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2016 Acura ILX problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
32%
12 of 37 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2016 Acura ILX. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 32% of relevant complaints.

Better than 66% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 15 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 23%).

NHTSA data checked October 3, 2026

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2016 Acura ILX have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 12 of 37 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Acura ILX concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (32%). This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
12
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
52
this model year
Fires reported
0
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
6
4 crashes · 5 injuries

Complaints by component

SERVICE BRAKES17 · 33%
AIR BAGS17 · 33%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER10 · 19%
POWER TRAIN9 · 17%
HYDRAULIC5 · 10%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM5 · 10%

The years either side

2010
no data
2011
no data
2012
no data
2013
44%
17 of 66
2014
60%
6 of 29
2015
too few complaints
2016
32%
12 of 52
2017
too few complaints
2018
too few complaints
2019
17%
6 of 36
2020
too few complaints
2021
too few complaints
2022
too few complaints
2023
no data

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

How the 2016 compares with other Acura ILX years

Of the 4 Acura ILX years with enough complaints to score, the 2016 is the 2nd-best on engine and transmission share (32%). The worst is the 2014 (60%), the best the 2019 (17%). By volume, the 2016 drew 52 complaints (12 drivetrain), against 19 for the 2015 and 20 for the 2017.

Acura ILX years to avoid and best years →

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2016 Acura ILX

  • Up to 15 owner reports, with the ones about your car's own engine first.
  • What to ask the seller and what to check on the test drive, for this car.
  • Two cars side by side, if you are deciding between them.

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM02/09/2026
I own a 2016 Acura ILX and recently discovered multiple federally mandated safety recalls affecting my vehicle, including a brake master cylinder recall, fuel pump recall, driveshaft separation recall, and Takata airbag recall. I have owned this vehicle for over seven years and was never notified by mail or otherwise a…

One of 12 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows up to 15, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

2016 Acura ILX powertrain recalls

Yes. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns on the 2016 Acura ILX involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 6 in total. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump23V858000 · Dec 2023

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.…

power train: driveline: driveshaft19V424000 · Jun 2019

Acura (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Acura ILX vehicles. Excessive grease may prevent the set-ring on the half shaft from fully engaging, allowing the driveshaft to separate from the half shaft.

Risk: 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.

Fix: 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…

fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly19V052000 · Jan 2019

Acura (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Acura ILX vehicles. The vehicles may have a deformed fuel tank, raising the height of the fuel pump and allowing the fuel level float to stick, possibly causing the fuel gauge to display an inaccurate fuel level.

Risk: 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.

Fix: 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…

3 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder25V859000 · Dec 2025
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…
air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module19V182000 · Mar 2019
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX…
air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module16V061000 · Feb 2016
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2011-2015 CR-Z, 2010-2014 FCX, and Insight, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013-2014 Fit EV, 2007-2014 Ridgeline, 2013-2016…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 3, 2026.

Checking one particular 2016 Acura ILX? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2016 Acura ILX

Does the 2016 Acura ILX have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 12 of 37 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Acura ILX concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (32%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

What is the most common problem with the 2016 Acura ILX?

Going by NHTSA owner complaints, the most common problem filed against the 2016 Acura ILX is service brakes: 17 of 52 complaints (33%) name it, followed by air bags (17) and power train (9). A complaint can name more than one component, so these overlap. Engine, transmission and fuel-system complaints together make up 32% of the relevant total.

Is the 2016 Acura ILX reliable?

On the engine and transmission, nothing stands out: 32% of relevant complaints filed with NHTSA concern the drivetrain, below the 33% line where we call a signal elevated. That is better than 66% of the 1,790 model years we track. Among the 4 Acura ILX years we score, it ranks 2nd-best. Complaint data describes the model year, not one car, and it says nothing about trim, paint or electronics outside the drivetrain; an independent inspection still decides it.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2016 Acura ILX?

Yes. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns on the 2016 Acura ILX involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 6 in total: 23V858000 (fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump), 19V424000 (power train: driveline: driveshaft), 19V052000 (fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly). Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

Which Acura ILX years are better?

Among the Acura ILX years we track, the 2019 (17%) has a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2016 (32%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car. Every year side by side: https://thelanecheck.com/cars/acura-ilx

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.