Acura TLX Reliability Problems

TLX owners have made 204 complaints over 7 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it dead last in overall reliability, with significant transmission and electrical concerns.

4 Common Acura TLX Problems

A list of some of the most common issues TLX owners have to deal with.

  1. Acura's Very Uncomfortable Seats

    The seat design in certain Acura vehicles has been described as crippling. Owners complain that their legs fall asleep after 30 minutes of driving, and any long trips result in stiff backs, sore thighs, or messed up necks. Acura has been si…

    Continue reading article "Acura's Very Uncomfortable Seats" A beige interior featuring the headrest of an unnamed Acura vehicle.

  2. TRW Crash Sensor Defect

    There's growing concern that some sort of electrical overstress is messing with airbag control units (ACU) in certain Acura vehicles. And that's a problem since it's the sensor that senses when a crash occurs and tells the airbags to deploy…

    Continue reading article "TRW Crash Sensor Defect" ZF corporate headquarters with the sign out front and towering building in the back.

  3. 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"

  4. 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 TLX 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

Full Lists on CarComplaints.com

TLX Generations

Generations are groups of model years where few, if any, changes were made to the vehicle which means their model years tend to break in similar ways. The TLX has 1 generation available in North American markets.

TLX Key Numbers

  1. 204 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  2. 402 service bulletins

    Documenting the process of troubleshooting common problems.

  3. 5 recall campaigns

    Time-sensitive, free repairs for widespread safety problems.

Recent TLX 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.

  6. You've barely cracked 4 digits on your TLX's odometer, but your car might already need a new transmission.

    Acura says something happened during manufacturing that can cause the 9-speed automatic transmission to fail to properly shift into the 'park' position. Yeah, I'd say "something happened." Something like "you guys messed up."

    A transmission that can't go into park means your car could easily roll away and hurt someone. So until the problem is fixed, the parking brake should always be set.

    The recall begins in January 2015.

    keep reading article "TLX Transmissions Already Need Replacing"

What Owners Say About Their TLX

Well, I feel as if I made a 42500 dollar mistake. This 9 speed ZF tranny is without a doubt the worst shifting transmission I have ever driven. And if this is normal operation for the car as the dealer says, Acura should be responsible for a fix or replacement of the tranny.

2015 TLX Owner in CA

Acura's 8-Speed Dual-Clutch Transmission Slips Like Crazy During Acceleration

Each time I reported a rough shifting from 1st to 2nd gear (slight) and from 2nd to 3rd gear (very pronounced) They have yet to fix the problem. I could shift a manual smoother than this 'advanced' automatic transmission system.

2015 TLX Owner in NY

Acura's 8-Speed Dual-Clutch Transmission Slips Like Crazy During Acceleration

From the moment I bought this piece of junk the transmission has been jerking going in & out of second gear. Numerous passengers in my car have pointed out to me that my transmission is failing, as if I don't know. My mother once thought we'd been rear ended after a particularly bad thud.

2015 TLX Owner in FL

Other Acura Models