RoadVitals

2020 Acura TLX Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
62
Latest Aug 5, 2026
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
13
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
4

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2020 Acura TLX, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Engine2632.5%
  • Powertrain (other)78.8%
  • Driver assistance78.8%
  • Brakes45.0%
  • Airbags33.8%
  • Other / unspecified22.5%
  • Suspension22.5%
  • Body & structure11.3%
  • Seat belts11.3%
  • Steering11.3%
  • Tires & wheels11.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

26
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

- The engine system failed and it is available for inspection -While driving on the highway at normal traffic speed, my vehicle suddenly developed a loud knocking noise and the check engine light lit up. Within moments, the engine lost power and became inoperable, leaving me unable to continue driving while being 300 miles away from home. This incident occurred at about 5-6AM, having to maneuver through traffic before the sunrise. This created a serious safety risk because surrounding vehicles were traveling at full speed increasing the risk of collision. There were no warning signs of this failure and I was unfortunately stranded on the highway in an unfamiliar town for hours with minors in the vehicle. -Yes, the vehicle was towed to a local dealeriship, Hahira Automotive Services, where the engine failure occurred and they confirmed that they were unable to start the car and the knocking sound was indicative of engine failure. I towed the car to an Acura dealership local to my home and they confirmed the same vehicle condition and that a takedown is required to fully inspect the engine. -The engine has not been inspected by anyone only the vehicle condition -There were no warning signs of engine failure prior to the incident

NHTSA ID 11754884 · filed Aug 5, 2026

PE 25008 The engine knock started on 12/22/25. Motorcars Acura recommended get a case number & have the 2020 TLX towed in for a diagnostic. Online case # XXX Towed to Motorcars on 12/23/25. Talked to Michelle with customer relations & she was going to call Motorcars for info. Motorcars, without my permission, pulled the oil pan & inspected the bearings. #6 rod bearing failed. On 1/15/26, Michelle with customer relations told me that they will not offer reimbursement to repair. I told Motorcars to do the repair on 1/15/26. Picked up the car on 1/21/26 Info & pictures attached. I told Michelle I hope you reconsider reimbursing me for the repairs. As I told Michelle, I am very loyal to Acura as I own (4) Acura’s. Now two of them have engine issue. The 2020 TLX rod bearing issue that was not included in the recall & my 2012 MDX with the 3.7 oil consumption issues. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID 11714897 · filed Feb 2, 2026
All 26 reports naming engine

Fuel system

Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.

17
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Electric parking brake problem , and emissions system problem. Apparently its a common issue many are affected.

NHTSA ID 11684907 · filed Sep 4, 2025

The recall impacting my fuel injection has not been fixed since 2023 i have been waiting. I was told parts are available now and would be called by someone but that has been more than a month ago.

NHTSA ID 11644299 · filed Feb 22, 2025
All 17 reports naming fuel system

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

8
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The cars Emission Systems and Parking Brake lights come on, and the dealer can not diagnose this issue properly. I have taken it in 4 times, and it continues to happen. I fear the parking brake coming on while driving.

NHTSA ID 11735228 · filed May 1, 2026

49,622 mark on my 2020 Acura tlx AWD… auto stop was enabled, car was at stoplight, engine attempted to re-engage but did not and car went into “neutral”… and the lights stayed on. I immediately turned on blinkers to avoid crash and and attempted to re start car, I shifted into Park, shut down car and re-started it successfully. I am seeking repair or disablement of the auto stop system, this is a safety hazard to myself and my family as well as others who had to go around while the issue was being troubleshooted. This appears to be related to Investigation:EA25004

NHTSA ID 11700396 · filed Nov 19, 2025
All 8 reports naming electrical

Powertrain (other)

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.

