2020 Acura TLX Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other TLX years
- About as many complaints as other years 7th of 12 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 63 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Acura TLX. That ranks 7th out of 12 TLX model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (19 complaints, 30%), typically at around 53,500 miles. Complaints mention 4 crashes, 1 injury. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 63owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 4complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2020 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 | 19 | 30% | 53,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 12 | 19% | 67,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 10 | 16% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 13% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 7 | 11% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 6 | 10% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 5 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 5% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 3 | 5% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 3% | 830 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 3% | 45,415 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 2% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2020 Acura TLX recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger
Problem: 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.
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.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger
Problem: 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.
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.
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, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Acura MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Insight, 2019 Acura ILX, Honda Accord Hybrid, Civic Coupe, Civic Coupe Si, Civic Sedan, Civic Sedan Si, Civic Type R, Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 CR-V vehicles. The low-pressure 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: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 18, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-314.
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
- Engine failure (PE25008) — opened Aug 20, 2025, still open.
- No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages (EA25004) — opened Mar 26, 2025, still open.
- Engine failure (RQ24013) — opened Nov 8, 2024, closed Aug 20, 2025.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My Acura TLX was stolen on from my driveway in Chicago, IL. The vehicle was locked, and the only key fob was about 200 feet away inside home at the time. The thief was able to unlock, start, and drive away the vehicle without the authorized key fob. Component that failed: The vehicle's anti-theft…
- The engine system failed and it is available for inspection -While driving on the highway at normal traffic speed, my vehicle suddenly developed a loud knocking noise and the check engine light lit up. Within moments, the engine lost power and became inoperable, leaving me unable to continue…
The cars Emission Systems and Parking Brake lights come on, and the dealer can not diagnose this issue properly. I have taken it in 4 times, and it continues to happen. I fear the parking brake coming on while driving.
Airbags (SRS)
Transmission harsh and delayed gear engagement, sometimes it wonât shift unless itâs done manually, few times it didnât shift even though I shifted manually, I had to increase engine speed to about 5000 RPM so it shifts, transmission goes into neutral when trying to to accelerate while itâs…
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 | 63 | 5 |
| 2019 TLX | 93 | 6 |
| 2018 TLX | 96 | 4 |
| 2017 TLX | 71 | 3 |
| 2016 TLX | 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
Embed this 2020 Acura TLX badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Acura TLX?
Owners most often report engine, fuel system, gasoline, electrical system problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 19 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2020 Acura TLX?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2020 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 2020 has about as many complaints as a typical year, 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.