PUSH BUTTON START OFTEN IN COLD WEATHER WILL NOT START CAR. HOWEVER, REMOTE ENGINE START FUNCTION ON THE REMOTE WILL WORK. IF CAR WAS RUNNING AND THEN TURNED OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES IN COLD, THE CAR WILL NOT RESTART UNLESS DONE THROUGH REMOTE START
2015 Acura Tlx
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Tlx years
Owner complaints for the 2015 Acura Tlx are substantially higher than the model-year median of 65.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Tlx years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
231 reports with mileage · 110 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 160 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 82 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 64 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Engine complaints
82 reportsALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER BOUGHT I NOTICED MY 2015 ACURA TLX 3.5L V6 JERKED SIGNIFICANTLY BETWEEN GEARS 1-3. I HAVE A ONE-HOUR COMMUTE EACH WAY IN STOP-AND-GO FREEWAY TRAFFIC, AND THE PROBLEM IS HUGELY ANNOYING. FREQUENTLY IT JERKS SO HARD THAT MY HEAD HITS THE HEADREST REPEATEDLY. I FEEL LIKE SOMEONE REAR ENDING SLOWLY, AT THE E…
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ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER BOUGHT I NOTICED MY 2015 ACURA TLX 3.5L V6 JERKED SIGNIFICANTLY BETWEEN GEARS 1-3. I HAVE A ONE-HOUR COMMUTE EACH WAY IN STOP-AND-GO FREEWAY TRAFFIC, AND THE PROBLEM IS HUGELY ANNOYING. FREQUENTLY IT JERKS SO HARD THAT MY HEAD HITS THE HEADREST REPEATEDLY. I FEEL LIKE SOMEONE REAR ENDING SLOWLY, AT THE END OF MY COMMUTE, I'M WIPED OUT FROM ALL THE JERKING BACK-AND-FORTH. THE DEALER SAYS ACURA IS CALLING THIS "A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE" FOR WHICH THERE IS NO FIX. APPARENTLY I JUST HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT; EVEN THOUGH ACURA HAS EXTENDED-THE WARRANTY FOR 10 YEARS OF PERIOD SEEMS LIKE ACURA DEALERSHIP DOESN'T REALLY WANNA DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I WENT FEW ACURA DEALERSHIPS AND SHOW THEM THE RECALL NOTICE WHICH RECEIVED IN THE MAIL STILL SERVICE ADVISORS REFUSING DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE FOR FREE ALL THEY TELLING IS CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND PAY FOR THE DIAGNOSES. MY CAR ENGINE WAS OVERHEATED DUE TO ATF COOLANT FAN MALFUNCTION EVEN THOUGH ACURA HAD A RECALL ON ATF COOLANT, ACURA DEALERS MADE ME PAY $900. THIS CAR WILL DEFINITELY BE MY LAST ACURA IF THIS ISSUE DOES NOT GET RESOLVED. THE THOUGHT OF SPENDING REST OF THE YEARS GETTING MY HEAD BANGED AGAINST THE HEADREST IN A $40,000 CAR IS EXTREMELY UNETHICAL AND DEPRESSING. PLEASE BE KIND ENOUGH TO BE HELP ME OUT TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE WHICH IN A QUICK MANNER FOR MINE & OTHERS SAFETY CONCERN.
I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER 3 TIMES (FEB 2018, JULY 2018 AND NOV 18) FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. EACH TIME THE VEHICLE STALLS AND MUST BET INTO PARK AND RESTARTED WHEN AT A STOP SIGN, STOP LIGHT OR STOPPED FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION ON THE HIGHWAY. THE AUTOMATIC IDLE CAUSES THE CAR TO STALL. IN ORDER TO GET IT GOING MUST SHIFT …
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I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER 3 TIMES (FEB 2018, JULY 2018 AND NOV 18) FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. EACH TIME THE VEHICLE STALLS AND MUST BET INTO PARK AND RESTARTED WHEN AT A STOP SIGN, STOP LIGHT OR STOPPED FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION ON THE HIGHWAY. THE AUTOMATIC IDLE CAUSES THE CAR TO STALL. IN ORDER TO GET IT GOING MUST SHIFT INTO PARK AND RESTART. IT IS VERY FRIGHTENING BECAUSE IT HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY. THIS HAPPENS WITH NO WARNING AND PRESENTS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE CAR IS NOT SAFE AND IS A HAZARD.
ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS, I HAVE WENT TO START MY CAR AND THE CAR'S KEYLESS ENTRY OPTION WILL WORK AND THE LIGHTS, RADIO, AC, ALL OF THAT WILL TURN ON BUT THE CAR'S ENGINE WILL NOT TURNOVER. CONSEQUENTLY, I HAVE HAD TO HAVE MY CAR JUMP STARTED FOR IT TO COMPLETELY TURN OVER. OTHER TIMES, ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS WILL COME ON AND SA…
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ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS, I HAVE WENT TO START MY CAR AND THE CAR'S KEYLESS ENTRY OPTION WILL WORK AND THE LIGHTS, RADIO, AC, ALL OF THAT WILL TURN ON BUT THE CAR'S ENGINE WILL NOT TURNOVER. CONSEQUENTLY, I HAVE HAD TO HAVE MY CAR JUMP STARTED FOR IT TO COMPLETELY TURN OVER. OTHER TIMES, ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS WILL COME ON AND SAY THAT ALL THE SAFETY FEATURES INCLUDING, LKAS, BLIND-SPOT MONITOR, BRAKE HOLD, STEERING, ETC. SYSTEMS HAVE FAILED AND ALL WARNING/ERROR LIGHTS/MESSAGES WILL POP UP AND THEN WILL GO AWAY AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN TURNED OFF FOR 10-15 MINUTES.
MY CAR LOST MOTIVE POWER WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 20-25 MILES PER HOUR ON A CITY STREET. I WAS TURNING TOWARDS THE RIGHT INTO A ROUNDABOUT WHEN THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE EVEN THOUGH I WAS PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL. THE CAR CONTINUED TO COAST FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN THE ENGINE STARTED AGAIN. I DO NOT THINK THE CAR WENT INTO N…
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MY CAR LOST MOTIVE POWER WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 20-25 MILES PER HOUR ON A CITY STREET. I WAS TURNING TOWARDS THE RIGHT INTO A ROUNDABOUT WHEN THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE EVEN THOUGH I WAS PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL. THE CAR CONTINUED TO COAST FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN THE ENGINE STARTED AGAIN. I DO NOT THINK THE CAR WENT INTO NEUTRAL BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE TO PUSH THE IGNITION START BUTTON.
ENGINE FAILED TO RESTART DURING 'AUTO IDLE-STOP/START' AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT ON A BUSY ROAD. IN ORDER TO RESTART I HAD TO PRESS THE 'START' BUTTON MULTIPLE TIMES AND RETURN THE CAR TO 'PARK' BEFORE BEING ABLE TO RESUME OPERATION.
THE TRANSMISSION IS EXTREMELY JUMPY, ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS COME ON AND FLASH, ALONG WITH THE ENGINE WILL POWER DOWN TEMPORARILY. FOR EXAMPLE ONE TIME I WAS GOING APPROX 50MPH AND IT POWERED DOWN TO ABOUT 30 MPH ON THE FREEWAY. ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS START FLASHING, I PULLED OVER TURNED THE CAR OFF AND THEN RESTARTED IT. T…
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THE TRANSMISSION IS EXTREMELY JUMPY, ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS COME ON AND FLASH, ALONG WITH THE ENGINE WILL POWER DOWN TEMPORARILY. FOR EXAMPLE ONE TIME I WAS GOING APPROX 50MPH AND IT POWERED DOWN TO ABOUT 30 MPH ON THE FREEWAY. ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS START FLASHING, I PULLED OVER TURNED THE CAR OFF AND THEN RESTARTED IT. THE WARNING LIGHTS REMAINED FLASHING BUT THE ENGINE FUNCTIONED BUT THE TRANSMISSION STILL WAS JERKY. THIS WAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 5 SEPARATE TIMES AND WE HAVE HAD IT IN SERVICE WITH ACURA SEVERAL TIMES AND EACH TIME THEY TRY TO FIX THE SAME COMPLAINTS WITH A DIFFERENT FIX. MOST RECENTLY WE HAD IT IN FOR REPAIR FOR A WEEK, WE GOT IT BACK, DROVE IT 200 MILES AND THE SAME ERROR HAPPENED. ACURA FINALLY AGREED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND I JUST PICKED IT BACK UP ON 1/6/17 AND THE SAME ERROR AND TRANSMISSION ISSUE OCCURRED TODAY. WE HAVE NOTIFIED THE DEALERSHIP, THE NMVB, ACURA CUSTOMER RELATIONS, AND NOW WE ARE REACHING OUT TO THE NHTSA. WE DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE AND WE ARE AFRAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION WILL IDLE DOWN AGAIN ON THE FREEWAY BUT MAYBE IN A LANE THAT WE CANNOT IMMEDIATELY PULL OVER SAFELY.
MY NAME IS [XXX] , IN 2014 I WALKED INTO MARIN ACURA (LOCATED IN MARIN, CALIFORNIA) AND LEASED A 2015 ACURA TLX. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY AN EXCITING MODEL DUE TO IT REDESIGN. WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF MY LEASE I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER IN THE MAIL STATING THAT THEIR WAS A DEFECT IN REGARDS TO THE TRANSMISSION. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE …
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MY NAME IS [XXX] , IN 2014 I WALKED INTO MARIN ACURA (LOCATED IN MARIN, CALIFORNIA) AND LEASED A 2015 ACURA TLX. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY AN EXCITING MODEL DUE TO IT REDESIGN. WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF MY LEASE I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER IN THE MAIL STATING THAT THEIR WAS A DEFECT IN REGARDS TO THE TRANSMISSION. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY "FIXED" IT AND SENT ME ON MY WAY. ONE YEAR LATER, AGAIN, I RECEIVED A LETTER IN THE MAIL FROM THE AUTOMOBILE DEVISION LOCATED AT YOUR CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS AT 1919 TORRANCE BLVD, CA (NHTSA RECALL # 16V-640). THE LETTER CLEARLY STATES ?IF THIS MALFUNCTION WERE TO OCCUR, IT COULD RESULT IN AN UNEXPECTED LOSS OF MOTOR POWER, WHICH COULD REDUCE VEHICLE CONTROL AND INCREASES THE RISK OF A CRASH?. IT ALSO STATES THAT THE ?FIX? WILL BECOME AVAILABLE DECEMBER 2016, TODAYS DATE IS NOVEMBER 7TH, 2016. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THIS VEHICLE FOR 2 OUT OF MY 3 YEAR LEASE AND THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN RECALLED TWICE CONSISTENTLY EVERY YEAR. I HAVE PUT MY TWO CHILDREN AND WIFE INTO THIS VEHICLE NOW KNOWING THAT THE CAR COULD HAVE POSSIBLY PUT MY FAMILY AND MYSELF IN PHYSICAL DANGER AND EVEN DEATH. NOT BECAUSE DRIVING IS DANGEROUS BUT BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURING DEFECTS WITH THE TRANSMISSION OF THIS ACURA MODEL AND YEAR. I CANNOT DESCRIBE WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO HAVE THAT ON THE MIND OF A PARENT. I SEE THIS BEING HANDLED IN ONE WAY. ACURA TAKES AWAY THE CAR AND REFUNDS ME MY TOTAL VEHICLE LEASE INVESTMENT ALONG WITH MY DOWN PAYMENT. PLEASE TAKE THIS MATTER INTO SERIOUS CONSIDERATION AS I AM FULLY PREPARED TO LEGALLY ESCALATE THIS MATTER BEYOND THE CONSUMER-COMPANY LEVEL. I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW MANY ACURA 2015 TLXS THERE ARE NATION WIDE. THIS EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN A DISASTER FINANCIALLY, EMOTIONALLY AND ACCORDING TO ACURA POTENTIALLY PHYSICALLY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
2 DIFFERENT TIMES WHILE DRIVING I75( 30-45MPH HEAVY TRAFFIC) AND THEN I16 (55 -60 MPH RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC) THE CAR STALLS ALL LIGHTS FLASH OFF THEN BACK ON AND DASHBOARD LIGHTS UP FIRST SAYING BREAKS THE TRANSMISSION, STABILITY CONTROL. FIRST TIME TECH SAID FLUKE LOW VOLTAGE, SECOND SAID CAR DOWN SHIFTS TO 4TH GEAR AND GETS STUCK.
I OWN A 2015 TLX V4 TECH AND THERE SEEMS TO BE AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM, WHICH THE DEALERSHIPS SEEMS TO NEGLECT, WITH THE TRANSMISSION. I'VE HAD MY VEHICLE CHECKED OUT 2 TIMES SINCE I FIRST PURCHASED IT BACK IN JULY OF 2015, AND THE DEALERSHIP TECH. SPECIALISTS KNOW IT IS THERE BUT THEY AREN'T ABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM EVEN THROUGH …
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I OWN A 2015 TLX V4 TECH AND THERE SEEMS TO BE AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM, WHICH THE DEALERSHIPS SEEMS TO NEGLECT, WITH THE TRANSMISSION. I'VE HAD MY VEHICLE CHECKED OUT 2 TIMES SINCE I FIRST PURCHASED IT BACK IN JULY OF 2015, AND THE DEALERSHIP TECH. SPECIALISTS KNOW IT IS THERE BUT THEY AREN'T ABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM EVEN THROUGH A "SOFTWARE UPDATE". THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE VEHICLE JERKS FORWARD, SOMETIME WHEN MAKING A STOP IT LAUNCHES FORWARD- AS IF SOMEONE HAD REAR-ENDED ME. THE SECONDARY PROBLEM IS THAT WHEN I MERGE ONTO THE FREEWAY THERE IS A MAJOR LAG AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILS TO SHIFT. TAKES ABOUT 3 SECONDS TO ENGAGE TO FULL SPEED WHICH IN TERMS IT'S EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS BECAUSE OF OF OTHER VEHICLES THAT CEASE TO SLOWDOWN AND GIVE ME THE RIGHT-OF-WAY. I DEMAND THE MANUFACTURER BE AWARE OF THIS ISSUES THAT I CONTEMPLATE ON A DAILY BASIS BEFORE SOMETHING TRAGIC HAPPENS TO ME OR MY FELLOW TLX DRIVERS.
Official recalls
623V858000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump
Dec 18, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
23V751000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:hard Parts Internal/mechanical
Nov 13, 2023
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.
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. 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed in mid-December 2024. Honda began mailing owner notification letters as of March 18, 2024. 2015-2016 Acura owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-December 2024, 2018 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed the end of March/early April 2024, 2019 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-May 2024, 2020 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-June 2024, and 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed January 27, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XG1 and GG0.
19V060000 · Fuel System, Other:delivery:fuel Pump
Jan 29, 2019
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Acura MDX, 2015-2019 Acura TLX and 2015-2017 Honda Accord vehicles, equipped with a 3.5L V6 engine. Particulates in fuel may adhere to the internal components of the fuel pump, reducing its performance.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Reduced fuel pump performance can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the fuel injection engine control unit (FI-ECU) software and, if necessary, replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began March 25, 2019. Owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's recall number for this recall is P3W. Honda's recall number for this recall is N3X.
16V640000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Sep 6, 2016
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2015 Acura TLX 2WD and 4WD vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the transmission wire harness connections may have insufficient crimps, and, as a result, the transmission may unexpectedly shift to neutral.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the vehicle unexpectedly shifts to neutral, there is an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy: Acura has notified owners, and dealers will, based on the automatic transmission serial number, update the transmission software to prevent the transmission from shifting into neutral due to a faulty crimp, free of charge. The recall began January 13, 2017. Owners may contact Acura Client Relations at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KC2.
14V779000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Dec 8, 2014
American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2015 Acura TLX V6 2WD vehicles manufactured July 14, 2014, to November 12, 2014, and certain 2015 TLX V6 SH-AWD vehicles manufactured August 26, 2014, to November 10, 2014. The automatic transmission parking pawl may become contaminated or the park rod may become dislodged or broken. This may prevent the transmission from shifting into the Park position.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the shift indicator displays "Park" but the park lock does not engage, the vehicle may roll away increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the transmission if necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 30, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-310-783-2000. Honda's number for this recall is JM8.
14V613000 · Equipment:other:labels
Oct 1, 2014
American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2015 Acura TLX AWD vehicles manufactured August 26, 2014, to September 20, 2014. The affected vehicles may have incorrect values for the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) front and rear printed on the safety certification label. As such, the vehicles do not conform to Part 567, "Certification."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the vehicle is loaded to the specifications listed on the label, tire failure may result, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected certification label, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on October 21, 2014. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-382-2238. Honda's number for this recall is JK6.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA25004 · No Restart After Auto Start/stop Engages
Opened Mar 26, 2025 · No close date supplied
Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine; Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:crank/camshaft Position Sensor; Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:engine Control Module (ecu/ecm):software; Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:hard Parts Internal/mechanical
On June 3, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several field 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 traffic light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5L engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission. On January 6, 2023, Honda released service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. These service bulletins address the failure to restart issue in the 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles, as well as the 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2019-2022 Honda Passport, and 2020-2023 Honda Ridgeline vehicles. The repair outlined in the service bulletins is a two-stage countermeasure to remedy the issue. The first stage is a Programmed Fuel Injection (“PGM-FI”) software update. The second stage is only deployed if the software update fails to remedy the issue. The second stage, depending on the model and model year, consists of replacement of the starter assembly, starter relays, and a valve adjustment. Additionally, Honda extended the warranty coverage to 10 years with unlimited mileage for vehicles requiring the second stage component replacement. ODI continues to receive complaints of the AIS failure to restart, with many complainants alleging the campaign countermeasures had been completed.NHTSA has reviewed Honda's Information Request Letter responses involving warranty claims, lawsuits, and consumer complaints in addition to ODI's own data. This Engineering Analysis is being opened to further consider the potential safety defect, including gathering additional data regarding Honda’s service campaign efficacy. ODI is additionally expanding the scope to encompass all vehicles addressed in Honda’s service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009 as well as newer model year vehicles, which are substantially similar to the vehicles covered by the service campaign. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Additional source detail variants (4)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:crank/camshaft Position Sensor
On June 3, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several field 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 traffic light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5L engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission. On January 6, 2023, Honda released service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. These service bulletins address the failure to restart issue in the 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles, as well as the 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2019-2022 Honda Passport, and 2020-2023 Honda Ridgeline vehicles. The repair outlined in the service bulletins is a two-stage countermeasure to remedy the issue. The first stage is a Programmed Fuel Injection (“PGM-FI”) software update. The second stage is only deployed if the software update fails to remedy the issue. The second stage, depending on the model and model year, consists of replacement of the starter assembly, starter relays, and a valve adjustment. Additionally, Honda extended the warranty coverage to 10 years with unlimited mileage for vehicles requiring the second stage component replacement. ODI continues to receive complaints of the AIS failure to restart, with many complainants alleging the campaign countermeasures had been completed.NHTSA has reviewed Honda's Information Request Letter responses involving warranty claims, lawsuits, and consumer complaints in addition to ODI's own data. This Engineering Analysis is being opened to further consider the potential safety defect, including gathering additional data regarding Honda’s service campaign efficacy. ODI is additionally expanding the scope to encompass all vehicles addressed in Honda’s service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009 as well as newer model year vehicles, which are substantially similar to the vehicles covered by the service campaign. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:engine Control Module (ecu/ecm):software
On June 3, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several field 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 traffic light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5L engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission. On January 6, 2023, Honda released service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. These service bulletins address the failure to restart issue in the 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles, as well as the 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2019-2022 Honda Passport, and 2020-2023 Honda Ridgeline vehicles. The repair outlined in the service bulletins is a two-stage countermeasure to remedy the issue. The first stage is a Programmed Fuel Injection (“PGM-FI”) software update. The second stage is only deployed if the software update fails to remedy the issue. The second stage, depending on the model and model year, consists of replacement of the starter assembly, starter relays, and a valve adjustment. Additionally, Honda extended the warranty coverage to 10 years with unlimited mileage for vehicles requiring the second stage component replacement. ODI continues to receive complaints of the AIS failure to restart, with many complainants alleging the campaign countermeasures had been completed.NHTSA has reviewed Honda's Information Request Letter responses involving warranty claims, lawsuits, and consumer complaints in addition to ODI's own data. This Engineering Analysis is being opened to further consider the potential safety defect, including gathering additional data regarding Honda’s service campaign efficacy. ODI is additionally expanding the scope to encompass all vehicles addressed in Honda’s service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009 as well as newer model year vehicles, which are substantially similar to the vehicles covered by the service campaign. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:hard Parts Internal/mechanical
On June 3, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several field 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 traffic light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5L engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission. On January 6, 2023, Honda released service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. These service bulletins address the failure to restart issue in the 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles, as well as the 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2019-2022 Honda Passport, and 2020-2023 Honda Ridgeline vehicles. The repair outlined in the service bulletins is a two-stage countermeasure to remedy the issue. The first stage is a Programmed Fuel Injection (“PGM-FI”) software update. The second stage is only deployed if the software update fails to remedy the issue. The second stage, depending on the model and model year, consists of replacement of the starter assembly, starter relays, and a valve adjustment. Additionally, Honda extended the warranty coverage to 10 years with unlimited mileage for vehicles requiring the second stage component replacement. ODI continues to receive complaints of the AIS failure to restart, with many complainants alleging the campaign countermeasures had been completed.NHTSA has reviewed Honda's Information Request Letter responses involving warranty claims, lawsuits, and consumer complaints in addition to ODI's own data. This Engineering Analysis is being opened to further consider the potential safety defect, including gathering additional data regarding Honda’s service campaign efficacy. ODI is additionally expanding the scope to encompass all vehicles addressed in Honda’s service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009 as well as newer model year vehicles, which are substantially similar to the vehicles covered by the service campaign. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
On June 3, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several field 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 traffic light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5L engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission. On January 6, 2023, Honda released service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. These service bulletins address the failure to restart issue in the 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles, as well as the 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2019-2022 Honda Passport, and 2020-2023 Honda Ridgeline vehicles. The repair outlined in the service bulletins is a two-stage countermeasure to remedy the issue. The first stage is a Programmed Fuel Injection (“PGM-FI”) software update. The second stage is only deployed if the software update fails to remedy the issue. The second stage, depending on the model and model year, consists of replacement of the starter assembly, starter relays, and a valve adjustment. Additionally, Honda extended the warranty coverage to 10 years with unlimited mileage for vehicles requiring the second stage component replacement. ODI continues to receive complaints of the AIS failure to restart, with many complainants alleging the campaign countermeasures had been completed.NHTSA has reviewed Honda's Information Request Letter responses involving warranty claims, lawsuits, and consumer complaints in addition to ODI's own data. This Engineering Analysis is being opened to further consider the potential safety defect, including gathering additional data regarding Honda’s service campaign efficacy. ODI is additionally expanding the scope to encompass all vehicles addressed in Honda’s service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009 as well as newer model year vehicles, which are substantially similar to the vehicles covered by the service campaign. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
EA19001 · Electrical Overstress
Opened Apr 19, 2019 · Closed Sep 19, 2024
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module
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. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW. The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with manufacturer design specifications. The ECU in the subject vehicles contains a model DS84 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which controls the communication of the crash sensor signal, firing commands (i.e., when to deploy the airbag(s) and/or pretensioners), and fault information (e.g., diagnostic trouble codes). In September 2016, FCA announced recall 16V-668 for certain model year (MY) 2010 to 2014 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products manufactured with the subject ZF-TRW ACU. In this recall, FCA discussed an EOS condition that resulted in a failure of the subject DS84 ASIC, which caused air bag non-deployment. FCA noted that the defect condition had only been observed in vehicles equipped with sensor harnessing routed across the front of the vehicle. Other FCA vehicles that also used the subject ACU, but were not equipped with cross-car harnessing, had not experienced EOS failures, despite similar time in service. During the course of this investigation, ODI sent two separate Information Request (IR) letters to six vehicle manufactures (including FCA, Hyundai, Honda, Kia, Mitsubishi, and Toyota) and one IR letter to ZF-TRW. These IR letters resulted in ODI receiving comprehensive data from these manufacturers and suppliers. Studies of this data found that the DS84 ASIC does not have sufficient protection against negative electrical transients or electrical overstress (“EOS”) that can be generated in certain severe crashes. An electrical transient occurs when the electrical power supplied to a circuit changes momentarily over a short duration of time. In these severe crash cases, the crash sensors and other powered wiring can be damaged and short circuited so as to create a negative electrical transient of sufficient intensity and duration (that are outside the vehicle manufacturer's specification) to damage the ASIC before the restraint device deployment signal is received by the SRS ECU. This damaged signal can lead to incomplete or nondeployment of the air bags and/or pretensioners. Airbag non-deployment and/or lack of pretensioner operation can increase the risk or severity of injury in a crash.A total of 8 fatalities and 14 injuries were associated with known EOS events. The common element in all investigated manufacturers vehicles is the SRS ECU containing a DS84 ASIC manufactured by ZF-TRW. The risk associated with the ASIC is equally shared among all OEMS involved in the investigation. The actual real-world risk can be mitigated by other factors which were assessed by ODI during this investigation. The first mitigating factor involves protections built into the ACU design which protect the DS84 ASIC from damage. There are multiple strategies and levels of protection employed by different OEMs that provide effective EOS mitigation. The two most common strategies at the ACU level are circuit protection diodes on the remote senor signal lines, and current limiting resistors that protect critical components. The second mitigating factor is found at the vehicle level and involves the location and routing of the wires leading from the crash sensors to the SRS ECU. If the wires are well protected in a crash and are not routed with other power wires carrying large currents, the risk for an EOS event is significantly reduced or eliminated. These design specific factors combine to produce a spectrum of risk for the vehicles equipped with ACUs using the DS84 ASIC. Given the many of years of field exposure, it is possible to divide the subject population into two groups; vehicles which have experienced EOS events, and vehicles which have not experienced EOS field events. Four of the six OEMs involved in this investigation have experienced EOS field events on at least one of their models equipped with a DS84 ASIC. All vehicle models (including the Toyota models identified in the Failure Report Summary of the opening resume for this investigation) with field events have been recalled. In an abundance of caution, ODI kept this investigation open five years to monitor field performance and did not identify any field events on vehicles not included in existing safety recalls. Given the spectrum of risk identified in this investigation and that all vehicles with a demonstrated unreasonable risk have been recalled, ODI is closing this investigation. ODI is closing this investigation with the following manufacturer safety recalls: 16V-668, 18E-043, 18V-137, 18V-363, and 20V-024. With the recall actions taken by the subject vehicle and equipment manufacturers, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exists on other model or model year vehicles outside of the recall scopes. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
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