Power Train Problems of Acura TLX - part 1

While driving my 2015 Acura Tlx, warning lights illuminate and the vehicle unexpectedly shifts into neutral while the vehicle is moving. When this occurs, the vehicle loses the ability to accelerate normally, creating a serious safety concern in traffic. These symptoms appear consistent with the condition addressed by Acura recall kc2 (NHTSA recall 16v-640), involving the transmission wire harness/connection and transmission control system. The recall describes a condition in which the transmission can unexpectedly shift into neutral while driving. My VIN is not coming up under recall yet my vehicle has done this same thing multiple times over the past few months. I need my VIN added to recall list so this serious issue can be repaired under recall by Acura.

See all problems of the 2015 Acura TLX 🔎.

I am submitting this complaint regarding a major drivetrain failure in my 2021 Acura Tlx type s sh-awd with approximately 86,643 miles. My vehicle experienced a complete loss of awd. The front two wheels are receiving power, but the rear wheels are no longer receiving power. An independent mechanic initially diagnosed a transfer-case/drivetrain failure and advised that the transmission may also be involved. I then took the vehicle to OH Acura of temecula, where the Acura dealership independently diagnosed the vehicle with transmission and transfer-case failure. The service manager confirmed that my independent mechanic’s diagnosis was accurate. The dealership provided a repair estimate of approximately $16,000. I am concerned because NHTSA previously opened investigation dp26-001 regarding reported failures involving the transmission and transfer case in 2021–2023 Acura Tlx sh-awd vehicles. My vehicle is now experiencing a complete loss of awd consistent with the issue described in that investigation. I also experienced an unusual grinding noise on September 21, 2026, which lasted approximately five minutes before stopping. I was subsequently told the noise was caused by worn spindles. The noise has not returned, and I am not claiming that issue was related to the drivetrain failure. Acura declined goodwill assistance, citing lack of documentation for transmission maintenance. The vehicle is outside its original warranty. I am submitting this complaint so NHTSA has a record of my vehicle’s actual failure and complete loss of awd and can consider it alongside other reports involving this vehicle and drivetrain configuration. I can provide the VIN, dealership diagnosis, repair estimate, and supporting documentation if requested.

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My transfer case is blown they want to charge me $14,894. 90 to replace the transmission and ptu. My vehicle is only front wheel drive right now. I brought up that this is happening to multiple vehicles like mine and should be under a safety recall. Because I’m outside of the 70,000 mileage warranty from the manufacturer and have no extended warranty they gave no options except full price. My car has 89,822 miles on it currently when found. Nut happpened when the vehicle had 74,654 miles on it. They found rusty liquid coming from the transfer case during a routine oil change and inspection. And found that drive shaft spins freely when it shouldn’t what they said.

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Transfer case leaking fluids at 73,000 miles.

Purchased this vehicle used, as-is, from a Ford dealership on August 18, 2026. Approximately 90 minutes after taking delivery, the vehicle began displaying multiple dashboard warning lights and lost access to sport+ drive mode. The vehicle was returned to the selling dealership the same day; their technicians were unable to reproduce the fault or retrieve a diagnostic trouble code at that time. The vehicle was subsequently towed to an authorized Acura dealership for independent diagnosis. That inspection identified three separate issues: (1) the warning lights, attributed to a lean-running condition possibly caused by fuel quality; (2) a leaking front brake caliper, quoted at approximately $900 to repair; and (3) a fluid leak at the gasket between the transmission and transfer case, which the dealership states requires full replacement of both the transmission and transfer case, at an estimated cost of approximately $13,000. This transmission/transfer case leak occurs at the same location addressed in NHTSA office of defects investigation petition dp26001 (opened March 2026), covering 2021-2023 Acura Tlx and 2022-2023 Acura mdx sh-awd vehicles. Nhtsa's review, resolved August 6, 2026, confirmed the underlying failure mechanism as real — splines connecting the transmission output shaft to the power take-off unit stripping or shearing, cutting power to the rear wheels — based on 62 owner complaints and manufacturer field reports, though NHTSA declined to mandate a recall. Nhtsa's review also noted that the vehicle's dashboard provides no warning to the driver when this failure occurs. Given that this failure surfaced within 90 minutes of taking delivery of the vehicle, and that it matches a documented, federally-reviewed defect pattern on this exact model and drivetrain, I am filing this complaint to add to NHTSA's records on this known issue and to document a case where the failure manifested essentially immediately upon purchase.

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The transfer case and transmission splines have been stripped causing the car to be fwd only. The issue was confirmed by the dealer, and both the transfer case and transmission were replaced under warranty. The car shuddered, followed by a drivetrain noise for a few seconds. No warning lights or messages appeared when the incident occurred. The issue occurred at approximately 26,574 miles on the odometer.

Transmission and transfer case failure. Noticed a very small amount of fluid leaking and took to dealership. Dealer informed me that I was "lucky" to have noticed and that the transfer case spline failure had occurred. Notified that the problem could lead to sudden loss of all wheel drive and loss of vehicle control, vehicle slipping, and oversteer. Dp26001 had indicated that these issues are a safety concern and could lead to an accident. I had noticed instability in certain issues where the rear of the car did not feel firmly planted when cornering (oversteer). Dealer indicated that both the transmission and transfer case need to be replaced. I was ~8000 miles within powertrain warranty. Parts are on a national backorder which indicates a widespread issue. No warning lamps or indication of seal failure that leads to stripped splines off the shaft due to the fluid leak. Nhtsa does not understand how the Acura sh-awd system interacts with vehicle dynamics and handling, and loss of the rear wheel drive and its impact on oversteer would be absolutely no different than a rear sway bar breaking under load while cornering. I experienced this exact symptom on [xxx] where the road goes from 3 lanes to 2 lanes on a sweeping right hand curve. This is where I had felt like I may lose control of the vehicle, the rear of the car started to come around and I had to steer into the slide to regain control of the vehicle. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I'm losing power than normal all of a sudden. When I step on the gas after light hits green in sport and sport plus mode my car losses traction even when traction control is on, and I hear a loud clunck sound. After the the loud clunck sound the car losses rpm while driving I step off the gas and step back on it and the rpm goes back to normal again.

The transfer case splines sheared off in the transmission. The car is safe to drive but went from awd to fwd as there is now no power being transmitted through the transfer case to the rear wheels. The dealership confirmed the issue was the transfer case by lifting the car and seeing if the rear wheels were getting power. They then tore down the transmission and found the splines were all gone from the transfer case. The component was not inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance, or anyone else. There were no warnings or symptoms to the problem before the failure.

On July 7th 2026 I was driving home, came to a stop light at normal speed, when the light turned green I took off at normal speed and I heard a huge cluck / bang from underneath the car and it bogged and didn’t want to move. I then stepped on the gas because of the car behind me getting to close and my traction control light started to flash and the car started to shake and feel very uncomfortable to drive . After that I realize only the two front wheels of the car were working and even at low cruising speeds the car feels very unsafe and shakes and hear noises I never heard before the part that is causing this is the transfer case and transmission thus there are many other people who have had this same issues ranging from 21 to 23 Tlx type s with 15k miles to 100k miles.

Transmission splines went out and transfer case has also failed which is only sending power to front wheels.

While making a right turn from a stop the car made a bang sound followed by grinding upon acceleration. I took my 23 Tlx type s to a local dunn tire and asked them to put it on the lift. They raised all tires off the ground, started the car, and accelerated. Only the front wheels spun. This is the exact scenario lots of consumers have reported with this model when the transfer case splines break off the shaft. The car is driving without error lights but feels different while corning. It's very concerning that the car has 41k miles on it and is well taken care of. I drive it in winter so awd is a huge reason I choose it. I have an appointment with my local Acura dealership but its over a week away. I asked to have a tech contact me back to ensure driving it more won't case future issues but they never followed up.

Went to the Acura dealer for an oil change. Was told I have a leak in the transmission and transfer case and that both will need to be replaced.

I discovered an active fluid leak from the transmission/transfer case area of my 2024 Acura Tlx type s. Fluid was visibly running down the drivetrain case, collecting around the mating area between the transmission and transfer case, and accumulating on the underbody splash shield. I bought the vehicle to an Acura dealer for inspection and they stated that this appears to be a known issue. They suspected the leak may be from the seal between the transmission and transfer case. However, instead of repairing or replacing the suspected seal or the conditions of the splines, I was advised to continue driving the vehicle for approximately 3,000 additional miles to see if more fluid leakage develops. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This creates a safety concern because continued fluid loss from the transmission and transfer case could lead to drive drain damage, abnormal shifting, transfer case failure, sudden loss of propulsion, or possible loss of vehicle control while driving. Leaking fluid could also drip onto the roadway or nearby hot components. There were no warning lights or dashboards messages before I discovered the leak from my driveway.

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Car randomly goes into neutral and stays in neutral not allowing gear change.

