AI Damage2006 Acura RSX: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Acura RSX filed 24 complaints with NHTSA, most often about exterior lighting and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 24
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Exterior lighting 21% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 21% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 21% of all complaints
- 4 Structure 17% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 8% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 8% of all complaints
- 7 Electrical system 4% of all complaints
- 8 Engine and cooling 4% of all complaints
- Exterior lighting: 5 complaints (21% of all).
- Powertrain: 5 complaints (21% of all).
- Suspension: 5 complaints (21% of all).
- Structure: 4 complaints (17% of all).
- Air bags: 2 complaints (8% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
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 24 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior lighting | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
I was driving at 40 mph on the new york state thruway yesterday (12/9/09) morning at approximately 6:55am. It was raining and the road was slushy. I was driving slowly in the right lane and my car spun all the way around to the right and my front bumper hit the right corridor of the thruway.
Airbag failure to deploy in a substantial passenger door side impact causing total loss of the vehicle and injuries to the passenger seat occupant. Driver's side airbag did deploy but there was no door impact there. Front airbags did not deploy as there was no frontal impact.
The air bags failed to deploy during a crash at 65 mph. The vehicle is currently at the repair shop. The cause of the failure has yet to be determined. The current and failure mileages were 23,000.
Overnight, parking brake failed and car crashed into tree & boat trailer damaging rear bumper and rear left panel (driver's side). Subsequent follow-up revealed that brake would not hold as it should - video and other evidence including statement from auto repair professional supports claim.
Excessive wear on front seats recliner brace/bar. This causes unintended excessive movement/rocking (back & forth) in the seats which could create a safety hazard.
The safety latch will not be able to hold the hood closed if the there is vibration at high speeds. Other owners report failures where the latch breaks loose. Some owners attempt repairs with epoxy that do not last. All vehicles of this model should be inspected and the bracket replaced to avoid accidents.
There is water and condensation build up inside the tail lights. I have replaced them a few times and still have issues. This can be a serious electrical hazard and I've read many forums of people having the same issue. I feel acura should take care of this problem.
2006 acura rsx. Consumer writes in regards to vacuum leak within brake booster recall notice and unsatisfactory customer service from dealership. The consumer stated it was an inconvenience to have the recall work done on a weekday. She was informed inspections and repairs were not performed on saturday's
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 7,585 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 21% most complained about).
On average one model year of the RSX has 22 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 24, about average.
What to check before buying
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Acura RSX?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: exterior lighting, powertrain, suspension. Total complaints: 24. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (25%), knocking, grinding or other noise (25%), rust, corrosion (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 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 2006 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 2006 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.