2014 Acura RLX problems & reliability
83 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2014 Acura RLX, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2014 Acura RLX vehicles were involved in 3 fatal crashes with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 48 | 58% |
| Suspension | 16 | 19% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 12 | 14% |
| Electrical System | 10 | 12% |
| Engine | 7 | 8% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 6 | 7% |
| Lane Departure | 5 | 6% |
| Unknown OR Other | 5 | 6% |
| Wheels | 5 | 6% |
| Power Train | 3 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 69,000 miles (middle 50% between 15,847 and 89,750 miles), based on 49 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Sept of 2023 car was making a knocking noise. (128K ) Took to local Acura dealership. Told they could not find anything and told to drive the car till failure. Have 2 children and since this was a family car that was not a good idea. Insisted on tear down diagnostic to inspect problem. Metal fragments in engine oil…”
Engine · filed Jun 10, 2026
“The contact owns a 2014 Acura RLX. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at an undisclosed speed, the power steering became inoperable, the vehicle steering wheel veered left or right and is misaligned. The warning lights lane departure, forward collision, all wheel steering, power steering and other…”
Steering · filed May 15, 2026
“2014 Acura RLX Advance suffered an Engine Failure from internal bearing defect. The vehicle was meticulously maintained by Acura dealerships, and had extensive service records. While driving, the engine produced a knocking sound, then abruptly shook and died. The Engine has seized, and exactly has the same problem…”
Engine · filed Apr 18, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
- Electrical overstress
Engineering Analysis EA19001 · opened Apr 19, 2019 · closed Sep 19, 2024 · led to recall 20V024
Technical service bulletins
188 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2014 Acura RLX. The 10 most recent:
Service Bulletin - Drivers may experience a chirping sound coming from the engine area with the engine warmed up due to the high pressure fuel pump is making a chirp.
B16-008 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 4, 2024
Warranty Extension - Under certain circumstances, abnormal noise may be heard from the rear when driving straight or making small side-to-side turning movements with the steering wheel. The P-AWS indicator or warning…
ONL6R508212023 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 21, 2023
Owner Notification Letter - Under certain circumstances, abnormal noise may be heard from the rear when driving straight or making small side-to-side turning movements with the steering wheel. The MIL may also…
ONL6A607142023 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 14, 2023
Owner Notification Letter - Under certain circumstances, abnormal noise may be heard from the rear when driving straight or making small side-to-side turning movements with the steering wheel. The MIL may also…
ONL6R507142023 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 14, 2023
Service Bulletin - Due to manufacturing errors, abnormal noise may be heard from the rear when driving straight or making small side-to side turning movements with the steering wheel. The MIL may also illuminate with…
B23-021 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 11, 2023
Service Bulletin - Due to manufacturing errors, abnormal noise may be heard from the rear when driving straight or making small side-to side turning movements with the steering wheel. The MIL may also illuminate with…
B23-022 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 9, 2023
Dealer Message - Due to manufacturing errors, abnormal noise may be heard from the rear when driving straight or making small side-to-side turning movements with the steering wheel. The MIL may also illuminate with DTC…
BBOM06092023901 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 9, 2023
ServiceNews Article - Do you have a slow tire leak, but there are no signs of sidewall damage or anything stuck in the tread? While you're checking for leaks, check the valve stem; it could have oxidation buildup from…
B15090E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 26, 2021
Service Bulletin - The timing belt area chirps after the engine warms up.
B14-025 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 18, 2020
Service Bulletin - The timing belt area makes a chirping noise after the engine warms up.
B14-025 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2020
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2014 Acura RLX has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2014 Acura RLX?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 69,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.