Reliable Auto DB

2021 Acura TLX reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 69 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Acura TLX over 6 years — 6 per year. That is more complaints per year than most TLX years here — over the median of the other years, which is 5. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Front passenger seat weight sensor, Pedals and linkages, and Tank.

2015 Acura TLX
Photo by Mr.choppers, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
Complaints

69

Per year

6

Recalls

4

Years on the road

6

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (26 of 69), then Electrical system (9) and Service brakes (9). The most filings arrived in 2026 (31 of 69). Those filings include 3 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 TLX has 62 complaints, 3 per year, and the 2022 has 26 complaints, 3 per year. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2021 Acura TLX. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (4)

Recall Front passenger seat weight sensor 2026-05-21 · NHTSA campaign 26V332000
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.
Remedy 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.
Recall hydraulic brakes, pedals and linkages 2025-06-12 · NHTSA campaign 25V391000
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."
Remedy 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.
Recall gasoline fuel system, storage, tank 2024-12-19 · NHTSA campaign 24V950000
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.
Remedy 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.
Recall Front passenger seat weight sensor 2024-02-01 · NHTSA campaign 24V064000
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.
Remedy 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.

Complaints by component (69 total)

Powertrain
26
Electrical system
9
Service brakes
9
Air bags
7
Forward collision avoidance
7
Fuel and propulsion system
6
Engine
5
Suspension
5
Steering
3
Lane departure
2
Back-over prevention
1
Equipment
1
Exterior lighting
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Structure
1
Tires
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Show 9 more Show less
Crash-flagged

3

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

3

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

42021820227202382024112025312026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "My 2021 Acura TLX has a fuel leak. This is a known issue and manufacture design flaw. The Acura dealership has quoted my $4200 - $4500 to replace the fuel tank. I've contacted Honda and they've only offer $300…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-09-24
  • "I drive a 2021 Acura TLX TYPE S around 85K miles. I heard a loud clank when I was driving one day, and I loss traction. When I was accelerating I was losing traction and it seem like I lost power while I was moving as…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-11
  • "The transfer case and transmission splines have been stripped causing the car to be FWD only. The issue was confirmed by the dealer, and both the transfer case and transmission were replaced under warranty. The car…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-08-29
  • "transfer case leaking fluids at 73,000 miles"
    Powertrain, Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-26
  • "Transmission and transfer case failure. Noticed a very small amount of fluid leaking and took to dealership. Dealer informed me that I was "lucky" to have noticed and that the transfer case spline failure had occurred.…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-08-22

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2021 Acura TLX 4 DR AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2021 Acura TLX 4 DR FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
TLX all-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (10-speed) All-wheel drive 21 29 24 MPG $3300
TLX all-wheel drive A-SPEC 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (10-speed) All-wheel drive 21 29 24 MPG $3300
TLX front-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (10-speed) Front-wheel drive 22 31 25 MPG $3200
TLX front-wheel drive A-SPEC 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (10-speed) Front-wheel drive 22 30 25 MPG $3200
TLX Type-S 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (10-speed) All-wheel drive 19 25 21 MPG $3800
TLX Type-S Perf Tire 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (10-speed) All-wheel drive 19 24 21 MPG $3800

Specs and fitment

2nd generation (UB refresh), 2021–present
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-20 (2.0T or 3.0T per manual) , 4.6 qt capacity
Tire size 255/40R19

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 25V391000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that 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.". 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. Remedy: 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.

Compare

Previous year 2020 Acura TLX Next year 2022 Acura TLX See every Acura TLX model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Acura TLX reliable?

Owners have filed 69 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Acura TLX over 6 years — 6 per year. That is more complaints per year than most TLX years here — over the median of the other years, which is 5. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Front passenger seat weight sensor, Pedals and linkages, and Tank.

What are common problems with a 2021 Acura TLX?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (26 of 69), then Electrical system (9) and Service brakes (9). The most filings arrived in 2026 (31 of 69). Those filings include 3 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Is the 2021 Acura TLX more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 TLX has 62 complaints, 3 per year, and the 2022 has 26 complaints, 3 per year. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

Has the 2021 Acura TLX been recalled?

The 2021 Acura TLX has 4 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2021 Acura TLX?

Owners have filed 69 complaints about the 2021 Acura TLX with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Acura TLX get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Acura TLX is 23.3 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a Acura TLX use?

US TLX manuals specify 0W-20 for recent gasoline engines.

What generation is the 2022 Acura TLX?

2nd generation (2021-on).

What tire sizes does an Acura TLX use?

First-gen trims list 225/50R18 and 245/40R19; second-gen pages commonly list 255/40R19.