2017 Acura TLX Problems: 7 Known Issues

On the 2015-2020 Acura TLX 3.5L J35Y6 V6, the ZF 9HP 9-speed automatic transmission paired with the V6 in first-gen TLX models exhibits a pronounced shudder during low-speed acceleration and harsh shifts between 2nd and 3rd gear. The torque converter lockup strategy causes a noticeable vibration between 25-45 mph that worsens in warm weather.

On the 2015-2017 Acura TLX, roughly 8,354 2015 Acura TLX vehicles (2WD and 4WD) left the factory with insufficiently crimped connections in the transmission wire harness. The intermittent connection causes the transmission control system to drop the car into neutral without driver input - typically at highway speed. Owners describe the car losing all drive mid-traffic, dropping into limp mode, and being unable to re-engage a gear until the ignition is cycled. Honda recalled the population under 16V640000 (Honda internal number KC2) with a recall start of January 13, 2017. Notably, unexpected neutral-shift complaints continue on 2015-2017 TLX beyond the recalled VIN range, described in NHTSA filings as 'transmission randomly shifted into neutral' and 'vehicle went into limp mode and shifted into neutral', so a car outside the recall can still exhibit the symptom from a related connector or transmission control fault.

On the 2015-2020 Acura TLX 3.5L J35 V6, first-generation (UB1/UB2) TLX models built with the J35 3.5L V6 suffer a manufacturing defect in the connecting rod bearings. Improperly finished crankshaft journals / bearing clearances cause the rod bearing to wear, spin and eventually seize. Owners report a developing knock or tick that escalates to catastrophic failure - thrown rods punching through the block, holes in the oil pan and fractured crankshafts - frequently with no warning light before the failure. NHTSA complaint volume for this failure mode is the single largest category on the nameplate: roughly 40-45 engine complaints per year for 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019 alone. Honda issued safety recall 23V751000 in late 2023 covering 2015-2020 Acura TLX (and related J35 applications). Multiple owners report the failure recurring on the recall-installed replacement engine, and widespread recall-parts backorders left cars immobilized for months. This is a V6 failure only - it does not apply to the K24 2.4L four, nor to either UB5 engine.

On the 2015-2023 Acura TLX, the Denso in-tank low-pressure fuel pump module used across the first-generation TLX fails, causing hesitation, hard starting and complete engine stall - often at speed or mid-turn. Two distinct defect mechanisms were recalled: particulates in fuel adhering to internal pump components and degrading pump output (19V060000, covering 2015-2019 TLX with the 3.5L V6), and a pump impeller that absorbs fuel, deforms and binds against the pump housing (21V215000 for 2019-2020, expanded by 23V858000 to 2013-2023 Honda/Acura vehicles including TLX). Owners report repeated stalls even after one recall repair, and a documented cascade in which a failed low-pressure pump is replaced but the high-pressure pump fails soon after because dealers replace only one component - producing P0087 low fuel rail pressure. Recall parts availability has been a recurring complaint, with owners waiting months.

On the 2015-2020 Acura TLX, the dual-screen infotainment system in first-generation TLX models suffers from severe lag, random freezes, and full system crashes requiring a restart. The upper navigation screen and lower touchscreen frequently lose sync, with Bluetooth audio dropping mid-stream and the backup camera failing to display.

On the 2015-2022 Acura TLX, the AcuraWatch front camera and millimeter-wave radar produce false Collision Mitigation Braking System activations - the car brakes hard, sometimes to a full stop, with no vehicle or obstacle ahead. NHTSA filings on the 2018 TLX describe the 'frontal crash mitigation feature suddenly slammed the brakes on fully to a complete stop', and 2021 filings include an owner rear-ended after a false activation. The same sensor failures produce a signature cascade of dashboard warnings - CMBS Problem, ACC Problem, LKAS Problem and Road Departure Mitigation all illuminating together - because a single failed front camera or an obstructed radar disables every function that depends on it. Common triggers include rain, snow, spray, a bug-splattered or fogged camera area, low sun angle, and shadows or overhead signage. First-generation cars concentrate the failures in the windshield-mounted camera; UB5 cars add radar-obstruction messages in inclement weather. Owners also report the systems cannot be conveniently disabled, and that Acura roadside gave instructions for the wrong model year.

On the 2015-2020 Acura TLX, p-AWS is TLX-specific hardware: two independent electric actuators toe the rear wheels for low-speed agility and high-speed stability, fitted to first-generation front-drive TLX models (the SH-AWD cars use the rear drive unit instead). The actuators fail - electrically and mechanically - and when one goes the rear toe can be left misaligned. Owners report sudden pull or wander, a car that tracks crooked, and a system fault that limits the car's usable speed. The failure is expensive because the actuators are not serviceable parts and are replaced as assemblies: an NHTSA complainant on a 2020 TLX documented a $9,210 quote to replace two rear wheel steering actuators, calling it 'a known issue'. Related 2018 filings describe P-AWS actuator failures causing sudden misalignment and limiting the car to about 50 mph. There is no recall covering this failure.