Table 1 shows one common power train related problems of the 2021 Acura TLX.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Power Train problems |
My vehicle was performing as expected, but there was a smell of burning oil or rubber. When I took the car into the dealership the found that the transmission was slipping and the transfer box was failing. In the video they sent of the initial inspection there is obvious brown sludge leaking from the transmission. I was told that a complete transmission and transfer case was required.
Driving towards the gas station, still at lows speeds while I was in the neighborhood so speed limit was 15mph. I can hear and feel the car struggle to move forward, about 2 minutes into the drive a hear a big toon and check engine light is on for about a minute before going away. I filled gas and headed back home and I heard a larger toon but this time all the warning light came up. These are all errors reported by the car at the same time - vehicle stability system - hill start assist problem - addictive cruise control system problem - collision mitigation braking system problem - road departure mitigation system problem - emission system problem - all wheel drive system problem - brake system problem these are all errors that appeared on the Acura app - emission system problem - vehicle stability system - electric parking brake problem - electric power steering problem - adaptive cruise control problem.
I am submitting this complaint regarding a sudden and premature transfer case failure on my 2021 Acura Tlx type s equipped with Acura’s super handling all-wheel drive (sh-awd) system. The failure occurred during normal driving conditions and without prior warning indicators. Based on my experience and numerous similar reports from other owners of this vehicle, this appears to be an ongoing and systemic issue that warrants formal investigation and recall consideration. While accelerating under normal road conditions, I heard a loud and distinct “pop” noise from underneath the vehicle. The sound was abrupt and mechanical in nature, as if an internal drivetrain component had failed. Immediately following the noise, the vehicle’s driving characteristics changed noticeably. Although the car continued to move forward and there were no immediate warning lights illuminated on the dashboard, the drivetrain behavior was clearly altered. After the incident, the vehicle began operating as though the majority of drivetrain load was being directed to the front wheels. The vehicle now feels significantly front-heavy during acceleration and general driving. There is a distinct change in weight transfer and torque delivery that was not present prior to the failure. The balance that is characteristic of a rear-biased sh-awd performance system is no longer present. There were no grinding sounds, fluid leaks, or vibration at the time of failure. There were also no warning messages, check engine lights, awd system warnings, or drivetrain alerts displayed to notify me of any malfunction. The failure occurred suddenly and without notice. I respectfully request that NHTSA open a formal investigation into premature transfer case failures on 2021–2023 Acura Tlx type s vehicles equipped with sh-awd. This issue should be evaluated for recall eligibility or mandated corrective action to ensure driver safety. Thank you for reviewing this complaint.
The transfer case in my Acura Tlx type s failed due to the internal splines stripping at approximately 57,600 miles. I heard a loud bang while attempting to maneuver out of a parking spot that was covered in snow. When this occurred, the transfer case was no longer able to transfer power to the rear wheels, causing the all-wheel-drive system to stop functioning. As a result, the vehicle effectively operated as front-wheel drive only. The most concerning part of this failure is that the vehicle provided no warning whatsoever to the driver. There were no dashboard alerts, drivetrain warnings, awd system warnings, or check engine lights indicating that the awd system had failed. The vehicle continued to operate and display information as if everything was functioning normally. This occurred during the winter in new york while driving in snowy conditions, where the awd system is critical for traction and safety. Because there was no warning that the awd system had failed, I continued driving the vehicle assuming it still had awd capability. On multiple occasions the vehicle became stuck in snow due to the loss of rear-wheel power. A critical drivetrain component such as a transfer case should not fail under normal driving conditions at this mileage. Additionally, a vehicle equipped with awd should provide a clear warning to the driver if the system is no longer functioning. The absence of any warning combined with a sudden loss of awd capability creates a serious safety concern, particularly in winter climates where drivers rely on awd for traction and control. Under the wrong circumstances this type of failure could potentially lead to an accident or serious injury.
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.
