2016 Acura TLX Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other TLX years
- More complaints than other years 2nd of 12 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 111 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Acura TLX. That ranks 2nd out of 12 TLX model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (27 complaints, 24%), typically at around 70,000 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 6 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 111owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 Acura TLX problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 27 | 24% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 24 | 22% | 39,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 15 | 14% | 17,300 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 15 | 14% | 29,373 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 14 | 13% | 106,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 10% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 10 | 9% | 51,247 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 5 | 5% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 5% | 19,510 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 5 | 5% | 3,131 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 4% | 37,700 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 3% | 97,500 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 3 | 3% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 3% | 30,806 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 3% | 19,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 3% | 118,345 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 2% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 2% | 58,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 1% | 3,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 1% | 7,200 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | 12,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 Acura TLX recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:hard parts internal/mechanical
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2016 and 2018-2019 Pilot, 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 Odyssey vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, damaging the engine.
Risk: A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 28, 2024. 2016-2017 Acura MDX owner letters were mailed November 1, 2024. 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed in mid-December 2024. Honda began mailing owner notification letters as of March 18, 2024. 2015-2016 Acura owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-December 2024, 2018 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed the end of March/early April 2024, 2019 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-May 2024, 2020 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-June 2024, and 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed January 27, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XG1 and GG0.
Fuel system, other:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Acura MDX, 2015-2019 Acura TLX and 2015-2017 Honda Accord vehicles, equipped with a 3.5L V6 engine. Particulates in fuel may adhere to the internal components of the fuel pump, reducing its performance.
Risk: Reduced fuel pump performance can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the fuel injection engine control unit (FI-ECU) software and, if necessary, replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began March 25, 2019. Owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's recall number for this recall is P3W. Honda's recall number for this recall is N3X.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages (EA25004) — opened Mar 26, 2025, still open.
- Electrical overstress (EA19001) — opened Apr 19, 2019, closed Sep 19, 2024, led to recall 20V024.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
transfer case spline failutre- a loud clunk, front wheel spin, and fluid leaks
PAWS system component failure causing the steering angle to misalign, throttle response to decrease, and drivability to decrease severely
The contact owns a 2016 Acura TLX. The contact stated that the rear-view camera image was cloudy and was not functioning because there was water inside the camera. While reversing, the driver was unable to see an image behind the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated…
This vehicle was sold to me on July 18, 2025 with Campaign CH7 open and unperformed. The dealer's disclosure form falsely stated that I had been informed of all recalls with the vehicle. No specific mention of Campaign CH7 was ever made. Separately, Acura manufacturer records (eVRM/Techline)…
The alarm on my car would intermittently and randomly go off at any time while car was parked and locked. After much research I deduced that it is the Smart Power Control Unit located behind the glove box. The epoxy clear covering on the circuit board is not fully covering the entire board allowing…
Other Acura TLX years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 TLX | 4 | 1 |
| 2024 TLX | 5 | 1 |
| 2023 TLX | 11 | 3 |
| 2022 TLX | 25 | 3 |
| 2021 TLX | 70 | 4 |
| 2020 TLX | 63 | 5 |
| 2019 TLX | 93 | 6 |
| 2018 TLX | 96 | 4 |
| 2017 TLX | 71 | 3 |
| 2016 | 111 | 3 |
| 2015 TLX | 344 | 6 |
| 2012 TLX | 1 | 0 |
See all Acura TLX problems by year, every Acura model, or the Acura VIN decoder.
Similar Acura models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Acura TLX?
Owners most often report engine, electrical system, power train problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 27 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Acura TLX?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 Acura TLX a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other TLX model years, the 2016 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.