2016 Acura ILX
The 2016 Acura ILX is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact sedan. The most efficient version, the ILX, is EPA-rated at 29 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for this model year, 2 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 52 complaints, most often about the service brakes. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ILX | Gas | FWD | 2.4L 4-cyl | 25 | 35 | 29 | $2,850 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 36034.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ILX | 5–6 / 10 | Bin 5 / LEV-III ULEV125 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | SmartWay |
Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.
The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.
Specifications filed with NHTSA
Source: NHTSA vPICDimensions Exterior
| Body style | Sedan/Saloon |
| Doors | 4 |
| GVWR class | Class 1C: 4,001 - 5,000 lb (1,814 - 2,268 kg) |
Engine Basics
| Cylinders | 4 |
| Displacement | 2.4 L |
| Engine configuration | In-Line |
Engine Output
| Horsepower | 201 hp |
Fuel Economy
| Fuel | Gasoline |
Transmission
| Drivetrain | 4x2 |
| Transmission | Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT) |
| Transmission speeds | 8 |
Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: Base/Acura Watch Plus, Premium Style Edition/Tech Style Edition, Premium/Tech). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.
Dimensions & weight
Source: Transport Canada| Length | 181.9 in |
| Width (body, without mirrors) | 70.9 in |
| Height | 55.5 in |
| Wheelbase | 105.1 in |
| Track, front | 59.4 in |
| Track, rear | 59.8 in |
| Curb weight | 3,120 lb |
| Weight distribution, front/rear | 60/40 |
Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here one configuration: 4-door Sedan. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2016 Acura ILX is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
What to check before you buy →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (6)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseFuel System, Gasoline
KGC, KGDPower Train
G54Air Bags
U40,M45,O41,G44Fuel System, Gasoline
H3U, Z3TAir Bags
JY0, JY1, JY2These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
Whether any of this applies to one specific ILX
A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2016 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Acura publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.
Hear about a recall before the letter does
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2016 Acura ILX, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2016 Acura ILX
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Find parts for this ILX →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database4 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 5 injuries · 0 deaths reported
Filed per year: 2015: 1 · 2016: 15 · 2017: 4 · 2019: 9 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 12
Most-cited components
In owners' own words
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
From second month of buying car, battery drained, Acura towing came and towed car to a nearby dealership and replace battery under warranty. Took car down to dealership that I purchased from about nose in front driver wheel hole and problems with the electrical components of the car.
From second month of buying car, battery drained, Acura towing came and towed car to a nearby dealership and replace battery under warranty. Took car down to dealership that I purchased from about nose in front driver wheel hole and problems with the electrical components of the car.
From second month of buying car, battery drained, Acura towing came and towed car to a nearby dealership and replace battery under warranty. Took car down to dealership that I purchased from about nose in front driver wheel hole and problems with the electrical components of the car.
Same as the other incidents submitted below - my car accelerates when I apply the brakes. I have to take my foot off of the brakes and reapply before the car reacts and stops.
On 12-28-16 as I was leaving for work. My engine would not start. Pedal to push down and start button was not working. All icons on my car popped up and says malfunction on all level. It also made weird sounds in front and inside the car.
My 2016 Acura Ilx transmission makes a "clunking" sound when 1) the accelerator is depressed after slowing down; whilst slowing down to a stop. Seems as though the 8 speed auto transmission is remaining at too high a gear at slower speeds. The sound is quite disconcerting.
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Reported by Acura itself: 22 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 23 injured, as claimed, not verified. Every ILX model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
When owners reported it
miles, typically
Half the 19 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 6,000 and 87,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.
Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAP| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 11% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications- Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Acura bulletin B18-021This bulletin is a notification of a class action settlement relating to airbag inflators.
- Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Acura bulletin B20-047This warranty extension applies only to 2016-18 ILX vehicles painted B-612P (2016 models: Bright Kinetic Blue Pearl) or (2017-18 models: Catalina Blue Pearl).
- Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Acura bulletin ONL6P811202020Owner Notification Letter - On some 2016-18 ILX models, the exterior paint around the front windshield and/or rear glass may peel off.
The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every Honda warranty extension (66) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →
Most often about: Equipment, Structure, Air Bags, Electrical System, Service Brakes.
- B18-021 Service bulletin2026-02-28 · Air Bags
- Service Bulletin - Warranty Extension: Customer Support Program For Driver's Airbag Inflator for 2016 ILX and 2016 RDX.
