2004 Acura TSX problems & reliability
142 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Acura TSX, alongside 3 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.
7 complaints report injuries (7 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2004 Acura TSX vehicles were involved in 31 fatal crashes with 18 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 29 | 20% |
| Electrical System | 29 | 20% |
| Seats | 22 | 15% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 19 | 13% |
| Power Train | 16 | 11% |
| Steering | 14 | 10% |
| Exterior Lighting | 7 | 5% |
| Seat Belts | 7 | 5% |
| Suspension | 7 | 5% |
| Engine | 5 | 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 64,000 miles (middle 50% between 37,500 and 107,500 miles), based on 99 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While driving the vehicle, the vehicle suddenly shutoff and powered on again. After do some diagnostics we determined is was the ECU/ECM. The ECM has corrosion on the top which caused salty water to eat through the lid. Doing some research this vehicle make and model has recall but doesn’t show up under my vin. I’ve…”
Electrical System · filed Apr 21, 2026
“The contact owns a 2004 Acura TSX. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal clicking sound that was coming from the instrument cluster. The contact stated that upon decelerating to come to a stop, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that while the vehicle was rolling, the…”
Electrical System · filed Apr 18, 2025
“They power steering is leaking badly onto exhaust pipe and not holding any fluid in the Reservoir I do not know when problem began the car had one owner prior to me , I would like to just get the recall situated and fixed if possible”
Steering · filed Aug 16, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
69 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 Acura TSX. The 10 most recent:
This SKU is a Front Upper Ball Joint. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for the outer diameter of the ball joint housing being too small. The outer diameter being too small would…
DORE5C4S09 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 11, 2019
Service bulletin - There are specific leak dye kits for the R-134a and R-1234yf A/C systems; make sure you use the correct kit for to the A/C system you are working on.
B07-025 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 10, 2018
Tech line summary article - When adding keys or running the System Check with the Immobilizer Setup Tool in the i-HDS, are you seeing this message? "Immobilizer system is not normal". We?re aware of this issue and have…
BTS180402 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 17, 2018
Sending vehicle data to tech line.
BJA46167 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2017
"service bulletin - the rear wire harness near the left side trunk hinge is not adequately protected and could be damaged when the trunk is repeatedly opened and closed. A damaged wire harness can cause a blown fuse or…
B04-026 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2016
Service bulletin - navigation system information.
B05-018 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 23, 2016
Special Tool Loan Program: Under TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR LOAN, the list has been updated.
B98015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 18, 2016
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
Acura: the malfunction indicator lamp (mil) is on, with dtc p2138 (accelerator pedal position sensor a/b incorrect voltage correlation), and have poor performance in engine. Model 2004-2008 tl, tsx. *pe
IN-27-14 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 12, 2014
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 2004 Acura TSX has 3 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 2004 Acura TSX?
- · 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 64,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.