Your vehicleHome›Acura›ILX› 2020

Acura · Compact Sedan

2020 Acura ILX

Gas

Compact Cars
1 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

85 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 2

Complaints1 crash reported 10

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 28 mpg

2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2020 Acura ILX is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact sedan. The most efficient version, the ILX, is EPA-rated at 28 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 10 complaints, most often about the visibility/wiper. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Acura ILX — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Acura ILX · Photo: Kevauto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
ILX	Gas	FWD	2.4L 4-cyl	24	34	28	$2,950

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 42166.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
ILX	3 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV125 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

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 vPIC

Dimensions 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

Seating

Seat rows	2
Seating capacity	5 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain	4x2
Transmission	Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT)
Transmission speeds	8

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Backup camera, Electronic stability control

Optional: Blind-spot monitoring

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: Premium Package/Technology Package, Premium and A-SPEC Package/ Technology and A-SPEC Package). 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.

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 (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

RN5

70,658 vehicles 37% reported repaired

Problem Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2016-2020 Acura ILX vehicles. Contaminated brake fluid may cause a seal inside the brake master cylinder to deform, which can cause an internal brake fluid leak and reduce brake function. Risk Reduced brake function can extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. Fix 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

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF

NHTSA campaign 25V859000 reported Dec 11, 2025 Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

▲high

Fuel System, Gasoline

KGC, KGD

2,490,460 vehicles 79% reported repaired

Problem Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail. Risk Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix 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.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 23V858000 reported Dec 18, 2023 Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These 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.

NHTSA defect investigations

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Master Cylinder — Loss of braking force closed

On October 23, 2025, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE25015 after receiving complaints concerning a loss of brake assist in 2019-2020 MY Acura ILX vehicles. These complainants alleged master cylinder failures resulting in soft pedal feel or the brake pedal intermittently going to the floor. These failures could result in extended braking distance increasing the risk of a crash. Honda found that residual plasticizer in the brake reservoir hose could contaminate the brake fluid. This contaminated brake fluid was then absorbed by the secondary cup seal, causing it to swell. Engine heat during operation could further expand the swollen seal, allowing brak

Opened Oct 23, 2025 · closed May 21, 2026 · action PE25015 · the investigation’s page →

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 2020 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.

NHTSA VIN check →Acura’s own VIN lookup →

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 2020 Acura ILX, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

10complaints filed

1 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

7.7 per 10,000 built · Acura reported 12,975 ILX built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2021: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2026: 1

Most-cited components

Visibility/Wiper 3

Steering 2

Fuel/Propulsion System 1

Seat Belts 1

Suspension 1

Electrical System 1

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.

Multipurpose camera unit failure code U3000-49. My camera does not keep its lane assist accurately and sways from side to side when it is working. 9 out of 10 times it does not work. Other acura owners of the ILX 2019-2022 have experienced the same codes and issues around 90K miles+.

Steering Sep 7, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11762512

I am experiencing an issue with my brakes. When I am at a red light and I brake, I find my brakes start to descend. So it's brake, then the brake moves a bit down towards the floor. Then it moves down a bit more. I am still able to brake but I find that the brake pedal moves down a few times while I am sitting at a red light.

Service Brakes Nov 23, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11701081

It was denied then I’ll be sending a letter from then I’ll be have issues mechanic paint depreciation I’ll be sending the letters to every single complain organization looking for help and nothing CarMax finance

Structure Sep 11, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11686669

I live in a colder climate, we’re were experiencing temperatures in the 20’s with ice storms. While driving the rear window completely shattered, the rear defroster was on during the time of the incident. I contacted the manufacturer for a remedy, they informed me there is no remedy for my particular vehicle.

Visibility/Wiper Apr 11, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11654004

Smart Unit failure caused constant triggering of the alarm at all hours, headlights would not turn off, dashboard controls shorting out

Electrical System Jan 17, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11636647

My Acura ILX 2020 has less than 40.000 miles and has a mechanical problem that can not be fixed and it is dangerous for my self and others. In my opinion this is related to the stearing of the car and it is very dagerous knowing that you take your car to be repair and the dealer does not know how to fix it.

