Acura TLX 2015-2020 Review, Common Issues and Reliability -

Acura Makes some pretty reliable cars, but some are definitely a hit or miss. The TLX from 2015-2020 is a hit with just a few misses and is a relatively miss understood car. The Acura TLX is arguably one of the Newest Cheapest Luxury Cars you can buy to this date. Here is one for sale with under 45k miles for 20k.

Since the TLX was all new for the 2015 model, it did have a few kinks it had to work through and we will break down its common issues and reliability.

Welcome back to watch this first! Today I’ll be going over all the common issues that have been reported with the Acura TLX from 2015-2020 to help you with your buying purchase or to help diagnose potential issues you may be having.

Lets get started!

Transmission Issues:

One of which is a few transmissions issues.

The 2.4L 4cylinder is equipped with a dual clutch transmission. A Lot of people complain about the way it shifts. Almost as if the car gets stuck between gears and revs up without actually propelling forward. The issues tend to be a bit more harsh when it’s cold and the engine and when transmission haven’t warmed up properly. This is mainly due to the unique design of the dual clutch and owners not understanding the transmission itself and not warming up the car like everyone should. People have reported taking their 2.4ls with this issue to the dealer to have the transmission re-programmed, and that did seem to fix the issue.

The same 8 speed dual clutch transmission has an issue with clunking as it down shifts. This issue tends to happen rarely, but does happen through the entire generation, as far as i can tell.

The ZF 9 speed transmission in the v6 model also has its own fair share of issues:

In mainly 2015 and early 2016, the transmission likes to jerk in and out of gear with its auto stop and start feature. With these transmissions of the same years, it is also common to have rough shifts all the way up to the 5th gear, and it will smooth out all the way to the 9th gear. Since this car has 9 gears, the transmission is hyper shifting in low gears. However, through the entire generation the ZF 9 speed does have a lagging shift that irritates many drivers. some people have reported a 3 second delay before the transmission woke up and operated correctly. However, this lagging issue tends to be an issue with most 9 and 10 speed cars. The good news, this issue will not leave you stranded on the side of the road.

The ZF transmission also has an issue with randomly shifting into neutral while driving or when trying to shift into park. This is due to the wiring harness attaching to the sensor cluster, which had a defect causing high electrical resistance that causes the trans to shift into neutral. ZF supplier recalled over 505k vehicles, which include FCA cars, in the united state to add a software update that would prevent random shifting or give the driver an adequate warning before the transmission does it anyways. This mainly affected the 2015 model.

Backup camera Issue:

The backup camera can get condensation between the lens and fog up the view on the infotainment screen. You’ll have to replace the camera itself to fix that issue because water is going into the lenses. You can buy a replacement camera and replace it if you are out of warranty. Seems like a relatively easy job.

Backup Camera: https://ebay.us/qHJQdT

Speaker issue:

A lot of people have complained about the speakers themselves. Seems like the speakers blow out relatively easy, especially the rear speakers. So, that’s something you’ll have to upgrade down the line.

P-AWS system:

The TLX came with either an SH-AWD or a P-AWS system.

If you have the P-AWS system, which is the all wheel steering system, then you may come across a certain rattle noise and squeaks in the rear end during tighter turns, especially with slight bumps. The main culprit seems to be the P-AWS RTC actuators, or rear toe actuator. And, youll have to replace them. Ill have the Acura write up down below so you can check it out!

(https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2013/SB-10054037-6989.pdf )

Vibrations:

The Acura TLX, especially the 4 cylinder, happens to vibrate a lot in both the cabin and engine compartment. This vibration may even be perceived as a rough idle due to the car shaking a bit more vigorously when you aren’t driving and sitting in one spot. Since this engine is a 4 cylinder and 4 cylinders are inherently unbalanced engines, this can shake the entire car at idle and in gear. Replacing the engine mounts has been the reported fix by many owners vibration issues.

Ill have a link to some engine mounts down below for your convenience as well!

2.4L Acura TLX Motor Mounts: https://ebay.us/Ee3Oxj

Finally:

The stock Goodyear tires that come with the 2.4l are a highly complained thing with these cars, as well. So, upgrading the tires will definitely transform the driving experience.

The TLX is a beautiful car and is one of the cheapest newest luxury cars you can buy at this moment.

These are all the main issues I could find. It seems like most of the transmission issues the early TLX models have had, has been fixed by 2018 and even the quality of the backup camera and infotainment system has been upgraded.

Overall these cars are very reliable and shouldn’t leave you stranded on the side of the road, however, the lagy transmission on the ZF 9 speed is a large flaw that most 9 speeds have. For that main reason, I would stick with the 8 speed transmission and the 2.4L. You’ll get better gas mileage anyways.

I would also recommend, unless you are saving a lot of money buying from a private seller, buy from a reputable dealer and get a certified pre-owned vehicle warranty.

Usually brand new cars with new mechanics come with issues that will be refined later in the generations.

If this helped you out, i’ll see you in the next video. This is Chris with Automotivate, always appreciate and respect one another, after all, we are all equal. I’ll see you next time!

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