2012 Acura TSX - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2012 Acura TSX has not been rated for overall safety by the NHTSA. However, it has received a 5-star rating for rollover protection, indicating good stability in such situations. The car is equipped with standard electronic stability control, which enhances its safety by helping the driver maintain control in challenging driving conditions. Unfortunately, it does not have forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems for added safety features.

Looking at the data provided, the Acura TSX has a relatively high number of complaints, with 125 registered. Additionally, there have been 6 recalls issued for this model, suggesting some potential issues that needed addressing by the manufacturer. Overall, while the car performs well in rollover tests and includes stability control, the number of complaints and recalls may raise some concerns about its safety and reliability.

auto generated summary, may be inaccurate.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

125

Recall Count

6

Investigation Count

1

Safety Rating

Not Rated

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Safety Features

2012 Acura TSX 4 DR FWD Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2012 Acura TSX 4 DR FWD

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2012 Acura TSX 4 DR FWD Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2012 Acura TSX 4 DR FWD Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2012 Score 2014 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 5 Not Rated Not Rated
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 Not Rated Not Rated

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2012 Score 2014 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 5 Not Rated Not Rated
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 4 Not Rated Not Rated
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2012 Score 2014 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated 5 5
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated

Complaints for the 2012 Acura TSX

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"complete failure of the electronic power steering system. warning bulletin and chime activated when car restarted at rest stop. there was no advance warning of imminent failure. steering was compromised and rendered undrivable. car was towed to a repair shop, who confirmed the failure of the steering system. if this event were to have happened 5 minutes before or after the incident, we would have been on the highway traveling at 65 to 70 miles an hour in a remote rural area"
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2025-05-05
Complaint:
"the electronic power steering component failed in the vehicle. no previous warning lights or problems with steering. had just parked car returned an hour later and warning light comes on. fortunately, i was pulling out of a parking place when the steering locked up. vehicle was towed to acura dealer and the service advisor stated it would be covered under 15 year extended warranty then called parts to locate part to be replaced. i was called the next morning and told vehicle would be ready by end of day, but a few hours later surprisingly, i was informed the part (power steering rack) was not covered and the cost would be $3,400. to add insult to injury was offered to have sales appraise my car so they could fix and resell!!! i only have 38,500 miles on my 2012 vehicle and now my vehicle is just sitting. this is a real issue there definitely should be a recall for this. i see numerous complaints regarding this, please investigate this safety issue."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2025-03-02
Complaint:
"eps, electronic power steering module failure. "check power steering system""
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2022-02-07
Complaint:
"the power steering alert light suddenly when i drive my friend on the road. turning the steering wheel becomes very difficult. i rushed over to the lawn by the side of the road and luckily there was no one and no trees. fortunately, no accident happened, and no one was hurt, but i am very worried and scared about driving this car again!!!!!! recall this car !!"
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2022-01-06
Complaint:
"i was driving my car home on 2/4/22 and the indicator light (check power steering system!) starting flashing and my steering was extremely hard to turn. i had to pullover in a parking lot and turned off the engine for a few minutes and the indicator light turned off and i was able to drive home. on 2/11, i was trying to pullout of my driveway and the indicator light went on again and i was unable to move the steering wheel. i turned off the engine and i tried again the next day and this time, the light remained on. i will need to tow the car to the dealership or mechanic to have it diagnosed."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2022-04-02
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 acura tsx. the contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the "power steering failure" message was displayed, and the steering wheel was very difficult to turn in either direction. the cause of the failure was not yet determined. the local dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled. the manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 101,273."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2021-01-11
Complaint:
"warning light to "check power steering "unexpectedly appears. loss of turning power suddenly occurs. no prior warnings exhibited. dangerous situation could lead to fatal results."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2021-12-12
Complaint:
"eps failure warning shows up on the cluster panel... the steering wheel locked almost making me crash my vehicle. the vehicle is not drivable right now. this incident it's been reported for many acura tsx owners before. are the manufacturers waiting for a fatal accident to happened?!?"
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2021-07-09
Complaint:
"while driving on the highway, a warning message to "check power steering!" appeared and the power steering deactivated completely. this left me suddenly in a very heavy and difficult to turn vehicle. i had to push/pull the wheel very hard to the right to slowly get it off the highway while barely missing other cars. this was a very unsettling/highly dangerous situation. i have researched the issue and found that this year/model car specifically has a well known issue with the power steering failing. this is absolutely a safety issue and needs to be recalled. acura has quoted $3800 to fix the problem! told me it is the entire power steering gearbox/assembly which implies it's something like a worn out motor , however the issue is intermittent and usually disappears once the car has fully cooled down, at least until it has heated up again at which point it will suddenly happen again at any time (typically after an hour or two at most). the fact it is an intermittent issue would suggest it is a computer related problem/wiring problem - aka ; defective part . car has only 105k miles and has never been mistreated not had any damage sustained nor have any serious potholes been hit. apparently acura is repairing problems with the eps unit under a lifetime warranty for that specific part, but not the steering gearbox. so they clearly recognize the defective nature of the power steering in this model/year car but want to minimize the cost to fix the problem by only warranting the cheaper of the possible power steering issues to fix while leaving any other issues up to the owner to pay out to fix. i cannot afford this so i effectively no longer have a vehicle.. spent 25k for this car and got 105k out.of it only.. thanks honda! i will never purchase another honda anything and will be sure to share this with anyone who will listen. unbelievable."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2020-08-08
Complaint:
"after turning right from an incomplete yet slow stop, i sped up to about 40 mph. the power steering went out and the light advising so came on the dashboard. *tr"
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2021-10-05

