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2019 Acura TLX engine problems

45 complaints (48% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 47,396. 2 crashes reported.

owner complaints
45
of this car's complaints
48%
typical mileage
47,396
crashes
2
recalls
2

Which part fails

Owners did not name a specific part.

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Acura TLX engine problems in other years

2015201620172018201920202021202220242025

Specific symptoms reported on the 2019 Acura TLX engine

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Knocking 14Stalling 10Engine failure 7Check engine light 6

Related recalls

Engine and engine cooling: engine: hard parts internal/mechanicalReported November 13, 2023 · 248,999 vehicles affected
What is wrong
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.
Remedy
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.

Recall number 23V751000 · Recall details

Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline: belts and associated pulleysReported April 12, 2019 · 93,946 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Acura MDX and Honda Pilot vehicles and 2019 Acura RLX, RLX Sport Hybrid, TLX and Honda Odyssey and Ridgeline vehicles. The timing belt teeth may separate from the belt.
Risk
Teeth separation from the timing belt may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace any affected timing belt free of charge. Vehicles receiving a replacement timing belt will also have the engine inspected and any damaged components will be replaced for free. The recall began June 7, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's number for this recall is L4M. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Acura's number for this recall is Z4L.

Recall number 19V298000 · Recall details

Related investigations

Engine failureOpened August 20, 2025, still open

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 414 reports of connecting rod bearing failures in the 3.5L V6 engine used in the following vehicles: Model Years (MY) 2018-2020 Acura TLX, MY2016-2020 Acura MDX, MY2016-2020 Honda Pilot, MY2018-2020 Honda Odyssey, and MY2017-2019 Honda Ridgeline. The subject engine failures were analyzed as part of a Recall Query (RQ24013). It was determined that these engine failures are outside the scope of Honda Recall 23V‑751. Further, evidence gathered in conjunction with RQ24013 does not suggest this failure is caused by the same crankshaft manufacturing defect that is addressed by Honda in Recall 23V‑751. Based on analysis of data from RQ24013, the federal safety agency has closed that investigation. The significant number of reports of engine failure in vehicles outside the scope of RQ24013 presents a potential safety risk that warrants further investigation. ODI is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to further evaluate the scope and severity of the potential problem and to fully assess the potential safety-related issues. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to

PE25008

No Restart After Auto Start/Stop EngagesOpened March 26, 2025, still open

On June 3, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several field reports concerning the Auto Idle Stop (AIS) feature on 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles. The complaints allege that the engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5L engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission. On January 6, 2023, Honda released service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. These service bulletins address the failure to restart issue in the 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles, as well as the 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2019-2022 Honda Passport, and 2020-2023 Honda Ridgeline vehicles. The repair outlined in the service bulletins is a two-stage countermeasure to remedy the issue. The first stage is a Programmed Fuel Injection (“PGM-FI”) software update. The second stage is only deployed if the software update fails to remedy the issue. The second stage, depending on the model and model year, consists of replacement of the starter assembly, starter relays, and a valve adjustment. Additionally, Honda extended the warranty coverage to 10 years with unlimited mileage for vehicles requiring the second stage component replacement. ODI continues to receive complaints of the AIS failure to restart, with many complainants alleging the campaign countermeasures had been completed.the federal safety agency has reviewed Honda's Information Request Letter responses involving warranty claims, lawsuits, and consumer complaints in addition to ODI's own data. This Engineering Analysis is being opened to further consider the potential safety defect, including gathering additional data regarding Honda’s service campaign efficacy. ODI is additionally expanding the scope to encompass all vehicles addressed in Honda’s service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009 as well as newer model year vehicles, which are substantially similar to the vehicles covered by the service campaign. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to

EA25004

Engine failureOpened November 8, 2024, closed August 20, 2025

On November 8, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ24013 to assess the scope of Honda recall 23V‑751 after receiving complaints that alleged connecting rod bearing failures in vehicles that were not within the scope of recall 23V‑751. In November 2023, Honda recalled 248,999 various Model Year (MY)2016–2020 Honda and Acura vehicles equipped with the 3.5L V6 engine. Honda recalled these vehicles due to a crankshaft manufacturing defect that caused premature connecting rod bearing wear and engine seizure. While the out-of-scope failures involved in these complaints appear to have a very similar failure mechanism as the recalled engines, a thorough analysis of all available data from Honda has not indicated that the same manufacturing defect exists in the out-of-scope engines as the engines recalled by 23V‑751. Based on this analysis ODI has determined that Honda has properly defined the scope of recall 23V‑751. Consequently, ODI will close this RQ investigation. the federal safety agency will continue to investigate these complaints of engine failure as part of a new Preliminary Evaluation Investigation (PE25008). The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.

