2016 Acura Ilx Problems and Recalls (52 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2016 Acura Ilx is Brakes (25% of 52 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Brakes — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 52 complaints · 6 recalls

What problems show up on the 2016 Acura Ilx?

13 of 52 filings named Brakes (25% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Airbags (12 reports).

There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags, Fuel system, Transmission / driveline, and Brakes. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2015 has 19 reports on file; this year has 52. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2016 Acura Ilx

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 6 campaigns on file below.
  2. Brakes. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm.
  3. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  4. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Brakes. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Brakes 13 complaints · 25.0% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 4
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 5
  • Deaths 0
All Acura Ilx years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) appears in 13 of 52 owner complaints (25.0%) in this vehicle snapshot. Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 13 complaints, 25.0% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 13 · 25.0% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 12 complaints, 23.1% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 2 crash reports 12 · 23.1% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 5 complaints, 9.6% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 5 · 9.6% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 4 complaints, 7.7% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 1 crash reports 4 · 7.7% Steering (STEERING): 3 complaints, 5.8% of reports Steering (STEERING) 3 · 5.8% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 2 complaints, 3.9% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 2 · 3.9% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 2 complaints, 3.9% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 2 · 3.9% Lane keeping (LANE DEPARTURE): 1 complaints, 1.9% of reports Lane keeping (LANE DEPARTURE) 1 · 1.9% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 1 complaints, 1.9% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 1 · 1.9% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 19 complaints, 36.5% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 2 crash reports 19 · 36.5% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 13 25.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 12 23.1% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 5 9.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 4 7.7% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 3 5.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 2 3.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 2 3.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Lane keeping (LANE DEPARTURE) 1 1.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 1 1.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 19 36.5% 2 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2015; the first recall shown was reported in Feb 2016. 2015-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2016-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2016-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2020-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2026-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2026-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jul 2015 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 16V061000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V061000 Recall campaign 19V052000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V052000 Recall campaign 19V182000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V182000 Recall campaign 19V424000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V424000 Recall campaign 23V858000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V858000 Recall campaign 25V859000 ◆ Recall campaign 25V859000
  • Campaign 19V182000 was reported 1,084 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 19V424000 was reported 1,157 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 25V859000 was reported 3,779 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2015-Q3 Owner reports 1
2016-Q1 Owner reports 5
2016-Q2 Owner reports 3
2016-Q3 Owner reports 5
2016-Q4 Owner reports 2
2017-Q2 Owner reports 2
2017-Q4 Owner reports 2
2019-Q1 Owner reports 1
2019-Q2 Owner reports 1
2019-Q4 Owner reports 7
2020-Q3 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
2021-Q4 Owner reports 1
2022-Q3 Owner reports 1
2022-Q4 Owner reports 1
2023-Q2 Owner reports 2
2024-Q3 Owner reports 2
2025-Q3 Owner reports 1
2025-Q4 Owner reports 1
2026-Q1 Owner reports 7
2026-Q2 Owner reports 4
2026-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 16V061000
Recall campaign 1 19V052000
Recall campaign 1 19V182000
Recall campaign 1 19V424000
Recall campaign 1 23V858000
Recall campaign 1 25V859000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (6)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Airbags, Fuel system, Transmission / driveline, and Brakes.

  1. Recall campaign 16V061000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are JY0, JY1, and JY2.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 19V052000

    Fuel system

    Report date
    Component:
    Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    If the fuel gauge displays that the vehicle has more gas than it actually does, the vehicle may run out of gas and stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Acura will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began March 14, 2019. Owners may contact Acura customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is H3U, Z3T.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 19V182000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is O41. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is U40.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 19V424000

    Transmission / driveline

    Report date
    Component:
    Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
    Consequence:
    A separated driveshaft can cause the vehicle to have a loss of drive or allow the vehicle to move even while in Park, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
    Remedy:
    Acura will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and, as necessary, replace the driveshaft and half shaft, free of charge. The recall began August 1, 2019. Owners may contact Acura customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is G54.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 23V858000

    Fuel system

    Report date
    Component:
    Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Recall campaign 25V859000

    Brakes

    Report date
    Component:
    Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
    Consequence:
    Reduced brake function can extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 4, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is RN5. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning December 17, 2025. The information in your report suggests that Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) may have been aware of this issue more than five business days before filing a report with NHTSA. Please be reminded that under Federal law, this agency is to be notified of all safety defect and/or noncompliance decisions within five business days. 49 CFR 573.6 Significant civil penalties can be assessed for this violation.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 5 of 52 complaints · page 1 of 3
2026-07-21Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11751850
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2016 Acura ILX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V859000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
2026-05-28Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11740643
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2016 Acura ILX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle. The contact stated that the airbags did not deploy during the crash. The contact did not sustain injuries at the scene and no medical attention was provided immediately following the crash. However, the contact later experienced lower back and neck injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not towed after the crash. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that while refueling the vehicle, approximately half of the fuel would disappear after the vehicle was started, with no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was later taken to a dealer for bodywork repairs related to the rear-end damage. The contact was informed that repairs had been completed to the fuel pocket area of the vehicle however the vehicle was not diagnosed related for the fuel system failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,815
2026-04-22Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11733050
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2016 Acura ILX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the braking system became inoperable and failed to function properly while attempting to stop the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V859000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were unavailable and needed to be ordered. After a follow-up inquiry, the dealer stated that the parts were still not available and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to have the vehicle diagnosed by a dealer. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
2026-04-07Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11729749
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2016 Acura ILX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V859000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were on back order. Another local dealer, Jeff Wyler Acura of Dayton (60 Loop Rd, Dayton, OH 45459); was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
2026-04-03Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11729080
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2016 Acura ILX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V859000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer and another dealer were contacted and confirmed that parts were on a national back order. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2016 Acura Ilx?

Owners named Brakes most often — 13 of 52 reports (25%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2016 Acura Ilx?

NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags, Fuel system, Transmission / driveline, and Brakes. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2016 Acura Ilx?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources