2002 Acura RSX problems & reliability
75 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 Acura RSX. 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.
7 complaints report injuries (11 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2002 Acura RSX vehicles were involved in 36 fatal crashes with 23 occupant deaths. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 20 | 27% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 16 | 21% |
| Air Bags → | 14 | 19% |
| Structure | 5 | 7% |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 5% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 4% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 4% |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 4% |
| Steering | 3 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 22 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 42 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 46,500 miles (middle 50% between 21,335 and 87,852 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Duralast 12volt battery post are smaller than they should be. It cause the battery terminal to came loose after a hard bump on the road. It resulted in my car losing power steering.”
Steering · filed Jul 20, 2026
“The contact owns a 2022 Acura RSX. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware that there were holes underneath the front driver’s and passenger’s side seats. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The…”
Seats · filed Jan 8, 2025
“The car stopped at an traffic intersection when making a left turn. Fortunately, the traffic was light. Later, a broken driver side cv axel was identified, which had sever corrosion inside the damper. the narrowest diameter is only 16mm vs 25mm of the axel.”
Power Train · filed Jul 9, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
115 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2002 Acura RSX. The 10 most recent:
Sending vehicle data to tech line.
BJA46167 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2017
Dealer message - On Monday, June 23, 2014, Acura announced three recalls for various 2002-06 Acura models. As of August 4, 2014, affected VINs have been identified, and VIN status inquiry has been updated.
DLR MSG - Acura · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2014
Dealer message - On Monday, June 23, 2014, Acura announced three recalls for various 2002-06 Acura models. As of July 23, 2014, affected VINs have been identified, and service bulletins 14-023, Safety Recall: Front…
DLR MSG - Stop S · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 23, 2014
Searching isis for diagnostic trouble code information. 1996 - 2003 models. *tt updated 12/12/11. *pe
1202 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 12, 2011
Acura: while the valve timing control (vtc) phase gap is set, the mil is on and the control solenoid valve is contaminated or stuck. *pe
SB-02-035 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 22, 2011
Acura: there are guidelines for various situations and procedures including: tire pressure valve stem installation, trailer stability malfunction light is on, engine oil application guide, new software, new transmission…
SB-0708 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2010
Acura: 6 speed manual transmission grinds when shifting into 3rd gear, pops out of 3rd gear, or is hard to shift into 3rd gear. Transmission has a faulty 3rd gear synchronizer or 3-4 shift sleeve. *pe
08-018 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 18, 2008
Load carrying capacity reduced label for all acura vehicles. *pe
08-026 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 31, 2008
Acura: warranty extension: vehicle warranty mileage. A federal court provided final approval of the settlement of a class action lawsuit alleging that the odometers on certain models were overstating mileage. Vehicles…
SB-06-050 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 9, 2008
Warranty extension: vehicle warranty mileage. *kb affects 2002 through 2006 acura models. Updated 8/15/08. *pe
06050 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 9, 2008
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
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2002 Acura RSX in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
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 2002 Acura RSX?
- · 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.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 46,500 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.