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severe 17 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $700 · see steering across all vehicles →
Of the 17 steering complaints filed for the 2008 Acura TSX, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 75,000-100,000 mi.
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
Cumulative share of the 10 mileage-bearing steering complaints filed against the 2008 Acura TSX by each odometer reading. Median failure: 87,000 mi.
Curve based on owner-reported odometer mileage at the time of complaint. Reflects when owners filed, not when symptoms first appeared. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve.
Steering accounts for 50% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 3 categories tracked.
No new NHTSA steering complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 11 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Oil leaking onto a hot exhaust pipe will generate smoke and a burning smell, and could potentially result in an under hood fire.
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering steering on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Dealer message - In May 2010 and June 2012, American Honda announced a safety recall for 2004-08 TSX and 2007-08 TL due to a potentially leaking power steering feed hose. For some time, the countermeasure hoses and required repair parts have been in stock as part of special campaign parts kits available for dealer ordering.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The 2008 Acura TSX steering complaints center on power steering rack and pinion failures. Owners describe seals inside the rack degrading and leaking hydraulic fluid, sometimes with no warning signs. One owner lost complete steering assist when the fluid drained in half a day; another lost power steering within a minute of hearing a whining noise during a turn. At 60,000 miles, 69,000 miles, 87,000 miles, and beyond, owners report sudden steering loss while driving—at highway speeds in some cases.
Acura's Service Bulletin 10-025 addresses a rack squeak from deformed seals, and a 2014 recall (SB10-010) replaced power steering hoses. However, one owner reported rack failure three months after the hose recall was completed, raising questions about whether that work may have contributed to subsequent failure. Dealers acknowledge the issue is common ("sees this a lot," "common issue on TSX's") but have not issued a recall for seal or rack failures. Repair costs run $1,500 to $3,000+, and one owner crashed when steering did not respond; another faced driving home in an unsafe vehicle after a dealer refused to condemn it following a hose recall. The seals cannot be serviced—only the entire rack can be replaced.
Same Acura TSX steering reports on nearby years: 2006 · 2007 · 2011
Seals inside the power steering rack fail, allowing hydraulic fluid to leak out. The seals are sealed inside and cannot be serviced separately. Leaks can occur rapidly, draining fluid within hours to half a day, resulting in sudden loss of power steering assist.
When: Mileage varies widely: 58,469 miles, 60,000 miles, 69,000 miles, 87,000 miles, 198,231 miles. Failures reported at both low and highway speeds.
Symptoms owners cite: Power steering fluid leaking from rack and pinion; Rough or hard steering feel before complete failure; Sudden loss of power steering assist; Whining or squeaking noise from steering system; Difficulty turning steering wheel at low speeds; No warning lights or advance indicators
Repairs/costs cited: Full rack and pinion replacement required; seals cannot be serviced separately. Owners report repair costs ranging from $1,500 to $3,000+, with rack replacement alone at $1,000–$2,200 plus labor at $1,000+.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Acura Service Bulletin 10-025 addresses power steering rack squeak due to deformed seal. One recall (SB10-010) addressed power steering hose failures in 2014. Service managers acknowledge the issue is common but offer only partial discounts on parts, not full recalls for seal/rack failures.
When the rack leaks and power steering fluid is depleted, the pump runs dry and can be damaged from lack of lubrication. In at least one case, both rack and pump failed together.
When: Occurs after rack leakage has drained fluid; failures noted at 60,000+ miles and during operation after fluid loss.
Symptoms owners cite: Whining noise from power steering pump; Complete power steering loss; Pump failure coinciding with rack leakage
Repairs/costs cited: Pump replacement adds $1,000+ to the repair bill in cases where both components fail. One owner paid $3,000 total for pump and rack replacement.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer acknowledged one case could be related to prior hose recall work but could not confirm causation. No recall issued for pump failures secondary to rack leakage.
Leaks develop in power steering hoses, causing fluid loss and loss of steering assist. One owner had a recall repair done (SB10-010) for hose issues, then experienced complete fluid loss and power steering failure three months later.
When: Hose leak observed at 198,231 miles in one case; in another case, complete failure occurred 3 months after a factory recall hose replacement and again after a 4-month dealer inspection that found no issues.
