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2018 Acura TLX: True Cost, Problems & Verdict

93 NHTSA owner complaints · 4 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.

Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
Acura TLX
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · open the model page
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Owner complaints: 93 filed with NHTSA

Complaints per year on the road: 11.62

Engine30Electrical System19Fuel/Propulsion System14Unknown Or Other13Engine And Engine Cooling11Power Train11

What owners say

Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.

Driving car and suddenly all the lights on the dash light up and car goes into “limp” mode. Upon pulling over turning car off and turning back on lights are all still lit up. Plug car into obd2 scanner and car is showing code p0087 low fuel rail pressure. This is extremely dangerous as the car will randomly do this and will go into limp mode which can easily cause me to get into an accident. No active recalls on this…
I was rolling up to a stop light at approximately 20 mph when the frontal crash mitigation feature suddenly slammed the brakes on fully to a complete stop. I searched the web and found that there are other owners of this model that have had similar occurrences. I could easily have been rear-ended if someone had been following. I was lucky that didn’t happen. Since that day, I have been afraid to drive the car until I…
The engine has been making rattling noises when you start the vehicle from a long rest, mostly over night, since it has about 24k miles on it, when I purchased it used. I noticed it some time after I purchased it. Took it to Honda dealer in Hickory, NC, but they couldn't hear it. Later also took it to Acura dealer in Charlotte, NC. They couldn't hear it either. I recorded the sound and played it back to them.

Recalls: 4 campaigns (3 severe)

201920232026
CampaignComponentSummary
23V751000Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Hard PaHonda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2016 and 2018-2019 Pilot, 2017 and 2019 Ridg…
23V858000Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel PumpHonda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V,…
26V332000Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2…
19V060000Fuel System, Other:Delivery:Fuel PumpHonda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Acura MDX, 2015-2019 Acura TLX and 2015-2017 Honda Accord vehicles, equipped…

True cost of ownership

Fuel (your region) $0
Maintenance band (your region) $1,159$2,302
Estimated running cost this year (age 8) $2,302

Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.

02468101214$3,597vehicle age (years)
fuel/energy + maintenance band (annual, USD, estimate)

Run your own numbers in the true-cost calculator →

FAQ

What is the most common problem with the 2018 Acura TLX?

The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (30 complaints in our indexed sample).

Is the 2018 Acura TLX a good used car to buy?

Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 62/100, computed from 93 NHTSA complaints and 4 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.

Does the 2018 Acura TLX have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for the 2018 Acura TLX, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 13/11/2023. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.

What will a 2018 Acura TLX really cost YOU per year?

Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.

Open the true-cost calculator

Data 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: 2026-08-20.

62RELIABILITY / 100
CAUTION
  • 93 NHTSA complaints on record (11.6/yr of exposure)
  • 4 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems

How this score is computed →

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