2021 Acura TLX Type S problems & reliability
32 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Acura TLX Type S, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 29 | 91% |
| Engine | 4 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 6% |
| Suspension | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While accelerating from a stop, I heard a loud bang from the drivetrain area and initially believed another vehicle had struck the rear of my car. After checking my surroundings, I realized there had been no collision. Immediately after the incident, the vehicle lost power delivery to the rear wheels. The vehicle is…”
Power Train · filed May 31, 2026
“The All Wheel Drive (AWD) system of the vehicle became partially inoperable after hearing a loud bang under normal vehicle acceleration some time in early 2025. The vehicle did not trigger or display any warnings stored in the onboard computer or on the dash display that the AWD system had any faults or issues. Had…”
Power Train · filed Apr 2, 2026
“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…”
Power Train · filed Mar 7, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- All wheel drive allegation
Defect Petition DP26001 · opened Mar 6, 2026 · closed Aug 4, 2026
Technical service bulletins
31 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Acura TLX Type S. The 10 most recent:
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2021-2023 TLX ADV’s and 2021-2025 TLX Type S’s with a client complaint of the “Adaptive Damper System Problem” (ADS) error message on the…
BTI&02112025901 · Other · issued Feb 12, 2025
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2021-2023 TLX ADV’s and 2021-2025 TLX Type S’s with a client complaint of the “Adaptive Damper System Problem” (ADS) error message on the…
BTI&01242025901 · Other · issued Jan 24, 2025
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2021-2023 TLX ADV’s and 2021-2025 TLX Type S’s with a client complaint of the “Adaptive Damper System Problem” (ADS) error message on the…
BTI&01172025901 · Other · issued Jan 18, 2025
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2021-2023 TLX ADV’s and 2021-2025 TLX Type S’s with a client complaint of the “Adaptive Damper System Problem” (ADS) error message on the…
BTI&01022025901 · Other · issued Jan 3, 2025
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2021-2023 TLX ADV’s and 2021-2025 TLX Type S’s with a client complaint of the “Adaptive Damper System Problem” (ADS) error message on the…
BTI&12022024902 · Other · issued Dec 3, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2021-2023 TLX ADV’s and 2021-2025 TLX Type S’s with a client complaint of the “Adaptive Damper System Problem” (ADS) error message on the…
BTI&11142024901 · Other · issued Nov 14, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2021-2023 TLX ADV’s and 2021-2025 TLX Type S’s with a client complaint of the “Adaptive Damper System Problem” (ADS) error message on the…
BTI&10302024901 · Other · issued Oct 30, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2021-2023 TLX ADV’s and 2021-2025 TLX Type S’s with a client complaint of the “Adaptive Damper System Problem” (ADS) error message on the…
BTI&10112024901 · Other · issued Oct 11, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2022-2025 MDX Type S's & 2021-2025 TLX ADV's or Type S's with a client complaint of the “Adaptive Damper System Problem” (ADS) error message…
BTI&09202024901 · Other · issued Sep 21, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2022-2025 MDX Type S's & 2021-2025 TLX ADV's or Type S's with a client complaint of the “Adaptive Damper System Problem” (ADS) error message…
BTI&09102024901 · Other · issued Sep 10, 2024
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 2021 Acura TLX Type S has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — 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 2021 Acura TLX Type S?
- · 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.