2016 Acura RLX
The 2016 Acura RLX is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas midsize sedan with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the RLX Hybrid, is EPA-rated at 30 mpg combined. NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year so far (Safety Signal A). Owners have filed 8 complaints, most often about the structure. 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* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RLX Hybrid | Hybrid | AWD | 3.5L 6-cyl + 260V Li-Ion | 28 | 31 | 30 | $2,750 |
| RLX | Gas | FWD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 20 | 30 | 23 | $3,550 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 36047, 36046.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RLX Hybrid | 7–8 / 10 | Bin 3 / LEV-III SULEV30 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | SmartWay |
| RLX | 5–6 / 10 | Bin 5 / LEV-II ULEV | 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 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 | 6 |
| Displacement | 3.5 L |
| Engine configuration | V-Shaped |
Engine Output
| Horsepower | 310 hp |
Fuel Economy
| Fuel | Gasoline |
Seating
| Seat rows | 2 |
| Seating capacity | 5 seats |
Transmission
| Drivetrain | FWD/Front-Wheel Drive |
| Transmission | Automatic |
| Transmission speeds | 6 |
Driver assistance
Standard: Adaptive cruise control, Anti-lock brakes, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist
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: 460, Advance Package, Sport Hybrid with Advance Pkg, Technology Package). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.
Dimensions & weight
Source: Transport Canada| Length | 196.5 in |
| Width (body, without mirrors) | 74.8 in |
| Height | 57.5 in |
| Wheelbase | 112.2 in |
| Track, front | 64.2 in |
| Track, rear | 64.2 in |
| Curb weight | 4,365 lb |
| Weight distribution, front/rear | 57/43 |
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 AWD Hybrid. 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 RLX 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 (0)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseNo NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2016 Acura RLX. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them.
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
Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds closed
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021. On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject mat
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005 · the investigation’s page →
Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module — Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture open
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf. Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a subst
Opened Sep 17, 2021 · action EA21002 · the investigation’s page →
Air Bags: Air Bag/Restraint Control Module — Electrical overstress closed
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW. The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with ma
Opened Apr 19, 2019 · closed Sep 19, 2024 · action EA19001 · the investigation’s page →
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 RLX, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2016 Acura RLX
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 RLX →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported
Filed per year: 2016: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2026: 2
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.
The contact owns a 2016 Acura RLX. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and turning, the rear axle made a rubbing sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear axle actuators had failed and needed to be replaced.
The car died on the freeway, tow truck towed contacted mechanic next day and they came and diagnosed the car and needed a crank shaft sensor and change was complete. Car is still showing the same issues stalls approximately 30 to 40 mins of idle I had mechanic pull live data stream from scanner upon monitoring short term fuel trim bank 1…
2016 RLX SH-AWD (bought new in 2017 - now with 62K on the odometer) developed a knocking noise on 2024. I scheduled service with Buerkle Acura (Brooklyn Park, MN) and drove it very little until the appointment on Wednesday, , 2024.
The vehicle is equipped with 4 wheel steering. The rear wheels are controled by the computer. While maneuvering in a parking lot or after sharp turns the rear wheels do not respond to driver input. The wheels get stuck in the wrong direction and the driver must correct direction of travel to compensate.
The contact owns a 2016 Acura Rlx. The contact stated that after loading groceries into the trunk of the vehicle, the trunk to was manually closed however, the trunk unlocked independently. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no fix for the failure.
The contact owns a 2016 Acura Rlx. When making a turn, the rear of the vehicle lost traction intermittently. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact was unaware of the diagnosis and repair specifics. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 15,000
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: 2 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 3 injured, as claimed, not verified. Every RLX 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 | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | 10% |
| 4 DR AWD | not rated | not rated | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | 10% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications- Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Acura bulletin ONL6R508212023Under certain circumstances, abnormal noise may be heard from the rear when driving straight or making small side-to-side turning movements with the steering wheel.
- Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Acura bulletin ONL6R507142023Owner Notification Letter - Under certain circumstances, abnormal noise may be heard from the rear when driving straight or making small side-to-side turning movements with the steering wheel.
- Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Acura bulletin BBOM06092023901Dealer Message - Due to manufacturing errors, abnormal noise may be heard from the rear when driving straight or making small side-to-side turning movements with the steering wheel.
- Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Acura bulletin B23-022Due to manufacturing errors, abnormal noise may be heard from the rear when driving straight or making small side-toside turning movements with the steering wheel.
