kauai which is unusually hard on tires but 28,000 miles? Back to the starter. The dealer quoted us $1,000. Yep, King Auto in Lihue wanted $700 for the part and $300 for labor which is highway robbery. Or, Island Robbery by a King. Replacing by purchasing via eBay and a local mechanic friend. I completely gave up on Chevy after a Pontiac lemon purchase back in 1996. This will be the final straw for Honda. The quality has deteriorated. I would rank Toyota and Hyundai as significantly better than Honda.

- rkozcpa@yahoo.com, Lihue, US

problem #77

Nov 012017

Accord EXL

  • Automatic transmission
  • 38,000 miles

My 2013 Honda Accord EXL Coupe was the third Honda that I had purchased. My family mostly drives Hondas due to their reliability. This may be my last as this is the third main complaint that I have had. This car only has 38,000 miles and I purchased it brand new with only 8 miles on it. My most recent complaint is the starter failure. I started noticing that my car would not start up (push button start) right away like it always has. I had to try starting it once or twice but it always started so no biggie. Last week it hesitated while on my lunch break. Once it started up (after 20 mins of trying), I drove to the Honda Dealership's service shop to inform them. I was told that it probably was the battery sensor recall (that I was never notified about) and that they would correct that problem at no cost to me. I said ok great and they took care of the recall. Three days later, my car would not start. After trying for an hour (which caused me to be late for wk), it finally started so I drove it straight back to the Honda dealership and informed the service advisor who helped me the week before. He suggested that I leave it there to check it out and two hours later, I was told that the starter is bad and needs replacing. I asked if this had anything to do with the battery sensor recall and he said no. The starter would run me $866.38 out the door which I said was ridiculous for a vehicle which only had 38,000 miles and well taken care of. I took my car to a well-known starter and generator repair shop and he estimated $445. I am disappointed in Honda. It makes me very skeptical on buying another as this is the third repeated (separate) incident that I have had with this particular Honda. (1st) Lower side panel on driver's seat keeps popping off. Had replaced at least 5 times. (2nd) I have had to replace battery 4 times. This last time I had to pay for it because it was past the warranty period but of course that has nothing to do with the battery sensor recall. Honda's are not made like they use to be.....

- Pat L., Waco, US

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