NHTSA — Steering Problems

2012 Acura TSX (Page 4 of 5)

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
72,983 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Acura TSX steering problems

steering problem

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2012 Acura TSX Owner Comments (Page 4 of 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #31

May 202018

TSX

  • 49,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have had my Acura Tsx 2012 for almost a year now, the car currently has a little over 49K mileage and only had 1 owner. I was driving on the beltway and noticed on my dash that it had a check power steering light flashing. When it started flashing I quickly noticed me not being able to turn left or right due to the steering wheel tightening up. The feeling was as if you tried to turn the car wheel when the car is not on. This was a very scary feeling because, without me using all my force I would've been unable to pull over to the side of the road. I then tried to cut the car off and restart it which was ok for maybe the first mile before it happened again. This was a big inconvenience especially with me not reaching my destination. I had to repeat the steps over half dozen times before getting home safely. This was one of the most scariest experiences I've witnessed as a driver and I think this is a manufacturing issue. Even though I'm safe now, this could've been a life or death situation for alot of drivers. When I looked online their are over 50 issues with the same steering problem which may be due to the electronic power steering. I purchased an Acura due to their history of reliability & dependability but this altered my opinion drastically. I definitely think Acura needs to seriously look at a recall on these vehicles before someone loses their life.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #30

May 022018

TSX

  • 53,000 miles
I was driving local, stopped at the lights when the "check power steering system" signal came on my dashboard suddenly.I stopped in the middle of the street, turned off the engine then turned it on, the warning lights disappeared.continued driving home when the same happened again.the wheels became extremely difficult to turn, so I parked the car.this is an extremely dangerous issue because if the steering wheel tighten up on me while I was driving at a higher speed, I could have lost control of my veichle and severely injured myself and others around me. This is an important issue that Acura has to look at and make it a recall because it seems to have happen to so many other 2012 Acura Tsx owners, I, myself included. P.S it has around 53K miles on

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

problem #29

May 142018

TSX

  • 77,900 miles
While driving at approximately 40 mph on a four lane, divided highway, the "check power steering" light came on, and almost immediately the power steering system failed. Steering wheel was very difficult to move as car was guided to the side of the road in heavy traffic. After shutting the car off and waiting 30 minutes, car was restarted and the error cleared. The power steering system function returned and the car was able to be driven home. Checking online forums afterwards, determined that failure of the electronic power steering control module is very common in these cars between 75,000 and 80,000 miles. This car had 77,900 miles on it when this failure occurred.

- South Weber, UT, USA

problem #28

May 082018

TSX

  • 105,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Power steering went out on 2012 Acura Tsx while driving to work. Took it to the dealer and they told me it would be 1580 to repair it as they need to do the whole power steering replacement. The car is 6 years old and should not have problems like this. Not to mention it was very scary and unsafe when it happened. The wheel is almost impossible to move.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #27

May 072018

TSX

  • 69,000 miles
My 2012 Acura Tsx with 69000 miles. Steering wheel suddenly froze and lost power steering. It is a well maintained car and having a steering problem with such low mileage is unacceptable. Should definitely be a recall. On diagnosis, it is eps unit and it will cost me $1200+ ? Acura, look at the number of complaints. It should be a recall.

- Kendall Park, NJ, USA

problem #26

Apr 302018

TSX

  • 48,000 miles
Check power steering system error message. I wasn't able to move the steering wheel left or right.

- Garnet Valley, PA, USA

problem #25

Feb 282018

TSX

  • 70,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2012 Acura Tsx. While driving 45 mph, the power steering failed and it was extremely difficult to turn the steering wheel left or right. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

- Newport Ritchie, FL, USA

problem #24

Mar 242018

TSX

  • 60,000 miles
Power steering control module (eps) sudden failure while driving. Not able to make left/right turns.

- Plano, TX, USA

problem #23

Mar 222018

TSX

  • 70,000 miles
While driving, my power steering module stopped working. Made it very hard to steer obviously. Glad I was not driving at high speeds, or in a turn! I've looked on line and see this has been a very common problem. Eps modules are going out.

- Cottonwood Heights, UT, USA

problem #22

Feb 282018

TSX

  • 70,000 miles
I was driving local and was about to make a left turn when the "check power steering system" signal came on my dashboard all of a sudden. The wheels became extremely difficult to turn and I got stuck in traffic with cars honking at me because I was blocking traffic due to my inability to turn the steering wheel. This is an extremely dangerous issue because if the steering wheel tighten up on me while I was driving at a higher speed, I could have lost control of my veichle and severely injured myself and others around me. This is an important issue that Acura has to look at and make it a recall because it seems to have happen to so many other 2012 Acura Tsx owners, I, myself included.

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

problem #21

Feb 222018

TSX 4-cyl

  • 70,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2012 Acura Tsx. After starting the engine and reversing the vehicle, the power steering suddenly malfunctioned causing the steering wheel to become very difficult to turn. After turning the vehicle off and restarting the engine, the failure continued. During the failure, the "service power steering" message displayed. The failure was not diagnosed or repaired. It was unknown if a dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was notified and did not assist. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 70,000.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #20

Feb 122018

TSX

  • 75,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Acura Tsx. While driving approximately 55 mph, the steering wheel seized and the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle restarted after one attempt. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the power steering module wiring needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. It was unknown if a dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to call NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000. The VIN was not available.

- Berlin, MD, USA

problem #19

Feb 142018

TSX

  • 99,000 miles
The other day I was driving on the free way and my steering wheel locked up on me while I was driving which could've caused an accident or something more worse. A lot of complaints were already made on arfc so I'm surprised this hasn't become an issue for the dealership to make this a recall. It's a safety hazard and can cause someone's life. I really hope this gets escalated so we can save someone's life and get a refund for replacing this computer chip module that's cost 1500 dollars. I spoke to the Acura complaint center and the rep said if they get more complaints like this it will lead into a recall and we would get a refund. It's ridiculous that this hasn't already become a recall due to it being a safety hazard.

