2017 Acura TLX

On June 3, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several field reports concerning the Auto Idle Stop (AIS) feature on 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles. The complaints allege that the engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5L engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission. On January 6, 2023, Honda released service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. These service bulletins address the failure to restart issue in the 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles, as well as the 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2019-2022 Honda Passport, and 2020-2023 Honda Ridgeline vehicles. The repair outlined in the service bulletins is a two-stage countermeasure to remedy the issue. The first stage is a Programmed Fuel Injection (“PGM-FI”) software update. The second stage is only deployed if the software update fails to remedy the issue. The second stage, depending on the model and model year, consists of replacement of the starter assembly, starter relays, and a valve adjustment. Additionally, Honda extended the warranty coverage to 10 years with unlimited mileage for vehicles requiring the second stage component replacement. ODI continues to receive complaints of the AIS failure to restart, with many complainants alleging the campaign countermeasures had been completed.NHTSA has reviewed Honda's Information Request Letter responses involving warranty claims, lawsuits, and consumer complaints in addition to ODI's own data. This Engineering Analysis is being opened to further consider the potential safety defect, including gathering additional data regarding Honda’s service campaign efficacy. ODI is additionally expanding the scope to encompass all vehicles addressed in Honda’s service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009 as well as newer model year vehicles, which are substantially similar to the vehicles covered by the service campaign. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect.  During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW.  The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with manufacturer design specifications.  The ECU in the subject vehicles contains a model DS84 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which controls the communication of the crash sensor signal, firing commands (i.e., when to deploy the airbag(s) and/or pretensioners), and fault information (e.g., diagnostic trouble codes). In September 2016, FCA announced recall 16V-668 for certain model year (MY) 2010 to 2014 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products manufactured with the subject ZF-TRW ACU.  In this recall, FCA discussed an EOS condition that resulted in a failure of the subject DS84 ASIC, which caused air bag non-deployment.  FCA noted that the defect condition had only been observed in vehicles equipped with sensor harnessing routed across the front of the vehicle.  Other FCA vehicles that also used the subject ACU, but were not equipped with cross-car harnessing, had not experienced EOS failures, despite similar time in service. During the course of this investigation, ODI sent two separate Information Request (IR) letters to six vehicle manufactures (including FCA, Hyundai, Honda, Kia, Mitsubishi, and Toyota) and one IR letter to ZF-TRW.  These IR letters resulted in ODI receiving comprehensive data from these manufacturers and suppliers. Studies of this data found that the DS84 ASIC does not have sufficient protection against negative electrical transients or electrical overstress (“EOS”) that can be generated in certain severe crashes.  An electrical transient occurs when the electrical power supplied to a circuit changes momentarily over a short duration of time.   In these severe crash cases, the crash sensors and other powered wiring can be damaged and short circuited so as to create a negative electrical transient of sufficient intensity and duration (that are outside the vehicle manufacturer's specification) to damage the ASIC before the restraint device deployment signal is received by the SRS ECU.  This damaged signal can lead to incomplete or nondeployment of the air bags and/or pretensioners.  Airbag non-deployment and/or lack of pretensioner operation can increase the risk or severity of injury in a crash.A total of 8 fatalities and 14 injuries were associated with known EOS events. The common element in all investigated manufacturers vehicles is the SRS ECU containing a DS84 ASIC manufactured by ZF-TRW.  The risk associated with the ASIC is equally shared among all OEMS involved in the investigation.  The actual real-world risk can be mitigated by other factors which were assessed by ODI during this investigation. The first mitigating factor involves protections built into the ACU design which protect the DS84 ASIC from damage.  There are multiple strategies and levels of protection employed by different OEMs that provide effective EOS mitigation.  The two most common strategies at the ACU level are circuit protection diodes on the remote senor signal lines, and current limiting resistors that protect critical components. The second mitigating factor is found at the vehicle level and involves the location and routing of the wires leading from the crash sensors to the SRS ECU.  If the wires are well protected in a crash and are not routed with other power wires carrying large currents, the risk for an EOS event is significantly reduced or eliminated. These design specific factors combine to produce a spectrum of risk for the vehicles equipped with ACUs using the DS84 ASIC.  Given the many of years of field exposure, it is possible to divide the subject population into two groups; vehicles which have experienced EOS events, and vehicles which have not experienced EOS field events. Four of the six OEMs involved in this investigation have experienced EOS field events on at least one of their models equipped with a DS84 ASIC.  All vehicle models (including the Toyota models identified in the Failure Report Summary of the opening resume for this investigation) with field events have been recalled.  In an abundance of caution, ODI kept this investigation open five years to monitor field performance and did not identify any field events on vehicles not included in existing safety recalls. Given the spectrum of risk identified in this investigation and that all vehicles with a demonstrated unreasonable risk have been recalled, ODI is closing this investigation. ODI is closing this investigation with the following manufacturer safety recalls: 16V-668, 18E-043, 18V-137, 18V-363, and 20V-024.  With the recall actions taken by the subject vehicle and equipment manufacturers, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exists on other model or model year vehicles outside of the recall scopes. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.