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, Steering, Engine, Electrical System, Fuel/Propulsion System.
- B16-008 Service bulletin2024-09-04 · Engine
- Service Bulletin - Drivers may experience a chirping sound coming from the engine area with the engine warmed up due to the high pressure fuel pump is making a chirp.
- ONL6R508212023 Service bulletin2023-08-21 · Equipment
- Warranty Extension - Under certain circumstances, abnormal noise may be heard from the rear when driving straight or making small side-to-side turning movements with the steering wheel. The P-AWS indicator or warning light may also illuminate with certain diagnostic trouble codes.
- ONL6R507142023 Service bulletin2023-07-14 · Structure
- Owner Notification Letter - Under certain circumstances, abnormal noise may be heard from the rear when driving straight or making small side-to-side turning movements with the steering wheel. The MIL may also illuminate with certain DTC codes.
- B23-022 Service bulletin2023-06-09 · Steering
- Service Bulletin - Due to manufacturing errors, abnormal noise may be heard from the rear when driving straight or making small side-toside turning movements with the steering wheel. The MIL may also illuminate with DTC C1600-94 (PAWS unexpected behavior) and/or C1611-13/C1621-13 (PAWS actuator disconnection L&R).
- BBOM06092023901 Service bulletin2023-06-09 · Steering
- Dealer Message - Due to manufacturing errors, abnormal noise may be heard from the rear when driving straight or making small side-to-side turning movements with the steering wheel. The MIL may also illuminate with DTC C1600-94 (PAWS unexpected behavior) and/or C1611-13/C1621-13 (PAWS actuator disconnection L&R).
- ONLA8E20220830 Service bulletin2022-08-25 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- Owner notification - Our records indicate that a Emissions Recall has not been completed on this vehicle. When the powertrain control module (PCM) detects a malfunction in one of the odd number transmission gears, it will set one of four diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). Due to inappropriate calibration of the PCM, the On Board Diagnostic (OBD) system cannot properly clear the transmission permanen
- BTI&05102022901 Service bulletin2022-05-10 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2016-2020 MDXs, RLXs & TLXs with a client complaint of the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) on with the DTC P030X (Cylinder Misfire Detected), P0171 & P0174 (Rear/Front Bank Fuel System Too Lean), or P219A&B (Air-Fuel Ratio Variation of Cylinder) stored. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specif
- B15090E Service bulletin2021-01-26 · Wheels
- ServiceNews Article - Do you have a slow tire leak, but there are no signs of sidewall damage or anything stuck in the tread? While you're checking for leaks, check the valve stem; it could have oxidation buildup from road salt. This buildup can cause a poor seal, resulting in a slow leak.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| P0430 P0430 on Acura → | The catalytic converter on bank 2 is not cleaning up the exhaust as well as it should. | Electrical System · Catalytic converter → | 7 bulletins |
| P26C3 P26C3 on Acura → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 2 bulletins |
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.
RLX by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2016 RLX
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsDoes the 2016 Acura RLX have any recalls?
No NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2016 Acura RLX. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them, and a clean sheet on a recent model year often just means the vehicle is new.
How safe is the 2016 Acura RLX?
NHTSA gave the 2016 Acura RLX 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 5-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 5-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it A (100/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2016 Acura RLX?
Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2016 Acura RLX, the best EPA combined figure is 30 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What are the dimensions of the 2016 Acura RLX?
Transport Canada measured it at 196.5 in long, 74.8 in wide (body, without mirrors), 57.5 in tall, on a 112.2 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 4,365 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 RLX?
Owners have filed 8 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Acura RLX, most often about structure, unspecified, suspension. Of those, 1 involved a crash, 1 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 RLX?
The EPA smog rating for the 2016 Acura RLX runs 5 to 8 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 3, Bin 5, LEV-II ULEV, LEV-III SULEV30 — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2016 Acura RLX?
The manufacturer has filed 139 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2016 Acura RLX, most often covering equipment, steering, engine. The most recent is dated 2024-09-04. 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.
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 | 2 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 2 configurations | EPA emission certificates | Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new. |
| Recalls | none | NHTSA recall campaigns | No campaign has been filed. Because the register is complete, an empty row here means there is nothing to find — not that we are missing it. |
| Owner complaints | 8 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | 2 tested | NHTSA NCAP | Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them. |
| Service bulletins | 139 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | 3 | 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.