2020 Acura ILX Problems: 5 Known Issues

On the 2016-2022 Acura ILX 2.4L K24V7 I4, the 2016-2022 ILX 2.4L with the 8-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) exhibits severe shudder, jerking, and hesitation during low-speed driving. The clutch packs engage roughly in stop-and-go traffic, and the transmission frequently hunts between gears on slight inclines, making city driving extremely unpleasant.

On the 2016-2020 Acura ILX, this recall covers the facelift ILX. Residual plasticizer from the brake reservoir hose contaminates the brake fluid and is absorbed by the secondary cup seal inside the brake master cylinder, causing it to swell and deform; engine heat expands it further. A deformed seal lets fluid bypass internally back into the reservoir, so during slow pedal applications pedal firmness drops and braking effort no longer produces proportional pressure. The result is degraded braking performance with increased stopping distance. This affects the 2016-2020 refreshed car only.

On the 2016-2020 Acura ILX, the Denso-supplied in-tank fuel pump module fitted to the 2016-2020 ILX uses an impeller that was molded with insufficient density and exposed to production solvent drying for too long, which can crack its surface. The impeller absorbs fuel, swells, and interferes with the pump body. The pump then fails to deliver pressure - typically presenting first as a long crank or a hard start, then progressing to an engine stall that can happen at road speed with no warning and no restart. The ILX coverage was expanded twice: an initial campaign covering the 2019 ILX (21V215, itself an expansion of 20V314) was later broadened to cover 2016-2020 ILX under 23V858, all with the 2.4L and 8-speed DCT.

On the 2013-2022 Acura ILX, on the 2.4L K24 ILX, the variable timing control (VTC) actuator on the intake camshaft is not fully oil-pressurized at first start. The internal locking pin fails to hold the actuator against the sprocket, so for one to two seconds after a cold start the actuator rattles loudly against its stops - a hard metallic grinding or 'bag of bolts' sound from the front of the engine that disappears once oil pressure builds. It is worst in cold weather, after the car has sat overnight, and with stretched oil-change intervals. This is an all-K24-family pattern documented from roughly 2008 onward across Honda and Acura four-cylinders and it carries into the ILX's 2.4. It does not apply to the 2.0L R20 or the 1.5L hybrid, which use a different valvetrain.

On the 2016-2022 Acura ILX 2.4L K24V7 I4, owners of the 2016-2022 ILX report that the dual-screen infotainment system lags or freezes. The lower touchscreen, which Acura calls the On Demand Multi-Use Display (ODMD), ignores taps for several seconds or freezes, and on navigation-equipped cars the upper navigation screen can lock up. Acura has published two bulletins that match these symptoms. ServiceNews article B18070B (July 2018) covers 2016-18 ILX models whose ODMD does not respond to touch or freezes. Acura says the cause can be debris lodged in the gap between the touch screen and its bezel. The debris presses on the screen and creates false inputs. Because that gap widens and narrows with cabin temperature, the problem can come and go, especially in cold weather. Service Bulletin 20-013 (March 2020) covers 2019-20 ILX Tech and Tech A-Spec models. On these cars a fault in the navigation software makes the navigation display distort after an hour or more of driving. The distance and time to destination stop updating, the vehicle icon shows the wrong location, and the touchscreen stops responding.