someguy11

It’s been about six months and about 8,000 miles since I bought my used 2015 TLX V6 SH-AWD Advance. It popped up at a Lexus dealer with really low (like 28,000) miles and in mint condition. It was my dream car.

Here is a Buyer’s Guide I wish I had before I went shopping around for a used TLX. This is based on a 2015 SH-AWD. Some of this is merely my opinion or recommendation. Some of this is fact based on my experience/observation. Please feel free to add to this list. I would love this to be a sticky for all the 2015-16 TLXs coming available as trade-in or off-leases soon. Some or most of this is NOT covered by any of the reviews, magazines or websites.

1. Read the TSB list here. Familiarize yourself with the issues (more on why below). https://acurazine.com/forums/fifth-generation-tlx-2015-415/5g-tlx-technical-service-bulletins-model-year-links-inside-950304/
2. I would only buy this car if it was under warranty (more on why below):
   1. If buying from a non-Acura dealer, still under the original warranty.
   2. If buying from an Acura dealer, certified pre-owned (with the warranty extension) by an Acura dealer.
   3. I'm not sure about 3rd Party warranties. You would have to make sure it was comprehensive coverage without co-pays and specifically covered a tranny replacement due to hard shifting. That item is tough because it's not really a failure item - Acura chose to replace in light of the high volume of complaints on jerky OEM trannies.
3. The reason for the first two bullets is that the car was released with some flaws. Original owners had the ability to get some of these fixed by way of TSBs. My original owner chose not to do any of them, so my car was traded in with none of these things fixed. Fortunately, mine was under warranty, so my awesome Acura dealer fixed them over the course of my first few months of ownership free of charge. I just had to drive across town about 8 times to drop it off and pick it up.
   1. I had the highway vibration which I wrongfully assumed was an imbalanced tire. Two TSBs and a road force balance minimized the shaking. New tires ran me $750. Dealer labor would have run $600ish for a few hours over two trips to fix it.
   2. My rear deck speakers were rattling. Dealer fixed with foam tape. Probably $1 in parts and $200ish worth of time.
   3. I had the 1-2 and 2-3 hard shifting. I complained about this one time, dealer got shapshots and I got a new transmission. I heard this would have been $3-4,000ish in parts/labor.
   4. My engine chirped at idle. The pulley shim didn’t work, so they replaced my fuel pump. Who knows what these would have run? $1,000ish in parts/labor?
   5. I haven’t had my door seal popping or defrost damper flutter yet, but I expect those down the road.
4. Honestly, none of this is observable in a 20-30 minute test drive around the city. You may not see symptoms of these for weeks or months down the road. Sometimes you have to wait for a cold winter or a hot summer for these to occur. Crank up the stereo during your test drive and include a drive down the expressway.
5. The best thing you can do is ask Acura for a vehicle service history. That should be easy to get if they are selling it. If it’s a different dealer, test drive the TLX you are considering to an Acura dealer and ask for a service history on the VIN. You absolutely HAVE TO make sure this stuff is addressed; otherwise, you could be on the hook for repairs after the warranty expires.
6. I would explicitly ask about the transmission if it is a low VIN TLX in the range of 15-040. If the transmission has not yet been replaced, you’re looking at two options: insisting it gets replaced or dealing with the awful original tranny quite possibly for as long as you own the car.
7. This ZF-sourced 9-speed automatic is almost universally panned by owners and critics. The early 2015 VINs are especially terrible. I sit here writing this in awe that this car with that transmission was ever released for sale. Later 2015, 2016 and onward are rumored to be improved, but still not great for this car. I know my replacement tranny is MUCH better than the original.

I’m writing this because I’ve seen dozens of TLXs come up for sale on Autotrader since I made my purchase. I’ve seen VINs down in the hundreds – much earlier production than mine. They are absolutely beautiful cars whether Bellanova White or Crystal Black. They are detailed inside and out, with gorgeous interiors, low mileage and in mint condition. Yet every single one could be a trap – potentially a costly headache of initial ownership with multiple visits to the dealer. More than any other purchase I’ve ever made in my car-buying past BY FAR, the TLX requires research and awareness of all this stuff before buying. I never, ever would have expected to buy such a problematic car from Acura/Honda. But it really isn’t problematic. It just had things that needed to be fixed, which my previous owner neglected. I would never recommend buying a TLX out of warranty or without the service history. Go into the negotiation armed with the information. Have things like the tranny or vibrations fixed before you sign the dotted line.

