Acura bulletin B20-038
What it saysWhile driving, the steering wheel rattles when you turn it. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Acura filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Oct 1, 2020, received Oct 14, 2020, about the steering. It names 8 model years (2016–2020). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationService Bulletin - While driving, the steering wheel rattles when you turn it.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B20-038 | Service bulletin | Oct 1, 2020 | 10181084 | PDF, 1,579 KB |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06993-SA5-000 | Wool Felt (One roll can repair multiple vehicles) | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| 90134-S6A-A80 | Bolt, Hex (6 x 23 mm) | 2 | eBay Motors → |
| 78501-TX6-A81ZA | — | — |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (5 pages), read Oct 4, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Acura’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
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The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 8 model years this bulletin names have filed 340 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 6 of them name Steering — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
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+.
2020 Acura ILX · Steering · filed with NHTSA Sep 7, 2026 · ODI 11762512
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Acura, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Acura B20-038 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the B20-038 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every Honda warranty extension on file lists the ones Honda has filed.
Which vehicles does B20-038 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 8 model years: 2020 Acura ILX, 2019 Acura ILX, 2018 Acura ILX, 2017 Acura ILX, 2016 Acura ILX, 2018 Acura RDX and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.