2014 ACURA RLX Recalls, Complaints & Safety

Per Acura service bulletin 23-022, Dated June 9th 2023, Acura extended a warranty on the rear steering actuators that were admitted to be “manufacturer error” parts, to extend 10 years from purchase date. In my opinion any part that is known to have manufacturer defects that effect the primary Rear wheel drive system that effects almost all safety systems on the vehicle to include limp mode on a highway needs to be replaced, this is a large safety issue. Fact; Honda admits manufacturers errors on parts. Fact; Honda recognizes the issue and issues a service bulletin. Fact; Honda extends the duration to repair the manufacturing defective part. Fact; Honda denies claims ( even when vehicle safety is a concern) after the 10 year deadline Fact; most average 2014 cars driven 12,500 miles per year have roughly 125,000 miles in 10 years and the manufacturer error was realized most likely due to usage. My 2014 now 12 years old has just recently realized the manufacturer error at 81,000 miles and Honda will not honor repairs for their errors. Facts; Google; “is it safe to drive my Acura RLX with a defective Precision all wheel steering actuator”…safety concerns realized. Facts; NHTSA is in place to keep the consumers safe and the manufacturers held accountable for repairs, let’s face it the service bulletin is just a way for manufacturers to appear proactive while turning out defective unsafe parts.

Rear toe actuator (PAWS system) failure causes steering instability, warning lights, and loss of control during cornering. Acura denied warranty coverage despite a known defect and VIN-based extension (TSB 23-021, 23-022).

I purchased a 2014 Acura RLX. It had a LKAS Problem warning when purchased. I thought that meant that feature would be disabled. No big deal. In stead I have experienced the car making abrupt jerks to the right on multiple occasions. One instance, I turned onto an on-ramp that was dual lane. There was a vehicle to the right of me and my car abruptly jerked to the right towards the other car. I was able to slow a bit before entering the interstate traffic to gain control. Another instance, I turned left onto a county road. Upon straighten my steering wheel the car made another sudden jerk to the right with my steering wheel still partially turned to the left, and several warning lights and message started appearing, including: Brake system problem, adaptive cruise control problem, brake hold system problem, power steering system problem, and vehicle stability assist problem. I have noticed a rubbing sound coming from the rear end at times when turning. There have been 3 other instances where the car was jerked to the right with no additional warning lights or warning. Luckily those times there were no other vehicles nearby and I was moving at a slower speed allowing me to be able to slow down and correct the issue. The vehicle has not been inspected yet. The vehicle has an appointment with the dealership in the next 24 hours. It is available for inspection upon request. This is a serious safety issue! My teenage kids are not safe to drive this vehicle! The vehicle is in excellent structural condition and the motor runs excellent. It sounds like the RTC actuators is a huge issue!

Went into limp mode on a highway in heavy traffic, car began to break rapidly decreasing in speed and would not accelerate at all. All dashboard lights came on and a CMBS notification came on. I and my family were almost rear ended by several vehicles. I am terrified to drive the vehicle and immediately pulled over to the side of the road and had vehicle towed. Also, while driving vehicle, steering wheel will randomly jerk hard to the left causing vehicle to swerve left. I Have contacted the Acura dealership and am being denied the recall.

The PAWS (Precision All Wheel Steering) has major issues where the system either activates suddenly when driving the vehicle, regardless of slow speeds, high speeds, going straight or turning and the back wheels suddenly turn causing the rear end to slide out. I took the vehicle to my local dealership and they said it is a known problem with this vehicle rear toe actuators and Honda has issued a warranty extension for 2013-2019 RLX to correct it. Unfortunately, this vehicle is no longer under that warranty and the only way it can be corrected is a $6800 replacement. Honda (Acura) obviously knows this is an issue but the severity is being majorly downplayed, as losing steering of a vehicle seems pretty serious to me! The vehicle cycles through multiple warning lights immediately upon the issue occurring, not before.

Power sterling went out

This car is equipped with four wheel steering. The actuators that control the real wheels activate when the steering wheel has not turned. This occurs when the car has completed a turn and is moving in a straight line.

The contact owns a 2014 Acura RLX. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH in the rain, the vehicle started to fishtail, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the passenger’s side rear toe control actuator had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 176,000.

