Most common 2005 Acura TSX problems
Share of the 51 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Acura TSX complaints by model year
Best TSX years: 2014, 2007, 2006. Years to avoid: 2012, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011. Compare all years →
2005 Acura TSX recalls (3)
Electrical system
Honda is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 Acura TSX vehicles originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia,…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners and Acura dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace any damaged ECU, free of charge. All vehicles will have a waterproof cover installed onto the ECU, free of charge.
Steering › Hydraulic power assist › Hose, piping, and connections
Honda is recalling certain model year 2004 through 2008 Acura tsx passenger vehicles manufactured between September 25, 2002 and February 13, 2008. Prolonged high under hood temperatures May cause the power steering hose to deteriorate prematurely and May cause the hose to crack and leak power steering oil.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began May 28, 2010. Owners May contact Acura client services at 1-800-382-2238.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
On certain vehicles, a coil wire inside the fuel pump relay May break, causing the fuel pump to lose power. If the fuel pump becomes inoperative, the engine May not start.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pump relay free of charge. The recall began on April 2, 2007. Owners May contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
What 2005 Acura TSX owners say
Air bags
I was driving alone on a icy city street and was unable to stop completely when another vehicle was turning left. My vehicle was traveling at approximately 12-15 miles per hour when it impacted the other vehicle. On the other vehicle there was no damage at all and on my 2005 Acura TSX there was a minor indentation in the front bumper caused by the other cars license plate and my passenger airbag had deployed. After doing my research and talking to two mechanics, I was informed that it isn't standard operating practice for an airbag to deploy unless it is absolutely necessary for safety purposes. Based on the specifics of this minor fender-bender, the passenger airbag shouldn't have deployed because nobody was sitting on the passenger side and due the speed at impact. In my opinion, this seemed like a defective airbag that Acura should be responsible for and not my insurance company. …
The SRS (air bag) indicator began to illuminate intermittently. When the SRS light was illuminated, the air bag system would become disabled. Due to this safety hazard, my vehicle was unable to pass massachusetts state inspection. An Acura deal pulled to codes and discovered a report of code 81-1- indicating a failure of the car seat buckle and required replacement of the driver's side car seat buckle at a cost of nearly $400. The part number is 04816seca12zd. The Acura deal is unable to cover this repair under the lifetime car seat belt warranty. Acura claims this is an electrical failure, not a mechanical failure. This "electrical" failure disables the SRS system - which is very much a mechanical failure in the event of a collision.
Steering
The contact's son owns a 2005 Acura TSX. The contact discovered that there was fluid leaking from the vehicle while parked. In addition, the contact stated that there was white steam coming from behind the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that the power steering fluid was leaking from the power steering hose, causing the power steering assist to fail to operate as needed. The contact later discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V174000 (Steering) which was linked to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
My VIN is not included in Acura r35 recall campaign of 167,000 2094-2008 4-cyl TSX re: power steering, but the vehicle (2005 4-cyl TSX) is experiencing the issue, as verified by the Acura dealership this week. From service reccomendation - red: requires immediate attention - 'leaking system was low and noisy. Just starting to leak at rack ends very minor, pump is bad'
Transmission & drivetrain
Around 11:15 pm on 9/16/16 making a left turn at approximately 15mph all the center console lights/controls went out, vehicle lost acceleration as if it were in neutral, shifted to manual and pressed the accelerator as well, still no acceleration, only motor revving, turned headlights off then it accelerated, all dash warning lights illuminated, all gauges failed, vehicle stalled, tried to crank and would not turn over, put a charge to the battery, vehicle started but all issues remained. Unsafe to drive.
I was driving north bound hwy 6 towards college station texas from houston, and the vehicle started to not engage while shifting and then the vehicle gave no power to the wheels ,but all soleniods seem to be in working order. After having the vehicle towed from hempstead where it was disabled ,and after doing some research there seems to be an issue with the same generation of Honda's with the same automatic transmission, but there is not a recall for their Acura counterparts. The recall id# 11V395000.
2005 Acura TSX engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 28 / 23 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 6-speed manual | FWD | 19 / 27 / 22 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Acura TSX a good car?
Based on 51 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 TSX rates average: 22% fewer complaints than a typical year of the TSX at the same age. 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 2005 Acura TSX?
The air bags — 16 complaints, 31% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the steering (7) and transmission & drivetrain (6).
How many recalls does the 2005 Acura TSX have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2005 Acura TSX, the most recent from March 15, 2013 (electrical system). 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?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2007 and 2006. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2012, 2004, 2009, 2010 and 2011. See the full Acura TSX years comparison.
At what mileage do 2005 Acura TSX problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 107,000 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.