Short description transmission-to-ptu splines, causing awd loss and requiring full transfer case and transmission replacement. Summary this drivetrain failure poses an unreasonable safety risk due to the sudden loss of awd capability, lack of alerts, and resulting instability. My experience is consistent with dozens of documented cases and matches the mechanical fault pattern already under federal review. Given the potential for severe loss of vehicle control, a full investigation and corrective action (including a recall) is necessary. Symptoms sudden awd loss loud bang or grinding only front wheels receiving power no warning lights safety risks loss of directional stability wheel spin under acceleration hazard in inclement weather cost & extent of repairs many cases require complete drivetrain replacement costing $13k–$19k. Prevalence 137k+ vehicles, NHTSA dp26?001 currently open.
Transfer case needs replacing.
Was driving the car under normal acceleration when the transfer case failed. No power to the rear wheels. Acura dealer confirmed the problem. Will be fixed under warranty. No warning lamps or messages on the dash.
Transfer case blew. Awd was not working.
- the transfer case failed causing the awd system to stop working -it is a safety concern because you may lose control since no power is going to rear wheels, especially in inclement weather that we receive in the northeast. -yes the problem has been confirmed by dealership by putting car on lift and seeing that no power is being sent to the rear wheels. -there are no warning lights or any signs, you just hear a loud bang while driving and lost of traction while accelerating.
While performing a right turn, under normal acceleration a loud "pop/clunk" occurred. I immediately pulled into a parking lot as the vehicle was still able to drive. The vehicle runs as normal, no leaks of any kind present. Nothing visibly broken. Afterwards, I was able to determine with the vehicle suspended off of the ground, I am getting power only to the front wheels. Utilizing google, it's easy to see that this has become a massive issue on this particular model Tlx type s. The vehicle will be taken to Acura on Monday Aug 18th 2025 for diagnostics, but it's quite obvious that the splines on the transfercase at the transmission mounting location have sheared completely, thus making the vehicle front wheel drive powered only. Given my current situation, my hope is that Acura will honor the power train warranty as it is my understanding that both the transmission and the transfercase are required to be replaced in this instance. Acura also needs to issue an updated transmission/ transfercase combination and a recall because this is happening way to often and it's quite an expensive repair.
While driving my 2021 Acura Tlx type s, I began losing traction frequently during normal daily driving, especially when turning corners or accelerating from a stop sign or stop light. At first, I believed the issue was related to my tires, so I replaced them, but the same problem continued. After researching online, I discovered that transfer case failures are a known issue on these vehicles, affecting both new and used models. Currently, my vehicle is at the dealership, but they were unaware of this recurring transfer case problem and have no information about it. This is concerning because the failure of the transfer case directly affects traction and stability, creating a potential safety risk to myself and others on the road. It appears to be a systemic issue that Honda/Acura has not yet acknowledged.
The all wheel drive failed do to transfer case splines being sheered off between the transmission and transfer case. No warning lights are on to warn of the rear wheel tires not receiving power to them. I was not aware of this problem and this could have contributed to and accident, as I though the awd was working, but it wasn't.
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.
Transfer case broken; no longer sending power to the rear wheels. Car loses traction when accelerating from a stop.
Awd system is no longer working. Every time I accelerate the front wheels are slipping and there are no warning lights or system failure messages. I believe this is a transfer case issue as there are now videos on youtube about Tlx type s's having this issue.
-transmission and transfer case failed, specifically the splines on the input shaft connecting the two, rendering the vehicle fwd instead of awd. Parts are not available to inspect as they were returned to dealer. -while the vehicle could still function in front wheel drive, the lack of awd could be a safety risk in poor weather or road conditions, especially given that the vehicle does not send an error code for this issue. -problem was reproduced by the dealer, who replaced both parts after a 2-month wait for parts. -there is zero indication that these components failed, no error codes or anything. The car also displays how much power is going to each wheel on the gauge cluster, and displays just as it did when everything worked. The problem can only be noticed when using awd, so many drivers may not know they have this issue. I experienced the traction control light blinking on hard acceleration due to front tire slip and understeer during turns, but beyond that there was no indication anything was wrong. -the dealer informed me this would be a $12,000 repair out of warranty, which I find unacceptable given that the car doesn't give any error codes. Many many people may not know their car is effected.