The rear tires P-AWS actuators cause the rear wheels to slide sideways causing lose of vehicle control with out warning. There is no rhyme or reason to the loss or when to know its coming. The cars are a ticking time bomb. Upon researching this problem, it seems I'm not the only one having issues with this. It needs to be put on the manufacturer to repair issues with this if there are that many of these cars out there with this issue. It's going to get someone killed.

The vehicle is equipped with rear wheel steering which is executed through a toe actuator device in the suspension attached to each rear wheel. The actuators are malfunctioning on my vehicle, causing it to swerve while driving on multiple occasions. The vehicle swerved in a fashion taking it out it its lane and could easily have put the vehicle into oncoming traffic with zero steering input from the driver. This is a very serious safety issue and vehicles with this equipment should be recalled for repair in my opinion. Acura is aware of the problem and did extend the warranties on the vehicles to cover the issue, but the extension ended in 2024. I spoke with Acura customer service at their US headquarters in Torrance, CA and their response was that they no longer cover this repair but acknowledge that it is a serious safety concern with the vehicle. My local Acura dealer charges approximately $7,000 to repair the problem and I will attach the estimate.

The contact owns a 2014 Acura RLX. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, decelerated to 45 MPH, and failed to accelerate properly. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was persistent. The contact also stated that the front passenger’s side seat belt failed to buckle securely. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with steering wheel column failure. The dealer informed the contact of a previous recall, but the recall had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Acura RLX. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. The contact then became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 13-041. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 156,000. The VIN was not available.

When I make left or right turns in a round about the words BRAKE pop up on dash board, the car slows like it's loosing power and several different things pop up saying forward collision, lane departure warning, emergency brake failure and a couple more warnings telling me to turn off the car and park the car. The steering wheel gets stuck to the side even though the car is driving straight then the tires will jerk the car and the wheel will straighten back up

I have a serious safety issue with my 2014 Acura RLX. While driving, the rear wheel intermittently kicks out, causing the entire vehicle to swerve unpredictably. This poses a significant safety risk to myself, passengers, and other road users. The rear wheel kicks out, leading to sudden swerving of the vehicle. I believe this is related the the Rear Toe Actuators and PAW-S system. I first noticed this issue in July 2023 and sought assistance from Acura. At first the dealership denied that my car was affected by their Service Bulletin 23-022. I knew I had an issue and called and created a case with Acura. I drove my car as little as possible last year. Last month, I had an issue which made my car only drive under 50mph and all these lights popped up on my instrument panel: it read: Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) problem, Forward collision warning (FCW) Electric Power steering problem, Brake. I brought my car in to my regular mechanic. He showed me the codes on my car showed the service bulletin. I then took my car back to Acura dealership (June 17th). Acura identified the issue as related to rear toe actuators. Acura called me and informed me that I was outside of their warranty period even thought I started the case with them last year. The estimated cost exceeds $3,000, which I find financially burdensome. The safety issue persists despite Acura's negligence and puts me and my family and other drivers at risk, necessitating urgent intervention to prevent potential accidents. Service Bulletins: Reference to Acura Service Bulletin 23-022 addressing similar issues. Communication with Acura/Honda: Case numbers: Case 14025611 Please help me in investigating this safety issue and determining if it warrants further action, such as a safety recall or investigation into Acura's handling of the matter. I believe this issue may affect other owners of the 2014 Acura RLX or other RLX owners up to the year 2020 and poses a safety risk that requires immediate attention.

See attached document for complaint

While driving on the highway at about 65/70mph, my seatbelts locked and the emergency brakes engaged along with the lane departure warning and a couple other warning lights I’ve never seen. This has happened approximately 3 times.

The contact and her husband own a 2014 Acura RLX. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the contact lost control of the vehicle due to the vehicle jerking to the right. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions and an unknown software update was performed. The failure persisted after the software update. The vehicle was later diagnosed with a defective precision all wheel steering actuator; however, the parts were on backorder. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Acura RLX. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH and making a left turn, the steering wheel became firm. The contact stated that the vehicle started to fishtail, and the brakes, WU-TWC, ABS and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear toe control actuator had failed. The vehicle was not repaired due to the dealer informing the contact that issue was not safety related. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the issue was not a safety concern. The failure mileage was 40,000.

