2020 Acura TLX Complaints

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 09/26/2026

My Acura TLX was stolen on from my driveway in Chicago, IL. The vehicle was locked, and the only key fob was about 200 feet away inside home at the time. The thief was able to unlock, start, and drive away the vehicle without the authorized key fob. Component that failed: The vehicle's anti-theft and keyless entry/ignition security system smart key/immobilizer failed to prevent unauthorized entry and engine start. The vehicle and component are not available for inspection yet but the vehicle was recovered and located. Safety risk: The security flaw allowed an unauthorized person to take control of and operate a vehicle on public roads. This puts the public at risk from reckless driving by the thief and from the car's possible use in other crimes. It also shows that any owner's vehicle can be taken with no key present, which puts owners at risk of confrontation and financial harm.

ENGINE — Filed 07/06/2026

- The engine system failed and it is available for inspection -While driving on the highway at normal traffic speed, my vehicle suddenly developed a loud knocking noise and the check engine light lit up. Within moments, the engine lost power and became inoperable, leaving me unable to continue driving while being 300 miles away from home. This incident occurred at about 5-6AM, having to maneuver through traffic before the sunrise. This created a serious safety risk because surrounding vehicles were traveling at full speed increasing the risk of collision. There were no warning signs of this failure and I was unfortunately stranded on the highway in an unfamiliar town for hours with minors in the vehicle. -Yes, the vehicle was towed to a local dealeriship, Hahira Automotive Services, where the engine failure occurred and they confirmed that they were unable to start the car and the knocking sound was indicative of engine failure. I towed the car to an Acura dealership local to my home and they confirmed the same vehicle condition and that a takedown is required to fully inspect the engine. -The engine has not been inspected by anyone only the vehicle condition -There were no warning signs of engine failure prior to the incident

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 07/01/2025

The cars Emission Systems and Parking Brake lights come on, and the dealer can not diagnose this issue properly. I have taken it in 4 times, and it continues to happen. I fear the parking brake coming on while driving.

AIR BAGS — Filed 04/23/2026

Airbags (SRS)

POWER TRAIN — Filed 12/30/2024

Transmission harsh and delayed gear engagement, sometimes it won’t shift unless it’s done manually, few times it didn’t shift even though I shifted manually, I had to increase engine speed to about 5000 RPM so it shifts, transmission goes into neutral when trying to to accelerate while it’s in drive and intermittent vibration caused by hydraulic circuit pressure issues, I’ve had the vehicle since it had 7900 miles and all these issues been present in the car since then, the car now have 29000 miles and it’s only getting worse. These issues have been reported by a lot of Honda/Acura vehicles owner with the 9 speed transmission

ENGINE — Filed 12/22/2025

PE 25008 The engine knock started on 12/22/25. Motorcars Acura recommended get a case number & have the 2020 TLX towed in for a diagnostic. Online case # XXX Towed to Motorcars on 12/23/25. Talked to Michelle with customer relations & she was going to call Motorcars for info. Motorcars, without my permission, pulled the oil pan & inspected the bearings. #6 rod bearing failed. On 1/15/26, Michelle with customer relations told me that they will not offer reimbursement to repair. I told Motorcars to do the repair on 1/15/26. Picked up the car on 1/21/26 Info & pictures attached. I told Michelle I hope you reconsider reimbursing me for the repairs. As I told Michelle, I am very loyal to Acura as I own (4) Acura’s. Now two of them have engine issue. The 2020 TLX rod bearing issue that was not included in the recall & my 2012 MDX with the 3.7 oil consumption issues. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE — Filed 09/27/2025

The front camera that operates the cruise control, lane assist, automatic braking, automatic high beam has stopped working. After further research it seems to be a popular problem with this car in a short amount of time. This car is a 2020 with 61,000 miles. The camera costs approximately $2000 to fix and should have a longer life span.

