Acura TLX problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
881 owner complaints analyzed
13 distinct recall campaigns
22,300 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2012 to 2025 model years. Data snapshot: . 389 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Power Train is the most frequently named component, appearing in 257 of 881 complaints (29.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 219 | 24.9% |
| Braking behavior | 175 | 19.9% |
| Engine operation | 102 | 11.6% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 85 | 9.6% |
| Steering behavior | 55 | 6.2% |
| Fuel system concerns | 48 | 5.4% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Power Train | 257 |
| Engine | 222 |
| Electrical System | 150 |
| Unknown Or Other | 116 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 77 |
| Service Brakes | 70 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 68 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 49 |
Power Train: 257; Engine: 222; Electrical System: 150; Unknown Or Other: 116; Fuel/Propulsion System: 77; Service Brakes: 70; Engine And Engine Cooling: 68; Vehicle Speed Control: 49
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 203 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 65 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 61 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 32 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 22 |
| 150,000 and above | 6 |
Under 25,000: 203; 25,000 to 49,999: 65; 50,000 to 74,999: 61; 75,000 to 99,999: 32; 100,000 to 149,999: 22; 150,000 and above: 6
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (203). 492 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 8 |
| 2015 | 77 |
| 2016 | 41 |
| 2017 | 34 |
| 2018 | 28 |
| 2019 | 65 |
| 2020 | 58 |
| 2021 | 67 |
| 2022 | 59 |
| 2023 | 71 |
| 2024 | 160 |
| 2025 | 119 |
| 2026 | 94 |
2014: 8; 2015: 77; 2016: 41; 2017: 34; 2018: 28; 2019: 65; 2020: 58; 2021: 67; 2022: 59; 2023: 71; 2024: 160; 2025: 119; 2026: 94
Pattern summary
Power Train leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 219 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 175 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 102 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10664053 · 2014-12-13 (December 13, 2014)
LOW SPEED ACCELERATION - SHIFTING FROM 1ST OR 2ND OR 3RD (NOT SURE) GEAR TO NEXT GEAR IS NOT SMOOTH. IT IS A FAIRLY HARD SHIFT. THE REST OF THE SHIFTING IS SMOOTH 4-9. ALSO AUTOMATIC DOWNSHIFTING CREATES AN ODD SPEED UP FOR A SECOND TO WHAT SEEMS LIKE A REV MATCH TO TRY TO MAKE IT SMOOTH, BUT CAUSES PROBLEMS ON SLIPPERY ROADS. ALSO EARLY WARNING BRAKE WARNING SIGNAL IS VERY INTERMITTENT AND WORKS SOMETIMES AND NOT OTHERS IN THE EXACT SAME LIGHTING SITUATION AND CAR POSITION AND SAME TYPE OF CAR DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10664053 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10667893 · 2014-12-23 (December 23, 2014)
WHEN I AM AT A COMPLETE STOP WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, IT FEELS LIKE SOMEONE IS BUMPING ME FROM BEHIND TO MAKE THE CAR GO FORWARD. OR ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING WOULD BE THAT THE CAR IS TRYING TO ACCELERATE WHEN MY FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE. ALSO, WHEN ACCELERATING, IT FEELS AT TIMES LIKE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH GAS AND THEN THE CAR STARTS SPEEDING UP. THE TRANSITION IS NOT SMOOTH. I WAS TOLD BY THE SALESPERSON IT WAS A SHIFTING ISSUE AND THE CAR NEEDS TO WARM UP. " IT WAS NOT A BIG DEAL." THE PROBLEM IS THERE WERE DAYS THAT IT WAS WARM OUTSIDE. I …
Owner-reported narrative. 450 miles reported. Look up ODI 10667893 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10714145 · 2015-05-01 (May 1, 2015)
THE CAR HAS TIMES WHERE IT STALLS OR HESITATES SIGNIFICANTLY - THIS OCCURS WORST IN SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE (THERE IS A SEVERAL SECOND DELAY AND THEN A SURGE FORWARD), AND THERE ARE HARD SHIFTS BETWEEN 1-2 AND 2-3 GEARS. THERE ARE ALSO TIMES WHERE WHEN COASTING AND YOU APPLY THROTTLE, IT IS UNRESPONSIVE. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN SITUATIONS WHERE THE CAR DOWNSHIFTS VERY HARD AND LURCHES FORWARD ALMOST UNCONTROLLABLY (THIS HAS ONLY OCCURRED IN SPORT+ MODE). *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10714145 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10806140 · 2015-11-23 (November 23, 2015)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 ACURA TLX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND THE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF; HOWEVER, AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, IT RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING LINKAGE WAS NOT FAULTY. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PENDING TO BE TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR A SECOND DIAGNOSIS. THE MANUFACTURER …