After making a turn at light, steering wheel stayed turned while car was straight. Then it jerks itself back into place. Another occurrence was while driving on highway, steering wheel was turning sideways while driving straight then car starts to slow down on its own and the lights on dash came on ( breaking system, fwd collision, lane departure, brake hold system,VSA, EPS, hill start assist) this has happened 3 times in the last 2-3 months. We have changed tires, had alignment done, had fuses replaced, new battery and it is still happening. Not safe while driving on highway or anywhere for that matter. Needs to be recalled and fixed. I have looked up this issue and it seems to be an ongoing issue on this year/make/model. I cannot be driving in a car like this if it keeps happening, I drive my elderly mother and in-laws to their doctor appointments and cannot risk an accident with them. It happened once with my in- laws in the car. Could be a serious lawsuit on Acura. The consumer stated that all of the issues started around the same time.

Has happened numerous times driving 65 on freeway dashboard lights up in able to steer car a won’t accelerate the does a fishtail movement, very scary an dangerous.Have taken to dealer ship they say install new battery, which has been done same incidents happen, not to mention dealership can not replicate the issue after having for a week an driving car. Driving 35mph will loose power steering then car violently fishtails causing the car to lurch into oncoming lane , have narrowly been missed being hit by on coming traffic. Seem to happen randomly with no notice except loosing power steering. Other complaints say it is the PAWS system the Honda/Acura refuse to repair, again dealership,can not replicate, suggests new battery. It is a very dangerous situation on the road an will seriously cause bodily harm to me or the oncoming traffic. Looking for some help before a serious accident occurs.

While vehicle is driving the steering wheel turns abruptly. All warning lights on the dashboard starts to turn on. Researching the issue online, I realize that it is a recurring problem. The P-AWS system have problems with the rear wheel actuators. The driving capabilities become severely altered and very dangerous to drive. Once the problem starts it may come back to normal driving in a few seconds or continue for hours. Steering issue while vehicle is in motion can cause an accident.

While my wife was driving my RLX I left my neighborhood and made a right turn onto the main road, while on the main road the PAWS system malfunctioned and the vehicle "Fishtailed" causing the vehicle to swerve violently, steering turned violently as well and instrument cluster illuminated with multiple warning lights. PAWS system malfunctioned/failed (its available for inspection) The safety of my wife and son was put at risk as this could have caused a crash/accident The problem has been confirmed The vehicle component has been inspected and scanned for codes Codes U0122-00, U0155-00, U0029-00, 27-21, 86-23, U129D-00, U0416-68, U126-00, U0100-00, U0101-00, C1600-94, U129D, and U1281. No prior warning lamps,messages or symptoms indicating a problem with system or vehicle This issue happened on Saturday December 10, 2022. How is this not a recall? Did a google research on the condition and multiple reports of these vehicles equipped with the PAWS system "Fishtailing" when the rear steering actuators malfunction.

The contact owns a 2014 Acura RLX. The contact stated that while his son was driving 55 MPH, the power steering and the brakes failed with the ABS and power steering warning lights illuminated. The contact's son managed to coast the vehicle onto the shoulder as the power steering and the brake functionality returned. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer where it remained for several weeks. The contact was initially informed that the alternator needed to be replaced; however, the contact was later informed that the failure was related to the battery. The dealer then informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure and the vehicle was towed back to his residence. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown. The consumer stated the manufacturer and the dealer refused to put in writing what actions modifications, or alterations they made to the vehicle which they had in their possession for nearly 9 weeks.

The car, unexpectedly fishtails while driving straight.This has happened since I purchased the car and it is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS as it can thrust the car into oncoming traffic. The service technicians can never duplicate the problem. The problem, according to the dealer is the PAWS system rear wheel steer and it is a very well known problem with the 2014 RLX. The dealer told me that the PAWS system parts are no longer made and if they were, they would cost $2800.00 each side, plus labor. Honda Acura must recall and correct this problem before it kills someone. At the very least figure out how to disable the system so it can’t steer on its own. There WILL BE traffic fatalities if this issue isn’t corrected, it’s just a matter of time. (The internet is flooded with the same story by other owners who have not reported their concerns to NHTSA)

Rear wheels on car will suddenly without warning turn causing the car to violently fishtail. I have had this happen 5 times in the last month. Acura dealer reproduced the malfunction 2 times. The last time this happened it almost put my family into oncoming traffic. We cannot currently drive the car for safety reasons and parts to fix the problem are not available. Seems the problem is within the P-AWS rear wheel steering actuators. Car is available for inspection and there are no warning lights or messages when this happens.