- B20-047 Service bulletin2021-12-23 · Structure
- Service Bulletin - This warranty extension applies only to 2016-18 ILX vehicles painted B-612P (2016 models: Bright Kinetic Blue Pearl) or (2017-18 models: Catalina Blue Pearl).
- BPaS12052020901 Service bulletin2020-12-05 · Structure
- Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2016-2018 ILXs with a client complaint of paint peeling on the C-pillar, in the area adjacent to the rear window & the roof. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
- ONL6P811202020 Service bulletin2020-11-20 · Equipment
- Owner Notification Letter - On some 2016-18 ILX models, the exterior paint around the front windshield and/or rear glass may peel off. To ensure your confidence in your vehicle, American Honda is extending the warranty on the paint in these areas to 8 years from the original date of purchase.
- BPaS11042020901 Service bulletin2020-11-04 · Structure
- Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2016-2018 ILXs with a client complaint of paint peeling on the C-pillar, in the area adjacent to the rear window & the roof. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
- BPaS10162020901 Service bulletin2020-10-16 · Structure
- Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2016-2018 ILXs with a client complaint of paint peeling on the C-pillar, in the area adjacent to the rear window & the roof. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
- B20-038 Service bulletin2020-10-01 · Steering
- Service Bulletin - While driving, the steering wheel rattles when you turn it.
- B20-047 Service bulletin2020-09-29 · Equipment Adaptive/Mobility
- Service Bulletin - This warranty extension applies only to 2016-18 ILX vehicles painted B-612P (2016 models: Bright Kinetic Blue Pearl) or (2017-18 models: Catalina Blue Pearl). The exterior paint around the front windshield and/or rear glass may peel off. American Honda is extending the warranty on the paint of the affected vehicles to 8 years from the original date of purchase with no mileage li
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
Diagnostic trouble codes on file
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaintsCodes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.
| Code | What it means | Most often filed under | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| P0087 P0087 on Acura → | Fuel rail pressure is below what the system commanded. | Fuel/Propulsion System · Fuel pump → | 2 owner reports |
Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMVIn New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2016 Acura ILX failed the emissions check on 3.9% of first inspections — close to the 4.2% for every 2016 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 2.1% (every 2016 vehicle: 2.2%).
failed emissions
612 initial inspections of 600 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2016 ILX | Every 2016 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the emissions check | 3.9% | 4.2% | 611 |
| Failed the safety inspection | 2.1% | 2.2% | 612 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0.16% | 0.27% | 612 |
| Miles driven a year | 9,852 | 10,028 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 101,388 | 103,109 | odometer at inspection |
New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2016 vehicle” is every 2016 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).
ILX by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2016 ILX
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsDoes the 2016 Acura ILX have any recalls?
NHTSA has posted 6 recall campaigns for the 2016 Acura ILX, 2 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 19V182000, covering Air Bags. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.
How safe is the 2016 Acura ILX?
NHTSA gave the 2016 Acura ILX 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it F (55/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2016 Acura ILX?
For the 2016 Acura ILX, the best EPA combined figure is 29 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What are the dimensions of the 2016 Acura ILX?
Transport Canada measured it at 181.9 in long, 70.9 in wide (body, without mirrors), 55.5 in tall, on a 105.1 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,120 lb. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.
What do owners complain about on the 2016 Acura ILX?
Owners have filed 52 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Acura ILX, most often about service brakes, air bags, unspecified. Of those, 4 involved a crash, 5 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
How clean is the 2016 Acura ILX?
The EPA smog rating for the 2016 Acura ILX runs 5 to 6 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — Bin 5, LEV-III ULEV125 — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2016 Acura ILX?
The manufacturer has filed 123 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2016 Acura ILX, most often covering equipment, structure, air bags. The most recent is dated 2026-02-28. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
How does the 2016 Acura ILX do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2016 Acura ILX failed the emissions check on 3.9% of first inspections — close to the 4.2% for every 2016 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 2.1% (every 2016 vehicle: 2.2%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 1 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 1 configurations | EPA emission certificates | Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new. |
| Recalls | 6 | NHTSA recall campaigns | A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags. |
| Owner complaints | 52 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | 1 tested | NHTSA NCAP | Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them. |
| Service bulletins | 123 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | none | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | No defect investigation has been opened. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like. |
| Specifications filed with NHTSA | 11 fields | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder. |
| Measured dimensions | 7 fields | Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications | Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | none | Manufacturer press kit | We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind. |
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.