Acura RLX Complaints (2014)

85 consumer complaints on file.

#11761406September 1, 2026
STEERING, SUSPENSION
My 2014 Acura RLX has experienced a severe failure of the Precision All-Wheel Steer (P-AWS) Rear Toe Control (RTC) Actuators. The vehicle and its components are currently located at the Hiley Acura of Fort Worth dealership and are fully available for inspection. Safety Risk: This failure causes dangerous rear-end fish-tailing, violent swaying, and completely unpredictable steering control at highway speeds, creating an immediate crash risk for myself and other drivers. Confirmation & Inspection: The problem first appeared on July 8, 2026. Upon failure, the instrument panel immediately lit up with every available indicator light and continuously rotated through all system warnings. I captured video evidence of this total dashboard cascade and presented it directly to the dealership. The authorized dealer, Hiley Acura, inspected the vehicle but misdiagnosed the symptom. They incorrectly charged me $455 to replace a steering angle sensor and bundled it into a total bill of $3,808.63 heavily loaded with elective maintenance items. Upon a secondary inspection after the issue persisted, Hiley Acura officially confirmed that the RTC actuators have failed and match corporate Service Bulletin #23-021. Acura Corporate Client Relations has officially reviewed the inspection data but closed my case, refusing financial remedy. This vehicle remains completely unsafe to operate and serves as my critical medical transport for ALS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11743109June 10, 2026
ENGINE
Sept of 2023 car was making a knocking noise. (128K ) Took to local Acura dealership. Told they could not find anything and told to drive the car till failure. Have 2 children and since this was a family car that was not a good idea. Insisted on tear down diagnostic to inspect problem. Metal fragments in engine oil, connecting rod on cylinder 2. Dealership suggested to replace the engine. Engine was replaced at $13k Oct 31, 2023. (invoice provided) New engine has 40k miles and is now making the same knocking noise. Dealership says rod/crank failure, suggests REPLACING ENGINE AGAIN along with heads for $35K
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738094May 15, 2026
STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2014 Acura RLX. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at an undisclosed speed, the power steering became inoperable, the vehicle steering wheel veered left or right and is misaligned. The warning lights lane departure, forward collision, all wheel steering, power steering and other warning indicators illuminated. In another occurrence, a noise could be heard. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with power steering failure. A used part for a rear wheel steering actuator was replaced.; however the issue persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732004April 18, 2026
ENGINE
2014 Acura RLX Advance suffered an Engine Failure from internal bearing defect. The vehicle was meticulously maintained by Acura dealerships, and had extensive service records. While driving, the engine produced a knocking sound, then abruptly shook and died. The Engine has seized, and exactly has the same problem with Honda/Acura 3.5l V6s recalls. Diagnostics after Engine failure included inspecting Engine Turning over, Timing Belt (which was pristine) to rule out any other causes.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728136March 30, 2026
STEERING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
Per Acura service bulletin 23-022, Dated June 9th 2023, Acura extended a warranty on the rear steering actuators that were admitted to be “manufacturer error” parts, to extend 10 years from purchase date. In my opinion any part that is known to have manufacturer defects that effect the primary Rear wheel drive system that effects almost all safety systems on the vehicle to include limp mode on a highway needs to be replaced, this is a large safety issue. Fact; Honda admits manufacturers errors on parts. Fact; Honda recognizes the issue and issues a service bulletin. Fact; Honda extends the duration to repair the manufacturing defective part. Fact; Honda denies claims ( even when vehicle safety is a concern) after the 10 year deadline Fact; most average 2014 cars driven 12,500 miles per year have roughly 125,000 miles in 10 years and the manufacturer error was realized most likely due to usage. My 2014 now 12 years old has just recently realized the manufacturer error at 81,000 miles and Honda will not honor repairs for their errors. Facts; Google; “is it safe to drive my Acura RLX with a defective Precision all wheel steering actuator”…safety concerns realized. Facts; NHTSA is in place to keep the consumers safe and the manufacturers held accountable for repairs, let’s face it the service bulletin is just a way for manufacturers to appear proactive while turning out defective unsafe parts.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11697542November 5, 2025
SUSPENSION
Rear toe actuator (PAWS system) failure causes steering instability, warning lights, and loss of control during cornering. Acura denied warranty coverage despite a known defect and VIN-based extension (TSB 23-021, 23-022).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687574September 16, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
I purchased a 2014 Acura RLX. It had a LKAS Problem warning when purchased. I thought that meant that feature would be disabled. No big deal. In stead I have experienced the car making abrupt jerks to the right on multiple occasions. One instance, I turned onto an on-ramp that was dual lane. There was a vehicle to the right of me and my car abruptly jerked to the right towards the other car. I was able to slow a bit before entering the interstate traffic to gain control. Another instance, I turned left onto a county road. Upon straighten my steering wheel the car made another sudden jerk to the right with my steering wheel still partially turned to the left, and several warning lights and message started appearing, including: Brake system problem, adaptive cruise control problem, brake hold system problem, power steering system problem, and vehicle stability assist problem. I have noticed a rubbing sound coming from the rear end at times when turning. There have been 3 other instances where the car was jerked to the right with no additional warning lights or warning. Luckily those times there were no other vehicles nearby and I was moving at a slower speed allowing me to be able to slow down and correct the issue. The vehicle has not been inspected yet. The vehicle has an appointment with the dealership in the next 24 hours. It is available for inspection upon request. This is a serious safety issue! My teenage kids are not safe to drive this vehicle! The vehicle is in excellent structural condition and the motor runs excellent. It sounds like the RTC actuators is a huge issue!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685357September 5, 2025
STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Went into limp mode on a highway in heavy traffic, car began to break rapidly decreasing in speed and would not accelerate at all. All dashboard lights came on and a CMBS notification came on. I and my family were almost rear ended by several vehicles. I am terrified to drive the vehicle and immediately pulled over to the side of the road and had vehicle towed. Also, while driving vehicle, steering wheel will randomly jerk hard to the left causing vehicle to swerve left. I Have contacted the Acura dealership and am being denied the recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680393August 13, 2025