RQ24013

What 2019 Acura TLX owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Oct 12, 2026 · Engine · CA

- The engine ceased while the car was moving, causing (a) A sudden stop (b) Engine stopping and the car becoming inoperable in the middle of a street. - There were no injuries because the failure happened at low speed. The same failure on an expressway would be a major safety concern since the car came to sudden stop. - The failed engine was inspected by an authorized Acura dealer. Cause identified as cylinder 2 rod bearing failure. - There was a slight knocking sound right before the incident occured - The car was driving fine before the incident. There were no warning indicators. - The engine (short block) was replaced previously on the same car due to a knocking sound.

Filed Jul 22, 2026 · Engine · 120,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2019 Acura TLX. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle lost power and the steering wheel failed to responded as needed. The vehicle stalled in the middle of the road. The vehicle was restarted but stalled immediately. The contact inspected the vehicle but found no fault. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rod bearing had failed and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the rod bearing had failed and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Filed May 27, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · TX

I am formally requesting a neutral third-party arbitration review under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act to compel American Honda Motor Co. to provide a permanent mechanical remedy—specifically, the sourcing and installation of a brand-new, redesigned engine assembly (Engine #Four)— This vehicle frame is now on its third engine block. Car was bought 11/30/2024. At Grubbs Acura, fuel pump safety recall that involves flashing/re-calibrating the Engine Control Unit (FI-ECU) software was done. Just a few weeks after new fuel pump, the vehicle displayed sudden stalling symptoms. The engine suffered a terminal, catastrophic internal collapse. The vehicle was towed to Grubbs Acura where Corporate Honda directed a forced out-of-pocket internal engine teardown. The physical teardown explicitly confirmed a catastrophic connecting rod bearing failure (spun bearing) identical to the structural manufacturing flaws currently under active federal investigation by the federal safety agency under Preliminary Evaluation PE25008 / RQ24-025. Corporate Honda subsequently issued a verbal agreement to fully reimburse my out-of-pocket teardown fees. Because a manufacturer will never fund diagnostic labor if evidence of owner fault is present, this corporate reimbursement serves as formal validation that no owner maintenance neglect occurred, and that the engine died exclusively from an inherent component defect. Gunn Acura (San Antonio, TX) confirmed with my vin, that Engine #3 was a warranty/dealer-installed replacement unit at 22,000 miles. It failed after less than 40,000 miles of total operation. A professionally manufactured and dealer-installed engine is reasonably expected to last well beyond 40,000 miles. The manufacturer network cannot utilize arbitrary part-ownership rules or uncooperative, fragmented dealer communications. The original factory-installed engine and the dealer-installed replacement engine both suffered identical connecting rod bearing failures.

Filed Feb 17, 2026 · Engine · MN

My engine has been replaced under warranty for connecting rod bearings failing before the recall 23V‑751 existed. 40,000 miles later it failed again. I have paper work and other information available upon request. The vehicle is currently on it's third short block replaced by Acura. No CEL or anything prior to when the knocking started.

Filed Dec 2, 2025 · Engine, Steering · 48,000 miles · TX · crash · 1 injury

The contact owned a 2019 Acura TLX. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH the vehicle was losing forward velocity and the steering was pulling slightly to the right. The contact stated that the vehicle suddenly and violently turned to the right. The contact was not aware of any warning lights. The contact was unable to counter turn and the vehicle crashed into the guard rail on the right front bumper. The contact stated that the force of the crash shot his vehicle to the left, crossed two lanes of traffic and crashed into the guard rail on the left side of the highway. The contact stated that this crash with the guardrail deployed the drivers side curtain air bag. The contact stated that the force of the crash shot the vehicle to the right and he drove off of the roadway down a slight embankment. The contact was able to stop and exit the vehicle. The contact saw that front bumper had sheared off and that the right fender and wheel well were crushed. The contact stated that the he could see the right tire suspension and control arms were exposed and fractured. The contact stated that the damage of the left side of the vehicle was not as severe. The contact stated that the passenger side curtain air bag had also deployed. The contact stated that the police were on scene and wrote a report. The contact stated that he was transported by ambulance to the ER. The contact stated that he had bruises and cuts on his right temple and check and swelling, cuts and bruises on the left cheek and left temple and forehead. The contact stated he was released after treatment. The contact stated that the vehicle had been towed to an impound lot. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact had received recall notice for the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and related the failure to the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.

