What breaks most · 2001 to 2008 model years
Acura RSX problems by year
Owners have filed 178 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Acura RSX across model years 2001 to 2008. Three years stand out: 2002 for powertrain and transmission complaints, 2005 for suspension complaints and 2003 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 2001, 2004 and 2006.
- Years to check closely: 2002, 2005, 2003
- Fewest complaints: 2001, 2004, 2006
- Complaints on file
- 1782001 to 2008, all trims
- Worst year
- 200276 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 261 fires · 20 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 45kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 16Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (1) | |
| 76 | 10 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (20) | |
| 25 | 3 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (8) | |
| 17 | 6 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (6) | |
| 32 | 3 | 2 | Suspension (13) | |
| 24 | 4 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (5) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Body and structure (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Unknown or other (1) |
What fails on the 2002 Acura RSX
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 26% |
20 | 1 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2002 Acura RSX |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 21% |
16 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2002 Acura RSX |
| Air bags | 18% |
14 | 6 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 7% |
5 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2002 Acura RSX |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 5% |
4 | 0 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2002 Acura RSX |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 5% |
4 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2002 Acura RSX |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 5% |
4 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2002 Acura RSX |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 4% |
3 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 2002 Acura RSX |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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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.
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Loud clunking noise coming from right front of vehicle. Possibly struts. Sounds happen at slow speeds, i.e. Parking lots, backing up. *nm
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When trying to shift into 2nd gear it grinds and pops out. It is so bad that now it will not allow you to put it in 2nd at all. Synchros are bad...common problem with rsx. Acura should be forced to fix this issue since it is so common in these vehicles.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Acura RSX years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2002, 2005, 2003 carry the most filings on the Acura RSX. The 2002 alone has 76 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Acura RSX problem?
On the 2002 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 20 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Acura RSX problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Acura RSX complaints that include mileage is about 45,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.