I am submitting this complaint in reference to NHTSA defect petition dp26001, opened March 6, 2026, investigating loss of all-wheel drive capability in 2021-2023 Acura Tlx vehicles due to interfacing spline failure between the transmission and the power takeoff unit (transfer case). I am the owner of a 2021 Acura Tlx sh-awd with 55,300 miles. I purchased this vehicle on June 2nd, 2026. I have not yet experienced a failure, but I am registering as an affected vehicle owner given the known defect pattern documented in dp26001 and consistent with the 137,329-vehicle population identified in the NHTSA investigation. The failure mode as described in dp26001 involves stripping of splines at the transmission-to-ptu junction, resulting in sudden and complete loss of rear-wheel drive without warning lights or dashboard indication. Documented repair costs for this failure range from $5,000 to $19,000 depending on extent of damage. I am registering this complaint to be included in the documented owner population should the petition escalate to a formal defect investigation or recall. I request notification of any recall action, extended warranty coverage determination, or technical service bulletin issued for this failure pattern.

The transfer case spines have stripped and I no longer have all wheel drive only front wheel drive. This is a huge safety hazard for me .

Transfer case failure. I was driving my 2021 Acura Tlx type s when I suddenly heard a loud pop from underneath the car. Right after that, the sh awd system stopped working and the car was only driving in front wheel drive. There were no warning lights or signs before it happened, due to it being a mechanical failure and not an electrical one because the car does not have sensors for the transfer case. After getting it checked out, I was told the splines between the transfer case and transmission were stripped. I’ve also seen that a lot of other 2021 to 2023 Tlx type s owners have had the same problem. It’s concerning because the awd system failed out of nowhere, especially since the car depends on it for traction and stability. The car now needs a new transfer case and possibly more drivetrain repairs. (proof shown in pdf down below, only front wheels spinning).

I drive a 2021 Acura Tlx 2. 0 l turbo 4 cylinder. I was driving to work on [xxx] on a busy street in boyle heights, CA. When all of sudden I get a warning indicator “engine temp is high do not drive”. Pulled over immediately. Good thing I was in the far right lane and was able to pull over and not stall or get rear ended by another vehicle behind me. There were no warning, symptoms and indicators of the engine's overheating. My vehicle has been in great condition prior with no major or minor issues with my vehicle. We took it to two dealerships for diagnostics. The head gasket blown, empty coolant reservoir, cracked engine block, and other parts of the engine were affected. What if I was on a highway and the car stalled. I could’ve been seriously injured or seriously injured someone else on the road. Acura corporate is aware of our situation and refuse to own their engine safety defects. They want us to pay out of pocket to repair our vehicle. My car is 5 years old there is no way out of nowhere my vehicle should have this type of engine issues. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Took my car for an oil change and found that the transfer case is leaking its fluid. Known to lead to tranfer case failure.

2021 Acura Tlx type s sh-awd. Total mechanical failure of ptu/transfer case spline interface at 29,800 miles within factory powertrain warranty. Vehicle operated silently in fwd-only with no warning lights, no fault codes, and no dashboard alerts — consistent with all complaints cited in NHTSA defect petition dp26001 (opened March 6, 2026, NHTSA #11712885). Failure confirmed by dealer via lift test: propeller shaft and rear wheels stationary while fronts spun. During actuator test, check awd system light illuminated for the first time — because the lift removed road-induced wheel rotation that had masked the failure from the ecu throughout normal driving. This is the only condition under which this failure mode is electronically detectable. Dealer replaced transmission (remanufactured atr kit) and ptu under warranty. Repair took 38 days. Critical-third ptu revision: replacement ptu installed was part #29000-5yk-070. Known revision history: -050 (original, confirmed failure part) ? 060 (revised ~2022) ? 070 (installed June 2026). The 070 does not appear in any public oem parts database. Acura has now revised this component three times with zero tsbs, zero public disclosure of engineering changes, and no recall. The 070 revision appearing after dp26001 opened in March 2026 suggests a silent root cause fix while avoiding formal recall obligations. Critical-dpsm goodwill clause: Acura required acceptance of "one time goodwill authorized by dpsm" as condition of repair. This was a warranty obligation, not a goodwill gesture. This clause was imposed while dp26001 is under active federal review, before factory warranty expires, with no confirmed root cause fix. If the 070 part fails again, this clause may be used to deny future warranty coverage. Requesting: (1) complaint added to dp26001 record; (2) Acura compelled to disclose engineering changes between part numbers 050, 060, 070; (3) investigation of dpsm goodwill clause as systematic pre-recall liability limiation.