ENGINE — Filed 12/17/2025

Recall performed on 2020 Acura TLX 3.5 for rod bearing recall. Crankshaft and bearings were replaced. 24000 miles later, the engine spun a bearing again with all the new internals. All maintenance records were supplied when the car was brought in. Acura is wanting me to pay 40% of the cost for a short block.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — Filed 11/16/2025

49,622 mark on my 2020 Acura tlx AWD… auto stop was enabled, car was at stoplight, engine attempted to re-engage but did not and car went into “neutral”… and the lights stayed on. I immediately turned on blinkers to avoid crash and and attempted to re start car, I shifted into Park, shut down car and re-started it successfully. I am seeking repair or disablement of the auto stop system, this is a safety hazard to myself and my family as well as others who had to go around while the issue was being troubleshooted. This appears to be related to Investigation:EA25004

UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE — Filed 11/03/2025

On or about October 21–22, 2025, I brought my 2020 Acura TLX (brown, 99,000 miles, VIN [XXX] ) to Goodson Acura of Dallas for a recall repair related to engine concerns. The vehicle was returned to me on October 24, 2025. Shortly afterward, the car began to lag and hesitate while accelerating. On November 3, 2025, while driving to a doctor’s appointment on the Bypass Bridge in morning traffic, the vehicle suddenly stalled and lost power completely. This created a dangerous situation in active traffic. I recently underwent surgery following a serious burn injury, so limited mobility made this stall especially hazardous. After restarting the engine, multiple ADAS and system-fault warnings appeared. I contacted Goodson Acura and was advised to bring the vehicle in. Upon arrival, the service advisor confirmed the warning lights but required a $205 diagnostic fee despite the recall work. Acura Client Relations opened Case No. XXX and advised the charge should not apply if related to the recall. After waiting several hours, I was told the battery had died and that front camera/ADAS systems were returning codes. This stall occurred less than two weeks after recall repair and could easily have caused a serious crash or injury. I am requesting a full investigation into the recall repair, the stalling issue, and any related safety defects. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

STEERING — Filed 10/28/2025

Was driving on the highway at posted 65 and 70-mph when car suddenly went into 'limp mode' to under 50mph and I was forced to exit the highway after nearly being rear-ended. Dash error indicated 'Precision All wheel steering had malfunctioned'. Took the car to Crown Acura in Cleveland where I was told that it would be $9210 to replace two rear wheel steering actuators or $2800 if they used salvage parts. This was a known issue with the 2015-2020 Acura TLX cars and there are numerous reports online in TLX and Acura forums. Had a semi truck been behind me, there is no question that I would have been in an accident and injured if not killed. Acura needs to address this issue with these cars under a federally mandated recall notice.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING — Filed 07/23/2025

The contact owns a 2020 Acura TLX. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light and attempting to make a right turn, the vehicle lost power. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the engine was not replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered to help with the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was 98,000.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE — Filed 10/02/2025

Multiple dash lights including "brake system failure, collision mitigation system problem, adaptive cruise control problem, road departure mitigation system problem, etc." RPMs effected, car does not shift into third gear. Safety of myself and others were at risk because the vehicle stalled then would not go over 20mph. Had this been a busy highway, lack of warning could cause a major collision. The vehicle was recently inspected and passed by Criswell Honda, Gaithersburg and purchased by me today. No dash lights were displayed. I drove less than 100 miles before the issue occurred. The vehicle is currently being towed back to Criswell Honda for diagnostics and repair (or I was told that is what they will be doing).

POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 06/01/2025

The contact owns a 2020 Acura TLX. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light, the emission system failure, and electronic parking assist messages were displayed. Additionally, the AWD feature had become inoperable, making the vehicle difficult to steer. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. After disconnecting and reconnecting the negative battery terminal, the system was reset and the failure was corrected, but eventually reoccurred. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failures, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was unknown.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 09/23/2025

Warning lamps appeared for forward collision, lane keep assist, auto high beam, brakes, adaptive cruise control.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,WHEELS — Filed 05/30/2025

The contact owns a 2020 Acura TLX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) and an unknown recall for the tires, and another for the trim around the doors. The contact stated that the recall repairs were completed. The contact’s son picked up the vehicle from the dealer and noticed that the front windshield was cracked. Additionally, while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle vibrated abnormally, and the driver was unable to control the vehicle. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side tire detached from the vehicle. The driver was able to regain control of the vehicle and pulled over to the side of the road. Several messages were displayed on the instrument panel including messages that the cruise control was inoperable, assist line Collison system inoperable, road mitigation system unavailable, Collison Mitigation system failure were displayed. When the tow truck arrived at the scene, the tow truck driver noticed that bolts connected to the spindle had detached. The vehicle was towed to a tire specialist and the tires were replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 08/05/2025

Electric parking brake problem , and emissions system problem. Apparently its a common issue many are affected.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 12/25/2024

2 1/2 years before the current connecting rod bearing recall, my engine failed due to the connecting rod bearing at 53,000 miles. After fighting with Acura for almost a year, they agreed to replace the motor. However, when I picked it up, they had only rebuilt the motor. Now that motor's rod has failed at 68,000 miles and they refuse to replace the motor. They say it doesn't have anything to do with the connecting rod bearing but it is knocking with a thrown rod.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 07/06/2025

Car shuts down randomly when accelerating from a stop or red light . All the mechanical lights come up on the dash.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 06/02/2025

Recall Still Listed as Unrepaired After Completion Dear NHTSA, I am reaching out regarding an outstanding recall listed for my vehicle, even though the repair has already been completed. I took my car to an authorized dealership to have the recall service performed, and the repair was completed. However, the recall still appears as *unrepaired* in the NHTSA system. Because of this, I am currently unable to obtain a Vehicle Safety Systems Check Certificate, which is required for \[registration/inspection/other—insert if applicable]. Could you please assist me in updating the recall status or advise me on how to resolve this issue? I can provide documentation from the dealership confirming the recall service was completed, if needed. the vin# for my car is: [XXX] Thank you for your assistance. Sincerely, Vtek Motorsports [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 12/02/2024

The recall impacting my fuel injection has not been fixed since 2023 i have been waiting. I was told parts are available now and would be called by someone but that has been more than a month ago.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 08/29/2023

Unknown

SEAT BELTS — Filed 03/05/2024

The contact owns a 2020 Acura TLX. The contact stated that his daughter was driving and was stopped at a traffic signal when the signal turned green, the vehicle in front began to move forward but abruptly stopped. The contact's daughter crashed into the rear bumper of the vehicle at approximately 2 MPH. The seat belt pre-tensioner was activated on the driver's side seat belt. The contact stated that his daughter was not aware of any warning lights. The contact stated that his daughter was unhurt, the other vehicle drove away with no damage. The police were not at the scene. The contact stated that his daughter was pinned in the seat by the seat belt but was able to unbuckle. She then turned the Hazard Lights on. The contact stated that he arrived and he saw that the Hazard Lights were dim and when he attempted to start the vehicle it was not starting. The contact had the vehicle towed to a collision center. The contact stated that the collision repair shop diagnosed and determined that the driver's side seat belt needed to be replaced, however, the parts (Part Number: 04818TZ3A01ZC) were not available. The contact stated that he contacted a local dealer to source the part and was told the part was unavailable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed. The failure mileage was unknown.

AIR BAGS — Filed 01/22/2024

The contact owns a 2020 Acura TLX. The contact stated that while being at a complete stop in standstill traffic on a highway, they were rear-ended and pushed into the rear of a Chevrolet Tahoe in front. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy. The contact was unaware if the air bag warning light was illuminated after the accident. The contact sustained injuries to their arm and back that required medical attention from the ER. The contact stated that a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not yet deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 73,000.

ENGINE — Filed 07/24/2023

Software update completed June 2022 When coming to a stop light, my car shutdown. Went into neutral and took about five seconds to restart. It happened the following day and I was rear ended. No injuries occurred.