AI Damage2002 Acura RSX: common problems
Owners of the 2002 Acura RSX filed 76 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 76
- involving a crash
- 10
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 26% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 21% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 18% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 7% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- 7 Exterior lighting 5% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel/propulsion system 4% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 20 complaints (26% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 16 complaints (21% of all).
- Air bags: 14 complaints (18% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (7% of all).
- Structure: 5 complaints (7% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 5-speed
- manual, 5-speednamed in 1 complaints
- manual, 6-speednamed in 1 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 76 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 20 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 14 | 6 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Her seat belt latch did not hold and she was thrown forward into the steering wheel. Her injuries do not, at this time, appear to be serious but she is still sore. I asked if she was certain the belt was fastened properly and she said it was. The car was totaled in the accident.
Airbag did not deploy in head-on collision at 35 mph+. After collision, the dealer claims that srs system is "defective" and needs a new part in order for airbags to deploy properly in the future.
A failed parking brake caused vehicle to accelerate/lose control, which resulted in a collision.
Consumer states that while traveling at 50 mph, another vehicle traveling at 100 mph rear ended consumer and broke axle. Vehicle went into a spend resulting in an accident. Please provide any further information. Mr
While driving about 50 mph vehicle was involved in a side and frontal impact, and air bags did not deploy. Driver and passenger sustained minor injuries. Also, vehicle was totaled.
Because of my airbags not opening my head smashed the driver's door window and my left hip and knee were pretty bruised. The pain is just now starting to go away, 3 weeks later.
Odometer Fraud. The contact owned a 2002 Acura SRX. The contact stated that the vehicle was sold to a friend in a private sale. The new owner then attempted to sell the vehicle to another person, and upon obtaining the Carfax report, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy.
Duralast 12volt battery post are smaller than they should be. It cause the battery terminal to came loose after a hard bump on the road. It resulted in my car losing power steering.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 4,234 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 12% most complained about).
On average one model year of the RSX has 22 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 76, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Acura RSX?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, engine and cooling, air bags. Total complaints: 76. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (16%), warning lights, check engine (9%), headlights and tail lights (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 Acura RSX?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2002 Acura RSX from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2002 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.