MODELYEARINDEX

Which Acura TLX years to avoid

Across 7 scored model years, the 2015 and 2020 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Acura TLX Full report
F
Grade 2015–2021
2015 vs model median 4.6×
Model median3× median
Drivetrain 111
Engine 25
Electrical 22
Avoid

2015 · 2020

Best

2017 · 2018

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2015
4.59× 255 F
2016
1.25× 65 C
2017
0.83× 42 C
2018
0.73× 40 C
2019
0.83× 43 C
2020
1.06× 48 D
2021
1.00× 54 C
2022 P
0.47× 35 B
2023 P
0.16× 11 A

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2015 F 255 reports · median 8,100 mi

  1. Drivetrain 111

    Low speed acceleration - shifting from 1st or 2nd or 3rd (not sure) gear to next gear is not smooth. It is a fairly hard shift. The rest of the shifting is smooth 4-9. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Engine 25

    Since pickup, transmission has not acted properly--when transmission is first engaged it either thrusts the car forward or does not respond at all to foot on exilherator----I believe at this point it is a safety hazard. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Electrical 22

    There was no accident. This car is the 4 cylinder, tech model. The transmission hesitates shifting from reverse to drive. It also will hesitate when turning a corner sometimes. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

16 crash · 12 injuries

2020 D 48 reports · median 60,000 mi

  1. Engine 14

    I was driving around 30miles/hr and the engines shut off unexpectedly. I was stuck in the middle of a highway and the engine didn’t turn back on. The dashboard showed total failure. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Fuel System 12

    The contact owns a 2020 acura tlx. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v858000 (fuel system, gasoline) and 23v751000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Driver Assist 4

    While driving on a 2 lane road that curved to the right, the collision mitigation braking system (cmbs) activated for no apparent reason. The brakes engaged hard for a short period of time. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

5 crash · 1 injuries

The best year for the TLX

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2017 is the best-scoring TLX model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 68.4 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations. On complaint rate alone the lowest is 2018 at 0.73× this model’s median, against 0.83× for 2017.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2017 0.83× 42 C
2018 0.73× 40 C
2021 1.00× 54 C

Recalls

13 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
23V858000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP 2015–2020 2,490,460
24V064000 AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER 2020, 2021 750,114
21V215000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP 2019, 2020 624,552
19V060000 FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP 2015–2019 437,032
25V391000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES 2021–2023 259,033
23V751000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL 2015–2020 248,999
26V332000 AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER 2018–2023 98,892
19V298000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS 2019 93,946
14V779000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 2015 9,392
16V640000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM) 2015 8,354
14V613000 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS 2015 189
24V950000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY 2021–2023 167

+ 1 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2015 were reported at a median of 8,100 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Acura TLX years should you avoid?
2015, 2020 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Acura TLX model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Acura TLX?
2017 is the best-scoring Acura TLX model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 68.4 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Acura TLX have?
13 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Acura TLX model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2015 TLX
Complaints in window
255
Severity-weighted
355.5
Model median (weighted)
78
vs model median
4.59×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
6
Open investigations
1
Score 6.7 F