AI Damage2004 Acura TSX: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Acura TSX filed 142 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 142
- involving a crash
- 9
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 20% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 20% of all complaints
- 3 Seats 15% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 10% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
- 8 Exterior lighting 5% of all complaints
- Air bags: 29 complaints (20% of all), 7 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 29 complaints (20% of all).
- Seats: 22 complaints (15% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 19 complaints (13% of all).
- Powertrain: 16 complaints (11% of all), 1 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.
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 5-speed
- manual, 6-speednamed in 6 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 142 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 29 | 7 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Suspension | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 4 | 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 contact knocked down a slim pole before depressing the brake pedal and shifting gears into Park to stop the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The contact did not notify the police. The contact stated no one was injured nor sought medical attention.
Slid on gravels in the road hit a fence front end damage replace bumper headlight hood and driver panel replaced underneath protections in front end of car airbag light stays on continually called dealer ship said was not a recall on this safety issue.
During the accident, my passenger seat airbag deployed (with no one sitting in the seat) and my driver side airbag did not deploy. The seat belt extended so far that I hit my chest against the steering, which tells me it did not lock.
Tl contact owns a 2004 acura tsx. While driving 50 mph the vehicle drove to the left lane when the brake pedal was depressed. The road conditions were clear. The dealer was unable to diagnose the failure. The failure and current mileage were 50,000.
My airbag didn't deploy. I suffered a whiplash as a result. The collision was head on and I feel my airbag should have deployed. Acura says the car behaved the way it should have, but I feel that explanation is insufficient.
The ECM has corrosion on the top which caused salty water to eat through the lid. Doing some research this vehicle make and model has recall but doesnât show up under my vin.
The contact stated that upon decelerating to come to a stop, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that while the vehicle was rolling, the contact shifted to neutral(N), restarted the vehicle and continued driving. The contact stated that the failure had been a recurring failure.
They power steering is leaking badly onto exhaust pipe and not holding any fluid in the Reservoir I do not know when problem began the car had one owner prior to me , I would like to just get the recall situated and fixed if possible
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 2,764 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 8% most complained about).
On average one model year of the TSX has 61 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 142, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Acura TSX?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, seats. Total complaints: 142. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: A/C or heater (14%), infotainment or screen glitches (10%), warning lights, check engine (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 Acura TSX?
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 TSX 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.