2021 Acura TLX Type S Transmission Problems

Which parts fail

• Automatic transmission › Internal › Shaft › Output
  1

Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).

Mileage when the problem started

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2021 Acura TLX Type S owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

transfer case and drivetrain failure from spline stripping. No hard driving performed yet parts still failed. Car went from AWD to FWD without codes. Car failed to gain traction when going up hill and nearly rolled back into another car.

-Transmission and transfer case failed, specifically the splines on the input shaft connecting the two, rendering the vehicle FWD instead of AWD. Parts are not available to inspect as they were returned to dealer. -While the vehicle could still function in front wheel drive, the lack of AWD could be a safety risk in poor weather or road conditions, especially given that the vehicle does not send an error code for this issue. -Problem was reproduced by the dealer, who replaced both parts after a 2-month wait for parts. -There is zero indication that these components failed, no error codes or anything. The car also displays how much power is going to each wheel on the gauge cluster, and displays just as it did when everything worked. The problem can only be noticed when using AWD, so many drivers may not know they have this issue. …

At 36,823 miles and October 11,2024 I was taking off from a stop. About 10 seconds into my take off I heard a loud bang and hard jerk. Dash cam caught it happening. As soon as it happened I was still moving forward but just coasting. As soon as I accelerated a tiny bit it sounded like metal being beaten around inside something. No warning light or CEL came on. Nothing. After I parked it the sound disappeared and it seemed to drive fine but a little different. I noticed then that I would lose traction easily and my front wheels would spin out like a fwd Civic. I called the dealership immediately and told them what happened. They put a note in my file. They said they couldn't do anything unless it happened again. I had to go to the dealership 3 separate times to try to get them to look at it. …

The All Wheel Drive (AWD) system of the vehicle became partially inoperable after hearing a loud bang under normal vehicle acceleration some time in early 2025. The vehicle did not trigger or display any warnings stored in the onboard computer or on the dash display that the AWD system had any faults or issues. Had this system failed during an emergency situation involving hazardous or dangerous driving conditions like snow, ice, heavy rain, it could have caused me to not have improved capable vehicle handling. The vehicle's ability to distribute power evenly to all 4 wheels was hindered and operating as front wheel drive only after the loud noise was observed. Additionally, transmission gear oil began leaking underneath the vehicle around the transmission casing. The issue has been reproduced, confirmed, and validated by technicians of a local Acura dealership. …

While performing a right turn, under normal acceleration a loud "pop/clunk" occurred. I immediately pulled into a parking lot as the vehicle was still able to drive. The vehicle runs as normal, no leaks of any kind present. Nothing visibly broken. Afterwards, I was able to determine with the vehicle suspended off of the ground, I am getting power only to the front wheels. Utilizing google, it's easy to see that this has become a MASSIVE issue on this particular model TLX Type S. The vehicle will be taken to Acura on Monday Aug 18th 2025 for diagnostics, but it's quite obvious that the splines on the transfercase at the transmission mounting location have sheared completely, thus making the vehicle front wheel drive powered only. …

This 2021 Acura TLX Type-S has experienced a complete failure of the transfer case after approximately 40,000 miles of use. This unfortunately is a known issue on the online forums for this vehicle in model years 2021-2023. I have a video inspection performed by the local dealership proving this. The only warning is a one-time loud boom when accelerating and a leaking from the transfer case of fluid thereafter. There is no safety issue best I can tell, however the car only performs in front drive mode once the transfer case quits working. The issue is due to weak splines within the transfer case that shear off and thus damage the 10-speed automatic transmission in the process. …

Power take off unit on the TLX TYPE-S's are stripping at the splines where the drive shaft and PTU meet. This disables the cars AWD system without triggering any codes, giving drivers false confidence to drive in low traction environments which may lead to accidents. The car retains FWD function but struggles to gain grip on the road at all speeds because it is an AWD designed platform. The dealership of Spreen Acura diagnosed my car and confirmed that the PTU fluid was previously leaking and had metal shavings. They also confirmed that the car was now FWD and struggled with getting traction with acceleration. This is a problem as it does not show any indication during failure, there could be many people with failed PTU's who are unaware and driving daily. …

The transfer case splines between the transfer case are stripping causing the car to lose power in the rear wheels forever. This is a safety hazard as now the wheels lose traction and massive oversteer. This is dangerous in many conditions especially rain as turns are much more prone to sliding and losing traction. It was confirmed at the dealer and is a known issue in the Acura car community. The only way to diagnose the problem is putting it on the left And putting the car in drive to see if the all wheel drive system is working (all 4 wheels spinning). This is a scary problem for owners as no codes are generated since there is no sensor to catch this . The cars other system were also designed with the intention of the car being all wheel drive so this could lead other systems to fail causing a likely accident or collision.

While driving my 2021 Acura TLX Type S, I began losing traction frequently during normal daily driving, especially when turning corners or accelerating from a stop sign or stop light. At first, I believed the issue was related to my tires, so I replaced them, but the same problem continued. After researching online, I discovered that transfer case failures are a known issue on these vehicles, affecting both new and used models. Currently, my vehicle is at the dealership, but they were unaware of this recurring transfer case problem and have no information about it. This is concerning because the failure of the transfer case directly affects traction and stability, creating a potential safety risk to myself and others on the road. It appears to be a systemic issue that Honda/Acura has not yet acknowledged.

The all-wheel-drive stops working and the car becomes front wheel drive only. There are no warning lights on. The only way you could tell is to jack the car up with all four wheels off the ground and put it in drive to see if all four wheels are spinning. Also the driveshaft should be turning out of the transfer case. The the roads are wet or with snow the front wheels brake free very easy and the traction light comes on, which is also sign. I took it to the dealer and they verified the issue. They said it needs a new transmission and transfer case because the splines on the output shift of the transmission strip out and also damage the splines on input shaft of the transfer case.

NHTSA investigations

Transmission complaints in other TLX Type S years