- Tacoma, WA, USA

problem #18

Oct 212017

TSX

  • 80,000 miles
My Tsx is close to 80K miles. I have had no significant issues with this car until now. I started my car one morning and saw a "check power steering" notification and the power steering icon illuminated on the dash. One shop attempted to reset the eps (electric power steering) system and make sure the voltages looked ok. This worked for 3 days before I had the same "check power steering" notification and light illuminated on the dash. This will result in a fix in the realm of $2000 for a total replacement of the steering rack. I'm very unpleasantly surprised that Acura has not issued some sort of recall for this issue because of the large amount of issues that are similar to mine. Acura was very prompt with fixing my takata airbag, but after this I have to say I am no longer impressed.

- Long Beach, CA, USA

problem #17

Sep 282017

TSX

  • 155,000 miles
Started my car and got "check power steering system" error on my dash while backing out into the road...car had no power steering. I did manage to drive the car home and the next day called the dealer. Was informed it was most likely the eps (electronic power steering) module and would be $980 for he repair. Upon further investigation I've learned that this can lock the steering wheel while driving! the dealership nor Acura thought this was a big deal or a safety hazard when I spoke to them...dealer didn't even tell me to stop driving the car when I asked them if it was safe for me to commute an hour each way via interstate. Acura opened a ticket as I requested "goodwill fix" and was denied any assistance as I drive my car to much and they didn't have many reports of this issue and again didn't find it to be a safety hazard. I took my car to the local dealer and requested a loaner car until the steering was fixed. I am out $980 and have learned the manufacturer wont back their product unless it kills someone...google search shows this happening to many Tsx owners but didn't seem to matter to Acura. We are a long time Honda/Acura family and this shouldn't be failing on a 5 year old car, major safety concern.

- New Castle, IN, USA

problem #16

Sep 282017

TSX

  • 79,000 miles
Was driving vehicle home and the power steering light came on as I was about to turn left across oncoming traffic. Fortunately steering wheel did not lock but had to turn it with great effort to get across oncoming traffic lane. If there had been heavier oncoming traffic I likely would've been T-boned. It's my opinion that this system did not fail safely. Looking at other reports where this repair cost more than $1000. Adding my story in the event this leads to a recall.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #15

Aug 162017

TSX

  • 90,000 miles
I drove for 20 minutes to my destination at a speed of 40 miles per hour. My car was resting for about 30 minutes while I was at my appointment. When I was leaving the location, I started my car and the electronic power steering alert came on, and it was extremely difficult to turn my wheel, so I could not drive the car. I looked at my car manual, and it stated that I would need to take my car in immediately for maintenance. My car was towed to the dealership for inspection. The dealer service department advised that the car shows a "32-09 motor current correlation failure, " and advised that the control unit has to be replaced. The dealer advised that the module controls are contained, and that control units typically never go bad (60% of cars was quoted). He advised that "they typically go bad if something hits it but this is not the case with your vehicle." Is this a manufacturer defect and/or should there be a recall?

- South Lyon, MI, USA

problem #14

Aug 012017

TSX

  • 106,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Acura Tsx. The contact stated that the eps failed intermittently and the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn left or right. The vehicle was taken to a dealer (chapman Acura, 4600 E 22nd St, tucson, AZ 85711, (520) 445-4061) where it was diagnosed that the eps module needed to be replaced. The dealer indicated that there was no service campaign from the manufacturer and no recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.

- Sahuarita, AZ, USA

problem #13

Aug 012017

TSX

  • 70,000 miles
I have a Acura Tsx 2012 - about 70,000 miles. One evening leaving work my car notified me that I needed to check the power steering system. My wheel was completely locked and I had to get it towed to an Acura service center. I then later learned that I need to replace my eps unit and my cost would be $1028!!!!! this is unacceptable as my vehicle is fairly new and well maintained!!! Acura needs to fix this issue and reimburse me! it could've been life changing for me if this happened will on a main highway, etc!!! unacceptable for this vehicle!

- Kansas City, MO, USA

problem #12

Jul 292017

TSX

  • 79,000 miles
While driving on the busiest freeway in cleveland, Ohio (7/23/17); an error popped up on my Acura Tsx saying "check power steering system, " and I immediately lost all power steering of my vehicle. I was able to pull the wheel (with great force) to the side of the road, and read the owner's manual. It said that there's a problem with the electrical power steering of the vehicle and to shut off the car and turn it back on to see if the error resets. Thankfully the error went away. I called the dealer the next morning (since this happened on a Sunday), and they said if it happens again to bring it in for service. I drove the car for another 6 days (thinking it was a fluke), then to my parents 2 hours away to youngstown, Ohio (7/29/17). When I got back into my car, turned the key, the error "check power steering" popped up again. Unfortunately, it did not reset. When this error occurs, the entire power steering system doesn't function. The steering wheel will turn; however, with great force! it's extremely difficult to move. I did some research and found a ton of issues with the electrical steering system of the 2015 Acura Tsx. I've had the car 5 years and drove it 79,000 miles (freeway mostly); it's odd that this early in the life, a main computer that houses the steering would fail. I found posts of people driving with children on freeways and on winding roads encounter the same issue and they lost control of their cars! see sites: 1. 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?V=8ffw9F9D854 some thing has to be done. This is a $1000+ fix and not covered under warranty. This is clearly a defect from whoever sold Acura the electrical steering component module of the vehicle. The next person this happens to may not be able to maneuver over and cause a fatal crash.

- Rocky River, OH, USA

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