Purchased this vehicle used, as-is, from a Ford dealership on August 18, 2026. Approximately 90 minutes after taking delivery, the vehicle began displaying multiple dashboard warning lights and lost access to Sport+ drive mode. The vehicle was returned to the selling dealership the same day; their technicians were unable to reproduce the fault or retrieve a diagnostic trouble code at that time. The vehicle was subsequently towed to an authorized Acura dealership for independent diagnosis. That inspection identified three separate issues: (1) the warning lights, attributed to a lean-running condition possibly caused by fuel quality; (2) a leaking front brake caliper, quoted at approximately $900 to repair; and (3) a fluid leak at the gasket between the transmission and transfer case, which the dealership states requires full replacement of both the transmission and transfer case, at an estimated cost of approximately $13,000. This transmission/transfer case leak occurs at the same location addressed in the federal safety agency Office of Defects Investigation Petition DP26001 (opened March 2026), covering 2021-2023 Acura TLX and 2022-2023 Acura MDX SH-AWD vehicles. the federal safety agency's review, resolved August 6, 2026, confirmed the underlying failure mechanism as real — splines connecting the transmission output shaft to the power take-off unit stripping or shearing, cutting power to the rear wheels — based on 62 owner complaints and manufacturer field reports, though the federal safety agency declined to mandate a recall. the federal safety agency's review also noted that the vehicle's dashboard provides no warning to the driver when this failure occurs. Given that this failure surfaced within 90 minutes of taking delivery of the vehicle, and that it matches a documented, federally-reviewed defect pattern on this exact model and drivetrain, I am filing this complaint to add to the federal safety agency's records on this known issue and to document a case where the failure manifested essentially immediately upon purchase.
2022 Acura TLX transmission problems
10 complaints (40% of all complaints for this car).
- owner complaints
- 10
- of this car's complaints
- 40%
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Acura TLX transmission problems in other years
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
All wheel drive allegation
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has completed its review of a Petition dated January 9, 2026, requesting an investigation into the loss of the optional all-wheel drive capability in model year (MY) 2021-2023 Acura TLX and MY 2022-2023 Acura MDX vehicles. The Petition alleges failures in the interfacing splines between the front wheel drive transaxle and the rear wheel drive power take off unit. Failure of these splines prevents the transfer of drive power to the rear axle, making the vehicle front wheel drive only. The Petition further alleges that this failure reduces vehicle directional control. Most traditional AWD systems utilize mechanical and passive measures. These systems have the tendency to distribute torque along the path of least resistance, such as a wheel that has lost contact with the ground or is on a low friction surface such as ice. To compensate for this, many manufacturers use the brake system to redirect torque to the wheels with more traction. However, in this style of AWD system, a failed drive shaft or similar disconnection prior to the brakes often results in drive power being lost to the disconnected component. The consequence of this loss is the inability to maintain speed with surrounding traffic which increases the risks of collisions and injuries to the vehicle occupants. The Subject Vehicles are built upon a platform that was designed primarily as Front Wheel Drive (FWD). The SH-AWD system functions more as a performance enhancement feature rather than a stability feature. Even if the SH-AWD is nonoperational, the vehicles retain full mobility via FWD. In addition, the Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) remains functional, ensuring directional stability through traditional engine and brake-based traction control. Although the condition raised by the Petitioner may degrade the vehicleâs performance characteristics, there is insufficient information to indicate a potential unreasonable safety risk. ODI reviewed 62 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) and several EWR Field Reports alleging the loss of SH-AWD and its impact on the driving dynamics of the subject vehicles. During its analysis, ODI determined that the failure is localized to the mechanical interface between the FWD transaxle and the PTU. Specifically, the failure is the shearing or stripping of the interfacing splined shafts between the FWD transaxle and the PTU, resulting in a permanent loss of torque transfer to the rear of the vehicle. Upon reviewing the technical details of SH-AWD, ODI has found that this failure does not result in any loss of motive power or lead to a loss of vehicle control. Several complaints indicated that the operators were unaware of the mechanical fault until encountering a low friction surface or the condition was identified by a technician during routine maintenance. The SH-AWD system lacks any form of direct feedback for monitoring real time torque transfer to the rear wheels. Therefore, the system will continue to display information indicating power is being supplied to the rear wheels even when power is actually only supplied to the front wheels. ODIâs review did not identify sufficient evidence to indicate that the misinformation has presented a safety issue in the field. ODI did not identify any reports of loss of motive power or vehicle control that could be attributed to the loss of SH-AWD. ODI is not aware of any crashes involving the Subject Vehicles that resulted from the loss of SH-AWD. After thoroughly assessing the material submitted by the Petitioner, consumer complaint information in the federal safety agencyâs databases, and other relevant information already in possession of the Agency, the federal safety agency has not found sufficient evidence to indicate that the loss of AWD as alleged by the Petitioner is likely to present a safety related defect that would warrant a formal investigation. After full consideration of the available information, and in view of the federal safety agencyâs enforcement priorities, the Petition is denied. A denial report will be posted in the Federal Register. The closing of the petition does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety related defect does not exist, and the agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. The Petition can be viewed at under ODI Number 11712885.