Acura TLX 2017, with only 112,000 miles. On [XXX], while the consumer was driving, the vehicle caught on fire. The consumer saw what appeared to be smoke coming from under the hood. The consumer stopped the vehicle immediately at a 4-way intersection, put it in park, and turned it off. The hood latch was open. When the consumer opened the hood, the engine compartment was on fire, and the car was engulfed in fire within seconds. Fire department and Police depratment arrived at the scene. The car was deemed a total loss, and the fire was determined to have started in the engine compartment. In May 2024, Acura stated that the connecting rod bearing needed replacement and that it was covered under the recall. However, 6 months after replacement, in October 2024, the knocking noise returned. The vehicle was brought to the Acura dealership, which noted at that time that the engine needed to be replaced, but the repair was denied under the recall this time. As required and recommended by the Acura Dealership, as well as by the recall, which noted safety risks, the consumer moved forward with having the engine replaced by the Acura Dealership, and the cosnsumer paid out of pocket. The vehicle was at the Acura dealership in Westwood for service from October 2024 until February 2025. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11762505

Incident

Aug 30, 2026

Acura Service Bulletin B18-014 (NHTSA TSB #10135108) The repeated failure of the driver’s power seat height-adjustment mechanism due to stripped internal gears in the Vertical Transmission Assembly (VTA), as identified in Acura Service Bulletin B18-014, presents a significant safety concern. A failure of the driver’s seat adjustment mechanism can prevent the driver from maintaining a proper and secure seating position, potentially impairing visibility, access to the pedals and steering wheel, and the ability to safely control the vehicle. Because Honda/Acura has documented this failure and identified a specific repair procedure, I believe the defect warrants investigation by NHTSA and consideration for a safety recall rather than leaving affected owners responsible for repairs. Despite the Acura bulletin and recommended repairs, Marysville Honda in Ohio is recommending a $5700 repair bill inconsistent with the Acura bulletin.

NHTSA ID

11757748

Incident

Aug 17, 2026

My 2017 Acura TLX stalled dangerously on the highway due to an unexpected fuel delivery failure, creating an immediate traffic hazard. Hiley Acura of Fort Worth diagnosed the vehicle with code P0087 (Low Fuel Rail Pressure) and confirmed it needs a new low-pressure fuel pump assembly for $1,540.62. They also pulled code P0430 (Catalyst System Efficiency) showing my front catalytic converter has failed, costing $2,461.77.The low-pressure fuel pump failure starved the engine of fuel, causing the highway stall. This fueling issue directly overheated and destroyed the catalytic converter substrate.This pump failure is the core subject of the Oliver v. Honda class action lawsuit. Honda previously issued a temporary corporate software update on my vehicle that deliberately altered how the computer reads errors, masking the physical fuel pump defect. This software update is the exact reason my car currently shows no open recalls on standard databases, despite still containing the defective, unreplaced factory hardware. This temporary software fix has now failed, resulting in a dangerous highway stall, and Honda is using the software-cleared VIN status to deny safety coverage.

NHTSA ID

11750596

Incident

Jul 4, 2026

I have this car 2017 acura tlx v6 shawd from acura dealership 3months already. I hear little knocking sound from my bottom block.

NHTSA ID

11745329

Incident

Jun 17, 2026

Vehicle consistently pulls to right and on grooved concrete acts in abnormal way, weaving withing the lane. I have taken to Acura to try to diagnose - they tell me there is no adjustment they can make. I have tried with Honda corporate, but they want me to go back for another diagnosis on the car at Acura. At this time there is no reason to duplicate efforts or time. I have also taken to independent shops and they indicate they cannot correct the problem also.

NHTSA ID

11743771

Incident

Jun 1, 2023

The keyless access unit broke around 100k miles. Car acted like it was having a seizure. If car was locked, alarm goes off nonstop (during these episodes, which are intermittent) and all dash lights and head lights blink on and off over and over in quick succession. If car was not locked, only the lights had a seizure, there would be no audible alarm. Seemed to happen more near towers (cell towers, fire station broadcast tower, absolutely could not leave the car alone in nyc and had to go home). So so so embarrassing. So many people with this issue.

NHTSA ID

11743085

Incident

Jul 14, 2025

Vehicle has been recalled for a speed sensor issue that still persists. Recall repair was NOT properly executed. Vehicle engine still randomly shuts off while in idle at stoplights and during travel. Engine won’t start at this point.

NHTSA ID

11741898

Incident

Jan 1, 2026

My car broke down on 04/05/2026 on the highway at a light with on coming traffic.I took it to express oil change 04/06/2026 they told me my car need a crankshaft so I proceeded to get more information and come to find out it was a recall on the crankshafts on my car. This is the second recall I have had done to my car the first recall was for the motor. This second one is for the crankshaft recall number- CH7. I was told by Acura a month and a half after them having my car that the serial number on my motor doesn’t fall up under the recall, but my vin number does and there saying they can not fix my car. Only had this motor for 2 or 3 years from the first recall it had on it.

NHTSA ID

11741304

Incident

Apr 5, 2026

Service Bulletin - Under certain circumstances, after coming to a stop and engaging idle stop the vehicle may not restart automatically due to excessive cylinder pressure and/or low cranking torque. Typically, the client can immediately restart the vehicle by selecting Park and pressing the ENGINE START/STOP button.

Service Bulletin - The AWD warning light is on with one or more AWD DTCs having been set due to water intrusion into the electric oil pump motor connector area corrodes the terminals.

Service Bulletin - The AWD warning light is on potentially due to water intrusion into the rear differential pump motor connector area that corrodes the terminals.

Service Bulletin - Drivers may experience a chirping sound coming from the engine area with the engine warmed up due to the high pressure fuel pump is making a chirp.

Owner Notification Letter - Under certain circumstances, after coming to a stop and the idle stop feature engages, the vehicle may not automatically restart. Acura is providing a product update with new PGM-FI software update to fix this issue.

Service Bulletin - The engine will not crank on the initial startup attempt after the vehicle has been exposed to precipitation and then freezing temperatures. Water can enter the starter motor. In cold temperatures the water can freeze, preventing the starter motor from cranking the engine.