Most common 2012 Acura TSX Sport problems
Share of the 12 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Acura TSX Sport complaints by model year
Best TSX Sport years: 2013, 2011. Years to avoid: 2012. Compare all years →
2012 Acura TSX Sport recalls (4)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic Hybrid, 2008-2010 Civic GX NGV, 2012-2015 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2014 Fit EV, 2010-2014 Insight, and 2009-2015…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, 2012-2014 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2013 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the inflator installation and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2019.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Acura TSX, ZDX, Honda Accord Crosstour, Fit, Insight and Pilot vehicles, 2011-13 Acura TSX Sportswagon, 2010-2012 Honda Accord,, 2010-2011 Honda Civic, Civic NGV, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles and 2013 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles ever registered in the…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 16, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2012 Acura TSX, 2011-2012 Acura TSX Wagon, 2010-2012 Acura ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2012 Honda Accord Crosstour and Honda Insight, 2009-2012 Honda Fit, 2009-2012 Pilot, 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2012 Honda FCX Clarity and 2006-2011 Honda Civic, Civic Hybrid, Civic…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The manufacturer has mailed an interim notification, and will send a second notification when parts are…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2012 Acura TSX Sport:
Electrical overstress
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events.
What 2012 Acura TSX Sport owners say
Steering
2012 Acura TSX sports wagon (~31K miles) - failure of electronic power steering (EPS). Last week I parked the vehicle with wheels turned to the left and when I restarted the car after few minutes, the power steering was gone. I turned the car off, restarted it again and the power steering came back. Did not think much of it. The power steering went out again (complete failure) a couple of days ago while driving on a street with my family. I felt the steering wheel "jerk" to left and right and then a complete loss of the power steering. Luckily, I was able to maintain the car in lane and pull it over with using a lot of force. Turning the car on and off did not help. This is a great safety concern. Had I been driving on a highway or a curvy road, could have ended in a horrible accident. Without the power steering it requires a lot of force to control the car. …
Vehicle has less than 57K miles and fantastically maintained. While driving with my 3.5 year old daughter this afternoon, the power steering lights and message came up and the steering immediately failed causing panic for my daughter's and my safety. The infotainment system advised of the problem and suggested to turn vehicle off then back on and the problem persisted for the next 4 minutes of driving then a mandatory stop was made, vehicle turned off and sat for 20 minutes then started again and problem was nonexistent but while driving for another 4 minutes, the system shut off again without warning. Luckily I was near my home able to park. This was an awful feeling and I fears for my daughter's and my life.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Acura TSX Sport a good car?
Based on 12 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 TSX Sport rates use caution: 4.7× as many complaints as a typical year of the TSX Sport at the same age. It is one of the TSX Sport years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Acura TSX Sport?
The steering — 10 complaints, 83% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (1) and engine & cooling (1).
How many recalls does the 2012 Acura TSX Sport have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2012 Acura TSX Sport, the most recent from June 27, 2019 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Acura TSX Sport?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2013 and 2011. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2012. See the full Acura TSX Sport years comparison.
At what mileage do 2012 Acura TSX Sport problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 67,000 miles; 18% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.