KnownCarProblems2021 Acura Tlx Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 71 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Acura Tlx, most often about the transmission (39% of complaints). It is 6th of 12 Tlx model years by number of complaints and has 4 recalls.
Most common 2021 Acura Tlx problems
Transmission
28 complaints · 39%I drive a 2021 Acura Tlx 2.0 l turbo 4 cylinder. I was driving to work on [] on a busy street in boyle heights, ca. When all of sudden I get a warning indicator âengine temp is high do not driveâ. Pulled over immediately. Good thing I was in the far right lane and was able to pull over and not stall or get rear…
Brakes
10 complaints · 14%Parts named most often: foundation components.
The contact owns a 2021 Acura Tlx. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the steering wheel started to shake, and the vehicle failed to respond as needed. A dealer was contacted, and the contact was able to schedule an appointment to have the vehicle repaired. No warning light was…
Other or unspecified
10 complaints · 14%Electrical
9 complaints · 13%Parts named most often: 12v/24v/48v battery.
Driver assistance
9 complaints · 13%Parts named most often: automatic emergency braking, warnings, adaptive cruise control, warning.
Air bags
7 complaints · 10%The contact owned a 2021 Acura Tlx. The contact received a notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v064000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop, she was struck by another vehicle driving at 55 MPH on the front passenger…
Fuel system
6 complaints · 9%Suspension
6 complaints · 9%The contact owns a 2021 Acura Tlx. The contact stated that while driving over a bump in the roadway, there was a squeaky metallic sound coming from the front passengerâs side suspension. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2021 Acura Tlx recalls
Air bags: front passenger
Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed july 7, 2026. Owners may contact honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are bol, wo9, ooa, wom, xoh, noc, pod, boe, uof, pob, eog, aoi, qo8, toj, do7, and sok. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24v064. Vehicle identification numbers (vins) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning may 29, 2026.
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 acura tlx, 2019-2024 rdx, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 mdx, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 honda ridgeline, 2017-2022 pilot, 2019-2021 passport, 2018-2026 odyssey, 2019-2022 insight, 2019-2021 hr-v, 2018-2020 fit, 2020-2022 cr-v hybrid, 2017-2022 cr-v, 2017-2018, 2021 civic type r, 2017-2021 civic hatchback, 2016-2020 civic coupe, 2016-2022 civic, 2017-2022 accord hybrid, and 2016-2022 accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Brakes: pedals and linkages
Risk: A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pedal assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed july 29, 2025. Owners may contact honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are flx and xly.
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 acura tlx, 2023-2025 acura mdx, and 2023-2025 honda pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard numbers 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment" and 135, "light vehicle brake systems."
Fuel system: tank assembly
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel tank assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed february 3, 2025. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is jkx.
Full defect summary
Acura (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2021-2023 tlx vehicles. The fuel filler neck and fuel tank may have been improperly welded, which can result in a fuel leak.
Air bags: front passenger
Risk: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed march 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are xhp and vhq.
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 pilot, accord, civic sedan, hr-v, odyssey, 2020 civic coupe, fit, 2021-2022 civic hatchback, 2021 civic type r, insight, 2020-2021 cr-v, cr-v hybrid, passport, ridgeline, accord hybrid, 2020 acura mdx, 2022 acura mdx, 2020-2022 acura rdx, and 2020-2021 acura tlx vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
All wheel drive allegation
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) has completed its review of a petition dated january 9, 2026, requesting an investigation into the loss of the optional all-wheel drive capability in model year (my) 2021-2023 acura tlx and my 2022-2023 acura mdx vehicles. The petition alleges failures in the interfacing splines between the front wheel drive transaxle and the rear wheel drive power take off unit.â failure of these splines prevents the transfer of drive power to the rear axle, making the vehicle front wheel drive only.â the petition further alleges that this failure reduces vehicle directional control. Most traditional AWD systems utilize mechanical and passive measures. These systems
No restart after auto start/stop engages
Summary
On june 3, 2022, the oï¬ce of defects investigation (odi) opened preliminary evaluation pe22005 after the agency received voqs and several ï¬eld reports concerning the auto idle stop (ais) feature on 2016-2019my honda pilot vehicles. The complaints allege that the engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traï¬c light or road intersection with the ais function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5l engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission. On january 6, 2023, honda released service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. These service bulletins address the failure to restart issue in the 2016-2019my honda pilot vehicles, as well as the 2015-2020 acura tlx, 2016
Questions about the 2021 Acura Tlx
- What are the most common problems with the 2021 Acura Tlx?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: transmission (28 complaints); brakes (10 complaints); other or unspecified (10 complaints).
- How many recalls does the 2021 Acura Tlx have?
- 4 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from May 21, 2026 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2021 a bad year for the Acura Tlx?
- It is 6th of 12 Tlx model years by number of complaints, with 71 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.