2021 ACURA TLX — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
5/5
Safety Rating
96
Owner Complaints
3
Recalls
52
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2021 ACURA TLX
The 2021 ACURA TLX has received a total of 96 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 10 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES. 52 technical service bulletins have been issued by Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Power Train (28 complaints), Electrical System (10 complaints), and Service Brakes (8 complaints).
Recalls for the 2021 ACURA TLX
NHTSA has recorded 10 recalls for the 2021 ACURA TLX, potentially affecting up to 3,313,626 vehicles.
Recall 25V391000 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES
| 259,033 vehicles affected
Defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment" and...
Consequence: A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pedal assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are FLX and XLY.
View full details →Recall 25V391000 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES
| 259,033 vehicles affected
Defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment" and...
Consequence: A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pedal assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are FLX and XLY.
View full details →Recall 25V391000 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES
| 259,033 vehicles affected
Defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment" and...
Consequence: A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pedal assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are FLX and XLY.
View full details →Recall 25V391000 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES
| 259,033 vehicles affected
Defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment" and...
Consequence: A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pedal assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are FLX and XLY.
View full details →Recall 25V391000 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES
| 259,033 vehicles affected
Defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment" and...
Consequence: A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pedal assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are FLX and XLY.
View full details →Recall 25V391000 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES
| 259,033 vehicles affected
Defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment" and...
Consequence: A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pedal assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are FLX and XLY.
View full details →Recall 25V391000 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES
| 259,033 vehicles affected
Defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment" and...
Consequence: A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pedal assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are FLX and XLY.
View full details →Recall 24V950000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
| 167 vehicles affected
Defect: Acura (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2023 TLX vehicles. The fuel filler neck and fuel tank may have been improperly welded, which can result in a fuel leak.
Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel tank assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 3, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is JKX.
View full details →Recall 24V064000 — AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
| 750,114 vehicles affected
Defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit,...
Consequence: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024, October 18, 2024, and August 2025. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for...
View full details →Recall 24V064000 — AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
| 750,114 vehicles affected
Defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit,...
Consequence: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024, October 18, 2024, and August 2025. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2021 ACURA TLX
96 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2021 ACURA TLX. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Warnings | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System12v24v48v Battery | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipmentelectricalinfotainment | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane Departure Blind Spot Detection | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane Departure Warning | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Service Brakes Hydraulicfoundation Componentsdiscrotor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structurebody | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibilitywiper | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
My car has suffered a well known issue in the 21-25 Acura TLX community. At 71,000 miles my transfer case splines stripped also with the transmission splines. Resulting in me having to pay out of pocket to replace both the transmission and transfer case. I’m really hoping Acura does a recall for this issue. I really like this car and don’t want to have to replace them again. Like I mentioned before. I’m in a Facebook tlx group and people are constantly posting about theirs blowing.
Adaptive Damper System error on dashboard. Took the car to the dealer and they confirmed two issues. Codes C1646-14 and C1647-14 indicating the stroke sensor has lower limit abnormality. Dealer recommended replacing both rear shocks due to over extension. Once shocks were replaced, codes returned. During further investigation, corrosion was found in the stroke sensor wiring harness. Harness is the root cause of the issue. Car is available at the dealer for inspection if necessary. From a safety perspective, if I continued to drive the car I could have experienced a malfunction in the braking system which could have led to brake failure, failure of safety features, or a car stall.
Adaptive Damper System error on dashboard. Took the car to the dealer and they confirmed two issues. Codes C1646-14 and C1647-14 indicating the stroke sensor has lower limit abnormality. Dealer recommended replacing both rear shocks due to over extension. Once shocks were replaced, codes returned. During further investigation, corrosion was found in the stroke sensor wiring harness. Harness is the root cause of the issue. Car is available at the dealer for inspection if necessary. From a safety perspective, if I continued to drive the car I could have experienced a malfunction in the braking system which could have led to brake failure, failure of safety features, or a car stall.
My gas tank is failing from the fuel seal, my safety is in danger since it throws a lot of gasoline, take the car to the dealer but they say it's not a factory problem
This 2021 Acura TLX Type-S has experienced a complete failure of the transfer case after approximately 40,000 miles of use. This unfortunately is a known issue on the online forums for this vehicle in model years 2021-2023. I have a video inspection performed by the local dealership proving this. The only warning is a one-time loud boom when accelerating and a leaking from the transfer case of fluid thereafter. There is no safety issue best I can tell, however the car only performs in front drive mode once the transfer case quits working. The issue is due to weak splines within the transfer case that shear off and thus damage the 10-speed automatic transmission in the process. Acura has a 6 year 70,000 mile warranty, so a complete replacement is covered, however my concern is for whether the new transfer case part # 29000-5YK-060 which replaces the old 29000-5YK-050 part will do the same. This is a very expensive fix into the 5 figures (over $10,000) and really needs to have a recall as there are dozens and dozens of owners online who have experienced this failure.
Safety Rating for the 2021 ACURA TLX
The 2021 ACURA TLX received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2021 ACURA TLX
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) has issued 52 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2021 ACURA TLX. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
BTI&12022024902 — SUSPENSION
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2021-2023 TLX ADV’s and 2021-2025 TLX Type S’s with a client complaint of the “Adaptive Damper System Problem” (ADS) error message on the MID (Multi Information Display). To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would...
B24-046 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Service Bulletin - A coaxial cable terminal was not manufactured to proper specifications. An improperly manufactured terminal may lead to poor communication in the media-oriented system transport (MOST) bus network which can potentially affect the audio sound quality.
B23-030 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Service Bulletin - The client may experience a popping or crackling noise from the speakers, a blank display, or no sound from the audio system. They may also see a Network Loss message.
B23-030 — EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
Service Bulletin - The client may experience a popping or crackling noise from the speakers, a blank display, or no sound from the audio system. They may also see a Network Loss message.
B23-030 — EQUIPMENT
Service Bulletin - The client may experience a popping or crackling noise from the speakers, a blank display, or no sound from the audio system. They may also see a Network Loss message.
ONL6WU04282023 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Owner Notification Letter - An owner's notification that the owner has not completed the emissions recall for an improperly functioning on-board emission-related diagnostic system.
B23-010 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Service Bulletin - Under certain circumstances, the vehicle may experience driveability concerns. This may result in the following DTCâs to set: ⢠P0300 (Random Misfire Detected), ⢠P0301 (No. 1 Cylinder Misfire Detected), ⢠P0302 (No. 2 Cylinder Misfire Detected), ⢠P0303 (No. 3 Cylinder Misfire Detected), ⢠P0304 (No....
BTI&01032023901 — PARKING BRAKE
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for any & all 2022 MDX Type Ss & 2021-2022 TLXs that match the criteria listed below.
BTI&11282022903 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is investigating certain 2020-2021 RDXs & TLX L4s with a client complaint of an oil leak or a dealer technician noticing an oil leak from the head cover gasket during a routine maintenance. To fully understand the cause of this condition,...
BTI&11282022908 — SERVICE BRAKES
Dealer Message - Background American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for any & all 2022 MDX Type Ss & 2021-2022 TLXs that match the criteria listed below. Qualifiers AHM is interested ONLY if the vehicle meets the following requirements: 1. Manufactured date on the Driverâs door jamb must...
Showing 10 of 52 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2021 ACURA TLX
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the ACURA TLX
- 2016 ACURA TLX — 155 complaints
- 2017 ACURA TLX — 90 complaints
- 2018 ACURA TLX — 144 complaints
- 2019 ACURA TLX — 126 complaints
- 2020 ACURA TLX — 91 complaints
- 2021 ACURA TLX (current)
- 2022 ACURA TLX — 29 complaints
- 2023 ACURA TLX — 12 complaints
- 2024 ACURA TLX — 7 complaints
- 2025 ACURA TLX — 4 complaints
Other ACURA Models
- ACURA MDX — 4,187 total complaints
- ACURA TL — 4,042 total complaints
- ACURA RDX — 2,499 total complaints
- ACURA TSX — 849 total complaints
- ACURA INTEGRA — 755 total complaints
- ACURA CL — 730 total complaints
- ACURA RL — 523 total complaints
- ACURA LEGEND — 505 total complaints