Acura TLX

Where it stands out against its peers

• Power train: more complaints than 96% of 2015 cars — 47% of its 341 complaints, where an ordinary 2015 car has 15%.
• Lane departure: more complaints than 94% of 2015 cars — 3% of its 341 complaints, where an ordinary 2015 car has 1%.

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.

• POWER TRAIN — 100 owners reported this, 3 involving a crash
• ENGINE — 25 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 13 owners reported this
• ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING — 12 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN,ENGINE — 12 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — 9 owners reported this
• SERVICE BRAKES — 8 owners reported this, 4 involving a crash
• POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 6 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• STRUCTURE — 6 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — 5 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.

49% of 2022 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.

• 14V613000

  If the vehicle is loaded to the specifications listed on the label, tire failure may result, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected certification label, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on October 21, 2014. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-382-2238. Honda's number for this recall is JK6.

• 14V779000

  If the shift indicator displays "Park" but the park lock does not engage, the vehicle may roll away increasing the risk of a crash.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the transmission if necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 30, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-310-783-2000. Honda's number for this recall is JM8.

• 16V640000

  If the vehicle unexpectedly shifts to neutral, there is an increased risk of a crash.

  Acura has notified owners, and dealers will, based on the automatic transmission serial number, update the transmission software to prevent the transmission from shifting into neutral due to a faulty crimp, free of charge. The recall began January 13, 2017. Owners may contact Acura Client Relations at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KC2.

• 19V060000

  Reduced fuel pump performance can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the fuel injection engine control unit (FI-ECU) software and, if necessary, replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began March 25, 2019. Owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's recall number for this recall is P3W. Honda's recall number for this recall is N3X.

• 19V298000

  Teeth separation from the timing belt may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace any affected timing belt free of charge. Vehicles receiving a replacement timing belt will also have the engine inspected and any damaged components will be replaced for free. The recall began June 7, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is L4M. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is Z4L.

• 21V215000

  Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 18, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-314.

• 22V950000

  Damaged tires can lead to a sudden loss of air pressure and loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Dealers will inspect and replace the tires as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 30, 2023. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is GCW.

• 23V751000

  A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.

  Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 28, 2024. 2016-2017 Acura MDX owner letters were mailed November 1, 2024. 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed in mid-December 2024. Honda began mailing owner notification letters as of March 18, 2024. 2015-2016 Acura owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-December 2024, 2018 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed the end of March/early April 2024, 2019 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-May 2024, 2020 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-June 2024, and 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed January 27, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XG1 and GG0.

5 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.

• All wheel drive allegation

  Defect petition, opened March 2026, closed August 2026.

• Engine failure

  Preliminary evaluation, opened August 2025, still open.

• No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages

  Engineering analysis, opened March 2025, still open.

• Engine failure

  Recall query, opened November 2024, closed August 2025.

• Electrical overstress

  Engineering analysis, opened April 2019, closed September 2024.

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 6 bulletins about the 2025 TLX.

• Suspension: 3
• Engine: 1
• Structure: 1
• Visibility/wiper: 1

• Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for 2024-2025 TLXs with a client complaint of a loose, mis-set, deformed, or otherwise defective front door weatherstrip and/or… · January 2026
• Service Bulletin - Oil leak at the cam chain tensioner inspection cover due to and insufficient sealant adhesion on the inspection cover. · September 2025
• Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2022- 2024 MDXs & 2021-2025 TLXs with a client complaint of a loose or detached rearview mirror bracket. To better… · April 2025
• Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2022-2025 MDX Type S's & 2021-2025 TLX ADV's or Type S's with a client complaint of the “Adaptive Damper System Problem”… · September 2024
• Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2022-2025 MDX Type S's & 2021-2025 TLX ADV's or Type S's with a client complaint of the “Adaptive Damper System Problem”… · September 2024
• Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2022-2025 MDX Type S's & 2021-2025 TLX ADV's or Type S's with a client complaint of the “Adaptive Damper System Problem”… · September 2024

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