2015 Acura TLX · symptom sheet

Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard

80owner reports
8,800median miles
1involved a crash

Newest report Jan 5, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026

157 of the 334 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 80 of those describe transmission shudder, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2015 TLX.

Narrower sheets: Transmission jerks, lurches or bangs into gear (58 reports) · Transmission hesitates when accelerating (31 reports)

2 recalls on this systemcovering the 2015 model year

1 crashin 80 reports

Tick what matches of 80 reports

shudders or vibrates at low speed

slips or revs without pulling

bangs or clunks into gear

hesitates when I accelerate

a dealer did a software update

fluid was changed or flushed

Transmission shudder on other TLX years

No other TLX model year has enough reports of transmission shudder for a sheet of its own. See every TLX year.

What this problem usually is

This is the biggest drivetrain group on the site: a transmission that shudders, slips, hesitates or bangs into gear. It's the everyday version of transmission trouble, where the car still drives but doesn't drive right, and it has three narrower sheets of its own for jerking, hesitation and slipping.

Read the full explainer · Which cars report it most

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the transmission (5 reports) and the clutch (5 reports).

Recalls and investigations

2 recalls on the transmission and drivetrain cover the 2015 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

16V-640Sep 6, 2016

Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm)

In the affected vehicles, the transmission wire harness connections may have insufficient crimps, and, as a result, the transmission may unexpectedly shift to neutral.

Risk, remedy and owner complaints on recall 16V-640

14V-779Dec 8, 2014

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

The automatic transmission parking pawl may become contaminated or the park rod may become dislodged or broken. This may prevent the transmission from shifting into the Park position.

Risk, remedy and owner complaints on recall 14V-779

All 6 recalls on the 2015 Acura TLX, with the owner complaints on each recalled system

NHTSA investigations into the transmission and drivetrain on the TLX

DP26-001opened Mar 6, 2026

Transmission and drivetrain · model years 2021 to 2023

All wheel drive allegation. Closed aug 4, 2026.

None of these investigations covers the 2015 model year.

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 3,000 and 29,752 miles, from the 46 reports that gave a mileage.

Is this a known problem?

The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 7 service bulletins or notices for the 2015 Acura TLX that deal with this problem. Newest first.

Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.

Service bulletinB20-015Oct 28, 2020
The transmission has intermittent harsh or jerky upshifts with steady acceleration.
Service bulletinB17003Sep 6, 2017
The 8-Speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) has a bump or hard shift when coming to a stop, usually on the downshift from 2nd to 1st. This symptom is intermittent and may be difficult to duplicate.
Service bulletinB17-015Apr 26, 2017
SERVICE BULLETIN THE 8-SPEED DUAL-CLUTCH TRANSMISSION (DCT) HAS A BUMP OR HARD SHIFT WHEN COMING TO A STOP, USUALLY ON THE DOWNSHIFT FROM 2ND TO 1ST. THIS SYMPTOM IS INTERMITTENT AND MAY BE DIFFICULT TO DUPLICATE.
Service bulletinB16120BDec 8, 2016
SERVICE BULLETIN IN A 9-SPEED A/T, THE ATF LEVEL IS CRITICAL. IF ITS TOO HIGH, THE TRANSMISSION COULD SHIFT HARD. IF ITS TOO LOW, THE TRANSMISSION COULD SLIP. THIS TRANSMISSION ALSO DOESNT USE A DIPSTICK. TO CHECK THE ATF LEVEL, YOU NEED TO RUN A SPECIAL PROCEDURE.

3 more on the 2015 Acura TLX page.

What owners wrote

“The gears are very jerky i got this tlx at 70k miles and its been jerky ever since. Car looses power when turning from stop the steering get hard sometimes. Transmission chirping noises.”
Filed Oct 24, 2021 · 70,000 miles

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 1 of 80 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.

Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works