Acura TLX Complaints

946 consumer complaints on file.

#11507643February 16, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
On two occasions the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) has improperly activated with HARD braking leaving me fighting for control. On one occasion, I was driving at 35 MPH on a divided boulevard in my home subdivision with no vehicles in sight. The second occasion occurred on the Florida Turnpike at 75 MPH while in the outside lane. There was no vehicle in front of me or to the side at that time. That was a scary moment. I want to emphasize that the CMBS employed HARD braking along with the flashing dash warning. After each instance I took the vehicle to an Acura dealer. First to Fountain Acura in Orlando who could find no DTC codes and blew me off by telling me it was my E-Pass transponder and window tint that caused the problem. That was utter nonsense. The second time I took the vehicle to AutoNation Acura North Orlando where I had purchased the vehicle as Certified Pre-owned (CPO) in April of 2022. They took my concern seriously, provided a loaner and kept the vehicle for four days. They also were unable to duplicate the issue and could find no DTC codes. They called Honda’s “tech line” and told me that same nonsense about tint and transponders. This “washing of hands” rather than taking ownership of this life-threatening problem made me start looking for others with the same issue. No surprise, I found 103 other Acura 2021 TLXs as well as RDXs and Honda models with NHTSA complaints for the same exact experience I had. Is AHM’s “tech line” telling all owners it is their fault for the improper activation of the CMBS? It seems to me that a change in the CMBS triggering algorithm needs to be made otherwise the more vehicles with the defective algorithm the more crashes will occur. This improper activation seems unique to 2021 vehicles. NHTSA records currently show no similar complaints for 2020, 2022, or 2023 model year vehicles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11507240February 14, 2023
EXTERIOR LIGHTING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The infotainment system glitches or goes static after a bump of any sort. Sometimes it would restart entirely. Or just not work until I stop and restart the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11506935February 13, 2023
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
The contact owns a 2018 Acura TLX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights started flickering. The vehicle was taken to an independent dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the amps in the battery was low. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11505647February 5, 2023
POWER TRAIN
I was driving on highway 3 weeks ago and all of a sudden my car shifted into neutral on its own and would not let me select any gears. Luckily I was safely able to pull over to the shoulder without getting rear ended. Once I powered off the car and restarted, it let me select "D" drive gear again and behaved normally. I contacted Acura dealer and they said it is a software issue and Acura is aware of it and no fix is available at this time. Then it happened again 3 days ago while I was turning into a parking lot and this time I took it to dealer service department. They checked but could do nothing about it other than clean gear selector push buttons which does not solve the issue. My car has had all recommended maintenance including transmission fluid change done about 5000 miles ago. This is an extremely serious issue and could have resulted in major accident on highway resulting in injuries or death.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11505092February 2, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving approx 65 mph on a freeway the vehicle placed itself into neutral and decelerrated as multiple warnings flashed across dashboard. . . “Emissions System Problem”, “Transmission System Problem”, “Electric Parking Brake Problem”. I was able to pull off to the side of an exit ramp but once I put the car in PARK I could not shift into Drive. I could not safely drive/manuever my vehicle to a safer area putting myself and child at risk of being hit. I turned the car on/off multiple times to attempt to shift into Drive, but to no avail. I called the nearest Acura dealer which was in the next town over from where I was stranded. After many failed attempts I was able to put the car in Drive and move my vehicle to the closest road and off to the side but with the warnings still flashing. The last successful attempt I was able to put the car in Drive again and without any further warnings flashing on dashboard. Drove 20 minutes to the nearest Acura Dealer and was charged $300 for the diagnosis and update of 3 systems. Informed DTC Code P0657, actuator supply voltage circuit/open, was found prior to system updates: Transmission Control Module Update, PGM-FI Update, and ABS System Update.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11504608January 31, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The car was in motion then shifted into a different gear . I didn’t have have control of the gears. A digital “check transmission” warning flashed on the car dashboard. After 2 hours I removed the terminal from the battery in order to move the car. The car stopped in the middle of the road during this problem. Someone could've hit me from behind with my children in the car . One car was close enough to hit me but ended up swerving into a ditch to avoid hitting my car . I spoke to Marietta Acura Dealership in GA and was told there was no recall on my car .
