2017 Acura TLX Engine Problems

34 owners have reported engine & cooling problems with the 2017 Acura TLX to NHTSA — 48% of all 71 complaints for this model year. The typical failure happened around 33,000 miles. That ranks #5 of 9 TLX model years for engine complaints (a typical year has 41). One related recall has been issued.

34complaints
33ktypical miles
1related recalls
2crashes
3fires
1injuries

Mileage when the problem started

  • Under 25k
    542%
  • 25k–50k
    325%
  • 50k–75k
    00%
  • 75k–100k
    18%
  • 100k–150k
    217%
  • 150k+
    18%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Acura TLX owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2017 Acura TLX. The contact stated while the vehicle was idling, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken the dealer, where the timing belt, unknown bolts, and parts were replaced. Additionally, the contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, several unknown warning lights were illuminated, but the engine failed to turn over. The contact jumpstarted the vehicle, and the vehicle was taken to another dealer, Ball Acura 2001 (National City Blvd, National City, CA 91950), where the battery was replaced. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while the vehicle was idling on another occasion, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. …

35,000 miles · Feb 2024

Acura TLX 2017, with only 112,000 miles. On [redacted], while the consumer was driving, the vehicle caught on fire. The consumer saw what appeared to be smoke coming from under the hood. The consumer stopped the vehicle immediately at a 4-way intersection, put it in park, and turned it off. The hood latch was open. When the consumer opened the hood, the engine compartment was on fire, and the car was engulfed in fire within seconds. Fire department and Police depratment arrived at the scene. The car was deemed a total loss, and the fire was determined to have started in the engine compartment. In May 2024, Acura stated that the connecting rod bearing needed replacement and that it was covered under the recall. However, 6 months after replacement, in October 2024, the knocking noise returned. …

Aug 2026 · fire

The contact owns a 2017 Acura TLX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start intermittently. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 - 70 MPH, the vehicle began to decelerate with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The failure lasted less than a minute before self-correcting, and the vehicle was driven without failure. The failure had occurred several times while driving at various highway speeds. The dealer was contacted. …

10,000 miles · Sep 2017

The contact owns a 2017 Acura TLX. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), and the dealer confirmed that the rod bearing had been replaced under the recall remedy. After receiving the repair, while driving approximately 15 MPH, the contact became aware that the vehicle was vibrating abnormally. The contact stated that the vibration became more prominent at speeds of 70 MPH or higher. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and lost motive power briefly before regaining normal operation. The vehicle was returned to the dealer who performed the recall repair to confirm that the engine had been inspected. The dealer confirmed that the rod bearing had been replaced; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. …

127,000 miles · Jul 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Acura TLX. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the failure occurred five months after the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine started knocking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who performed a valve adjustment, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer had an engineer inspect the vehicle at the dealer and discovered there was wrist pin play on piston #2. The contact was informed that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but refused to replace the short block due to aftermarket components on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.

94,000 miles · Sep 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Acura TLX. The contact stated the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) but the fix failed to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that after the repair was performed, there was an abnormal fuel odor coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer approximately five times to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the oil rings on the fuel injector had detached. The oil rings were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 142,000.

142,000 miles · Apr 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Acura TLX. The contact stated while driving at 65 MPH, there was a loud clanking noise coming from the engine. In addition, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle immediately. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 210,034. The VIN was not available.

210,000 miles · Oct 2023

My 2017 Acura was involved in a low-speed collision where it failed to stop in a timely manner, resulting in a total loss declaration. This vehicle had open safety recalls (including the fuel pump/rod bearing issues) that remained unrepaired for over 1.5 years. Despite multiple inquiries, the manufacturer failed to provide a repair timeline or remedy. I believe these unresolved defects directly contributed to the braking failure and subsequent safety incident.

Feb 2026 · crash · 1 injury

On May 26, 2023, I purchased my 2017 Acura TLX from Sterling McCall Acura Houston, TX. On July 16th, my son was driving the Acura TLX and the engine burst into a fire. After the engine fire, I had to replace the entire. On November 20, 2023, after reading an article and contacting American Honda ( [redacted] ) I became aware of a recall on my Acura TLX.

Jul 2023 · fire

My 2017 Acura TLX stalled dangerously on the highway due to an unexpected fuel delivery failure, creating an immediate traffic hazard. Hiley Acura of Fort Worth diagnosed the vehicle with code P0087 (Low Fuel Rail Pressure) and confirmed it needs a new low-pressure fuel pump assembly for $1,540.62. They also pulled code P0430 (Catalyst System Efficiency) showing my front catalytic converter has failed, costing $2,461.77.The low-pressure fuel pump failure starved the engine of fuel, causing the highway stall. This fueling issue directly overheated and destroyed the catalytic converter substrate.This pump failure is the core subject of the Oliver v. Honda class action lawsuit. Honda previously issued a temporary corporate software update on my vehicle that deliberately altered how the computer reads errors, masking the physical fuel pump defect. …

Jul 2026

Related recalls

Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Hard parts internal/mechanical

NHTSA recall 23V-751 · Nov 13, 2023 · 248,999 vehicles

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.

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.

NHTSA investigations

No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages

NHTSA investigation EA25004 · opened Mar 26, 2025 · open

On June 3, 2022, the O ce of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several eld 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 tra c light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged.

Engine complaints in other TLX years

2015201620172018201920202021202220232024974134434526521
Engine complaints per model year, Acura TLX.

Frequently asked questions

How common are engine problems on the 2017 Acura TLX?

NHTSA has 34 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2017 Acura TLX, 48% of the model year's 71 complaints.

Is there a recall for 2017 Acura TLX engine problems?

Yes — NHTSA recall 23V-751 (hard parts internal/mechanical, Nov 13, 2023). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

At what mileage do 2017 Acura TLX engine problems start?

Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 33,000 miles, and 42% before 25,000 miles.

Is it dangerous?

Owners linked 2 crashes, 3 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.