STEERING
The PAWS (Precision All Wheel Steering) has major issues where the system either activates suddenly when driving the vehicle, regardless of slow speeds, high speeds, going straight or turning and the back wheels suddenly turn causing the rear end to slide out. I took the vehicle to my local dealership and they said it is a known problem with this vehicle rear toe actuators and Honda has issued a warranty extension for 2013-2019 RLX to correct it. Unfortunately, this vehicle is no longer under that warranty and the only way it can be corrected is a $6800 replacement. Honda (Acura) obviously knows this is an issue but the severity is being majorly downplayed, as losing steering of a vehicle seems pretty serious to me! The vehicle cycles through multiple warning lights immediately upon the issue occurring, not before.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11676581July 28, 2025
STEERING
Power sterling went out
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666245June 11, 2025
STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This car is equipped with four wheel steering. The actuators that control the real wheels activate when the steering wheel has not turned. This occurs when the car has completed a turn and is moving in a straight line.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11663127May 27, 2025
SUSPENSION
The contact owns a 2014 Acura RLX. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH in the rain, the vehicle started to fishtail, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the passenger’s side rear toe control actuator had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 176,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11659588May 7, 2025
STEERING, WHEELS
The rear tires P-AWS actuators cause the rear wheels to slide sideways causing lose of vehicle control with out warning. There is no rhyme or reason to the loss or when to know its coming. The cars are a ticking time bomb. Upon researching this problem, it seems I'm not the only one having issues with this. It needs to be put on the manufacturer to repair issues with this if there are that many of these cars out there with this issue. It's going to get someone killed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11653772April 9, 2025
STEERING, SUSPENSION
The vehicle is equipped with rear wheel steering which is executed through a toe actuator device in the suspension attached to each rear wheel. The actuators are malfunctioning on my vehicle, causing it to swerve while driving on multiple occasions. The vehicle swerved in a fashion taking it out it its lane and could easily have put the vehicle into oncoming traffic with zero steering input from the driver. This is a very serious safety issue and vehicles with this equipment should be recalled for repair in my opinion. Acura is aware of the problem and did extend the warranties on the vehicles to cover the issue, but the extension ended in 2024. I spoke with Acura customer service at their US headquarters in Torrance, CA and their response was that they no longer cover this repair but acknowledge that it is a serious safety concern with the vehicle. My local Acura dealer charges approximately $7,000 to repair the problem and I will attach the estimate.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11607541August 9, 2024
STEERING, SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
The contact owns a 2014 Acura RLX. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, decelerated to 45 MPH, and failed to accelerate properly. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was persistent. The contact also stated that the front passenger’s side seat belt failed to buckle securely. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with steering wheel column failure. The dealer informed the contact of a previous recall, but the recall had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11606533August 5, 2024
STEERING
The contact owns a 2014 Acura RLX. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. The contact then became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 13-041. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 156,000. The VIN was not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11604748July 26, 2024
STEERING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
When I make left or right turns in a round about the words BRAKE pop up on dash board, the car slows like it's loosing power and several different things pop up saying forward collision, lane departure warning, emergency brake failure and a couple more warnings telling me to turn off the car and park the car. The steering wheel gets stuck to the side even though the car is driving straight then the tires will jerk the car and the wheel will straighten back up
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11598351July 2, 2024
LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, WHEELS
I have a serious safety issue with my 2014 Acura RLX. While driving, the rear wheel intermittently kicks out, causing the entire vehicle to swerve unpredictably. This poses a significant safety risk to myself, passengers, and other road users. The rear wheel kicks out, leading to sudden swerving of the vehicle. I believe this is related the the Rear Toe Actuators and PAW-S system. I first noticed this issue in July 2023 and sought assistance from Acura. At first the dealership denied that my car was affected by their Service Bulletin 23-022. I knew I had an issue and called and created a case with Acura. I drove my car as little as possible last year. Last month, I had an issue which made my car only drive under 50mph and all these lights popped up on my instrument panel: it read: Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) problem, Forward collision warning (FCW) Electric Power steering problem, Brake. I brought my car in to my regular mechanic. He showed me the codes on my car showed the service bulletin. I then took my car back to Acura dealership (June 17th). Acura identified the issue as related to rear toe actuators. Acura called me and informed me that I was outside of their warranty period even thought I started the case with them last year. The estimated cost exceeds $3,000, which I find financially burdensome. The safety issue persists despite Acura's negligence and puts me and my family and other drivers at risk, necessitating urgent intervention to prevent potential accidents. Service Bulletins: Reference to Acura Service Bulletin 23-022 addressing similar issues. Communication with Acura/Honda: Case numbers: Case 14025611 Please help me in investigating this safety issue and determining if it warrants further action, such as a safety recall or investigation into Acura's handling of the matter. I believe this issue may affect other owners of the 2014 Acura RLX or other RLX owners up to the year 2020 and poses a safety risk that requires immediate attention.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11577597March 15, 2024
SUSPENSION, SUSPENSION:REAR
See attached document for complaint
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11577465March 14, 2024
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
While driving on the highway at about 65/70mph, my seatbelts locked and the emergency brakes engaged along with the lane departure warning and a couple other warning lights I’ve never seen. This has happened approximately 3 times.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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