Brake complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Frozen brakes when staring the car, the first pump on the brake works as expected. Then the next 3-5 pumps, the peddle does not go down and has thus the car does not stop. This usually happens when I go to work in the morning. But, it has happened during the afternoon. But most morning, I can guarantee it will happen. It's usually on cold mornings (teens and below) but I'm seeing it now in 30degree weather. I took it to the Acura dealership (Acura of troy, mi) and the service manager [redacted] didn't look into it at all. He said they performed the standard 'Acura check' and there were no issues. I provide greg with details on the issues as well as printouts from others who have reported the same issue. All he did was smile and said they did the Acura safefty check and it passed. I'll be sending this info too; the owner and GM of Acura of troy and to Acura corp.(Honda). …
When the car sits over night or when it cold the brake pedal will not go down, brake no working for several minutes. Called customer service they said is normal, at three years ago.in 1/31/2019,the day very cold in new york city, I went on the parkway and the car could not brake, because the pedal would not go down. I went to dealer at 2/2/2019, they said they know some vehicle have same problem.
On Friday, September 24, 2021 when I went around a curve my car felt like the vehicle stability assist was trying to kick on. However, no warning light came on and I was not going to fast for the weather or road conditions. I did not hit any pot holes or anything else to cause the part to fail. When I went to apply my brakes the brakes felt soft and spongy and I was concern with the car not stopping. Safety issues for me and others were if my car didn't stop and me hitting another vehicle and injuring/killing them or myself due to the component failure. I was able to get my car to Acura Sterling McCall in Houston and they were able to duplicate the issue and I was advised the VSA needed to be replaced. That this was causing the soft brakes.
I purchased new 2012, for the first time after 10 years, the car is unsafe, brake pedal becomes hard after start up cold - noticed if outside weather between 30-25 degrees brake pedal becomes hard for the first 2-3 times and car will not stop, if the weather below 16 degrees it will take 9-10 times - if you push and pump the brake pedal the brake pedal power comes back to normal but not the first or 2nd time and also has something to do with weather. car was purchased in VIRGINIA and stayed in VIRGINIA last 10 years and this is the FIRST winter this happen.
7 f, car was parked outside all night, started car, waited a few minutes, backed out, brakes normal, driving forward slowly, brakes normal, was going 30 approaching stop sign, went to brake, pedal was solid...nothing was under the pedal, but felt like there was a brick under the pedal. Obviously I didn't stop, thank goodness no cars were on the road. I slowed down eventually, then pushed extremely hard on the pedal and was able to brake. Then after driving very slowly & testing hard pedal, the pedal acted normal after a few minutes. Normal pedal now. …
On three occasions 2011 Acura TSX breaks have failed while driving, causing me to have to use my emergency break in order to avoid accident. I attempted to slow down while going off the highway exit and pushed on breaks only to find the break pedal was extremely stiff and would not move no matter how hard I pushed on it... After few minutes, the breaks started working normally. The vehicle was pre-warmed for at least 15 min before driving every time. The weather temperatures on all three occasions were below 10 degrees f.there are multiple Acura's owners already experiencing this horrific issue. Acura needs to acknowledge this problem and issue a recall on these vehicles asap. What prove do you need? You want to wait until people start getting into accidents and dye because of brake failure in their cars? This is unacceptable! Please issue a recall on Acura vehicles.
The brake does not work during winter and morning when it's cold. The pedal gets stiff and does not work. But after 5 mins of engine running or after several steps on pedal the brake works. This was checked in the dealership but service department said it was normal.
Brakes failed on three consecutive days during cold spell (teens with wind chill -10 to 10f) the first time I had pulled out of a parking space at the supermarket and was heading towards the exit. I noticed that the car was not slowing as I approached the street although I was exerting considerable force on the brake. I managed to stop the car and pull to the side of the street. I checked for any physical obstructions and did not find any. The brake pedal would not travel. After a few minutes the brakes resumed normal operation and I was able to carefully drive home. The next morning, I pumped the brakes with the car off until the pedal would not move. I then turned on the ignition and noticed the brake would not go down again. I had to wait a few minutes until it functioned again. Third instance, I started the car and pumped the brakes several times. …
Frequently asked questions
Which Acura TSX years have brake problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2009 (24), 2010 (16), 2012 (9), 2004 (8) and 2008 (7) model years. Brake complaints make up 26% of all complaints for the 2009.
Is there a recall for Acura TSX brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for any Acura TSX model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Acura TSX brake problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 44,000 miles; 67% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the foundation components › disc › rotor (1 mentions), followed by the antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (1).
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.