There are 3 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2012 Acura TSXin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
For about a year or more, On cold start,(3-6+ hours of engine rest) rattle occurs for a brief period of time (usually 1-2 seconds) then ceases. TSB 09-010 is associated with various Honda models up to 2012, but does not include Acura. Car delivers no DTCs for this issue currently. Have not had the vehicle inspected by the dealer for this issue. Following the TSB, the symptom is the same. Replacement of VTC ACTUATOR will happen shortly, in which the part can be available for inspection.
WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED FOR THE FIRST TIME OF THE DAY--ESPECIALLY IN COLD WEATHER: SYMPTOM: NOISE DURING START FOR A SECOND OR TWO. INFO: SOUND COMES FROM THE (TIMING CHAIN?) COVER ON THE LEFT TOP SIDE OF THE ENGINE--LOOKING FROM THE BUMPER. CALLED ACURA DEALER AND MENTIONED ITEMS I HAD READ ABOUT---STRETCHED/LOOSE TENSIONER (PRESSURIZED WITH OIL?), STRETCHED TIMING CHAIN, VTC ACTUATOR---HE SAID YES,YES,---TENSIONER AND TIMING CHAIN WOULD BE CHANGED, I CANNOT REMEMBER WHAT HE SAID ABOUT THE VTC ACTUATOR. ANOTHER ACURA DEALER INDICATED IT IS THE VTC ACTUATOR IS THE ISSUE. CALLED ACURA CONSUMER RELATIONS WHO NOTED THEY COULD NOT HELP. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE WELL KNOWN AMONG ACURA OWNERS ON VARIOUS WEBSITES. I DO NOT THINK THIS SHOULD BE HAPPENING AT 82K MILES. NOTE THE WARRANTY IS FOR 72K. NOTE IT HAS HAPPENED FOR ALMOST A YEAR; BELOW I HAVE NOTED ONE DAY IT HAPPENED.
I HAVE HAD SEVERAL EPISODES OF ENGINE HESITATION. I HAVE ALWAYS USED PREMIUM GAS. I RETURNED FOR AN OIL CHANGE (ANNUAL SERVICE) AND ALSO ASKED IF ANY ENGINE HESITATION SERVICE BULLETINS OR ADVISORIES HAD BEEN ISSUED. NONE HAD BEEN. THESE EPISODES HAVE OCCURRED ABOUT 20 TIMES WITH THE CAR. IT ALWAYS OCCURRED WHEN ACCELERATING MODERATELY FROM BELOW 20 MILES AN HOUR. IT LAST FROM 2 TO 3 SECONDS, WHILE THE ENGINE DOES NOTHING. THE HESITATION CANNOT BE SUMMONED UPON DEMAND. ON SOME OCCASIONS, THE HESITATION HAS PUT ME AT RISK OF COLLISION, WHERE I COULD NOT GO FORWARD BUT HAD TO BRAKE. THE RISK OF NONPERFORMANCE IS ALWAYS PRESENT AND IS A CONSTANT SOURCE OF DISSATISFACTION FOR US. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026