• transfer case failure, leading to transmission damage. • vehicle gives no indication of transfer case failure, in turn, giving the driver the impression that the vehicle is awd. Potential risk to safety as the failure happened under normal driving conditions, vehicle suddenly jolts, with loss of power. • problem addressed by dealership service dept. But not able to recreate, as this is a drivetrain fault. • vehicle and components inspected by dealership service dept. Only. • no indications or warning lights for tc failure. Awd system on dashboard indicates power is going to all four wheels when this is not the case.
Transfer case failure. Spline is stripped after 40k. Awd is disabled. Requires new transfer case and transmission.
While driving normal, I heard a pop sound coming from the bottom of the car which resulted in my awd not working. On acceleration the car would spin the front wheels and the traction light would light up. Took to dealer and they confirmed the transfer case and transmission failed and had to be replaced. The splines between both components had stripped.
Transfer case failure with no warnings or symptoms of problem prior to failure. This is a safety issue as my car was only operating in front wheel drive due to the transfer case failure. This is a common issue that needs to be investigated.
The all-wheel-drive stops working and the car becomes front wheel drive only. There are no warning lights on. The only way you could tell is to jack the car up with all four wheels off the ground and put it in drive to see if all four wheels are spinning. Also the driveshaft should be turning out of the transfer case. The the roads are wet or with snow the front wheels brake free very easy and the traction light comes on, which is also sign. I took it to the dealer and they verified the issue. They said it needs a new transmission and transfer case because the splines on the output shift of the transmission strip out and also damage the splines on input shaft of the transfer case.
The transfer case splines between the transfer case are stripping causing the car to lose power in the rear wheels forever. This is a safety hazard as now the wheels lose traction and massive oversteer. This is dangerous in many conditions especially rain as turns are much more prone to sliding and losing traction. It was confirmed at the dealer and is a known issue in the Acura car community. The only way to diagnose the problem is putting it on the left and putting the car in drive to see if the all wheel drive system is working (all 4 wheels spinning). This is a scary problem for owners as no codes are generated since there is no sensor to catch this . The cars other system were also designed with the intention of the car being all wheel drive so this could lead other systems to fail causing a likely accident or collision.
Transfer case failed, awd system inoperable. Only front wheel drive when it is suppose to be awd. Vehicle is at the Acura dealership getting repaired.
All wheel drive system began to fail. Experienced a loud bang followed by a leak from the transfer case that was observed when I arrived home. No check engine lights of any kind just car is stuck in front wheel drive. Dealer confirmed awd system is not working. No safety risk and no insurance notifications or police because item is covered under warranty.
Power take off unit on the Tlx type-s’s are stripping at the splines where the drive shaft and ptu meet. This disables the cars awd system without triggering any codes, giving drivers false confidence to drive in low traction environments which may lead to accidents. The car retains fwd function but struggles to gain grip on the road at all speeds because it is an awd designed platform. The dealership of spreen Acura diagnosed my car and confirmed that the ptu fluid was previously leaking and had metal shavings. They also confirmed that the car was now fwd and struggled with getting traction with acceleration. This is a problem as it does not show any indication during failure, there could be many people with failed ptu’s who are unaware and driving daily. With rainy season coming up, this could pose a big risk as drivers with these cars will think their type-s is awd and my end up getting into accidents when driving unaware.
Transfer case and drivetrain failure from spline stripping. No hard driving performed yet parts still failed. Car went from awd to fwd without codes. Car failed to gain traction when going up hill and nearly rolled back into another car.
My car is now a front wheel drive car instead of all wheel drive car … no check engine no light nothing except the car is bringing no more power from the back wheels.
2021 Acura Tlx type s. Car has 53k miles on it. No modifications, bone stock. When accelerating from a stop at ~50% throttle, there was a sudden loud pop from the front of the car, followed by immediate loss of power to the back wheels (awd car) . The vehicle was about to shift from first to second gear, so thankfully I was still only going about 10-15 mph at the time. Had I been traveling faster, turning, or if the roads were wet/slick, it could have caused an accident due to my loss of control of the car. There were no warning lights or indication prior to this occurring, and no warning lights or indication after the incident occurred either. In fact, the torque distribution screen on the console showed power to the back wheels, despite that not being true. All recommended maintenance and oil changes were performed on the car at appropriate times. The problem ended up being a completely stripped transfer case housing / damaged splined shaft on the transmission (picture of transfer case attached). This was finally diagnosed after 2-3 weeks once the dealer lifted the vehicle and checked for power in all 4 wheels (of which only the front two tires would spin). Dealer replaced the parts under warranty after it was shown that the back wheels had no power. However, I believe the same part number was used in the replacement, indicating a potential likelihood of another failure in the future if this part is defective. I'm not sure if this has been reported by others, but I was only able to identify the problem by finding a post on an owners forum that showed identical problems to mine. Conversations in other owners groups suggests this is a wide spread problem with the early renditions of the new Acura Tlx type s line (~2021-2023). A poll in a Tlx type s owner facebook group I am in, indicated that 16% of folks have had similar failures (out of 170 members polled).
