2021 Acura TLX: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
65 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
65 NHTSA owner complaints · 4 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 13.0
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
I'm losing power than normal all of a sudden. When I step on the gas after light hits green in sport and sport plus mode my car losses traction even when traction control is on, and I hear a loud clunck sound. After the the loud clunck sound the car losses RPM while driving I step off the gas and step back on it and the RPM goes back to normal again.
I took this vehicle to get serviced in the summer of 2025. I recently joined an Acura Type S (2021+) group on Facebook and learned that the issue is quite prevalent. I had to have the transmission and transfer case replaced due to transmission issues and traction issues
On July 7th 2026 I was driving home, came to a stop light at normal speed, when the light turned green I took off at normal speed and I heard a huge cluck / bang from underneath the car and it bogged and didn’t want to move. I then stepped on the gas because of the Car behind me getting to close and my traction control light started to flash and the car started to shake and feel very uncomfortable to drive . After th…
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 24V064000 | Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification: | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 … |
| 25V391000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Pedals And Lin | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brak… |
| 24V950000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assem | Acura (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2023 TLX vehicles. The fuel filler neck and fuel tank may have been improperly w… |
| 26V332000 | Air 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… |
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (24 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 54/100, computed from 65 NHTSA complaints and 4 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for the 2021 Acura TLX, 4 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 01/02/2024. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & 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.