Acura ILX

Where it stands out against its peers

• Air bags: more complaints than 92% of 2013 cars — 38% of its 66 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 15%.
• Suspension: more complaints than 90% of 2013 cars — 9% of its 66 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 4%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• AIR BAGS — 23 owners reported this, 3 involving a crash
• POWER TRAIN — 5 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 4 owners reported this
• SERVICE BRAKES — 2 owners reported this, 2 involving a crash
• SUSPENSION — 2 owners reported this

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

56% of 2020 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 12V338000

  If the door is not fully latched, the door may open while driving or in a crash, increasing the risk of personal injury to the vehicle occupants.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front door latch assemblies in the affected vehicles, free of charge. Additionally, the interior front door handles in certain Honda CR-Vs will also be replaced, free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on, or about, August 16, 2012. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.

• 14V323000

  The diminished light output may decrease the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash. Additonally, the excessive heat coming from around the bulb and reflector could cause the headlights to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the headlights, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Acura customer service at 1-800-862-2872. Honda's number for this recall is JE9.

• 16V061000

  In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are JY0, JY1, and JY2.

• 19V052000

  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.

  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 number for this recall is H3U, Z3T.

• 19V182000

  An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is O41. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is U40.

• 19V424000

  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.

  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 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is G54.

• 19V500000

  An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are S5B and W59.

• 20V770000

  A broken drive shaft may cause a sudden loss of drive power. The vehicle could also roll away if the parking brake has not been applied before the vehicle has been exited. Either condition can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the drive shafts, replacing either the left or right drive shaft, if necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of the safety risk with an interim letter mailed February 2, 2021. A second letter will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are P9M, PAV, BAY, TAX, CA0, and MAZ.

3 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Loss of braking force

  Preliminary evaluation, opened October 2025, closed May 2026.

• Pedestrian alert sounds

  Defect petition, opened January 2023, closed August 2023.

• Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  Engineering analysis, opened September 2021, still open.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

Acura filed 18 bulletins about the 2022 ILX.

• Tires: 8
• Exterior lighting: 5
• Wheels: 3
• Engine: 1
• Equipment: 1

• 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… · May 2024
• 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… · August 2023
• 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. · June 2023
• 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… · December 2022
• 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… · December 2022
• 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… · November 2022
• Special Tool Loan Program: Under TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR LOAN, the list has been updated. · May 2022
• Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for 2019-2022 ILXs, 2022 MDXs, 2021-2022 RDXs & TLXs with a client complaint of the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) light on… · March 2022

10 more.

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.