At 36,823 miles and October 11,2024 I was taking off from a stop. About 10 seconds into my take off I heard a loud bang and hard jerk. Dash cam caught it happening. As soon as it happened I was still moving forward but just coasting. As soon as I accelerated a tiny bit it sounded like metal being beaten around inside something. No warning light or cel came on. Nothing. After I parked it the sound disappeared and it seemed to drive fine but a little different. I noticed then that I would lose traction easily and my front wheels would spin out like a fwd civic. I called the dealership immediately and told them what happened. They put a note in my file. They said they couldn’t do anything unless it happened again. I had to go to the dealership 3 separate times to try to get them to look at it. At the third trip and me being a little pissy that they took me seriously and found out that in fact my rear wheels wouldn’t spin and my driveshaft wasn’t spinning either. In December of 2024 my transfer case and transmission were replaced under warranty. The splines in the transmission were totally stripped.
Transfer case splines sheared, causing the awd system to fail. This eliminates power output to the rear wheels and could cause a loss of control while driving in sub par road conditions. This appears to be a very common issue among the type-s trim.
I was driving and was making a right turn at a stop light. I stopped, then took a right. As I took the right, I throttled a little from 5-10 mph and my transfer case blew up and made a loud bang and lost power to my rear wheels. Along with losing power to my rear wheels, the computer still did not recognize this mechanical failure. The dash has a feature that shows power to each wheel and when the cars rear power wasn’t working, this feature showed power still. Along with this failure, immediately after the loud bang, the car was jerking and there was sounds of clunking in the rear.
The all wheel drive system stopped working due to a transfer case/transmission failure. The repair was warrantied by the dealership however everything that I have read states this is a common issue and Acura has not provided a permanent fix to prevent this from happening in the future.
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.
The vehicle VIN - 19uub5f44ma009918 the vehicle, 2021 Acura Tlx, was purchased on June 8, 2021, from the showroom floor of metro Acura dealership. The vehicle was sold as being compatible with iphone, bluetooth handsfree link, and apple carplay. Not to mention the innovative technology, automatic lighting control, and auto-idle stop system. The vehicle was purchased with a full 4 year/50,000-mile warranty. I have dealt with metro Acura in montclair, CA, spreen Acura in riverside, CA, and wittmeier Honda in chico, CA. I have attached the service reports from the said dealerships for your review. This does not include the three times I have called for roadside assistance due to being stranded by the 2021 Acura Tlx. September 6- the vehicle would not unlock, even with the key. Stranded in a parking lot. Called roadside assistance by the time some came, the car unlocked. September 8- the warning light auto idle stop came on while driving September 10 – I took the vehicle to spreen Honda and spoke with mr. Phommasack. The vehicle had 3,275 miles. I was told that if lights are not on now, there is nothing they can do. I also explained that the bluetooth is sporadic, and the vehicle will ring even after the phone call has been answered. I insisted they keep the vehicle and try. Later the same day, after I picked up the vehicle, warning lights came on again about 40 minutes later -auto idle stop, automatic lighting control- light while driving during this time, the warning lights would continue to come on intermittently while driving. September 15- I took the vehicle to metro Acura and dealt with fernando alcaraz. The vehicle had 3910 miles. I explained to them about the vehicle not unlocking and warning lights. They stated something occurred when they put the wrap on the car, which caused the vehicle to not open; they said it was fixed. Unable to find a reason for warning lights. September 20 -auto idle stop, automatic lighting control- l.