Recalls for the 2012 Acura TSX

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2014 honda insight and acura tsx and tsx wagon, 2014-2015 honda crosstour and pilot vehicles nationwide, as well as certain 2014 honda fcx clarity and fit ev vehicles in florida, hawaii, puerto rico, texas, alabama, georgia, louisiana, mississippi, south carolina, california, american samoa, guam, the northern mariana islands (saipan) and the u.s. virgin islands. honda is also recalling certain 2011-2013 acura tsx, tsx wagon and zdx, honda crosstour, insight, fit and pilot vehicles, 2011-2012 honda accord and 2011 honda civic ngv, civic, civic hybrid and cr-v vehicles in arizona, arkansas, delaware, the district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new jersey, new mexico, north carolina, ohio, oklahoma, pennsylvania, tennessee, virginia and west virginia. lastly, honda is recalling certain 2010-2013 acura tsx and zdx, honda crosstour, fit, insight and pilot, 2011-2013 tsx wagon, 2010-2012 honda accord and 2010-2011 honda..."
Consequence:
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy:

Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are M2J and S2K.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2018-09-27
Recall:
"honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 acura tsx, 2011-2014 tsx sport wagon, 2010-2013 zdx, 2008-2012 honda accord, 2010-2011 accord crosstour, 2006-2011 civic and civic hybrid, 2008-2010 civic gx ngv, 2012-2015 crosstour, 2007-2011 cr-v, 2009-2013 fit, 2014 fit ev, 2010-2014 insight, and 2009-2015 pilot vehicles. the vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling."
Consequence:
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy:

Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are F5F and Q5E.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2019-06-27
Recall:
"honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 acura tsx, 2011-2013 tsx sport wagon, and 2010-2012 zdx and 2008-2012 honda accord, 2010-2011 accord crosstour, 2006-2011 civic, civic hybrid and civic ngv, 2012-2014 crosstour, 2007-2011 cr-v, 2009-2013 fit, 2010-2013 insight, and 2009-2015 pilot vehicles. the front passenger air bag inflator may have been installed incorrectly during replacement."
Consequence:
An incorrectly installed air bag inflator may not properly deploy the passenger frontal air bag in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy:

Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the inflator installation and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are M4O, P4R, T4Q, and W4P.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2019-05-16
Recall:
"honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2010-2013 acura tsx, zdx, honda accord crosstour, fit, insight and pilot vehicles, 2011-13 acura tsx sportswagon, 2010-2012 honda accord,, 2010-2011 honda civic, civic ngv, civic hybrid and cr-v vehicles and 2013 honda fcx clarity and fit ev vehicles ever registered in the states of alabama, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, south carolina, texas, puerto rico, american samoa, guam, the northern mariana islands (saipan), and the u.s. virgin islands or "zone a." additionally, honda is recalling certain 2010-2012 acura tsx, honda accord, accord crosstour, fit and pilot, 2010-2011 honda civic, civic ngv, civic hybrid and cr-v, and 2010 acura zdx and honda insight vehicles ever registered in the states of arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new jersey, new mexico, north carolina, ohio, oklahoma, pennsylvania, tennessee, virginia, and west virginia or "zone b." unless..."
Consequence:
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy:

Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 16, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are B0K and L0J.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2018-01-09
Recall:
"honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2009-2012 acura tsx, 2011-2012 acura tsx wagon, 2010-2012 acura zdx, 2008-2012 honda accord, 2010-2012 honda accord crosstour and honda insight, 2009-2012 honda fit, 2009-2012 pilot, 2007-2011 honda cr-v, 2012 honda fcx clarity and 2006-2011 honda civic, civic hybrid, civic ngv vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in alabama, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, south carolina, texas, puerto rico, american samoa, guam, the northern mariana islands (saipan), and the u.s. virgin islands, or "zone a." additionally, if not included in "zone a" above, honda is recalling certain 2009 acura tsx, honda fit and pilot, 2008-2009 honda accord, 2006-2009 civic, civic hybrid and civic ngv, and 2007-2009 honda cr-v vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new jersey, new mexico, north carolina, ohio, oklahoma, pennsylvania, tennessee, virginia, and west..."
Consequence:
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy:

Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The manufacturer has mailed an interim notification, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KE1 and KE2.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2017-01-10
Recall:
"honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2008-2012 accord, 2010-2012 accord crosstour, 2006-2011 civic, 2007-2011 cr-v, 2009-2012 fit and pilot, 2010-2012 insight, and 2009-2012 acura tsx vehicles that received replacement passenger frontal air bag inflators. one dealership may have incorrectly installed the replacement air bag inflators."
Consequence:
In the event of a crash, an incorrectly installed passenger frontal air bag inflator may deploy the air bag improperly, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy:

Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are O07, Y0A, N06, G05, M04, Y01, and O09.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2017-08-31

ACURA Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

ACURA ranks 25 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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