2021 Acura TLX: What to check before buying

The transfer case fails when its internal splines strip, and the transmission splines often go with it. Drivers hear a loud bang or boom, sometimes see fluid leaking afterward, and the car is left driving on the front wheels only. No warning light or check engine light comes on. Front tires spin easily, and one owner nearly rolled back on a hill. Reported failures cluster between about 36,823 and 71,000 miles. Repairs replace both the transfer case and the transmission, sometimes under warranty and sometimes out of pocket. A separate report describes a rear differential leak at 16,531 miles.

Most of these filings are about an open air bag recall that dealers could not fix because the repair part was unavailable. Owners describe months of calls to dealers and Acura with no part and no estimated date. Most say they have had no failure themselves. One crash report with an injury describes a side impact from another vehicle in which no air bags deployed while the recall repair was still waiting on parts. One filing here is really about loud front brake squeaking the dealer could not duplicate.

The infotainment screen freezes, goes static, shuts off, or restarts by itself, often after hitting a bump. A frozen screen while reversing can hide people behind the car, and the audio can crackle. Other reports describe a no-start the dealer could not duplicate, and a car that will not shift into drive because it wrongly thinks a door is open, which stranded one driver in traffic. One filing describes transmission and transfer case spline failure causing harsh jerking and the engine shutting off at highway speed. One complaint lists an injury.

The collision mitigation braking system brakes hard with no vehicle ahead, at speeds from 35 to 75 mph, leaving drivers fighting for control. In rain or snow, a "Radar Obstructed" warning appears, the driver assist icon turns orange, and the car slows sharply without the brake pedal being pressed. Lane assist and other driver aids stop working while the warning is on. Dealers often find no fault codes. One complaint involves a crash.

Pressing the brake pedal at low speeds, around 1 to 3 mph, makes a loud spring or clicking sound that grows louder as miles add up. Others report a high-pitched squeal from the pedal, and in one case the dealer said repair parts were not yet available. Front rotors develop hot spots or damage that shakes the steering wheel when braking from highway speed, with one rotor replacement reported near 32,000 miles.

The front suspension squeaks and creaks over bumps, most noticeably in cold weather or after rain, with one report at 91,000 miles. An Adaptive Damper System error can appear on the dash, and in one case new rear shocks did not cure it because corroded stroke sensor wiring was the real cause. Two filings here actually describe transfer case failure, which leaves the car in front-wheel drive and changes how it handles.

Power steering assist can drop out suddenly at freeway speed, with an "Electric Power Steering Problem" message, and one dealer replaced the rack and pinion over a steering position sensor fault. Other reports describe the steering column leaking fluid down to the brake pedal and a clicking noise when turning. One owner describes water getting in and upsetting the body control module, which triggered a cascade of dash warnings, wipers running on their own, starting trouble, and limp mode.

Hard acceleration in the rain can bring on a flashing check engine light and a loss of power that leaves the car unable to reach 40 mph on the freeway. A dealer linked this to water getting into the turbo intercooler, causing misfires and a safe mode, and it happened on a car with only 2000 miles. The other report is a transfer case spline failure at 44K miles that also required a new transmission.