AI Damage2004 Acura RSX: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Acura RSX filed 17 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 17
- involving a crash
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 35% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 29% of all complaints
- 3 Tires 24% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 6% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 6% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 6 complaints (35% of all).
- Air bags: 5 complaints (29% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Tires: 4 complaints (24% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (6% of all).
- Suspension: 1 complaints (6% 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-speed
- manual, 6-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 17 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 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Tires | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 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.
The air bags did not deploy causing the contacts head to hit the windshield. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact sustained injuries to the head and medical attention was provided. The vehicle was towed to an independent lot where deemed a total loss by the insurance company.
Airbags did not deploy. Had airbags deployed there might have been a lesser amount of injuries.
My tire michelin pilot hx mxm4 blew while driving. There was no reason for it to blow like it did. It seems that the tire was defective.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 50 mph on the interstate, the driver's side front tire blew out. The condition of the road was dry. When the driver tried to turn back towards the road, the wheel would not respond resulting in the vehicle hitting the center divider.
Upon impact, the front and side airbags did not deploy. The contact was wearing a seat belt but sustained minor injuries. The vehicle was totaled by the insurance agency.
The contact was driving at night various speeds with the activation of the headlights. The illumination of the headlights was extremely dim and obstructed the vision.
While driving between 65-70 mph, the transmission began to slip out of gear followed by a loud grinding noise when the accelerator pedal was depressed. When the contact would downshift to a lower gear, there was a low power response and a grinding noise was heard. The failures occurred intermittently.
When shifting from first to second, gear grinds, and sometimes locks out. When shifting from second to third, gear grinds and sometimes pops out. Dealership gives me the run-a-round said they couldn't fix since my car is past warranty.
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 8,820 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 24% most complained about).
On average one model year of the RSX has 22 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 17, below average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Acura RSX?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, air bags, tires. Total complaints: 17. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (35%), airbags did not deploy (18%), airbag warning light (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 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 2004 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 2004 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.