2016 Acura ILX — Should You Buy One?

Recall 25V859 covers every 2016–2020 ILX: contaminated brake fluid can deform a seal inside the master cylinder, brake fluid leaks past it internally, and the pedal sinks or the car takes longer to stop. Owner letters were mailed May 4, 2026, and the 2026 complaints already describe a pedal going to the floor with no warning light and dealers with no parts in stock. Twelve of the 17 brake complaints for this year are about this campaign. The older brake complaints are different — a car that seems to keep rolling or surge as the brakes are applied near a stop, and a burst of brake, ABS, road-departure and adaptive-cruise warnings that clear on their own. At the car: press the pedal hard and hold it for thirty seconds with the engine running; it must not creep toward the floor. Then check the recall status on the VIN and ask whether the master cylinder has actually been replaced, not just whether a letter arrived.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed; $350–$800 for a master cylinder otherwise

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the brakes (17); 6 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Recall 19V424 covers 2016–2019 ILXs: too much grease at assembly can stop the set-ring on the half shaft from seating, and the driveshaft can pull out of it. The car then has no drive, or can roll while the shifter shows Park because nothing connects the transmission to that wheel. Dealers inspect and replace the driveshaft and half shaft free. One owner found the leak at the intermediate bearing seal during an oil change before the recall existed, which is exactly what the failure looks like early. The other POWER TRAIN complaints are the eight-speed dual-clutch: limp mode on the freeway, hesitation, a jerk at low speed. Confirm the recall on the VIN, look for grease slung around the passenger-side inner CV joint, and drive it in stop-and-go traffic to feel for clunky one-two shifts.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed; $2,500–$4,500 if the dual-clutch needs work outside warranty — about 32% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the transmission and drivetrain (9); 6 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Recalls 16V061 and 19V182 cover the driver-side Takata inflator, which can rupture in a crash and throw metal at the driver. The fix is a free inflator; many of the 17 airbag complaints are 2016 owners waiting on parts that were months out. Three complaints are crashes — a T-bone leaving a highway, a rear-quarter hit from a truck, a rear-ending — where the airbags did not fire. Non-deployment after a crash is not something an inspection can check and the crash geometry usually explains it, but the 2016 has more of these than the surrounding years. One 2026 owner discovered four open recalls after seven years of ownership, having never been notified; assume nothing, run the VIN.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under airbags (17); 6 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Recall 23V858 is Honda's wide fuel pump campaign and includes the 2016 ILX: the pump module can fail and the engine stalls while driving. Dealers replace the module free; letters went out in September 2024. Recall 19V052, older and ILX-specific, is a deformed fuel tank that lets the level float stick so the gauge reads higher than the truth — the car runs dry with no low-fuel warning. Seven fuel-system complaints on this year, one involving a crash. Both are yes-or-no questions on the VIN. On the drive, listen for a whining pump on a hot restart and watch the gauge actually move.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the fuel system (7); 6 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.