Suspension Dec 6, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11629226

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: 6 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 6 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 46 per 100,000 built. Every ILX model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR FWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	11%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 75

Most recentmanufacturer date 2024-05-01

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 74 service bulletins, 1 other

Most often about: Exterior Lighting, Suspension, Steering, Tires, Power Train.

B24040A Other
2024-05-01 · Engine
Service News - Due to On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) regulation change starting with 2019 vehicles, American Honda’s Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC) On-Board Diagnostic monitors are now included in the EGR/VVT OBD Monitor Readiness status group. Due to some customer’s driving patterns, they may not drive in the fashion needed to operate the VTEC (EGR/VVT) that only operates abo
B23-012 Service bulletin
2023-08-24 · Exterior Lighting — Headlights
Service Bulletin - Vehicle owner notices condensation or moisture trapped inside one or both headlight assemblies that does not evaporate from the lamp due to the headlight making contact with a body panel creating a separation in the adhesive between the headlight lens and the housing, allowing moisture to enter the headlight.
B23-012 Service bulletin
2023-06-09 · Structure
Service Bulletin - The headlight making contact with a body panel can create a separation in the adhesive between the headlight lens and the housing, allowing moisture to enter the headlight.
BTI&12062022 Service bulletin
2022-12-06 · Exterior Lighting
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2019-2022 ILXs with a client complaint of moisture/condensation in the headlights. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to inspect the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
BTI&11282022909 Service bulletin
2022-11-28 · Exterior Lighting
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2019-2022 ILXs with a client complaint of moisture/condensation in the headlights. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to inspect the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
BTI&11122022908 Service bulletin
2022-11-12 · Exterior Lighting
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2019-2022 ILXs with a client complaint of moisture/condensation in the headlights. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to inspect the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
BTI&10112022902 Service bulletin
2022-10-11 · Parking Brake
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2019-2020 ILX with a client complaint of a brake pedal that intermittently goes soft or goes to the floor. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to inspect the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
BPaS05252022901 Service bulletin
2022-05-25 · Power Train
Dealer message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is collecting HEALTHY front driveshafts as well as driveshafts that are being replaced for issues other than noise (e.g. torn CV boot, leaking, vibration, etc.) from certain 2020 ILXs which fits the criteria listed below.

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 complaints

Codes 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
U0155	A module has stopped hearing from the instrument cluster.	Electrical System · Battery →	1 bulletin

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.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 3.9%

failed emissions

756 initial inspections of 738 vehicles.

Measure	The 2020 ILX	Every 2020 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	3.9%	2.2%	753
Failed the safety inspection	0.93%	1.6%	756
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.40%	0.19%	756
Miles driven a year	8,343	9,980	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	52,370	62,630	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 2020 vehicle” is every 2020 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 →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2022 A 0 3 28 mpg 2021 A 0 11 28 mpg 2020 this page B 2 10 28 mpg 2019 C 5 36 28 mpg 2018 C 4 23 29 mpg 2017 C 4 20 29 mpg 2016 F 6 52 29 mpg

Common questions about the 2020 ILX

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2020 Acura ILX have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2020 Acura ILX. The most serious on file is 25V859000, covering Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2020 Acura ILX?

NHTSA gave the 2020 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 B (85/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2020 Acura ILX?

For the 2020 Acura ILX, the best EPA combined figure is 28 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2020 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 2020 Acura ILX?

Owners have filed 10 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Acura ILX, most often about visibility/wiper, steering, fuel/propulsion system. Of those, 1 involved a crash. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2020 Acura ILX?

The EPA smog rating for the 2020 Acura ILX is 3 out of 10. 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 — California LEV-III ULEV125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2020 Acura ILX?

The manufacturer has filed 75 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2020 Acura ILX, most often covering exterior lighting, suspension, steering. The most recent is dated 2024-05-01. 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 2020 Acura ILX do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2020 Acura ILX failed the emissions check on 3.9% of first inspections — higher than the 2.2% for every 2020 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 0.93% (every 2020 vehicle: 1.6%). 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	2	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	10	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	75	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	1	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
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	13 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.

JSON for this page · API