I am reporting a transmission failure in my 2021 Acura Tlx with approximately 84,300miles. While driving under normal conditions, after about 30 minutes on the road, I came to a stop at a red light. When I attempted to accelerate again, the vehicle would not shift out of first gear. The engine would rev, but the transmission failed to upshift. I also experienced a hard and abrupt engagement when shifting the vehicle into reverse. This issue occurred suddenly without warning and made the vehicle unsafe to operate in traffic, as I was unable to accelerate properly or maintain normal driving speed. The vehicle has been regularly serviced at an Acura dealership. At the time of the incident, the transmission fluid had not yet been replaced but had recently been recommended during a scheduled service visit. The vehicle is currently at an Acura dealership where I normally get the car serviced. The dealership has diagnosed the issue as an internal transmission failure and is recommending a transmission replacement.

} I am submitting an update to my previous complaint. In my original complaint, I stated that the vehicle had not received transmission service. After reviewing my records, I confirmed that a transmission fluid service (drain and refill with inspection) was performed at an Acura dealership in July 2024. Despite this maintenance, the transmission still failed at approximately 84,000 miles. I am providing this update to ensure the complaint is accurate.

Was changing the oil on my car and noticed grease running out from between the transfer case and transmission and also fluid build up on the transfer case higher up a little below the driveshaft. The car has 41k miles on it, there should be no leaks. My concern is the transfer case/transmission spline failure issue.

Transfer case failure, leakage, discovered after warranty expired. Took vehicle in describing seeming loss of awd and tech informed me it was “normal” I later discovered, during an oil change, a leak from the transmission or transfer case that covered the lower skid plate, which looking up, was directly related to a known failure of the type s’s transfer case/transmission causing a loss of traction to the rear wheels.

2021 Acura Tlx a-spec sh-awd and my transmission is leaking from the seal between the transmission and the differential. Acura is not sure if they can cover it under warranty because I am slightly past the powertrain warranty even though they had my car about a week ago when it was just barely past that point and no one said anything about the leak on the transmission until I checked with a certified Acura mechanic somewhere else. This is not just some small problem because with fluid leaking and leaving it will eventually damage the transmission and the differential or even just make them completely give out. This can be gears grinding and overheating. It is not just a problem it is also a safety hazard if this starts dripping onto the exhaust pipe or even on the road behind making traction a problem for someone behind. This needs to be under a recall not just warranty with how much I see this happening to these cars this is ridiculous we have to go through this.

I am formally requesting a neutral third-party arbitration review under the magnuson-moss warranty act to compel american Honda motor CO. To provide a permanent mechanical remedy—specifically, the sourcing and installation of a brand-new, redesigned engine assembly (engine #four)— this vehicle frame is now on its third engine block. Car was bought 11/30/2024. At grubbs Acura, fuel pump safety recall that involves flashing/re-calibrating the engine control unit (fi-ecu) software was done. Just a few weeks after new fuel pump, the vehicle displayed sudden stalling symptoms. The engine suffered a terminal, catastrophic internal collapse. The vehicle was towed to grubbs Acura where corporate Honda directed a forced out-of-pocket internal engine teardown. The physical teardown explicitly confirmed a catastrophic connecting rod bearing failure (spun bearing) identical to the structural manufacturing flaws currently under active federal investigation by the NHTSA under preliminary evaluation pe25008 / rq24-025. Corporate Honda subsequently issued a verbal agreement to fully reimburse my out-of-pocket teardown fees. Because a manufacturer will never fund diagnostic labor if evidence of owner fault is present, this corporate reimbursement serves as formal validation that no owner maintenance neglect occurred, and that the engine died exclusively from an inherent component defect. Gunn Acura (san antonio, TX) confirmed with my VIN, that engine #3 was a warranty/dealer-installed replacement unit at 22,000 miles. It failed after less than 40,000 miles of total operation. A professionally manufactured and dealer-installed engine is reasonably expected to last well beyond 40,000 miles. The manufacturer network cannot utilize arbitrary part-ownership rules or uncooperative, fragmented dealer communications. The original factory-installed engine and the dealer-installed replacement engine both suffered identical connecting rod bearing failures.

See all problems of the 2019 Acura TLX 🔎.

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.

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.

Accelerated and heard a loud noise and felt like I had driven through wood and one got stocked to the whelle. There was a lot of traffic so I was driving slow. The noice I heard was like something was stuck inside the wheel, like it was grinding. Dealer diagnosed a bad transfer case and transmission and they replaced both under warranty.

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.

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.