Power Train Problems of Acura TLX - part 1

I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding the execution of NHTSA recall 24-002 (connecting rod bearing replacement) by an authorized Acura dealership, and a fundamental safety flaw in Acura’s official service bulletin for this recall. My vehicle underwent "repair #1" under this recall, which involved opening the engine block and replacing the rod bearings due to a factory defect that causes metal-on-metal wear. However, upon picking up my vehicle, I discovered the dealership left the old, dirty oil filter attached to the engine. I reviewed Acura’s service bulletin 24-002 and realized the "required materials" list explicitly omits a new oil filter for repair #1. Because dealerships strictly follow this bulletin for warranty reimbursement, they are systematically leaving old filters on engines that just received new bearings. This means old, metal-contaminated oil trapped in the filter is immediately recirculated through the brand-new precision bearings. This procedural flaw directly jeopardizes the integrity of the engine, completely undermining the purpose of the safety recall and putting drivers at risk of sudden engine failure at highway speeds. I have time-stamped video and photographic evidence of my vehicle’s mileage (61,325) and the untouched, original oil filter immediately after returning home from the dealership. Acura corporate was contacted regarding this procedural negligence and failed to provide a resolution. I am requesting the NHTSA investigate Acura's repair procedures for recall 24-002 to prevent further unsafe vehicle modifications.

See all problems of the 2019 Acura TLX 🔎.

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.

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Complete loss of awd. Car is now only fwd with no warning. Loud thud (transfer case splines being stripped) and then immediate loss of awd.

See all problems of the 2022 Acura TLX 🔎.

My vehicle has less then 35000 miles, I was doing a oil change when I noticed that my transfer cases has a slight oil residue from the bottom, which I suppose it’s just gonna get worse overtime, at this mileage I don’t think this is right that’s why I’m submitting this complaint.

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.

My Acura was not sending power to the rear wheels. The car was driving as if it was front wheel drive only. I feel that the safety of not knowing your vehicle is not acting as they all-wheel-drive vehicle when it’s supposed to an impact safety because the vehicle would not be able to handle as it was intended to. After inspection from the mechanic shop, the failure was deemed to be the internal lines of the transmission that would connect with the transfer case were stripped. Because of that, there was no power being sensor to the transfer case that will then send power to the rear differential to the rear wheels. There were no warning lights that show that the car is not sending power to the back wheel wheels. The situation that happened at realize that this problem has occurred, was when the front of my vehicle was stuck in snow and the car was unable to get out even when the back wheels were on solid floor.

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.

1. Transfer case-sh-awd failure-> no, it was recently replaced at the dealership at no cost. 2. Failure with the awd system would cause me to be in fwd, only causing failure in steering input, especially in turns. 3. The car was put onto the lift and attempted to spin all 4 wheels, only the front 2 spun. Also, they noticed a seal failure/leak from the transfercase/transmission. 4. Acura technicians recommended the replacement after spotting my concern and pointing out the exact issue 5. No lights or warning since the failure happened I had no idea of how bad the issue was until an Acura technician brought it up. 5(c). I did notice a difference in driving feel I. E jerking in low gear and a leak on the floor, but thought it was just excess oil from oil changes. Confirmed by the tech, it was not when I asked them.

See all problems of the 2023 Acura TLX 🔎.

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.

While accelerating from 0 to 40 miles per hour, I experienced a loud bang come from the car. Turns out the splines were stripped between my transmission and transfer case. This was due to the drive shaft spinning while in park mode, as well as an opening between the transmission and transfer case that was spooling. My powertrain system was severely compromised; who knows what could've happened if I had kept driving the car in this condition? something was waiting to inevitably fail beyond what had happened. Thankfully, this happened on an empty road close to home, but it could have happened anywhere. There were no warnings, lights, or anything, which was the strangest part. Thankfully, this $10k+ bill was covered under the manufacturer's powertrain warranty, but it seems to be a common issue with many newer Acuras. Acura is well aware of the issue (spline failure) and should issue a recall to correct this design flaw within the powertrain.

Lost power to rear wheels. Awd system failure. I was denied repair at my local dealership as they insisted the car was fine. I told them I had no awd they didn’t believe me. I was then forced to trade my car into them for a massive $$ loss becuase I feared for my safety driving a fwd car in the winter. I don’t know who owns the car now. I actually have a video of it happening. I can send you it if you work with me. Thanks.

Transfer case needs replacing.

In 2022, my 2019 Acura Tlx a-spec received a warranty engine replacement due to a spun bearing. At that time, recall 23v-751 (connecting rod bearing defect) did not yet exist. Recently, the replacement engine developed a pronounced knocking/ticking noise at idle and during light acceleration. Multiple independent mechanics and an Acura service department confirmed the noise is abnormal and consistent with connecting rod bearing wear as described in the recall. Acura advised that my VIN is not included in the recall because the original engine was replaced. However, the replacement engine was supplied by Acura prior to the recall and may contain the same defective components. The dealership and Acura corporate did not inspect the internal components or verify whether the replacement engine used the revised bearing parts — they only referenced the VIN and engine number to deny recall eligibility. I currently have an open case with Acura, and the vehicle is scheduled for diagnostic inspection. I was informed that if the issue is determined to be related to recall 23v-751, diagnostic costs may be reimbursed, but there is no guarantee. This situation raises concern because my symptoms, timeline, and component failure are consistent with the known defect, yet my vehicle remains excluded from coverage. Given the safety implications of possible engine seizure or loss of power while driving, I am requesting that NHTSA review whether vehicles with Acura-supplied replacement engines should also fall under recall 23v-751. All service records and warranty history with Acura are available for review upon request.