7
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Transmission harsh and delayed gear engagement, sometimes it won’t shift unless it’s done manually, few times it didn’t shift even though I shifted manually, I had to increase engine speed to about 5000 RPM so it shifts, transmission goes into neutral when trying to to accelerate while it’s in drive and intermittent vibration caused by hydraulic circuit pressure issues, I’ve had the vehicle since it had 7900 miles and all these issues been present in the car since then, the car now have 29000 miles and it’s only getting worse. These issues have been reported by a lot of Honda/Acura vehicles owner with the 9 speed transmission

NHTSA ID 11722849 · filed Mar 8, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Acura TLX. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light, the emission system failure, and electronic parking assist messages were displayed. Additionally, the AWD feature had become inoperable, making the vehicle difficult to steer. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. After disconnecting and reconnecting the negative battery terminal, the system was reset and the failure was corrected, but eventually reoccurred. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failures, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID 11689856 · filed Sep 26, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

7
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The front camera that operates the cruise control, lane assist, automatic braking, automatic high beam has stopped working. After further research it seems to be a popular problem with this car in a short amount of time. This car is a 2020 with 61,000 miles. The camera costs approximately $2000 to fix and should have a longer life span.

NHTSA ID 11714405 · filed Jan 30, 2026

Multiple dash lights including "brake system failure, collision mitigation system problem, adaptive cruise control problem, road departure mitigation system problem, etc." RPMs effected, car does not shift into third gear. Safety of myself and others were at risk because the vehicle stalled then would not go over 20mph. Had this been a busy highway, lack of warning could cause a major collision. The vehicle was recently inspected and passed by Criswell Honda, Gaithersburg and purchased by me today. No dash lights were displayed. I drove less than 100 miles before the issue occurred. The vehicle is currently being towed back to Criswell Honda for diagnostics and repair (or I was told that is what they will be doing).

NHTSA ID 11691114 · filed Oct 2, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

4
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The cars Emission Systems and Parking Brake lights come on, and the dealer can not diagnose this issue properly. I have taken it in 4 times, and it continues to happen. I fear the parking brake coming on while driving.

NHTSA ID 11735228 · filed May 1, 2026

Defective warped rotors at low mile approximately 15k miles, brake pads are good but not rotors.Original owner not aggressively driven or braked. Episodes when driving highway at 70mph and traffic suddenly stop's vehicles brakes must be pumped to ensure effective stopping. The OEM Highway hazard, for almost new vehicle.

NHTSA ID 11528420 · filed Jun 22, 2023

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Airbags

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Airbags (SRS)

NHTSA ID 11733447 · filed Apr 23, 2026

Manufacturer at two different locations report the are unable to make repairs due to not having parts.

NHTSA ID 11582836 · filed Apr 13, 2024

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Other / unspecified

Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2020 Acura TLX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) and an unknown recall for the tires, and another for the trim around the doors. The contact stated that the recall repairs were completed. The contact’s son picked up the vehicle from the dealer and noticed that the front windshield was cracked. Additionally, while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle vibrated abnormally, and the driver was unable to control the vehicle. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side tire detached from the vehicle. The driver was able to regain control of the vehicle and pulled over to the side of the road. Several messages were displayed on the instrument panel including messages that the cruise control was inoperable, assist line Collison system inoperable, road mitigation system unavailable, Collison Mitigation system failure were displayed. When the tow truck arrived at the scene, the tow truck driver noticed that bolts connected to the spindle had detached. The vehicle was towed to a tire specialist and the tires were replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ID 11685745 · filed Sep 8, 2025

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 ACURA TLX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HER HUSBAND WAS DRIVING IT FELT AS IF THE TIRE WAS ABOUT TO DEFLATE. HE CHECKED THE TIRE AND FOUND NO ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. HE CONTINUED TO DRIVE AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT WHEEL DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE PARK AVENUE ACURA DEALER LOCATED AT 247 WEST PASSAIC ST, MAYWOOD, NJ 07607, (201)-587-0029, WHERE IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT SOMEONE POSSIBLY HAD TAMPERED WITH THE VEHICLE. THE TECHNICIAN OFFERED RE-INSTALL THE WHEEL HOWEVER, THE CONTACT DECLINED THE OFFER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 830.

