2005 Acura RSX problems & reliability
32 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2005 Acura RSX. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2005 Acura RSX vehicles were involved in 18 fatal crashes with 17 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension → | 13 | 41% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 9% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 9% |
| Visibility | 3 | 9% |
| Power Train | 2 | 6% |
| Steering | 2 | 6% |
| Tires | 2 | 6% |
| Engine | 1 | 3% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 14 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I bought a vehicle last year and never ran the carfax but now I have it and it appears the mileage has been tampered with”
Electrical System · filed Oct 10, 2020
“On sat dec 10 2018 I was bulling in to a parking space at walmart after 7am. I was going slowly and started a left turn into a parking space. As I turned I was lightly on the brake, suddenly the engine revved to a high speed and the car surged forward. I pushed hard on the brakes but it still kept going at a lower…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Dec 14, 2018
“The car failed to stop for an intersection. Luckily there was no cross traffic, so we did not have an accident. Mechanic diagnosed the problem: power brake booster failed to keep vacuum, making brakes weak. I see that this exact failure was recalled for the next model year (2006). Both model year cars use the same…”
Service Brakes · filed Oct 3, 2016
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
25 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2005 Acura RSX. The 10 most recent:
Sending vehicle data to tech line.
BJA46167 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2017
Special Tool Loan Program: Under TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR LOAN, the list has been updated.
B98015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 18, 2016
Dealer message - On Monday, June 23, 2014, Acura announced three recalls for various 2002-06 Acura models. As of August 4, 2014, affected VINs have been identified, and VIN status inquiry has been updated.
DLR MSG - Acura · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2014
Dealer message - On Monday, June 23, 2014, Acura announced three recalls for various 2002-06 Acura models. As of July 23, 2014, affected VINs have been identified, and service bulletins 14-023, Safety Recall: Front…
DLR MSG - Stop S · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 23, 2014
Acura: update on some model vehicles regarding testing of alternators with the gr8 alternator/starter tester (ast) module that is installed on gr8 diagnostic battery station. *pe
SB-12-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 12, 2012
Acura: the engine coolant temperature input in misinterpreted by the ecm/pcm/ the mil comes on. *pe
SB-06-023 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 22, 2011
Honda acura: 2005-2006 rsx. The malfunction light is on with a trouble code stored due to the air/fuel sensor damaged by moisture in the exhaust. *rm
SB-07-019 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 22, 2011
Acura: there are guidelines for various situations and procedures including: tire pressure valve stem installation, trailer stability malfunction light is on, engine oil application guide, new software, new transmission…
SB-0708 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2010
Acura: 6 speed manual transmission grinds when shifting into 3rd gear, pops out of 3rd gear, or is hard to shift into 3rd gear. Transmission has a faulty 3rd gear synchronizer or 3-4 shift sleeve. *pe
08-018 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 18, 2008
Load carrying capacity reduced label for all acura vehicles. *pe
08-026 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 31, 2008
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2005 Acura RSX in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2005 Acura RSX?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.