The fuel delivery system, specifically the fuel pump, has malfunctioned. This vehicle is subject to a fuel pump safety recall, which was reportedly repaired in 2022; however, the vehicle continues to experience the same failure symptoms and is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle has stalled multiple times at highway speeds, resulting in sudden loss of power while driving and creating an immediate risk of collision with surrounding traffic. My family was in the vehicle during these incidents, significantly increasing the risk of serious injury or death. The problem has been reproduced multiple times, including after the vehicle was taken to an authorized Acura dealership. During the most recent visit, diagnostic trouble codes were cleared, but the recalled fuel pump was not repaired or replaced. After being released by the dealership, the vehicle stalled again under similar driving conditions. The vehicle was inspected by the dealership, but no corrective repair was performed beyond clearing codes. The manufacturer has not yet properly remedied the recurring safety defect. Prior to stalling, the vehicle exhibited intermittent hesitation, loss of power, and engine shutdown. Warning indicators and fault codes were present at times and were cleared by the dealership without resolving the underlying issue. These symptoms have continued intermittently since the recall repair. This appears to be a failure to properly diagnose and correct a known safety defect, resulting in repeated dangerous highway stalls and placing occupants at serious risk.

See all problems of the 2015 Acura TLX 🔎.

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.

Transmission and transfer case failed. Traction control light flashes when accelerating.

Transfer case blew. Awd was not working.

Subject: complaint - safety recall failure (#23v75100) - engine failure summary: this is a complaint regarding a failure of the safety recall repair performed under recall #23v75100, which addressed a rod bearing issue that can cause engine failure. Details: 1. On or about April 4, 2024, southern Acura of newport news, va replaced the long block under recall #23v75100 after the original engine failed at approximately 130,810 miles. 2. On or about September 5, 2024, at approximately 173,722 miles, the replacement engine failed again. 3. The vehicle is currently located at hall Acura of virginia beach, va. , where the dealership has verified that the engine is seized and available for inspection. 4. The failure occurred while driving at approximately 70 mph in a construction zone, where there was no immediate shoulder or safe area to pull off. The sudden loss of power nearly caused a rear- end collision. 5. An independent service center, american pride - fort eustis in newport news, va. , also verified the problem and found metal shavings and bearing metal coming from the oil pan. 6. There were no warning lamps or alerts prior to the engine failure; all warning lights illuminated only after the loss of power.

Date of incident : August 31,2025 around 9pm on August 31, I was fixing to accelerate at a green light. I pressed the gas pedal, my car went up to 40 mph and then the engine failed. This is due to a recall on the bearing rods for 2015-2020 Acura Tlx. The incident occurred a month after financing the car. I don't have a warranty, so I opened up a case with the manufacturer to get help with the repair cost (which is 25,500 for a new engine block and 2 new cylinder heads). Unfortunately, Acura denied assistance. The car only has 68880 miles on it. The rod snapped and put a hole through my engine block. Shame on the manufacturer for denying assistance. I'm now stuck making payments on a car I cannot drive. Yes I have insurance, but it was not involved in an accident so I'm helpless there.

See all problems of the 2018 Acura TLX 🔎.

- 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.

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

See all problems of the 2020 Acura TLX 🔎.

Blown transfer case.

The component that failed or malfunctioned was the transmission and transfer case on my 2022 Acura Tlx type s at 45k miles. I was driving the car on the street and the car was shaking and stuttering violently and at certain points it would not move requiring a tow. The problem was confirmed by the dealership to be the transmission. And inspected by the manufacturer (Acura) there were no warning, lights, messages or other symptoms prior to failure. They started appearing around 45,000 miles.

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.

Hi, I have had a couple instances where the engine revved up between gears. Both times, I remember it happening rather soon after starting off from a stop sign. I didn't pay it much mind, but noted it. Just today, I asked my wife ([xxx]) whether she had noticed anything with the car. I purposely didn't ask any leading questions. She said a few times it would jump instead of smoothly going to the next gear. In seaside, or, I started to pull out onto [xxx], planning to take a right and head south bound. There was a southbound car approaching from the north, but I had plenty of time to pull out and get up to speed. Immediately after starting out, the car popped into neutral and the rpms raced. I already had some momentum and was on the highway, so I couldn't brake, and because it went into neutral, I hadn't finalized my turn so I was still pointing se. As the car quickly approached, all I could do was use what little momentum I had and continue into the northbound lane so the oncoming car could pass. Because of the slight slope to the northbound shoulder, I was able to slowly come to a stop. I put the car in park, turned it off, then back on, and everything came back to normal. I cannot begin to express how scared I was. I have lost brakes before in a car, but I know to use the emergency brake. I was completely dumbfounded as to how to react. Had there been oncoming traffic, it would have been an awful accident. Why is there no recall on this? I researched on google and found a recall on 2015 Acura Tlx 6-cylinder transmission due to a bad wiring harness on their 9-speed transmission. I know mine is an 8-speed, but would it not use the same wiring harness with slight modifications? information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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.

Transfer case documented as leaking on 3-22-2025/ 35,846 miles while doing regular oil change in my driveway. Brought to the dealership and they confirmed the transfer case needed to be replaced. If the transfer case went during operation, it could have lead to a dangerous situation with loss of power and control to the rear wheels. Problem was confirmed after dealership performed visual inspection. Component was not inspected by police, insurance, or others. No warning lamps, just accumulating liquid on the under-body panels and seeping from the gasket. The transfer case was replaced on 11apr2025 with the same part number: 29000-5yk-060. I asked if this would happen again since there was no revision to the part number, the dealership was unable to reply.

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.