DP26001
What 2022 Acura TLX owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Transfer case failure, leakage, discovered after warranty expired. Took vehicle in describing seeming loss of AWD and tech informed me it was “normal” I Later discovered, during an oil change, a leak From the transmission or transfer case that covered the lower skid plate, which looking up, was directly related to a known failure of the Type S’s transfer case/Transmission causing a loss of traction to the rear wheels.
The transfer case splines sheared off in the transmission. The car is safe to drive but went from AWD to FWD as there is now no power being transmitted through the transfer case to the rear wheels. The dealership confirmed the issue was the transfer case by lifting the car and seeing if the rear wheels were getting power. They then tore down the transmission and found the splines were all gone from the transfer case. The component was not inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance, or anyone else. There were no warnings or symptoms to the problem before the failure.
Went to the Acura dealer for an oil change. Was told I have a leak in the transmission and transfer case and that both will need to be replaced.
The transfer case spines have stripped and I no longer have all wheel drive only front wheel drive. This is a huge safety hazard for me .
Accelerated and heard a loud noise and felt like I had driven through wood and one got stocked to the whelle. There was a lot of traffic so I was driving slow. The noice I heard was like something was stuck inside the wheel, like it was grinding. Dealer diagnosed a bad transfer case and transmission and they replaced both under warranty.
Was changing the oil on my car and noticed grease running out from between the transfer case and transmission and also fluid build up on the transfer case higher up a little below the driveshaft. The car has 41k miles on it, there should be no leaks. My concern is the transfer case/transmission spline failure issue.
My vehicle has less then 35000 miles, I was doing a oil change when I noticed that my transfer cases has a slight oil residue from the bottom, which I suppose it’s just gonna get worse overtime, at this mileage I don’t think this is right that’s why I’m submitting this complaint.
While accelerating from 0 to 40 miles per hour, I experienced a loud bang come from the car. Turns out the splines were stripped between my transmission and transfer case. This was due to the drive shaft spinning while in park mode, as well as an opening between the transmission and transfer case that was spooling. My powertrain system was severely compromised; who knows what could've happened if I had kept driving the car in this condition? Something was waiting to inevitably fail beyond what had happened. Thankfully, this happened on an empty road close to home, but it could have happened anywhere. There were no warnings, lights, or anything, which was the strangest part. Thankfully, this $10k+ bill was covered under the manufacturer's powertrain warranty, but it seems to be a common issue with many newer Acuras. Acura is well aware of the issue (spline failure) and should issue a recall to correct this design flaw within the powertrain.
Transmission jerks at low speeds, Car jerks when it is downshifting. The car only has 14,000 miles. Dealership refusing to do any work due to car not having any codes. The car feels like it is having a misfire.
Questions about the 2022 Acura TLX transmission
Does the 2022 Acura TLX have transmission problems?
Owners have filed 10 complaints about the transmission of the 2022 Acura TLX, 40% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2022 Acura TLX transmission problems start?
Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.
Was there a recall on the 2022 Acura TLX transmission?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Acura TLX have bad transmission?
The Acura TLX model years with the most transmission complaints are 2015 (161 complaints), 2021 (30 complaints) and 2017 (18 complaints).
Is there a class action lawsuit over the Acura TLX?
Yes. Class action says Honda and Acura keyless entry makes cars easy to steal and asks for theft protection (November 12, 2026).
Other 2022 Acura TLX problems
Electrical 4Steering 4Suspension 4Brakes 3Driver assistance 2Engine 2Acceleration 1Tires 1
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