Symptoms owners cite: Low power steering fluid; Abnormally hard steering; Visible leak in power steering hose; Complete fluid loss without warning
Repairs/costs cited: Hose replacement performed under recall (SB10-010) did not prevent subsequent rack failure in at least one reported case.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall SB10-010 (2014) replaced power steering hoses. However, owners report subsequent rack failures occurring 3 months after recall completion, suggesting the recall may not address the root cause or may have contributed to secondary failures.
The pinion boot on the driver side of the rack deteriorates and leaks, allowing contamination. Grinding noise occurs when turning the wheel, indicating internal wear or metal-to-metal contact inside the rack.
When: Observed at approximately 120,000 miles.
Symptoms owners cite: Grinding noise when making turns; Pinion boot leakage; Grinding heard from rack when wheel turned on jack stands
Synthesized from 17 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
The power steering pump started making a faint whine while driving. Pulled off at an auto parts shop 1 mile down the road to refill the fluid. While sitting there idling the fluid leak all out the steering rack and required towed to have rack replaced. Acura knows this is an issue and only offered a discount on the part but $1000 labor was to come out of my pocket. I would have lost steering…
Tl* the contact previously owned a 2008 Acura tsx. The contact attempted to turn the steering wheel; however, the steering wheel did not respond when it was turned. As a result, the contact crashed into a pole. The contact sustained a fractured left toe, fractured wrist in two places, and bruising to the entire body. The dealer nor manufacturer were notified nor was the failure diagnosed. The…
Power steering failed. Very unsafe to drive without assisted steering for young driver to manage car. Acura tsx 04-08 have known steering issues. There are many documented cases of failed rack and pinion but yet no recall to date. *tr
While driving I noticed my car completely lost all of its power steering in one shot without warning. This leads to very stiff driving experience and when I brought it too the mechanic he said it would be a substantial amount of money to fix, because of this I googled and noticed many other Acura tsx's have this issue. I applied power steering fluid in hope of that helping out but it just…
1. The rack and pinion steering rack is leaking power steering hydraulic fluid. The power assist is not working and the vehicle is undrivable. Putting in new fluid does not help as it just drains out from he pinion within half a day. 2. Luckily, the seals on the rack and pinion failed in the community as low speeds and power steering was lost. Drove back home. No one was hurt. Afraid to think of…
The contact owns a 2008 Acura TSX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to complete a turn, an abnormal amount of effort was needed to turn the steering wheel. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed that the power steering fluid was abnormally low. Upon refilling the power steering fluid reservoir, the contact observed a…
While driving home the power steering failed. After having the car towed to the only Acura dealer in town, the trouble was diagnosed as a rack and pinion failure. When we suggested that was an atypical problem for a vehicle with only 87, 000 miles the dealer agreed it was not typical. Two days later we learned that the same dealer had just done the same repair on the same model with less than…
Power steering started to fail all of a sudden. Was not able to steer at all. The dealer told me it was caused by the rack and pinion going out which also affected the power steering pump to fail. This should not happen when the car itself was driven only 60k plus miles and the car was always well taken care of through the dealership. I paid 3,000 dollars to get this fixed! There are multiple…
Was traveling on the highway at around 65 MPH when the car steering felt a bit rough, upon arrival at my job's parking lot I lost complete power steering. Upon a quick inspection later that day I noticed the rack and pinion was leaking, I tried to add more fluid just to make it home but the leak was so quick that I lost complete power steering when trying to exit my parking space after just…
While driving the car on the highway, it became increasingly hard to steer. By the time I got home the steering wheel couldn't be turned. Had it taken to the dealer where it was noted that the power steering was completely inoperable, the rack and pinion was leaking and the power steering pump was leaking. Dealer said that my VIN hadn't been affected by the previous power steering hose recall. It…
It's a meaningful issue. 17 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $700.
Across the 14 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most steering failures cluster between 64,000 and 104,000 miles, with the median around 87,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 64,000; a quarter make it past 104,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
Independent shops typically charge around $700 for steering repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Yes — 1 active recall(s) cover steering issues on this vehicle. Recall fixes are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status. Use the VIN decoder at the top of the page to check if your specific vehicle is affected.