2014 Acura RLX: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
83 NHTSA owner complaints · 5 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 83 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 6.92
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Sept of 2023 car was making a knocking noise. (128K ) Took to local Acura dealership. Told they could not find anything and told to drive the car till failure. Have 2 children and since this was a family car that was not a good idea. Insisted on tear down diagnostic to inspect problem. Metal fragments in engine oil, connecting rod on cylinder 2. Dealership suggested to replace the engine. Engine was replaced a…
The contact owns a 2014 Acura RLX. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at an undisclosed speed, the power steering became inoperable, the vehicle steering wheel veered left or right and is misaligned. The warning lights lane departure, forward collision, all wheel steering, power steering and other warning indicators illuminated. In another occurrence, a noise could be heard. The vehicle was tak…
2014 Acura RLX Advance suffered an Engine Failure from internal bearing defect. The vehicle was meticulously maintained by Acura dealerships, and had extensive service records. While driving, the engine produced a knocking sound, then abruptly shook and died. The Engine has seized, and exactly has the same problem with Honda/Acura 3.5l V6s recalls. Diagnostics after Engine failure included inspecting Engine Turning …
Recalls: 5 campaigns (2 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 14V639000 | Seat Belts | American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Acura MDX vehicles manufactured April 23, 2013, to August 25, 2014, and 2014 Acura RLX vehicles manufactured November 5, 2012, to November 25, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the driver and front passenger seat belt may not extend or retract in low temperatures. |
| 13V622000 | Suspension:Rear | American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2014 Acura RLX vehicles manufactured August 7, 2012, through November 5, 2013. The bolts that attach the rear lower control arms to the sub-frame of the vehicle may have loosened during transport to dealerships. |
| 14V792000 | Exterior Lighting:Headlights | American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2014 Acura RLX vehicles manufactured November 22, 2012, to January 30, 2014, 2015 Acura RLX vehicles manufactured June 4, 2014, to November 18, 2014, and 2014 Acura RLX Hybrid vehicles manufactured November 5, 2013, to July 25, 2014. |
| 23V858000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX… |
| 15V301000 | Forward Collision Avoidance: Crash Imminent Braking | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Acura MDX 2WD and AWD, RLX and 2014 Acura RLX Hybrid vehicles. In certain driving conditions, the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) may incorrectly interpret certain roadside objects such as metal fences or metal guardrails as obstacles and unexpectedly apply the brakes. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size premium car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 23 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,300
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Steering48 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Suspension16 complaints · typical job: Struts, springs and control-arm bushings, one axle (4.0 h labour + parts)$780–$1,580
- Electronic Stability Control (Esc)12 complaints · typical job: Yaw sensor or ESC module replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$660–$1,560
- Electrical System10 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Engine7 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Forward Collision Avoidance6 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
Other Acura RLX years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2014 Acura RLX?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Steering (48 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2014 Acura RLX a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 43/100, computed from 83 NHTSA complaints and 5 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2014 Acura RLX's most common problem?
48 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2014 Acura RLX sit in the Steering group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement: about 5.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,020–$2,500 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2014 Acura RLX cost to run per year?
About $5,711 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $28,555 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2014 Acura RLX have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for the 2014 Acura RLX, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 10/10/2014. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other luxury midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2014 Acura RLX really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 83 complaints, 5 recalls on record
- 83 NHTSA complaints on record (6.9/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (0.6/yr)
- 5 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems