See attached document for complaint.
2016 Acura Tlx
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2016 Acura Tlx do not stand out strongly from 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
57 reports with mileage · 53 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.
- Engine. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Power Train complaints
15 reportsRecall issued in January 2024 and still haven’t heard from Acura
Internal transmission error at 60,000 miles. All warning lights illuminated, no sign of transmission failure, but having to replace the entire transmission due to factory defect out of my own pocket.
My Catalac converter needs to be replace I took it in backin March because dash lights were on . It was covered under warranty barley made it the first time I took it into Acura they failed to look if it was covered for me . After a month of stress and research it was so I took it back to Acura with the paperwork and spoke to t…
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My Catalac converter needs to be replace I took it in backin March because dash lights were on . It was covered under warranty barley made it the first time I took it into Acura they failed to look if it was covered for me . After a month of stress and research it was so I took it back to Acura with the paperwork and spoke to the manager who checked it 2 times and said it wasn’t I handed him the paperwork n he was able to find it he ordered the part and said he’d give me my diagnosis fee back when the part comes in . I’ve been waiting 6 months for it now. Well now my engine block needs to be replaced wich is a bigger issue . And im barely over 80,000 miles the tech said everything looked up to date on car , there’s no reasonable explanation on Why this happen. And again the part I need is also on back order . Im carless and just over warranty timeframes I’ve only had the car about a year wth a car payment still . This is very frustrating
I shifted to sports mode plus while at a stop light on the Bay Bridge. After light turned green, I accelerated and my car stalled and wouldn't go past 20mph on the Bay Bridge which is dangerous, everyone was going about 60-75 mph. All of my hazard lights were on- my brake light, VSA light, Check Engine Etc. I went to the mechan…
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I shifted to sports mode plus while at a stop light on the Bay Bridge. After light turned green, I accelerated and my car stalled and wouldn't go past 20mph on the Bay Bridge which is dangerous, everyone was going about 60-75 mph. All of my hazard lights were on- my brake light, VSA light, Check Engine Etc. I went to the mechanic and he could not find anything wrong with my battery, transmission or accelerator. It seems like there is a glitch electronically but nothing has been done about. Several folks with 2016 TLX have reported this same issue. Its very dangerous and worrisome. Prior to this issue I had no messages/lights on that warned me of my vehicle needing service.
Was driving down interstate 70 at approximately 75 miles an hour. My cruise control was set and I was going up a small hill and out of nowhere my car decelerates down to about 50-60 miles an hour and it won't shift into gear/turn over and is making a grinding/revving noise. Almost all of the warning lamps and messages started fl…
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Was driving down interstate 70 at approximately 75 miles an hour. My cruise control was set and I was going up a small hill and out of nowhere my car decelerates down to about 50-60 miles an hour and it won't shift into gear/turn over and is making a grinding/revving noise. Almost all of the warning lamps and messages started flashing when this happened. There were cars behind me and next to me on the interstate when this happen and could have caused a serious crash given that the car decelerated and stopped functioning in the middle of the road. I had to pull over on the side of the interstate and I immediately called the dealership to see what was going on and if the car was safe to drive. I took my car to the Acura dealership either that same day or the next day and they claimed they didn't know what the issue was and told me that they reset the mainframe and that would take care of the issue. It did not take care of the issue and this problem has continued to happen multiple times. With the most recent time that this issue occurred they told me that I needed to buy a new battery and that would take care of the issue. I purchased a new battery and 2 days later the same thing as above happened again while driving 75 miles down the interstate the car decelerates and about causes me to crash. Prior to this situation happening in 2020, there was an issue with my battery and when my car would go into idle mode at stoplights/stop signs, it would die in the middle of the road and I would have to wait a few minutes before it would start back up.
AS I COME TO A SLOW DOWN AND A STOP MY CAR SURGES LIKE IT WANTS TO CONTINUE TO GO. MORE LESS FEELS LIKE IT JERKS OR A STALL.
MY CAR STALLED WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 75MPH. IT HAPPENED IN MAY, JULY, AND SEPTEMBER 2019. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE TACHOMETER REGISTERING THE RPMS DROPPED TO 1,000 AND STAYED THERE. AFTER PULLING OVER, SHUTTING THE CAR OFF, WAITING, AND RESTARTING THE CAR, THE VEHICLE PROCEE…
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MY CAR STALLED WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 75MPH. IT HAPPENED IN MAY, JULY, AND SEPTEMBER 2019. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE TACHOMETER REGISTERING THE RPMS DROPPED TO 1,000 AND STAYED THERE. AFTER PULLING OVER, SHUTTING THE CAR OFF, WAITING, AND RESTARTING THE CAR, THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO OPERATE AS NORMAL. MANY OF THE WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED DURING THIS INCIDENT. FINALLY, IN SEPTEMBER, MY CAR WAS UNDRIVEABLE AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DETERMINATION WAS THAT THE CAR NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. I'M STILL AWAITING FOR THE REPAIRS TO BE COMPLETED AT THIS TIME (NOVEMBER 13, 2019).
AGAIN, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH ON INTERSTATE ALL ERROR CODES ON DASHBOARD (MIL) LIT UP AND THE CAR BEGAN TO FEEL AS IF THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT ENGAGED AS IF I WAS IN NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE BEGAN LOOSING POWER. THE SPEED BEGAN DECREASING, BUT THEN WOULD CATCH FOR A FEW SECONDS. THE GEAR INDICATED THAT IT WAS IN DRIVE…
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AGAIN, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH ON INTERSTATE ALL ERROR CODES ON DASHBOARD (MIL) LIT UP AND THE CAR BEGAN TO FEEL AS IF THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT ENGAGED AS IF I WAS IN NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE BEGAN LOOSING POWER. THE SPEED BEGAN DECREASING, BUT THEN WOULD CATCH FOR A FEW SECONDS. THE GEAR INDICATED THAT IT WAS IN DRIVE. I PULLED OFF THE INTERSTATE & PARKED. I WAITED A FEW MINUTES & RESTARTED AND TRIED TO RE-ENGAGE IN DRIVE TO SEE IF IT RESET ITSELF AS IT HAS DONE IN THE PAST JUST 7 WEEKS PRIOR, HOWEVER IT JUST REVVED UP. I CALLED ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE AND HAD IT TOWED TO NEAREST DEALER AN HOUR AWAY AS AGAIN THE MECHANICAL BREAK DOWN OCCURRED WHILE I WAS TRAVELING IN BETWEEN CITIES. THE NEXT MORNING, THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO RETRIEVE THE ERROR CODES AND SAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED ANOTHER SOFTWARE UPDATE TO REPAIR THE ISSUE, THE COMPUTER WAS RESET . WHILE DRIVING HOME THE TRANSMISSION BECAME JUMPY AGAIN AROUND 3RD GEAR. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND MADE THEM AWARE OF MY SAFETY CONCERNS FOR THE CAR AS AGAIN, MY ENTIRE FAMILY (HUSBAND, KIDS AND DOGS) WERE IN THE CAR AND FELT AS IF THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN HORRIBLE ACCIDENT HAD I NOT SAFELY NAVIGATED OFF OF THE INTERSTATE WHILE AT SUCH A HIGH SPEED WITH HEAVY HOLIDAY TRAFFIC. THIS ERROR HAS DISPLAYED FOR TIMES AND EACH TIME THERE WAS A DIFFERENT SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM BESIDES HAVING 2 TRANSMISSION UPDATES, BAD BATTERY CELL AND REPLACED PUSH BUTTON GEAR ASSEMBLY. I HAVE DOCUMENTED ALL INCIDENTS AND REPORTED TO DEALERSHIP AS WELL AS ACURA CORPORATE. I CURRENTLY HAVE APPOINTMENT FOR NEXT WEEK SO THAT THEIR SERVICE ADVISER CAN TRY AND REPLICATE THIS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM TO DETERMINE WHAT THE ERROR IS. I'VE MADE THEM AWARE THAT THIS IS A DANGEROUS MECHANICAL ISSUE THAT NOT ONLY PUTS ME AND MY PASSENGERS IN DANGER BUT POSSIBLY OTHER CARS, BUT WAS ASSURED I DO NOT NEED A RENTAL UNTIL IT CAN BE SEEN AGAIN.
WHILE TRAVELING 75 MPH ON INTERSTATE MULTIPLE / ALL WARNING LIGHTS SUDDENLY ILLUMINATED ON DASH BOARD AND THE CAR PLACED ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL FROM DRIVE POSITION. UPON COMING TO REST CAR WAS PLACED INTO PARK ALONG SHOULDER AND WHEN DRIVE WAS SELECTED IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE. VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND ALLOWED TO SIT FOR SEVERAL MINU…
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WHILE TRAVELING 75 MPH ON INTERSTATE MULTIPLE / ALL WARNING LIGHTS SUDDENLY ILLUMINATED ON DASH BOARD AND THE CAR PLACED ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL FROM DRIVE POSITION. UPON COMING TO REST CAR WAS PLACED INTO PARK ALONG SHOULDER AND WHEN DRIVE WAS SELECTED IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE. VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND ALLOWED TO SIT FOR SEVERAL MINUTES BEFORE RESTARTING AGAIN. AGAIN IT WOULD NOT ALLOW TO GO INTO DRIVE. TOW TRUCK WAS DISPATCHED AND AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES CAR WAS ABLE TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE. VEHICLE WAS THEN DRIVEN ABOUT 1/8 MILE ALONG SHOULDER TO VISIBLE REAR STOP ENTRANCE. WE WAITED FOR TOW TO TRUCK TO ARRIVE. CAR WAS RESTARTED AND WOULD NOT ENGAGE INTO DRIVE OR NEUTRAL WHEN ATTEMPTING TO LOAD ONTO TOW TRUCK. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS NEUTRAL AND DRIVE EVENTUALLY ENGAGED. CAR WAS TAKEN TO NEAREST DEALER JUST BEFORE CLOSE BEFORE MAJOR HOLIDAY. RECIEVED CALL FROM DEALER STATING THAT THE CAUSE OF ALL THIS WAS DEAD BATTERY. UNKNOWN TO THEM BATTERY WAS REPLACED Y MONTHS PRIOR. ALSO I HAVE DTS REPORT SHOWING MULTIPLE MALFUNCTIONS AND ERRORS. I FEEL THAT IF ALL THIS CAN HAPPEN BY HAVING A DEAD BATTERY (THAT SOMEHOW ALLOWS YOU TO RESTART YOUR CAR MULTIPLE TIMES AFTER INITIAL MALFUNCTION) THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. I CALLED DEALERSHIP BACK AND ASKED THEM TO DOUBLE CHECK DIAGNOSIS AND ALSO CHECK ALTERNATOR BEING THAT THE BATTERY IS ONLY 6 MONTHS OLD.
Official recalls
323V858000 · 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.
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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