2021 Acura TLX problems & reliability
64 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Acura TLX, alongside 4 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.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2021 Acura TLX vehicles were involved in 6 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 23 | 36% |
| Electrical System | 9 | 14% |
| Service Brakes | 9 | 14% |
| Unknown OR Other | 9 | 14% |
| Air Bags | 7 | 11% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 7 | 11% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 8% |
| Suspension | 5 | 8% |
| Engine | 4 | 6% |
| Steering | 3 | 5% |
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
“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…”
Power Train · filed Aug 4, 2026
“I took this vehicle to get serviced in the summer of 2025. I recently joined an Acura Type S (2021+) group on Facebook and learned that the issue is quite prevalent. I had to have the transmission and transfer case replaced due to transmission issues and traction issues”
Power Train · filed Jul 13, 2026
“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…”
Power Train · filed Jul 8, 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
- No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages
Engineering Analysis EA25004 · opened Mar 26, 2025 · open
Technical service bulletins
113 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Acura TLX. The 10 most recent:
Over The Air Update - Vehicles equipped with the System Updates application are capable of downloading and installing Over the Air System Updates. System Updates contain upgrades that fix a variety of operational errors…
B21674 · Over The Air · issued May 18, 2026
Service Bulletin - Oil leak at the cam chain tensioner inspection cover due to and insufficient sealant adhesion on the inspection cover.
B25-048 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 17, 2025
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2022- 2024 MDXs & 2021-2025 TLXs with a client complaint of a loose or detached rearview mirror bracket. To better understand the cause of…
BTI&04092025901 · Other · issued Apr 9, 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&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
Service Bulletin - A coaxial cable terminal was not manufactured to proper specifications. An improperly manufactured terminal may lead to poor communication in the media-oriented system (MOST) bus network which can…
B24-046 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 18, 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&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
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 has 4 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 2021 Acura TLX?
- · 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.