What's Wrong with the 1st Generation (2013–2020) ILX?

ILX owners have made 17 complaints about the 2013–2020 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it 15th out of 30 Acura generations in overall reliability, with some transmission and suspension concerns.

Common 2013-2020 Acura ILX Problems

Some of the worst issues 1st generation ILX owners have to deal with.

  1. Takata Airbag Inflator Recall

    A large number of Acura vehicles have been recalled because they contain dangerous airbag inflators made by Takata. The shrapnel-hurling inflators have been recalled in over 37 million vehicles (and counting).

    Continue reading article "Takata Airbag Inflator Recall" Crash ttest dummy about to slam into an airbag with a super-imposed Takata logo

  2. Denso Fuel Pump Failure

    The impellers inside of Denso branded fuel pumps may have been excessively exposed to a drying agent during manufacturing. This leads to them cracking, absorbing fuel, and deforming so badly that they stop sending fuel to the engine. Honda …

    Continue reading article "Denso Fuel Pump Failure"

  3. Dual-Clutch Transmission Slips

    According to owners, all the shifting benefits of Acura's 8-speed dual-clutch transmission are nullified by a defective torque converter. While Acura has issued recalls for 2015 TLX owners, it didn't fix the problem and didn't cover all the…

    Continue reading article "Dual-Clutch Transmission Slips" An Acura TLX ion front of a long, winding fence.

What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

1st Generation (2013–2020) ILX Key Numbers

  1. 8 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 17 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 15th in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 30 eligible generations.

Recent 1st Generation (2013–2020) ILX News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  2. When Honda and Acura recalled 1.1 million Takata airbag inflators for exploding into pieces, they replaced the defective part with a slightly different version from the same company. Now those are exploding too.

    The replacement PSDI-5D desiccated inflators were exposed to excess moisture during assembly. This rapidly degrades the propellant and allows pressure to build up over time, turning the inflator into a mini-grenade that explodes during airbag deployment.

    Acura plans on mailing recall notifications on April 17th, but parts are already available and affected owners should schedule a replacement as soon as possible. Unlike the dishes, this is one chore you shouldn’t ignore.

    keep reading article "Those Replacement PSDI-5D Takata Inflators That Were Supposedly Safe? Now They're Exploding Too."