2016 Acura TLX Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe sudden power loss, stalling, or a transmission that slips into neutral while driving, sometimes with many warning lights at once. A separate cluster of complaints covers sunroof glass shattering, dashboard vent reflections in the side mirrors, and repeated battery failures. The sample spans very low miles through well over 100,000, so problems appear both early and with age.

1. 1
   Engine

   Loss of power or stall while driving, with multiple warning

   Mentioned in 11 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the vehicle losing acceleration or dropping to idle speed at highway and city speeds, often accompanied by several warnings such as check transmission, check emission system, check power steering, and check VSA. Some owners report the car returning to normal after shutting it off and restarting, while others describe repeated stalls and a loss of motive power requiring a tow. Diagnosis varies by report: some were told the engine needed replacement, and others point to the fuel pump or a battery or electrical cause. Several complaints reference open recalls for the fuel pump or connecting rod bearing and note that remedy parts were not yet available. Reported from roughly 12,000 miles upward, at both highway and city speeds, often with no warning before the event.

   Recall 23V751000Recall 19V060000Recall 23V8580003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether recalls 23V751000, 19V060000, and 23V858000 were completed on this VIN and confirm the repair was actually performed. During a test drive, note any hesitation on acceleration and whether warning lights appear.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I saw a mechanic and figured out the problem on the 21st of july. I checked on acuras website and there was a notice that they recalled this car last year with the same exact thing that my car was diagnosed with and my car is malfunctioning and there is nothing they can do about it because my VIN does not have a recall on it even though I have the exact problem of their recall. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11341902, filed 2020-07, 57,000 miles

   “My car stalled while driving on the interstate at 75mph. It happened in may, july, and september 2019. While driving the vehicle lost power and would not accelerate. The tachometer registering the rpms dropped to 1,000 and stayed there. After pulling over, shutting the car off, waiting, and restarting the car, the vehicle proceeded to operate as normal. Many of the warning lights appeared during this incident. Finally, in september, my car was undriveable and had to be towed to the dealership. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11279780, filed 2019-11, 83,000 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission slips into neutral or shifts harshly

   • 26 complaints (23%)
   • median 43,610 mi at 3.7 yrs old (17 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2026

   Owners describe the gear indicator showing drive while the engine revs and the car does not move, or the transmission dropping into neutral on its own, including on an incline where the vehicle rolled backward. Others report harsh or jerky upshifts, a delay of over a second before downshifting when passing, and lurching after coming to a stop. Some dealers diagnosed the problem, while others could not reproduce it; one complaint describes debris found in the gear selector area. Often reported between roughly 1,000 and 20,000 miles, but also at 30,000 miles and above; some reports occur at highway speed.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test drive at both low speed and highway speed, watching for delayed downshifts, harsh upshifts, or a pause before the car moves from a stop. Ask whether any transmission control software update was applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving 30 miles per hour on a city street, I noticed the car started was shifting hard. Two minutes later, the warning lights appeared check vsa system , check precision all wheel steer system , and check transmission and the car would not accelerate. This happened at 16,721 miles. The diagnosis was crumbs in the gear panel. Acura showed no record of me bringing my car in for the service.”

   NHTSA complaint #11047101, filed 2017-11, 16,721 miles

   “Transmission function sensor failure warning and blind spot sensor failure warning appeared on dash while I was driving on a city street. Car went immediately into neutral while I was driving. If I took my foot off the brake it would roll backwards into oncoming traffic and cars driving behind me.”

   NHTSA complaint #11080229, filed 2018-03, 7,500 miles

Buying note. Confirm that the fuel pump, connecting rod bearing, and idle stop related service actions were completed for the specific VIN, since several complaints involve recalls whose parts were unavailable at the time. A highway test drive that exercises acceleration, downshifts, and the idle stop feature will surface most of what owners describe.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.