Filed Nov 6, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · MN

In 2022, my 2019 Acura TLX A-Spec received a warranty engine replacement due to a spun bearing. At that time, recall 23V‑751 (connecting rod bearing defect) did not yet exist. Recently, the replacement engine developed a pronounced knocking/ticking noise at idle and during light acceleration. Multiple independent mechanics and an Acura service department confirmed the noise is abnormal and consistent with connecting rod bearing wear as described in the recall. Acura advised that my VIN is not included in the recall because the original engine was replaced. However, the replacement engine was supplied by Acura prior to the recall and may contain the same defective components. The dealership and Acura corporate did not inspect the internal components or verify whether the replacement engine used the revised bearing parts — they only referenced the VIN and engine number to deny recall eligibility. I currently have an open case with Acura, and the vehicle is scheduled for diagnostic inspection. I was informed that if the issue is determined to be related to recall 23V‑751, diagnostic costs may be reimbursed, but there is no guarantee. This situation raises concern because my symptoms, timeline, and component failure are consistent with the known defect, yet my vehicle remains excluded from coverage. Given the safety implications of possible engine seizure or loss of power while driving, I am requesting that the federal safety agency review whether vehicles with Acura-supplied replacement engines should also fall under recall 23V‑751. All service records and warranty history with Acura are available for review upon request.

Filed Oct 3, 2025 · Driver assistance, Engine · IL

Im not sure what fails but the car wont start after coming to a stop with the auto off function and almost caused an accident because when the light turned green i couldnt take off because the car didnt start up and the car behind me almost hit me. It has happened other times at stop signs and any other stop ive made. I have to press the button my self to start up again. I havent had it inspected because i havent had any time. There are no warning lights on

Filed Sep 27, 2025 · Engine · GA

I am writing to formally request assistance with a premature engine failure on my 2019 Acura TLX A-Spec 3.5L (VIN: [XXX] , Mileage: 95k I have consistently followed Acura’s recommended maintenance schedule, as documented by my service history. My vehicle was also serviced under [insert recall number if you have it] at [insert dealer name], as required by Acura, and I have attached records confirming that the recall work was performed. Despite this compliance with all required maintenance and recall service, my vehicle has experienced a serious engine malfunction. This failure appears to be related to the same type of connecting rod bearing or crankshaft issue currently under investigation by the federal safety agency (the federal safety agency Preliminary Evaluation PE25008), which covers the 2018–2020 Acura TLX with the 3.5L V6 engine. Given that: •I have properly maintained the vehicle as recommended. •The recall repair was performed, yet the engine failure still occurred. •the federal safety agency is investigating this exact issue as a potential defect affecting safety and reliability. I am respectfully requesting goodwill coverage for the full cost of the necessary engine repair or replacement. If Acura is unable to offer immediate coverage, I request that this case remain open and that I be considered for reimbursement should a recall or service campaign be issued as a result of the ongoing the federal safety agency investigation. I chose Acura for its reputation for reliability, and I trust that Acura will stand by its customers when a serious issue like this occurs. I look forward to your timely response so we can resolve this matter promptly. Thank you for your attention and assistance. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Sep 27, 2025 · Engine · GA · crash

My vehicle had an engine rod bearing issue before the 1st recall, they replaced part of the engine. My vehicle also went through a starter recall and they also changed the rod bearing with the corrected part that was in for the last recall. Currently, my engine is still having the exact same rod bearing issue which is a safety concern for me. It’s currently at Ed Voyles Acura in Chamblee, GA waiting on a decision from corporate Acura. They will determine if they will pay for the repairs of my vehicle due to an old recall. This is the worse experience I have had with the Acura brand and I have had 3 Acuras in my life time. I think Acura is a beautiful car company with great performance. I would love if this situation would allow me a rental until my vehicle is fixed. Thank you.

Filed Aug 26, 2025 · Engine · NJ

This car suffers from the engine and rod bearing recall. I took the car to Park Avenue Acura to complete the recall work. The car had significant damage from the rod bearing issue and the dealership had the car for a month. They replaced the rod bearing, crank shaft, regular fuel pump among other things. Once I received the car, the car failed and became inoperable. This time the high pressure fuel pump became defective. While Acura representative informed me that there is (i) active recall on the high pressure fuel pump (but not on my vin) and (ii) direct impact of replacing regular fuel pump on leading to high pressure fuel pump failure, as my vin is not currently acknowledged, my repairs would not be covered. I would like to request that the scope of the VIN numbers be re-evaluated and secondly the impact of fuel pumps replacement leading to other fuel pump be evaluated such that the recall work can cover both issues related to the rod bearing.

Questions about the 2019 Acura TLX engine

Does the 2019 Acura TLX have engine problems?

Owners have filed 45 complaints about the engine of the 2019 Acura TLX, 48% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.

At what mileage do 2019 Acura TLX engine problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 47,396 miles.

Was there a recall on the 2019 Acura TLX engine?

Yes, 2 recalls: 23V751000, 19V298000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.

What year does the Acura TLX have bad engine?

The Acura TLX model years with the most engine complaints are 2015 (97 complaints), 2018 (46 complaints) and 2019 (45 complaints).

Other 2019 Acura TLX problems

Fuel system 27Electrical 12Transmission 11Brakes 7Acceleration 6Driver assistance 5Suspension 3Body 2Visibility 2Lights 1Seats 1Steering 1

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