NHTSA ID 11344319 · filed Aug 10, 2020

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Suspension

Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

I've received the recall notice for my car about 2 years ago. I've tried to schedule time with the dealership to get it fixed but they just keep telling me they don't have the parts or I have to wait till something "bad" happens first for them to prioritize me. This seems really unsafe and bad practice. I've reached out to Honda and they have open a case to review this but has not gotten back to me since. The car has stall once and a few times during the engine shut off while stopping, it takes a moment for the engine to come back, not normally like when I got the car. There has been a few time that there were cracking noise while I was driving. I stop driving the car as much as I can to avoid an accident happening. Please help me get some resolution with Honda, it's been almost 2 years.

NHTSA ID 11625453 · filed Nov 15, 2024

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 ACURA TLX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HER HUSBAND WAS DRIVING IT FELT AS IF THE TIRE WAS ABOUT TO DEFLATE. HE CHECKED THE TIRE AND FOUND NO ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. HE CONTINUED TO DRIVE AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT WHEEL DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE PARK AVENUE ACURA DEALER LOCATED AT 247 WEST PASSAIC ST, MAYWOOD, NJ 07607, (201)-587-0029, WHERE IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT SOMEONE POSSIBLY HAD TAMPERED WITH THE VEHICLE. THE TECHNICIAN OFFERED RE-INSTALL THE WHEEL HOWEVER, THE CONTACT DECLINED THE OFFER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 830.

NHTSA ID 11344319 · filed Aug 10, 2020

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Body & structure

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

After approx. 15,000 miles on the odometer applying the brakes at highway speed to slow the car down the steering wheel shakes, went to the dealership they said the front brake rotors are warped. Also when traveling at highway speed around 70 mph with strong wind the hood of the car shakes as if it is not latched, stopped vehicle and checked that the hood is properly latched and it was, I am concerned that one time the hood will come unlatched as I am driving. Dealer said that was a normal like other Acura TLX of the same year.

NHTSA ID 11425098 · filed Jul 16, 2021

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Seat belts

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2020 Acura TLX. The contact stated that his daughter was driving and was stopped at a traffic signal when the signal turned green, the vehicle in front began to move forward but abruptly stopped. The contact's daughter crashed into the rear bumper of the vehicle at approximately 2 MPH. The seat belt pre-tensioner was activated on the driver's side seat belt. The contact stated that his daughter was not aware of any warning lights. The contact stated that his daughter was unhurt, the other vehicle drove away with no damage. The police were not at the scene. The contact stated that his daughter was pinned in the seat by the seat belt but was able to unbuckle. She then turned the Hazard Lights on. The contact stated that he arrived and he saw that the Hazard Lights were dim and when he attempted to start the vehicle it was not starting. The contact had the vehicle towed to a collision center. The contact stated that the collision repair shop diagnosed and determined that the driver's side seat belt needed to be replaced, however, the parts (Part Number: 04818TZ3A01ZC) were not available. The contact stated that he contacted a local dealer to source the part and was told the part was unavailable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID 11583372 · filed Apr 16, 2024

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Steering

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

Was driving on the highway at posted 65 and 70-mph when car suddenly went into 'limp mode' to under 50mph and I was forced to exit the highway after nearly being rear-ended. Dash error indicated 'Precision All wheel steering had malfunctioned'. Took the car to Crown Acura in Cleveland where I was told that it would be $9210 to replace two rear wheel steering actuators or $2800 if they used salvage parts. This was a known issue with the 2015-2020 Acura TLX cars and there are numerous reports online in TLX and Acura forums. Had a semi truck been behind me, there is no question that I would have been in an accident and injured if not killed. Acura needs to address this issue with these cars under a federally mandated recall notice.

NHTSA ID 11696785 · filed Oct 31, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Tires & wheels

Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

Tire size: 225/50R18 95H While parked I noticed the tire tread pealing off face of tire (the part that touches the road surface) and exposing the under layers of tire rubber and internal tread shapes Almost like outside and inside tread layers separated Not sure if from road hazard or the two layers separated on their own?

NHTSA ID 11474105 · filed Jul 15, 2022

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .