7.4

pretty bad
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
6,951 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2018 Acura TLX engine problems

engine problem

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2018 Acura TLX Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #22

May 022024

TLX

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My engine makes sounds and possibly there's some shifting noise when I'm not changing gears while driving on the highway. the dealer routinely checks my fluids, so the transmission fluid is fine. I even had a transmission flush after reading an article about this engine. The engine ticks like the rows are sticking. These are all characteristics of the published letter last year recalling Hondas and my car year make and model. Please furnish me with a recall letter so I can have this engine fixed before it dies or burns out on the highway causing injury or death

- Grandview, MO, USA

problem #21

Sep 272023

TLX

  • miles
Vehicle starting making ticking noise, I called Dave White Acura. It very quickly turned into a very loud knocking noise. I called back and they told me to have it towed in which I did. I also took a video of the car knocking. Dave white Acura called me first thing the next day and said, we started your car and it is knocking so loud we immediately shut it off. But no updates were made to my service papers other than my initial phone call. I was advised by Dave White Acura I needed a new engine. I of course asked why, their response was, it-??ll be cheaper for you to just put in a new (rebuilt) engine in than for us to tear it apart to find out exactly what it is but you definitely need a new engine. Again, Dave White failed to provide the necessary updates through the process and now Honda is refusing my reimbursement. I paid over $8016 to have a rebuilt engine but into my 2018 TLX.

- Perrysburg, OH, USA

problem #20

Apr 082024

TLX

  • miles
There was a rattling noise in the engine. The acura dealership service center diagnosed it as a connecting rod bearing failure. In the next few miles of driving, the vehicle stopped running and wouldn-??t start. Acura service center later diagnosed this as a motor seizure. This problem is similar to NHTSA ID Number: 11545720 and honda recalls XG1 and GG0

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #19

Nov 302023

TLX

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My name is [XXX] On [XXX] while driving to lunch from work. I heard a faint knocking noise from my car. Came back to work and schedule an appointment with my mechanic dealer in Atlanta and there i notice a recall regarding the rod bearing. On the way back to where I was staying in Savannah Ga, the noise gotten a little louder when i pulled up in the driveway. I didn-??t want to drive it so i call a local Acura dealership in Savannah. The tow truck that came to pick up the car ask if the car was drive-able to load on truck. When i crank it-??he said that the rod. From the car was towed to Southern Motors Acura in Savannah. My dealership mechanic is Nalley Acura in Atlanta Ga. Since Nov 30th, i been in a rental out of pocket since Feb 25, 2024. Each time i speak with American Honda they tell me the parts are not available as of yet. This has been an expensive and frustrating process dealing with them and nothing seems to be heading in the positive direction. At this point i want a new engine. Reason being, the car has been sitting idle for months and the existing parts that-??s not being in operation may no longer be of good use with any new parts. I work in Manufacturing as a manufacturing engineer. This happens in Aerospace all the time. Trying to install new part along with existing parts that haven-??t been in use, may have corrosion, will eventually go bad due to shelf life and seasonal weather changes. Please assist me in this matter. My number is [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Atlanta , GA, USA

problem #18

Jan 142024

TLX

  • miles
Acura has a safety recall on my vehicle for the rod bearing causing engine to seize and my engine seized I purchased the car in 2022. I was not aware that the engine was replaced in the vehicle before. The engine serial number does not match the vin but Acura is saying they won't replace it because the engine serial number doesn't match the and want me to pay 8k-10k to have it replaced. Being as though this is a known problem with this engine for years it's possible the previous owner could've replaced the engine for the very exact same reason there's a national recall for it now.

- Baltimore , MD, USA

problem #17

Aug 152023

TLX

  • miles
My car broke down on me in August of 2023 with a rod that connects to the engine being the issue. Now here we are 7 months later and I still am paying for a car that does not run. They won't inspect it to figure out if it's covered under the recall because there is no remedy for the recall. At this point, I have had to buy other cars while still paying on this one with no timeline of when to expect a fix.

- Lake Butler, FL, USA

problem #16

Nov 202023

TLX 6-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

there has been a recall out for my vehicle since november 9th or so and i took my car in around the 19th of november because my car started making a loud knocking noise and i initially knew that it was from the recall and so i took it in on the 20th to have it inspected and so when i took it to get inspected and diagnosed to see what was going on.. acura carland told me it from my rod bearing but there was no fix available at the time and so the noise was terrible and i asked if it-??s ok to drive on and the service manager hector hernandez told me it was fine just keep up with the old change and see what happens in january which i didn-??t agree with and so a month goes by and im heading home from work my car keep making the knocking noise and it getting worse than ever and my vehicle is stalling on the road and i was just praying that it doesn-??t blow on me or catch fire and so as soon as i am turning off the exit to pull over and get home my engine completely seized and left my car in neutral and start rolling with no engine response. my engine completely blew and wouldn-??t crank and it finally stopped rolling. i had gotten it towed home and reached out to the manufacturer and dealer to see what happens now and so i was told to have it towed to the dealer to get a engine diagnosis done so my case could get started and once i got that done. i was referred that my engine needs to be replaced due to the rod bearing creating metal shavings to enter my engine and damaging it. once i sent over the documentation and photos to the manufacturer i was still told there-??s nothing to be done till january forcing me to be without a vehicle for 2 1/2 months with no loaner or anything. i been fighting for a resolution and nobody has done anything but point fingers at the dealer and manufacturer when i just needed a resolution for the time being to get me through till there is a permanent solution and has me left stressed and forced to rely on public transportation in various condition

- Decatur , GA, USA

problem #15

Aug 012023

TLX

  • miles
Car is red tagged on national recall site and Acura link having engine and fuel problems car shuts off I really need my car fixed asap

- Beaumont, TX, USA

problem #14

Dec 252023

TLX

  • miles
Start up in the morning started to drive and the engine started to make a knocking noise

- Hinesville , GA, USA

problem #13

Dec 072023

TLX

  • miles
i took my car to acura carland in duluth georgia and i went initially for a check up on my recall i was notified for regarding my rod bearing and was told that there-??s nothing they can do about it and offered to do a wheel alignment on my vehicle and that should help with the knocking noise i had coming from my engine and that i would have to wait till january for anything else regarding my recall. i asked what could i do until then and i was told to keep up with my oil change and that its until january. i even asked for a loaner and was denied stating that they don-??t offer that which was hard to believe. a month after my recall on december 7th at 9:03 est pm my vehicle made more knocking noise way worse than before i had took it to acura carland and i was traveling home from work and suddenly my car start losing power and my check engine was flashing and car was stalling a bunch which eventually lead to my entire engine giving out and i was left stranded in the middle of the night with my car not operating nor cranking. i reached out to the manufacturer again and she provided me a case number but i really wish something could be done sooner but now my car is completely broken and won-??t crank anymore due to my engine being worn down by this recall which could of been avoided by proper customer care and no i don-??t have a car anymore with no help from no one. please help

- Decatur , GA, USA

problem #12

Nov 302023

TLX

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I've had multiple failures on this vehicle. First, the engine had a rod knock and Acura gave me a very hard time approving the repair and eventually replacement of the engine. Second, the ADAS system is not working and is a huge safety concern. I keep getting error messages that my road mitigation and lane keeping assist systems do not work. Third, the ABS module system cannot communicate with my ECU and is not working properly. Another safety concern as this controls a lot of the wheel speed sensors, brakes, etc on this vehicle. A quick Google search for acura tlx ABS module repair will bring up pages and pages of people complaining about this very same problem yet Acura is not doing anything about it. This problem also affected other models such as the TSX, TL, RL, and the Oddysey. I've taken my vehicle to several mechanics and they all state that this is a very common problem in Honda/Acura. I'm not sure how Honda/Acura can risk the lives of their customers in this way but it is not safe as this vehicle is my daily commuter that I use for my family.

- Panorama City, CA, USA

problem #11

Nov 202023

TLX

  • miles
Spun rod bearings at 88000 miles

- Lillington, NC, USA

problem #10

Sep 152023

TLX

  • miles
I am one of many owners of an Acura/Honda J35 V6 engine that has had a connecting rod bearing failure at low mileage to no fault of the owner. In this case that is me. I bought this vehicle 5,000 miles ago from a dealer and it ran great. No issues. Ran trouble codes. None. Out of no where it started ticking. I stopped. Many other people who don-??t know cars wouldn-??t. If you keep driving the vehicle with this engine failure it eventually seizes the motor and you lose power steering. Connecting rods can snap and be projected through the engine as well. This is an uncommon failure in engines unless neglected or there is a defect. Honda even had to recall vehicle many years ago for the same exact issue which is now occurring again. I am encouraging other owners to file a complaint that are in our Acura forum online. Will be able to submit documentation when car is fixed. At dealer now.

- Oakdale, MN, USA

problem #9

Aug 132023

TLX

  • miles
Car goes into limp mode at highway speeds due to an issue with the engine. Engine needs replacing at low miles. Safety hazard that is not expected to happen when proper maintenance is performed promptly and car is driven appropriately.

- New Castle, DE, USA

problem #8

Jun 022023

TLX

  • miles
While on the interstate, the Vehicles check engine light began blinking and the car lost power. Trying to accelerate the vehicle wouldn-??t speed up and began sputtering. I had to maneuver to the shoulder without causing an accident. The car was making a knock/rattle while trying to accelerate. Acura dealership service department quoted me $20k repair for the engine.

- Arlington, TX, USA

problem #7

Dec 212022

TLX

  • miles
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.

- Washington, PA, USA

problem #6

Jun 012022

TLX

  • miles
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.

- Weatherford, TX, USA

problem #5

Feb 162022

TLX

  • miles
Engine fails to start after idle stop, when the idle-stop off button is not engaged, and the battery doesn't have enough power to re-start the vehicle. Essentially, the engine tries to start up at a traffic light/intersection but fails, causing the car to turn off and shift to Neutral without warning. I then have to realize what is happening, shift the car from Neutral to Park, and hit the start button to be able to re-start the car. There is no warning from the car that the battery is going to be unable to keep the car running, so the stall is 100% unexpected. This is unsafe, as the re-start procedure is not intuitive, takes time, and causes cars behind you to start honking. It could very easily cause a crash. Either Acura needs to fix this issue with a battery warning, or provide the option of turning the auto-idle stop off button on permanently (which some members of our government wouldn't like, but would fix the problem and keep someone from being seriously injured). This is also a known issue by Honda/Acura, as many other owners are reporting it: https://www.tlxforums.com/threads/engine-failing-to-start-after-idle-stop.31809/

- Verona, WI, USA

problem #4

Oct 012021

TLX 6-cyl

  • 47,700 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Acura TLX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled approximately ten times. The vehicle inadvertently shifted into neutral. The vehicle was restarted after five minutes. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was diagnosed and repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 47,700. Consumer stated there was a known software bug in the auto idle feature, that needed updating. Consumer took the car to the dealer and had the software updated.

- Princeton, NJ, USA

problem #3

Feb 272021

TLX

  • 71,000 miles
When driving as gear changes while hitting the gas, my car jults as if gas I ran out of gas and hard enough to make me feel like im getting wiplash and dose it around 25mph and 55-60 mph and RPM wil jump and go back to normal

- Wilmington, NC, USA

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