Owner-reported narrative. 6,315 miles reported. Look up ODI 10806140 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10682513 · 2015-02-10 (February 10, 2015)
THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. THIS CAR IS THE 4 CYLINDER, TECH MODEL. THE TRANSMISSION HESITATES SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE. IT ALSO WILL HESITATE WHEN TURNING A CORNER SOMETIMES. THE OTHER PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR IS THE CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM (LISTED AS ELECTRICAL ABOVE). IT SIMPLY DOESN'T WORK CORRECTLY. THE DRIVER SIDE TESTED 8 DEGREES DIFFERENT THAN THE PASSENGER SIDE. SO IF I HAVE THE DRIVE SIDE SET AT 75 DEGREES FOR HEAT IT FEELS LIKE 68 DEGREES. WHEN ON THE HEAT SETTING, THE FAN APPEARS TO DISPERSE MORE OUT OF THE DEFROSTER THAN IT DOES BELO…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10682513 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10776277 · 2015-09-24 (September 24, 2015)
ON BOTH DAYS SEPT 22 AND SEPT 23, 2015, AS I WAS DRIVING, I WAS SITTING IN TRAFFIC AT A STOP LIGHT WAITING FOR IT TO TURN GREEN. JUST AS THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND EVERYONE STARTED TO MOVE FORWARD, MY CAR SHUT DOWN. AN EDISTON BULB POPPED UP ON THE DASH, YELLOW COLOR, AND THE WORDS "SHIFT TO PARK" BUT IT DISAPPEARED WITHIN 2 SECS. I IMMEDIATELY SHIFTED TO PARK AND RESTARTED THE CAR. THE CAR RESTARTED AND I WAS ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD. I AM TAKING THE CAR BACK INTO THE DEALER TODAY. I ALSO HAVE THE JERKY TRANSMISSION, THE SUDDEN SURGE WHEN SHIFTING…
Owner-reported narrative. 8,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10776277 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10683923 · 2015-02-17 (February 17, 2015)
I WAS ACCELERATING FROM 40 MPH TO 50 MPH WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED ACCELERATING, BEEPED, AND STARTED FLASHING ALL SYSTEM ERRORS IN ORANGE ON THE DASH DISPLAY. THE CAR WOULD NOT GO ABOVE 50 MPH, AS IF THE GAS WAS BEING CHOKED OFF AT THAT POINT. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER. THEY HAD THE CAR FOR A WEEK BEFORE IT WAS "FIXED". THE EXACT SAME ERROR JUST OCCURRED FOR A SECOND TIME WHILE I WAS ACCELERATING AND MERGING INTO A BUSY HIGHWAY LANE. CAR IS AGAIN AT THE DEALER FOR ALMOST A WEEK AND COUNTING. WHILE IT HASN'T CAUSED AN ACCIDENT YET, THIS …
Owner-reported narrative. 3,220 miles reported. Look up ODI 10683923 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10969468 · 2017-03-30 (March 30, 2017)
VEHICLE PURCHASE MADE ON 2/28/2016. I HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES FOR VARIOUS ISSUES SINCE THEN, MOSTLY FOR TRANSMISSION ISSUE. THE ISSUES INCLUDE JERKY SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND, AND 2ND TO 3RD. ACURA CLIENT RELATIONS DECIDED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION ON MY FOURTH VISIT/COMPLAINT. THE ROUGH SHIFTING HAS SOMEWHAT IMPROVED, BUT IT IS STILL THERE. MY LAST VISIT AT THE DEALERSHIP AND A TEST DRIVE WITH DISTRICT MANAGER(DM) YIELDED: A) THIS IS PERFECTLY NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE NEW 9-SPEED TRANSMISSION. A FEATURE THAT COMES WIT…
Owner-reported narrative. 13,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10969468 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11193981 · 2019-04-05 (April 5, 2019)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 ACURA TLX. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART, BUT STALLED AGAIN AT RED TRAFFIC LIGHTS AS THE AUTO START FEATURE MALFUNCTIONED. THE DEALER (ACURA OF AVON, 75 ALBANY TURNPIKE, CANTON, CT 06019, [phone removed]) REFUSED TO TURN OFF THE AUTO START FEATURE BECAUSE IT WAS AGAINST THE LAW. THE CONTACT TRAVELED TO FLORIDA AND HAD AN UNKNOWN ACURA DEALER CHANGE THE BATTERY AND CHECK THE FUEL PUMP FOR A RECAL…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11193981 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2015 | 6 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
2012: 0; 2015: 6; 2016: 3; 2017: 3; 2018: 4; 2019: 6; 2020: 5; 2021: 4; 2022: 3; 2023: 3; 2024: 1; 2025: 1