Problems · NHTSA complaints
2009 Acura TSX problems
Owners filed 91 complaints about the 2009 Acura TSX with NHTSA between Mar 2009 and May 2024. The most-cited component is air bags (27).
Complaints
91
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
7
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
7
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Air bags27
- Service brakes, hydraulic17
- Engine and engine cooling12
- Engine11
- Structure7
- Service brakes5
- Electrical system5
- Power train4
- Steering4
- Vehicle speed control3
- Visibility3
- Fuel system, gasoline2
- Equipment2
- Service brakes, electric2
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 27, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
14
23
2
4
1
1
5
16
10
4
5
2
2
0
1
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 14 |
| 2010 | 23 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 4 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2016 | 16 |
| 2017 | 10 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Air bags
27 reports5 crashes6 related recalls
“I RECEIVED A TAKATA RECALL AND WENT TO ROSENTHAL ACURA TO GET IT REPLACED. THAT WAS COMPLETED BY ROSENTHAL. I THINK THAT WAS AROUND A YEAR AGO. ON 04/23/2018 I REAR-ENDED ANOTHER CAR. MY CAR WAS TOTALED. MY SPEED AT IMPACT PROBABLY WAS ABOUT 30-25 MPH. THE CAR I HIT WAS STATIONARY. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WHY NOT?”
Service brakes, hydraulic
17 reports
“WHEN I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR MAINTENANCE LAST YEAR (9/11) THEY MENTIONED THAT AT MY NEXT SERVICE VISIT I MAY NEED BRAKES. I WAS ASTOUNDED GIVEN THE LOW MILEAGE AND THE FACT THAT ALL MY PAST CARS NEVER NEEDED BRAKES THIS SOON. THE CAR WAS ONLY TWO YEARS OLD. I RECENTLY TOOK MY TSX IN FOR B12 SERVICE (5/12) WHICH COST OVER $400. I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT I WOULD NEED REPLACEMENT BRAKES SO DID NOT AUTHORIZE IT. I ONLY HAVE 25,000 MILES. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE CLAIMED IT WAS MY DRIVING STYLE. EVERYONE SAID IT WAS JUST THE DEALERSHIP ADVISING UNNECESSARY WORK. THE NEXT DAY AFTER SERVICE MY LEFT REAR WHEEL STARTED TO SQUEAL. WHEN THEY REMOVED THE TIRES FOR THE B12 SERVICE THEY EVIDENTLY PUT THE DEFECTIVE PAD BACK ON INCORRECTLY. THAT DAY, I MENTIONED MY BRAKE ISSUE TO A FRIEND AND THEY INFORMED ABOUT THE DEFECT AND THE CLASS ACTION SUITE. OF COURSE THE SERVICE REPS KNEW ALL ALONG AND NEVER TOOK RESPONSIBILITY. THEY COULD HAVE OFFERED ME A DISCOUNT ON THE BRAKES AND EXPLAINED THE ISSUE THEY WERE HAVING WITH THE 2009 TSX BRAKES. THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. ADDITIONALLY, I NOTICED A RUST SPOT ON MY PASSENGER SIDE BELOW THE DOOR THEIR YEAR (4/12). I HAVE HAD NO…”
Engine and engine cooling
12 reports
“PURCHASED VEHICLE NEW. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP COMPLAINED THAT ODOMETER WAS NOT CORRECT. FURTHER ISSUES INCLUDED REPLACEMENT OF WHEEL BEARINGS TWICE AND EXTREME OIL CONSUMPTION. EACH TIME IS WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALER THE PROBLEMS WERE IGNORED, DETERMINED TO UNDUPLICATIBLE OR I WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG. CURRENTLY I SEE THAT THERE ARE TSBS RELATING TO THE STEERING/BEARING ISSUE AND THE OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUE. I REPEATEDLY TRIED TO NO AVAIL TO HAVE THESE PROBLEMS FIXED WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND FILED TWO COMPLAINTS WITH ACURA CORPORATE CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND RECEIVED NO ASSISTANCE. *TR”
Engine
11 reports
“VEHICLE HAS THROWN AN ENGINE CODE DUE TO EXCESS OIL CONSUMPTION DUE TO STICKY PISTON RINGS, ADVANCEMENT IN TIMING AND VVT ADVANCEMENTS. DUE TO THIS ENGINE CODE BEING THROWN, THE CAR DEACTIVATES VSA AND ALSO THROWS AN EMISSION CONTROL LIGHT. THIS CAUSES THE CAR TO ENTER A STATE WHERE IT ADVANCES THE RPM'S AT IDLE BY A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT AND BURNS MORE FUEL. WHEN LEAVING THE CAR IN DRIVE BUT AT A STOP, THE CAR WILL QUICKLY ACCELERATE NEARLY TO 30 MPH ON A FLAT SURFACE. IN ORDER TO STOP THE CAR, THE DRIVER MUST EXCESSIVELY ENGAGE THE BRAKES. ACURA TECHNICIANS HAVE INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND IS DUE TO THE PISTON SEALS BEING FAULTY, CAUSING EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION AND LOOSING THE TIMING CHAIN TO BECOME OUT OF SYNC. ENGINE WILL THEN ENTER A "LIMP" MODE WHERE CAR WILL IDLE HIGHER, BURN MORE FUEL.”
Structure
7 reports1 crash
“I WAS IN MOTION HEADING TOWARD THE LIGHT ON 22 IN ABERDEEN MD MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED HITTING ME IN THE CHEST AND I LOST CONTROL OF TH CAR; I ALSO HIT ANOTHER CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I DAMAGE THE FRONT OF THE CAR.”
Service brakes
5 reports
“WHENEVER THE WEATHER DROPS BELOW FREEZING, MY BRAKES STOP WORKING. THE CARE MAY WORK FINE FOR THE FIRST BLOCK, BUT FAIL TWO OR THREE BLOCKS INTO A DRIVE. WHEN I TRY TO STEP ON THE BRAKE, AND IT FEELS FROZEN -- STUCK ALMOST. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE VEHICLE IS BY USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, OF IDLING THE MANUAL BRAKE RETURNS TO NORMAL ACTIVITY. THIS IS EXTREMELY ALARMING -- ESPECIALLY ON CITY ROADS WITH NUMEROUS PEDESTRIANS, STUDENTS, AND OTHER VEHICLES IN CLOSE PROXIMITY. IT IS NOT A NORMAL ISSUE; I NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS WITH ANOTHER CAR, AND FROM INTERNET RESEARCH, IT SEEMS THAT A NUMBER OF OTHER DRIVERS EXPRESSED CONCERN TO DEALERS, THE MANUFACTURER, AND NHTSA WITH NO OUTCOME. WILL IT TAKE A CASUALTY OR HOPEFULLY NOT A FATALITY FOR AN INVESTIGATION/ ACTION?”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 27, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.