You know what though? I’m still happy with my car. I look forward to my commute every day. It looks great and after all the fixes, it’s comfortable, quiet, fast, shifts properly and smoothly, AWD powers through snow and it's packed with technology. ACC paces the car in front of me. LSF handles heavy traffic for me. LKA steers for me. It’s not as fast as a BMW. It’s not as sporty as an Audi. It’s not as luxurious as a Lexus. Yet, my TLX is the best car I’ve ever owned. It just scares me that it would have been the worst had it been out of the warranty period. I don't want anyone to make that mistake. Best wishes as you look for your TLX!

ashtnn

Great guide! Would have loved to have had this when I bought my '16 CPO a couple weeks ago. When you say low VIN, what do you mean by that? Last 3?

jhb31

I may be mistaken but I believe the 2015 have an extended warranty on the trans that extends well past the factory warranty. Maybe this goes into the 2016 model year. Frankly I would avoid a 2015 model but I know people that have it and they have not done any TSB updates to the trans and are fine with the behavior. Regardless, if buying any used TLX II would go with a CPO from an Acura dealership. Well worth it and typically comes with new tires, brakes and a full inspection along with the extended warranty. Well worth paying up a little more for IMO. Anyway, good luck with the car. Bottom line a well maintained TLX should be a low cost of ownership car for years. Acura iin general from my own experience covers stuff under warranty without any hassle.

someguy11

I reread my post a few times and would have reworded and added a couple things. What I was ultimately trying to say is that - more than any car I've ever owned - this car was released with some bugs. Like any good car company would do, Acura and its dealers released fixes and were more than willing to iron these kinks out under warranty. Four of five of my issues were TSBs. My dealer fixed everything for me and gave me loaners for my convenience. Each line item was N/C and every invoice was $0. That would have been a MUCH different story had my warranty expired. I would be the most dissatisfied Acura customer since they launched in 1986 without my warranty. My car needed about $6,000 worth of work AFTER I bought it used.

One major addition I forgot to say is:
h. Test drive the heck out of the TLX you're considering. If it's low on gas before you leave the dealer, ask for more gas. Tell them you'll be back in an hour. Drive it at least that long, maybe longer if you have enough time. Mix city and highway driving. Drive your commute if possible. Ask them if you can keep the car overnight! The biggest reason is the transmission. You really want to get a feel for how and when it shifts, which impacts its drivability and your satisfaction with the car. The second reason are the vibrations. VCM vibrates while cruising 35-45mph. Highway vibrations between 70-80mph occur on some (but not all) TLXs. It's sort of weird behavior from a car. If you know the TSBs before going to the dealer, you can identify issues during your test drive.

There are many good points here. I think you mean TSB 17-027. Potential buyers should ask their dealer about this. The title suggests the transmission warranty is extended, but the text of the TSB says that the warranty only covers the transmission WARMER. To me, that means unless the warmer is the cause of a future transmission failure, that warranty extension does you no good for future claims. I would not rely on 17-027, 17-011 or 17-012. I'd instead rely on 15-040 during the warranty period as your best chance of getting a replacement. I think the people who accept their transmissions as-is experience what the rest of us did, but they either don't notice or don't care about such sloppy/jerky behavior. They might not know what a TSB is or that they're eligible for a FREE transmission replacement! I second the CPO for the TLX. It is absolutely, positively worth the little bit extra to have the peace of mind during the first year/first 12,000 miles for this automobile. I second Acura being a reliable brand after all my bugs were squashed. Reliability is why I go with Acura over any Euro brand (MB, BMW or Audi, which I've owned, have astronomical costs to fix). My issues and coverage under warranty were never questioned one bit.

