Which year to buy
Bar height: serious owner complaints to NHTSA for that year per car on the road, against this model's usual year.
2012CAREFULSerious complaints 1.6× usual, mostly steering and brakes Extended coverage
139 serious complaints of 145, the most about steering (110) and brakes (9); per car on the road, 1.6× this model's usual year. 6 recalls. NHTSA investigation EA19001: electrical overstress.
What owners report
“While driving on a highway the 'check power steering system light' came on and locked my steering wheel. This very dangerous and conidered life risk- no prior warning at all given. My car only has 74k miles, never thought this could happened at such low mileage.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the steering, Oct 2018
“A car stop in front of me quickly so I push the brake hard to stop and I heard the abs grinding, so everything fine, I continue driving then I want to stop on the stop sign and I found the brake pedal is not normal I have to push it completely down feels like no brakes I took it to acura dealer and they flash the brake oil, and I told them what happened…”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the brakes, Dec 2020
Fixes and extended coverage
- Extended coverage Today, May 24, 2018, Acura is announcing a warranty extension for 2002-17 Acura vehicles. (BBOM05242018901, May 2018)
- Extended coverage Dealer Message - On April 19, 2019, Acura announced a warranty extension for certain 2012-14 Acura TL vehicles to address a concern with the electric power steering (EPS) system. Today, June 1, 2019, Acura is announcing a vehicle population expansion to this warranty extension to also include… (BBOM06012019901, Jun 2019)
- Extended coverage American Honda is offering a Customer Support Program (Warranty Extension) to cover any manufacturing defects in the replacement front passengers airbag inflator only. (B18-024, Jun 2018)
- Extended coverage American Honda is extending the warranty on the EPS (electric power steering) control unit to 15 years from the original date of purchase with unlimited miles. (B19-021, May 2019)
From the manufacturer's bulletins filed with NHTSA. A dealer can look up whether a car has had the work done or is still covered.
145 owner complaints · 6 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 22–25 mpg · NHTSA: Not rated · 2012 trims and features
Verdicts computed from NHTSA owner complaints, defect investigations and recalls. Cars on the road from New York State registrations. (How we judge.) Data checked 2026-10-06.
Trims and features
Engines: 2.4L 4-cyl; 3.5L 6-cyl · Drive: FWD
2012 TSX trims
| SE | Tech |
|---|
base price, seating and driver-assistance equipment from NHTSA's vehicle database (vPIC), as Acura reports it. Tech and comfort features (CarPlay, heated seats, sunroof) for Acura aren't in our data yet. "—": not verified in our sources. "Varies": standard on some versions of the trim.
Year by year
| Year | Engines | Drive | Fuel economy | Crash rating | Recalls | Owner complaints | Most-reported problem | CarPlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 2.4L 4-cyl 3.5L 6-cyl manual available | FWD | 22–25 mpg | Not rated | 3 | 7 | Service brakes (3) | — |
| 2013 | 2.4L 4-cyl 3.5L 6-cyl manual available | FWD | 22–25 mpg | Not rated | 4 | 33 | Steering (19) | — |
| 2012 | 2.4L 4-cyl 3.5L 6-cyl manual available | FWD | 22–25 mpg | Not rated | 6 | 145 | Steering (110) | — |
| 2011 | 2.4L 4-cyl 3.5L 6-cyl manual available | FWD | 22–25 mpg | Not rated | 7 | 47 | Steering (19) | — |
| 2010 | 2.4L 4-cyl 3.5L 6-cyl manual available | FWD | 21–25 mpg | Not rated | 7 | 63 | Air bags (20) | — |
Owner complaints are unverified reports to NHTSA, counted as filed: older years have had longer to collect them and sales aren't adjusted for, so see Which year to buy for a fair comparison. Most-reported problem: the component named in the most complaints that year. Sources: EPA, NHTSA, Apple.
Every NHTSA-rated version: crash ratings, safety tech, recalls, complaints
| Year | Version | Stars | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Acura TSX 4 DR FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 3 | 7 |
| 2014 | Acura TSX Sport Wagon SW FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 1 | 0 |
| 2013 | Acura TSX 4 DR FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 4 | 33 |
| 2013 | Acura TSX Sport Wagon SW FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 3 | 0 |
| 2012 | Acura TSX 4 DR FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 6 | 133 |
| 2012 | Acura TSX TSX Sport Wagon SW FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 4 | 12 |
| 2012 | Acura TSX V6 4 DR FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 6 | 133 |
| 2011 | Acura TSX 4 DR FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 7 | 45 |
| 2011 | Acura TSX Sport Wagon SW FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 5 | 2 |
| 2010 | Acura TSX 4-DR. w/SAB | Not Rated | No | No | 7 | 63 |
Source: NHTSA.
Every EPA-rated version: engines and combined mpg
| Year | EPA model | Engines | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | TSX | Auto (S5), 4 cyl, 2.4 L Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L Auto (S5), 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
22–25 |
| 2014 | TSX Wagon | Auto (S5), 4 cyl, 2.4 L | 24 |
| 2013 | TSX | Auto (S5), 4 cyl, 2.4 L Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L Auto (S5), 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
22–25 |
| 2013 | TSX Wagon | Auto (S5), 4 cyl, 2.4 L | 24 |
| 2012 | TSX | Auto (S5), 4 cyl, 2.4 L Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L Auto (S5), 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
22–25 |
| 2012 | TSX Wagon | Auto (S5), 4 cyl, 2.4 L | 24 |
| 2011 | TSX | Auto (S5), 4 cyl, 2.4 L Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L Auto (S5), 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
22–25 |
| 2011 | TSX Wagon | Auto (S5), 4 cyl, 2.4 L | 24 |
| 2010 | TSX | Auto (S5), 4 cyl, 2.4 L Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L Auto (S5), 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
21–25 |
Source: fueleconomy.gov.