2008 Acura TSX: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 34 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is steering (47% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · latest recall Oct 2019
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 34 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The contact owns a 2008 Acura TSX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to complete a turn, an abnormal amount of effort was needed to turn the steering wheel. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed that the power steering fluid was abnormally low. Upon refilling the power steering fluid reservoir, the contact observed a leak in the power steering hose. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 198,231.”Owner report · Steering · Sep 2023
“While driving I noticed my car completely lost all of its power steering in one shot without warning. This leads to very stiff driving experience and when I brought it too the mechanic he said it would be a substantial amount of money to fix, because of this I googled and noticed many other acura tsx's have this issue. I applied power steering fluid in hope of that helping out but it just leaked out.”Owner report · Steering · Sep 2019
“Day 1-2 of this issue: squeaky sound with steering, short drives of a few mins each- (with my child in the car). Parked car in garage. Day 3: could not get vehicle out of the garage as the steering was extremely hard, harder to left than right. No fluid found on garage floor. Had vehicle towed to dealership to diagnose. I was told it was the power steering rack but was not told exactly how it was failing but he did mention he sees this 'a lot'. Car was purchased and driven in maryland/dc/n. Va (unsure if car was properly treated against the substance to melt ice). I'm glad this did not happen while driving with my child but if indeed a faulty mechanism, why isn't acura recalling?”Owner report · Steering · Apr 2019
Show 7 more owner reports
“I noticed that the vehicle began making a grinding noise, at approximately 120 000 miles as read by the odometer, when making turns and slips. The driver side pinion boot is leaking and a grinding noise can be heard from the the rack and pinion when turning the wheel with the car on jack stands.”Owner report · Steering · Jan 2019
“My car has been stalling during various speeds which almost caused an accident on several occasion. After stalling, I am able to start the car without any issues but will constantly stall on the go. There is currently a recall (NHTSA # 13v-093) on the vehicle's ecu for the eastern u.s. Due to corrosion. My car is currently in guam which could highly have the same result as this recall due to salt water corrosion. Please look into this matter and possibly extend the recall to other parts of the state and territories within the coastal areas.”Owner report · Engine · Aug 2017
“Had the power steering hose recall done in 2014 (recall number sb10-010). Now in 2017 came out to drive car and found all power steering fluid leaked and car had no power steering when trying to drive it. Car drove and power steering was perfectly fine the day before. Also just had a multi point inspection 4 months prior at acura dealership which found no issues with power steering.”Owner report · Steering · May 2017
“Power steering started to fail all of a sudden. Was not able to steer at all. The dealer told me it was caused by the rack and pinion going out which also affected the power steering pump to fail. This should not happen when the car itself was driven only 60k plus miles and the car was always well taken care of through the dealership. I paid 3,000 dollars to get this fixed! There are multiple cases regarding rack and pinion power steering issues from the acura tsx. There should be a recall from acura a long time ago. This issue must be resolved asap.”Owner report · Steering · Apr 2016
“My tsx has 58,469 miles and has always been serviced at an acura dealership. About 6 months ago during a routine service the service advisor pointed out that the rack and pinion was leaking. The advisor said that the leak came from the seals and that this was a common issue on the tsx's. Given that the veh has such low mileage and having been serviced at the dealer this issue should not occur. Rack and pinions are designed to last much longer. Doing a quick research online I came across multiple stories from tsx owners experiencing the same issue and some resulting in accidents occurring. I have all the service records and would be happy to share them or any additional details you may need.”Owner report · Steering · Apr 2016
“Tl* the contact owns a 2008 acura tsx. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator remained illuminated. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 16v346000 (air bags). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 142,000.”Owner report · Air Bags · Apr 2016
“While driving the car on the highway, it became increasingly hard to steer. By the time I got home the steering wheel couldn't be turned. Had it taken to the dealer where it was noted that the power steering was completely inoperable, the rack and pinion was leaking and the power steering pump was leaking. Dealer said that my VIN hadn't been affected by the previous power steering hose recall. It cost $1500 for the repair and it seems a little fishy to me that so many tsx drivers are reporting the same issue.”Owner report · Steering · Aug 2015
When filing, owners marked a crash in 3 of these complaints and injuries in 2 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
Dorman Products, Inc. (Dorman) is recalling certain Accelerator Pedal Assemblies part numbers 699-114 and 825-5029-1, sold as replacement parts for 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2004-2008 Acura TL and TSX, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2007-2011 Honda Element, 2005-2008 Honda Pilot and 2006-2014 Honda Ridgeline vehicles. The rotating portion of the accelerator pedal assembly may bind. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 124, "Accelerator Control Systems."
Remedy: Dorman will notify owners, and qualified service facilities will replace the affected accelerator pedal assemblies, free of charge. The recall began December 9, 2019. Owners may contact Dorman customer service at 1-800-523-2492, using option 5. Dorman's number for this recall is AS1019XXXX.
Honda is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 Acura TSX vehicles originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. In states that use corrosive materials for deicing, driver's footwear may bring in materials that saturate the vehicle's carpeting, which is in contact with the vehicle's engine Electronic Control Unit (ECU). As a result, the ECU case may experience rust or corrosion. This damage may potentially cause the engine to stall.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners and Acura dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace any damaged ECU, free of charge. All vehicles will have a waterproof cover installed onto the ECU, free of charge. The recall began during April 2013. Owners may contact Acura Client Relations at 1-800-382-2238 and select option 4 or go to www.recalls.acura.com.
HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 THROUGH 2008 ACURA TSX PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 25, 2002 AND FEBRUARY 13, 2008. PROLONGED HIGH UNDER HOOD TEMPERATURES MAY CAUSE THE POWER STEERING HOSE TO DETERIORATE PREMATURELY AND MAY CAUSE THE HOSE TO CRACK AND LEAK POWER STEERING OIL.
Remedy: HONDA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN MAY 28, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ACURA CLIENT SERVICES AT 1-800-382-2238.
How other years compare
Check your exact TSX by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Acura TSX reliable?
NHTSA has 34 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2008 Acura TSX. The most complained-about area is steering (47% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2008 Acura TSX problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 64,000 miles or less.
Does the 2008 Acura TSX have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.