TSB 15-040 is the silver bullet regarding the OEM ZF9 transmissions that original owners waited years to receive. After a couple years and several iterations of software updates, it finally authorized transmission replacement. The V6 FWD VIN range is 000001-021489. The V6 SH-AWD VIN range is 000001-007728. If anyone reading this is looking at a TLX that falls in that range, beware that you have an early edition ZF9 that very likely is plagued with problems. Mine included all sorts of crappy behavior. I specifically mentioned the "2-3 hard shifting" with my dealer because that was the title of the TSB and justification for replacement. But mine also jerked out of and into PARK, it crunched/lurched at low speeds in parking lots and driveways, it lagged when acceleration while turning right, it missed shift points (it would hold an RPM for about 2 seconds longer than it obviously should have before dumping the clutch) and it would pick really low gears that lugged the engine. Please, LOOK OUT FOR THESE THINGS during your long test drive. 15-040 only applies to certain early 2015 models. Other late 2015 buyers and all 2016 buyers like you should look at 16-012. This is the software update and idle relearn. Various owners have had mixed success with these.

Again, mine was replaced under warranty, my dealer was awesome, and my car was transformed into the driving machine I expect from Acura. The late 2015 and 2016 buyers have had mixed luck getting theirs replaced. There are threads all over this forum that cover more details.

I truly hope that potential TLX buyers find and read this thread before shopping and falling in love with a beautiful TLX that ends up being a costly mistake for them.

someguy11

I made it 14 months and 21,430 miles with my TLX before trading it in. It was a love/hate relationship. I really tried to love it because it was a big purchase with the loss of large dollars at stake. I'm afraid someone is in store for a huge mistake. Maybe not. Perhaps it will be a better fit for the next owner.

Here is my review of my 2015 TLX SH-AWD Advance:

Positives:
-Beautiful car.
-V6 is powerful and smooth after installing VCMuzzler. That engine could really put a smile on my face.
-SH-AWD is fun and invaluable in snow.
-Such a comfortable ride between the suspension and seating that it's borderline ridiculous.
-The dual screen infotainment system is not nearly as bad as anyone says. I liked it.

Negatives:
-ZF9 is terrible: hard shifting, gear hunting, odd shift points and hesitates when up or down shifting - it's distracting and the focal point of driving this car. That tranny really put a frown on my face. If you hate it, consider filing a Lemon Law:
https://www.lemonlaw.com/wordpress/z...acura-drivers/
-Anyone with the rear diff expressway vibration above 70mph is an unfortunate soul - it's simply tormenting.
Those are really the two reasons I dumped my TLX.

Additionally:
-VCM robs power and VCM vibrations ruin the otherwise silky smooth ride under 65mph - VCMuzzler is a must.
-Almost none of the tech actually works...
-You can't use ACC because the follow distance leaves too much space between cars, so someone moves in front of you, then the car brakes to increase distance, so someone moves in front of you, then the car brakes to increase distance... ugh.
-ACC/LSF also isn't trustworthy enough to brake itself. Almost daily with Adaptive Cruise or Low Speed Follow engaged, "BRAKE" flashed on the windshield and made me override by manually braking. My foot always hovered over the pedals regardless. Not trusting systems like these defeats the purposes of them assisting the driver.
-LKAS doesn't work well enough to rely on. It only picks up the lines about 75% of driving time. Of that, it constantly drops out for no reason (stops steering) or flashes the 10 second warning "STEERING REQUIRED" while I'm holding on to the wheel. Besides that, I actually found the steering wheel almost always fought me. It must have wanted me in a different position within the lane than I wanted to be.
-Lane Departure constantly thinks I'm drifting off the road when I'm right between the lines. It flashed "ROAD DEPARTURE" at me daily. Besides that, construction zones and ramps really throw this system into berserk mode, and RDM lights up and the steering wheel fights you every time you cross the centerline to pass pedestrians or bikers.
-Pre-collision system tugs my seatbelt almost daily - and about a dozen time in the last year applied car brakes FAR too prematurely - when approaching or passing someone. It's flawed and dangerous to interrupt maneuvers like that.
-Wacky wipers happen basically every rainfall.
-Auto engine idle stop is unpredictable when it will or won't engage and is clunky and jerky when it does. AEIS is the #1 complaint I got back from people who borrowed/drove my car. I didn't mind it, but refuse to drive my car with the light on my dash.
-ELS stereo system sucks. There is nothing premium about the sound in this car.
-I didn't realize until test driving new cars that the TLX interior is actually quite noisy. I don't mean background noise - I mean squeaks, creaks, rattles and clunks. This is neither a premium nor luxury car in build quality or materials.
-In my 14 months of ownership, I was at the dealer seven times for warranty repairs for:
-TSB 16-009 prop shaft
-TSB 16-057 engine mounts
-Road force balancing
-Rear deck rattle
-TSB 15-040 new transmission, torque converter and alignment
-TSB 14-025 pulley shim for chirping belt
-TSB 16-008 replace high pressure fuel pump
-Battery test for AEIS stall (twice)
-Recall for low pressure fuel pump

