What breaks most · 2012 to 2019 model years
Acura TLX problems by year
Owners have filed 205 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Acura TLX across model years 2012 to 2019. One year stands out: 2015 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 2012, 2017 and 2016.
- Years to check closely: 2015
- Fewest complaints: 2012, 2017, 2016
- Complaints on file
- 2052012 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 2015164 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 110 fires · 9 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 8kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 22Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (1) | |
| 164 | 10 | 6 | Powertrain and transmission (106) | |
| 23 | 1 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (6) | |
| 10 | 0 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (6) | |
| 6 | 0 | 4 | Electrical system (3) | |
| 1 | 0 | 6 | Engine (1) |
What fails on the 2015 Acura TLX
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 65% |
106 | 4 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 15% |
24 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2015 Acura TLX |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 12% |
19 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2015 Acura TLX |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 9% |
15 | 6 | Shop brakes parts for the 2015 Acura TLX |
| Unknown or other | 9% |
15 | 0 | — |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 7% |
12 | 0 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2015 Acura TLX |
| Stability controlABS and wheel speed sensors | 4% |
7 | 1 | Shop stability control parts for the 2015 Acura TLX |
| Wipers and visibilityWiper motors and blades | 4% |
7 | 0 | Shop all wipers and visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
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 vehicle is shaking at highway speeds , this does this between 55-75 mph the vehicle is shaking in the center of the car, this is at all times on highway and all road conditions this is on the awd model
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 30, 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 TLX years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2015 carries the most filings on the Acura TLX. The 2015 alone has 164 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Acura TLX problem?
On the 2015 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 106 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Acura TLX problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Acura TLX complaints that include mileage is about 8,000 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.