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11503261January 23, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I have had, for years, Idle Stop/restart failures on my 2018 Acura TLX, too many times to count. One time, I heard the screeching tires of a car behind me stopping to avoid rear-ending me, when the driver thought I was going to proceed through an intersection, only to have the car die. Another time, with my infant in the car, I was nearly T-Boned when the car died failing to get through an intersection after a stop. I've taken the car in for service numerous times. Each time, they either couldn't find the problem, or told me I didn't drive it enough, or needed to keep it on a trickle charger, or that I needed a new Battery. In June of 2022, I received a letter from Acura informing me to get a PGM-FI software update. I did. Last night, the car died attempting to restart on a freeway off ramp (which it has done previously as well I should add). I shouldn't have to explain how dangerous it is having a car die on a freeway off ramp. Acura - FAIL.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11502401January 18, 2023
ENGINE
The contact called on behalf of his granddaughter who owns a 2016 Acura TLX. The contact stated while the vehicle was being driven at highway speeds, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated to 10 MPH, and stalled without warning. The driver was able to pull off the roadway and restart the vehicle after several attempts; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 10 MPH. The vehicle was also running rough. The contact stated that on three occasions, after the failure, the vehicle failed to start and was towed. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure recurred five times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The mechanic determined that the engine was misfiring. The spark plugs and ignition wires were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was returned to the dealer who diagnosed that the fuel injectors had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 145,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11500621January 7, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
My wife and I were on the first day of vacation, driving from Virginia to FL by way of SC. Around 1pm I was driving the car on interstate 20 West in South Carolina near Bishopville. There were no cars in my lane in front of me and the car suddenly activated what Acura refers to as the CMBS system. The purpose of this is to stop us if it thinks we are going to run into another vehicle. I'm not 100% sure but I think this is related to the adaptive cruise control. We had not used cruise control that day because traffic on rt 95 South was extremely heavy. We had finally turned off on Rt 20 and traffic wasn't as heavy so we felt we could safely use the cruise control. We were traveling at about 73 mph and the car suddenly started hard braking. It was flashing BRAKE in big letters in the dash. There was another vehicle behind so I kept pushing on the gas pedal to keep going but the car literally would not release the brakes. The vehicle from behind hit us. There is a video cam in my car so I have a video that shows the car traveling smoothly then all at once bouncing and jerking as it keeps applying the brakes. We also have photos of the front of the car showing that the cameras that this system uses were clear and unobstructed. The other driver was charged but it was absolutely the fault of the Acura for this malfunction. Acura Roadside Assistance tried to tell us how to disable this system but the info they provided was for another year model and didn't work. We went on YouTube and found the correct information and have disabled this system. There were other videos on YouTube describing this exact issue with this system failure with Acura vehicles. We have also filed a report with Acura Customer Care. It is case #[XXX]. We have also reported this to our insurance company (Travelers) and to State Farm, the company that is handling the claim for repair. The State Farm Claim # is [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11498449December 21, 2022
ENGINE
The car failed to turn back on after the auto stop fuction turned the engine off. This left me stranded at a green light. After a few seconds the car put itself in neutral and I slowly coasted to the side of the road as I was on a hill. It would not start for around 30 seconds, remained in accessory mode with the engine off. Finally it started and I cautiously drove home. The oil and coolant levels are still perfect and I got the battery tested. Not sure why it would not start back up.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11497380December 14, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Every time I took my car in for State emissions test computer at facility said car could came back saying “not ready”. Took it 5 times and it always said same result. Took it to dealer and they said they’ve seen this before but don’t know what caused it. They said the only was to resolve it was for Acura mechanic to take car to testing facility while his laptop was hooked up to cat computer, to “trick” testing facility into allowing cat to pass EPA test. Car was still under warranty at this time and had 60,000 miles on it. Car passed tested dealer charged me $400 and said it was not covered under warranty because they could not find a code for the problem. Acura mechanic said he has seen this on other Acura TLXs…
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11497210December 13, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Alarm system goes off randomly. Alarm does not “beep” when you press the key fob. Hood latch sensor is the problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11496965December 11, 2022
POWER TRAIN
Noticed my 2021 Acura TLX A-SPEC SH-AWD has fluid leaking from the rear differential where the driveshaft connects. The vehicle has 16,531 miles on the odometer. Honda is releasing a recall for leaking rear differential on the Honda CRV as well Accords. Honda may want to include the Acura TLX's as well in the recall as they are reporting the drivesshaft may cause serious damage at high speeds if the differential is leaking.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11494676November 23, 2022
ENGINE
The car does not restart after it has turned off during an idle stop. This is part of the start/stop system. The stop/start feature will leave you stranded at stoplights due to a failure to restart the car. To restart, you must put the car in Park mode and hit the start/stop button at least twice to turn it off, then turn on the car. This causes some panic when you get into the situation, as it is not the expected behavior. For people who are unaware can be put in a very challenging situation. This has happened multiple times in the past few months.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11492769November 8, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The defect with stalling after auto start continues even after Acura applied a software update. They refuse to complete second part of recall including starter replacement and valve adjustment as indicated on their attached letter. THIS NEGLIGENCE IS A HIGH RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY TO MY FAMILY AND I.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11487773October 3, 2022
STEERING, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Visa transmission light engine light the car jerks when driving. Puts itself in neutral
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11486379September 26, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES
While traveling on highway, parking brake intermittently activated several times and parking brake malfunction alarm flashed on dashboard. This caused the vehicle to brake unexpectedly while driving through a construction zone on highway 45. Fortunately, we were very close to the Acura dealership where the vehicle was purchased and managed to drive the vehicle to the service department. The Parking brake alarm continued to display on dashboard even after turning off the vehicle and starting it again. The emissions alarm also flashed intermittently on the dashboard. After researching on several TLX Forums, we found similar incidents dating back to 2015 TLX vehicles. There is also an issue when trying to start the vehicle. Sometimes the engine does not turn over and the dashboard displays error messages or goes completely black. Dealer is unable to fix this issue. Vehicle has been in for repairs a number of times with no resolution. We are not sure if the starting issue is related to the parking brake issue. There seems to be major issues with the electrical/software/firmware.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11486148September 24, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES, STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Rotors warped and changed through warranty but loud humming and vibration is back after 2,000 miles on new rotors. Steering column is leaking fluid down to brake pedal. Steering wheel is making a clicking noise when turning. Speakers are crackling after Fakra replacement under acceleration or going over bumps.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11485710September 21, 2022
ENGINE
The Idle stop feature will NOT automatically restart and causes me to stall for an unsafe amount of time. There is a recall call for my Acura 2018 TLX but my VIN does not fall under the qualifying vehicles. I am very upset and this is a safety matter that needs to be addressed ASAP.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11484064September 12, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
First item: vehicle keeps shutting off during idle while parked or while brake is depressed. It has happened multiple times. I've done some research and see there are several sites indicating issues with the fuel pump and vehicle stalling. Acura says there are no current recalls. I'm not the only person this is happening to. Second issue: vehicle has gone into neutral on its own while driving. At first I thought maybe I hit the neutral button by mistake and didn't think of anything but then the most recent was coming out if a gas station and pulled up to a stop sign and it went into neutral. I just bought this car on June 1st.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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