-Recently in my TLX (which is now out of warranty):
-Rear deck is rattling again, which kills sound quality.
-Rubbing/popping the driver door seal (that is TSB 16-058).
-There is a loud click/clunky from transmission at around 5mph (heard from either under the car or through hood) when accelerating/decelerating.

Almost all of this stuff can be found buried in reviews from owners and test drivers on this forum back when the TLX was released. Some of it is mentioned by critic reviews too. Just look at how busy the Problems & Fixes board is for this car. People are getting towed left and right, MID lighting up like Christmas, stuff breaking/failing. There is no way I'm sticking around to see how this car fares.

Enough is enough. I took my financial loss and left Acura for good. When it comes time to replace our Odyssey, it probably won't be with a Honda for two reasons: 1) my Acura and 2) we want more tow capacity than Honda powertrains can deliver.

I apologize for being a loud, negative voice on this site for the last year. I love cars, but this has been the worst I've ever owned, by far. The TLX is not fun to drive and miserable to own. There are really no upsides to the TLX since Euros are better drivers and Lexus is more reliable. I should have bought a 3, A4 or ES instead. My mistake. There is a reason Acura and the TLX are at or near the bottom of reliability/dependability surveys.

I'm not writing this to change the minds of any aficionados, fanboys or apologists on this site. You guys go ahead and love your TLXs. I'm warning potential future buyers to mind this stuff and be careful when purchasing. There is no way I'd recommend a TLX V6/ZF9, especially one with Advance package (it's all useless stuff) or a SH-AWD version that vibrates during the test drive (for which there is no fix).

a35tl

^^^^
Getting rid of it was the best decision if you hate it that much. What did you replace it with?

someguy11

Thanks. I'm afraid so too despite being so costly. I simply couldn't stop myself from swinging by Lexus (out of curiosity) on my way home from work one day last week. I had to see if my TLX was as bad as I thought compared to the 2015 ES I wished I owned instead. The ES was fine - probably great at what it is - a comfortable, quiet, reliable, smooth riding car, but it didn't feel powerful or fast, rides like a marshmallow, lacks AWD and didn't come close to hitting my "I love driving this car" feels. I would have bought it simply because it wasn't my TLX.

But there was a 2010 GS 350 AWD sitting on the lot. Older than I would have considered, but mint, only 62k miles and 1 owner. Drove it and was amazed. Looks great, is fast, tight, smooth, with quiet cabin and has all sorts of tech I wouldn't expect for its age. First 200 miles have been great. There is no comparison in quality or performance to the TLX. This GS made me realize how "trained" I was by my TLX to: tolerate vibrations, squeaks and rattles; brace for weird shifting; fight with driver assist features; ignore flashing nanny warnings and steering wheel feedback; feather the brake pedal; push buttons to do stuff that wasn't defaulted on/off; etc. The only thing I miss so far is my comfortable TLX drivers seat. I've already gotten more compliments than I can believe and several people "congratulated" me for upgrading from Acura to Lexus. I'm like "what does that mean??" Apparently that is the perception of several family, friends and neighbors of mine. I already had one person offer to buy it from me.

My hate story helped at the dealer (same ownership as the different dealer from which I bought it). They went above KBB for trade and dropped below KBB for purchase. Walked away with a better car and no payments. Back to driving a driver's car for this guy. It's too bad because I really, really tried to love my TLX.

Again, I'm sorry for treating this forum like a sounding board for my disaster of a TLX over the last year. I wanted to wait to put on a few more miles to make a good comparison to the 3rd Gen GS, but so far so good.

edmua6

Oh man, I have a soft spot for those GS. They rip too, especially the 450h. It's a shame the TLX left you a bad taste. Hopefully the GS treats you much better this time!

grrrah

Thanks for sharing, but I'm guess a bit too late for me.

I'm about 7 months into my CPO '15 2.5 Tech. Fortunately I've been very satisfied with my vehicle. I wanted the V6 SH-AWD, but I went with the 2.5 because it's supposed to be my daily commuter. Liking the car enough to now start thinking about upgrading to a newer A-SPEC in a few years.

Do you guys know if Acura does all (or most) of the TSB before selling a CPO?

someguy11

^-- Hi grrrah. Disclaimer: I do not work for a manufacturer or a dealer. That said, I don't think any TSBs are performed on and off-lease or trade-in before listing for sale. I believe TSBs are simply memos sent my manufacturers to dealers to help fix common universal problems. They won't proactively address anything for a couple reasons. It costs money and cuts into the profit of the resale. Think specifically about the ZF9 replacement - could you imagine wholescale replacement of every harsh shifting 2-3 transmission? The reason is it may not be necessary to fix timing belt chirps or rough trannies if the next owner never feels or sees the problem happening. Based on the VIN range of 2015 TLXs in my favorite TSB of all time 15-040: 21,489 FWD and 7,728 AWD were eligible for tranny replacement. That's 29,217 cars. Let's say half were leased or traded-in within first four years (warranty period). At about $3,500 (I'm guessing) per TLX to replace a tranny, Acura would have spent over $51 million proactively replacing 2015 TLX trannies not knowing if the next owner would even complain.

I saw mine sold already after a week on the Lexus lot, just like when I bought it. I hope the new owner took it for a long test drive including the expressway. Maybe they will be the next new user on this forum. Whatever the case, it's a gorgeous car that has very few exceptional redeeming qualities compared to it's sheer awfulness as an automobile. My eight year old GS 350 AWD reminds me every single day that I'm not crazy or have unrealistic expectations of cars. It's a pleasure to drive.

-Powerful. 0-60 is about the same for a GS 350 and TLX V6, but it certainly doesn't feel like it. This GS screams for a big car.
-Speaking of big, GS feels bigger than the TLX. Interior and exterior dimensions are similar, but it doesn't look or feel like it. It looks bigger on the outside and feels bigger inside.
-GS is a heavy car too. It feels substantial, well-built and quality. It makes my TLX feel like a tin can in comparison. GS and TLX curb weights are about the same, but it doesn't feel like it.
-GS shifts crisply, smoothly and predictably. You punch it, it goes. Ease on it after a stop sign, you can barely even feel the shifts. Unlike the TLX, you can easily drink your coffee without spilling on yourself through these shifts.
-GS is smooth at low and high speed. No lugging. No shaking. Needles on the dashboard don't pulsate. Coffee mug in the cupholder doesn't rattle. Stuff sitting on the front seat doesn't vibrate. No sensation of imbalanced tires.
-GS has some squeaks and rattles in the dash before it warms up. This was a common complaint. GS cabin is still quieter than my TLX.
-I feel like I miss SH-AWD. The GS AWD feel inferior. I don't think it's body roll or weight. It could be tires, suspension, tranny, engine or a combination. Around curves, I really felt the TLX moving power between rear/front or inside/outside wheels, like it was able to push me around corners. It felt like an active system. The GS may power all wheels. It's a RWD bias up to 70%R - 30%F distribution I believe. But it doesn't push itself around corners. I know GS AWD works because I haven't been able to break the rear lose on wet pavement. It just doesn't feel as nimble, effective or something as SH-AWD.

All of this is particularly impressive when my GS is better than my TLX being five years older and an entire design generation removed. A more appropriate comparison would be between my 3gGS and a 4gTL - and never having driven or ridden in a 4gTL - just knowing what I've read and knowing people who own them - my guess is the 4gTL stacked up well against the 3gGS, which indicates how much of a step back the 1gTLX was from the 4gTL. That's just my suspicion.

fiatlux

FYI it’s a 2.4, not 2.5